first preached on October 2nd, 2011 When they left Egypt, the Israelites followed two pillars in the sky.  During the day, they followed a pillar of cloud.  During the night, a pillar of fire.  God was in these pillars, distant and majestic, appearing as unexplained meteorological phenomena.    The pillars in the sky didn’t follow … Continue reading Be Still

first preached on October 22nd, 2011 Robert Lifton met a Jesuit priest when he was traveling in Europe in 1958.  The priest was a victim of the thought reform that the Chinese Communist government practiced on its people and on foreigners who had been living in China.  The priest, Father Simon, had been born at … Continue reading Goodness Instead of Glory

It’s easy to think that he lived in a simpler world, to romanticize the ninth century and see it as a time of short lives, hard labor, and communal values.  The West Saxons were Christians, and they didn’t have to be distinguished as Roman Catholic Christians, because that was the only category available in most … Continue reading Alfred the Great

Tomorrow is the Feast of the Confession of Saint Peter, which means that I'm busy trying to dig up something interesting to say about the saint and the feast.  Peter is great, of course, and many things can be said about him, but this morning I'm in pursuit of the beautiful and the miraculous.  So … Continue reading Preparing for the Feast – Confession of Saint Peter