St. Julian of Norwich, an Episcopal Community

"Follow Me"

2012-01-24T17:33:00.000-06:00

“Follow Me” Epiphany 3, Year B Mark 1:14-20 Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come, take my lips and speak with them, take our minds and think with them, take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. CS Lewis’ children’s books the Chronicles of Narnia have been beloved by me since I read them for the first time as a ten year old child, perhaps many of you

Responding to God's Call by Richard Lauzon

2012-01-17T16:39:00.000-06:00

Below is an email I received from Richard Lauzon who is a part of our St. Julian's community. He allowed me to use it as a blog post as an example of responding to a "call" by God into a particular ministry...his willingness to respond resulted in blessing him and the one he went to serve. Thanks for sharing, Richard, and hope all enjoy. Peace,Miles+ Miles, I wrote this last week after the

"Speak, Lord, for your Servant Hears"

2012-01-17T16:25:00.000-06:00

“Speak, Lord, for your Servant Hears” Epiphany 2, Year B I Samuel 3:1-10 Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them, take our minds and think with them, take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. In 1994 on a Thursday morning my sophomore year in college, I received a call. I use the term morning loosely. I just mean

"The River Jordan"

2012-01-09T16:45:00.000-06:00

"The River Jordan" Mark 1:4-11 Epiphany 1, Year B Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. So it was a Friday night in December my senior yea r of college at UT and, though I should have been studying for finals, I spent the night out on

"And Laid him in a Manger"

2012-01-03T22:37:00.000-06:00

“And Laid him in a Manger” Luke 2:1-20 Christmas Eve, Year B Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. Back in 1994, two Americans were invited by the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics in their prisons, at their

December 23th readings: Psalm 150 and Luke 2:33-40

2011-12-23T09:51:00.003-06:00

Luke 2:36-38: There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who

December 22nd readings: Psalm 111 and Luke 2:33-40

2011-12-22T09:40:00.003-06:00

Luke 2:28-30 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation' Believers have always had difficulty balancing the finitude of the historical Jesus with infinitude of the Christ. We elevate the one while we minimize the other. So did Mary. How can the infinite inhabit

December 21st readings: Psalm 103 and Luke 2:8-20

2011-12-21T07:00:00.002-06:00

Luke 2:10-12 Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” Luke tells us today the ultimate story of grace, a gift of the most unexpected nature. Something

December 20th readings: Psalm 100 and Luke 2:1-7

2011-12-20T10:57:00.004-06:00

Psalm 100: Enter his gates with thanksgivingand his courts with praise… Could any passage of scripture be more clear and directive, encouraging, comforting, or hopeful than Psalm 100? Could a passage explain or clarify the Christian life better? And so simply, too! Who is God? A faithful, tender, merciful shepherd. Who are we? God’s own. The sheep of his pasture. What are God’

December 19th readings: Psalm 98 and Luke 1:67-80

2011-12-19T11:28:00.003-06:00

Luke 1:78-79 By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’ We pray these familiar lines often in our daily rhythm of Morning Prayer at the seminary. And these words never cease move me, to take my breath away. I think it is that juxtaposition of

December 17th readings: Psalm 96 and Luke 1:57-66

2011-12-17T01:13:00.004-06:00

Psalm 92:2-3 Sing to the Lord, bless hisname; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare hisglory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples. In Psalm 96 we are reminded of the awesomeness of God and the very existence of his creation is a celebration of His glory. How creation sings and glorifies God by just doing

December 16th readings: Psalm 95 and Luke 1:46-56

2011-12-16T11:58:00.002-06:00

Psalm 95:1 Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Luke 1:46a and 56: My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. . .He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers. We've been hearing Christmas songs for several weeks now as we

December 15th readings: Psalm 84 and Luke 1:39-45

2011-12-15T13:38:00.001-06:00

Luke 1:42b Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.Blessing is a strange thing. We tend to speak of blessing as something that accompanies good fortune and prosperity. Yet Elizabeth says to Mary that she is blessed among women - not simply that she is blessed to have a child, for that is true of many women. No, she is particularly blessed to bear this child, the

December 14th readings: Psalm 81 and Luke 1:34-38

2011-12-14T00:49:00.002-06:00

Luke 1:37 For nothing will be impossible with God.Both of these passages remind us that following God is not something that just happens. Following Jesus and walking with God are conscious decisions that we make every day. In this time of Advent we are taking time out of our ordinary lives to prepare for the miracle that will be the baby in the manger. This baby is more than we can understand.

December 13th readings: Psalm 75 and Luke 1:26-33

2011-12-13T06:18:00.002-06:00

Luke 1:26-68 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’Do we expect our young teenage girls to be called as Mary to God’s mission? Calling Mary is what God through Gabriel

"To Testify to the Light"

2011-12-12T11:36:00.002-06:00

“To Testify to the Light” John 1:6-8; 19-28 Advent 3, Year B Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. Today’s Gospel lesson begins with an image of light. Jesus is the light of the world…coming among us in the most unexpected of ways

December 12th readings: Psalm 67 and Luke 1:14-25

2011-12-12T07:51:00.006-06:00

Luke 1:14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.Announcements. They come to us everyday from a thousand different sources. We automatically filter the ones we choose to believe or deem important from the incredible ones or from those that seem to bear no relevance to our lives, like pushing the mute button on the TV controls during commercials. It is so easy for me

December 10th readings: Psalm 66 and Luke 1: 1-13

2011-12-10T09:39:00.001-06:00

December 9th readings: Psalm 63 and Matthew 2:19-23

2011-12-09T07:55:00.002-06:00

Psalm 63:1 O God you are my God, I seek you, My soul thirsts for you… Psalm 63 is a song of David longing for God and praising him even in the wilderness; and expressing faith in delivery from his enemies because of God’s mercy and David’s faithful belief. This song gives a person of faith peace that in the end God shall protect.Matthew 2:19-23 After Herod died, an angel

December 8th readings: Psalm 47 and Matthew 2:16-18

2011-12-08T06:49:00.003-06:00

Psalm 47:6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises… I enjoy hearing Christmas music playing on the radio and in the stores. I sing along (yes I am one of those people you see driving along or in the aisles of stores singing). I have had people tell me that they think playing all the Christmas music, especially in stores, is

December 7th readings: Psalm 46 and Matthew 2:13-15

2011-12-06T21:59:00.006-06:00

Matthew 2:13 Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt. During Lent in 1997, I was invited to travel to Jerusalem on a film crew working on a documentary on the Villa De La Rosa (the 14 stations of the cross) marking Jesus' final walk from Pilate's palace to the cross of Golgotha. I remember as I landed in Tel Aviv I was ready to be off the plane and out of an airport. I quickly

December 6th readings: Psalm 42 and Matthew 2:7-12

2011-12-06T07:56:00.001-06:00

Matthew 2:8 "Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.’"It turns out that politicians have always been good liars. Herod wants the wise men to find Jesus for him, ostensibly so that he may “pay homage,” but of course we, the readers of the story, know that Herod wants Jesus

December 5th readings: Psalm 34 and Matthew 2:1-6

2011-12-06T07:46:00.003-06:00

Matthew 2:6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd mypeople Israel. Anya Baker

Christmas gift of the good news

2011-12-05T08:05:00.007-06:00

Advent 2, Year BIsaiah 40: 1-10 Come Holy Spirit fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love. Welcome to the second Sunday in Advent. Last Sunday Miles shared about how we are to keep awake and that during Advent “we wait in joyful expectation for the day when we will meet our Lord face to face.” And while we are waiting we are to prepare ourselves by setting “aside

December 3rd readings: Psalm 33 and Matthew 1:22-25

2011-12-02T22:59:00.002-06:00

Matthew 1:22-25 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel’, which means, ‘God is with us.’ One of my favorite Advent songs is "O Come, O Come Emmanuel". And in its verses, we are reminded of the hope that Israel held for God being with all humanity. Captive and in exile,

December 2nd readings: Psalm 32 and Matthew 1:18-21

2011-12-02T09:02:00.003-06:00

Psalm 32:1 Happy are those whose transgression isforgiven, whose sin is covered. The first verse pretty much sums up this psalm. It reminds me that I need to confess my sins to remove the guilt and pressure of hiding them. Psalm 32:10 Many are the torments of the wicked, butsteadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord. This provides much comfort and reminds me to practice putting my

December 1st readings: Psalm 24 and Matthew 1:1-17

2011-12-01T08:58:00.001-06:00

Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it… In Matthew 1 it talks about the lineage of Jesus going back 42 generations. Psalm 24 written by David, a descendant of Jesus, in verse 8 he asks “Who is the King of glory?” Did David know one of his own would one day be known as Lord and Savior? He asks the same

November 30th readings: Psalm 19 and John 1:14-18

2011-11-30T08:26:00.004-06:00

Psalm 19 is a hymn praising the glory of God as revealed to all by thestarry heavens.The heavens declare the glory of God.The skies proclaim the work of his hands.The commands of the Lord are radiant giving light to the eye.The psalmist told us to keep the ordinances of the Lord for in keeping them there would be great reward.John’s gospel testified to the light that would lead the way, the grace

"Therefore, Keep Awake"

2011-11-29T16:28:00.001-06:00

“Therefore, Keep Awake” Advent 1, Year B Mark 13:24-27 Prayer: Come Holy Spirit come, take my lips and speak with them, take our minds and think with them, take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. Margaret Craven wrote a book titled “I heard the Owl Call my Name.” I have mentioned the book before, and it is an excellent and short read

November 29th readings: Psalm 9 and John 1:6-14

2011-11-29T08:11:00.004-06:00

Psalm 9:2 I will be glad and exult in you;I will sing praise to your name,O most high.The lord is almightyHis love endures even the depths of the earthHis strength is one thousand times that of the surest rockHis eye sees all placesThe words of his lips carry to the four corners of the earthHis knowledge is unrivaled, knowing and seeing the depths of our hearts, minds, and soulsHe holds us in his

November 28th readings: Psalm 8 and John 1:1-5

2011-11-28T07:52:00.006-06:00

John 1:4-5 What came into being in him was life, and life was the light of allpeople. The light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. I have a gift for you that fits with the theme of my meditation. Here is the webaddress of O. Henry’s short story Gift of the Magi.http://www.auburn.edu/~vestmon/Gift_of_the_Magi.htmlIt is short (only about 3 pages) so treat

Advent Meditation Introduction

2011-11-27T09:15:00.002-06:00

Dear St. Julian's Family: I am writing this letter to serve as an introduction to our Advent Meditations from and for our community. I want to thank all who contributed, and aspecial thanks to Roger Hungerford for organizing this whole endeavor. It is our hope that these reflections might be a way to daily slow down for a moment and reflect on the wonder of this season, as an

Miles' Stewardship Presentation for 2012 In-Gathering

2011-11-14T11:45:00.000-06:00

Below is the reflection I shared during our stewardship presentation for 2012, in advance of our in-gathering of Ministry Commitment Forms this coming Sunday, November 20th at St. Julian's. At St. Julian's we speak of stewardship as a life-style of responding daily to the experience of God's generosity in our lives through grateful actions, like saying grace before meals or helping someone in

"Enter the Joy of your Master"

2011-11-14T11:34:00.000-06:00

“Enter the Joy of your Master” Matthew 25:14-30 Proper 28, Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. Life is risky. I’ve learned that in a whole new way welcoming a fragile newborn into our family and watching as she becomes a

"The Lamb at the Center of the Throne"

2011-11-07T12:54:00.000-06:00

“The Lamb at the Center of the Throne” All Saint’s Sunday, Year A Revelation 7: 2-4, 9-17 Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, Come. Take my lips and speak with them, take our minds and think with them, take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. I am sure most of you have heard of the game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon?” It’s great for passing time on

A Reflection on Stewardship at St. Julian's by Jack Ely

2011-10-18T12:52:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday the chair of our Stewardship Committee, Jack Ely, shared some reflections on his personal understandings and beliefs about the purpose and importance of Stewardship for our spiritual lives and for St. Julian's to grow as a community of faith. His thoughts were very helpful, as we begin to reflect on how we will respond to the experience of God's generosity in our own lives by sharing

"Give to God the things that are God's"

2011-10-17T15:26:00.001-05:00

“Give to God the things that are God’s” Proper 24, Year A Matthew 22:15-22 Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them, take our minds and think with them, take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. The early nineteenth century poet, Percy Shelley wrote a poem titled Ozymandias. Ozymandias is the Greek name for the

A Reflection on Caleb Smith's Baptism by his Mom, Bea Smith

2011-10-12T14:56:00.002-05:00

Below is a reflection on her son, Caleb's, baptism on Oct 2nd at St. Julian's by Bea Smith. I believe it speaks beautifully to the purpose of baptism and the blessing of Christian community. She offered to share it on our church's blog (thank you Bea!), and I hope it blesses you as it has me. I wholeheartedly encourage you to visit her blog at CaringBridge, as each post is full of wisdom

"The Peace of God"

2011-10-10T13:47:00.000-05:00

“The Peace of God” Philippians 4:1-9 Proper 23, Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them, take our minds and think with them, take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen I mentioned in a sermon about a month ago how during my days as a youth minister, just out of college, that with some regularity I would be

"Essence Revealed by Action"

2011-09-26T10:17:00.005-05:00

Sermon by Roger Hungerford, Seminarian 15 Pentecost (Proper 21) Ezekiel 18:1-4,25-32 Psalm 25: 1-8 Matthew 21:23-32 Essence Revealed by Action Today’s Old Testament and Gospel readings prompt a lot of introspective questions for all of us. Have I turned from righteousness to inequity and am I like the chief priests andelders? Do I come to church and participate in worship then don’t follow

"The Last will be First"

2011-09-19T15:00:00.000-05:00

“The Last will be First” Matthew 20:1-16 Proper 20, Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. According to a Catholic Newspaper, some years ago when Tiger Woods’ picture was on the front of the Wheaties cereal box, he got more money

Reflections from Liz Hungerford on her work with the Red Cross in response to Hurricane Irene and the Central Texas Fires

2011-09-13T10:37:00.001-05:00

Hello and thank you to all who prayed for me while I was gone and for those affected by Irene and Lee. I do appreciate your kind words. Thank Roger for letting me go. While I was deployed with the Red Cross in the eastern half of North Carolina I witnessed the great force of the wind. Irene was such a large storm that it rained and the wind blew for a very long time. Trees as big as 6 feet in

"To this end Christ died an lived again"

2011-09-13T10:36:00.000-05:00

“To this end Christ died and lived again” Romans 14:1-12 Proper 19, Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. In reflecting on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I began by thinking about the tremendous sense of loss that so many at

"If your brother or sister sins against you"

2011-09-06T18:36:00.000-05:00

“If your brother or sister sins against you” Proper 18, Year A Matthew 18:15-20 Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come take my lips and speak with them, take our minds and think with them, take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. One of the great theologians of the 20th century was a man named Abraham Joshua Heschel. Dr. Heschel was a rabbi and a

"Get behind me, Satan!"

2011-08-29T17:32:00.000-05:00

“Get behind me, Satan!” Matthew 16:21-28 Proper 17, Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. Want to get rich fast? Want to play a wicked guitar without practicing? Want to marry the most beautiful woman, or most handsome man, in

"Be Transformed by the Renewing of your Minds"

2011-08-22T14:36:00.000-05:00

“Be Transformed by the Renewing of your Minds” Romans 12:1-8 Proper 16, Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them, take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. One of the opportunities that I enjoyed during the summer months while I was the Episcopal Chaplain at the University

"Have Mercy on Me, Lord"

2011-08-17T17:20:00.001-05:00

“Have Mercy on Me, Lord” Matthew 15: 21-28 Proper 15, Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take out hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. The Right Honorable and Most Reverend Doctor George Carey was the 103rd Archbishop of Canterbury. As I am sure most of you know, the

"The Glory of the Children of God"

2011-08-17T17:17:00.001-05:00

“The Glory of the Children of God” Proper 11, Year A Romans 8:12-25 Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. So you finally get it together and decide to begin an exercise program. It doesn't really matter whether it's walking, jogging

"Sell me your Birthright"

2011-07-11T15:53:00.000-05:00

“Sell me your Birthright” Genesis 25:19-34 Proper 10, Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. I read recently that because of our current economic reality many people are paring down on nonessentials. Online auctions and

"Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

2011-07-05T17:16:00.000-05:00

“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:15-25a Proper 9, Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. Let me begin by sharing with you a few words from a quite familiar prophet and Nobel Laureate—a man whose life

Tiny Pushes: An Offering from St. Julian's Stewardship Committee

2011-06-27T17:08:00.003-05:00

St. Julian's Stewardship Committee has been committed to helping us all remember that stewardship is about more than our annual pledge campaign that financially supports the worship and ministry that we have been called to as community. Though the financial support we receive from members of our community is essential to living into our mission and vision as a community of faith called into

"The Lord will Provide"

2011-06-27T16:54:00.000-05:00

“The Lord will Provide” Genesis 22:1-14 Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. Due to the recent economic downturn coupled now with the sky rocketing cost of gas, a lot of folk have been cutting back on things…it’s certainly

"Go therefore and make Disciples"

2011-06-20T17:31:00.000-05:00

“Go therefore and make Disciples” Matthew 28:16-20 Trinity Sunday, Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. Today we remember in the life of the church the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. Now this is a doctrine that can certainly

"Come Holy Spirit, Come"

2011-06-20T17:28:00.000-05:00

“Come Holy Sprit, Come” Acts 2:1-21 Pentecost, Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen One of the great gifts of parenthood that I have found is re-discovering all those great children’s books from my own childhood that we now get to

"For Christ also Suffered"

2011-06-07T13:18:00.000-05:00

“For Christ Also Suffered” I Peter 3:8-18 Easter 6, Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. I don’t know how you guys feel about going to the dentist, but I can’t stand it. I mean I think I would rather be forced to do just about

Update on Liz Hungerford's work with the Red Cross 5/25

2011-05-25T13:35:00.000-05:00

Well, things are winding down a little quicker than we thought due to other more urgent disasters. We are moving our bulk distribution items to Joplin (instead of moving the stuff back to a warehouse) using our ERV's, the emergency response vehicles. And some people from here are moving that way. Don't know what I will be doing yet besides finishing up here. We still have 15

Update from Liz Hungerford on her work with the Red Cross

2011-05-24T14:50:00.001-05:00

Once again our friend and St. Julian's participant Liz Hungerford has been activated to serve the Red Cross in response to the tornadoes that devesateted the South. She is now based at their headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas. As before, while gone, she is going to keep us up on her work by sharing reflections via our blog. Below is her most recent note. I trust you will keep her and all

"I am the Gate"

2011-05-16T15:49:00.001-05:00

“I am the Gate” John 10:1-10 Easter 4, Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen Perhaps you have heard of or even played the game “Lifeboat”. It is a game played often with groups, quite ironically, as a community building exercise or with

A Reflection on the Death of Osama Bin Laden

2011-05-09T16:44:00.000-05:00

I have helpfully been asked to share some reflections on the death of Osama Bin Laden from a personal and theological perspective. I am grateful for the question and felt perhaps our blog would be a good way to do so. As always, I welcome you own reflections on the topics addressed here, and, as always, I remind those who read and those who respond to do so gracefully recognizing their are real

Update from Liz Hungerford and the Red Cross

2011-05-09T10:50:00.000-05:00

Below, please find another update on Liz Hungerford's work with the Red Cross' response to the devastating tornados in the south. Please continue to keep Liz and her ministry in your prayers. Peace, Miles+ Hard to believe it's been just one week since I left Austin. Things I did two days ago seem like a month ago. We've accomplished so much yet have so much to do. Our operation here covers

An Update on Liz Hunderford's work in Mississippi with the Red Cross

2011-05-03T11:05:00.000-05:00

Below is a blog post from Liz Hungerford a member of St. Julian's and wife of our semiarian Roger Hungerford. Liz is a volunteer with the Red Cross and has been deployed to Mississippi to help with their response to the tornadoes that devestated large swaths of the South this past week. Liz will be sharing with us her experience along the way as she helps with recovery efforts in reponse to the

Alleluia Sunday

2011-05-03T10:55:00.001-05:00

Sermon by Roger Hungerford, Seminarian, St. Julian of Norwich Episcopal Church Second Sunday of Easter Acts 2:14a, 22-32 1 Peter 1:3-9 John 20:19-31 Alleluia Sunday Alleluia Christ is risen. That doesn’t capture the emotion of this Sunday. Let me try that again. Alleluia Christ is risen! Yes! WoooHoo. I know we Episcopalians are not typically overly enthusiastic with our worship. We don’t

"He has been raised from the dead"

2011-05-03T10:42:00.000-05:00

“He has been raised from the dead!” Matthew 28:1-10 Easter Day, Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit come, Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. For many years now, I have kept in my office a poem written by an anonymous person. The poem is titled, “One Solitary Life,” and it

"Mounted on a Donkey"

2011-05-03T10:38:00.000-05:00

“Mounted on a Donkey” Matthew 21:1-11 Palm Sunday, Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. About ten years ago, or so, while I was still in seminary, the wildly, popular animated movie Shrek came out. I am sure most of you have seen it.

"I am Resurrection and I am Life"

2011-04-11T09:56:00.000-05:00

“I am Resurrection and I am Life” John 11:1-45 Lent 5, Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. I want to begin with an experience I had on this same Sunday, the fifth Sunday in Lent, while in seminary. As is the case today, the gospel

"Though I was Blind, Now I See"

2011-04-11T09:54:00.000-05:00

“Though I was Blind, Now I See” John 9:1-41 Lent 4, Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. In today’s gospel lesson, a man born blind is given sight through the healing power of God in Jesus. The blind man sees…a miracle of biblical

"Go"

2011-03-21T15:56:00.001-05:00

“Go” Genesis 12:1-4a Lent 2, Year A Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. Sit up straight. Use the potty. Chew with your mouth closed. Brush your teeth. Clean your room. Behave yourself. Look me in the eye. Don’t throw the ball in the house.

"Where Moth and Rust Consume"

2011-03-21T15:54:00.000-05:00

“Where Moth and Rust Consume” Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-21 Ash Wednesday Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, come. Take my lips and speak with them. Take our minds and think with them. Take our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. In Christ’s name, we ask it. Amen. Today, we embark on our forty-day journey through Lent to the great celebration of our Lord Jesus Christ’s glorious resurrection. On

"Get up and do not be afraid"

2011-03-08T11:30:00.000-06:00