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You may have seen the commercial. It portrays a loving grandmother welcoming her sweet grandbaby for a visit. But as she takes the child in her arms, suddenly the camera shows the grandmother shockingly transformed, Grimm’s Fairy Tales style, into a wolf, grinning evilly at the baby. It’s an ad for whooping cough vaccine, and … READ MORE…
It was a Saturday in January in 1908, and it was cold. Ten inches of snow lay across the Hudson River Valley in upstate New York. A handful of Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement, a religious community of the Episcopal Church, gathered in the Chapel of Our Lady. Nothing was out of the … READ MORE…
A priest I know is about to retire after 44 years of ordained ministry, and he was recently reflecting on changes he’s seen in the church in those decades. “When I was at Princeton Seminary in the late 60s,” he said, “a group of us students became very interested in Greek Orthodoxy and the early … READ MORE…
As some of you may know, I’m trying to fill Chris Harris’ shoes (big shoes to try to fill), by organizing Ashes to Go. Four years ago when Chris spoke to me about this great event, that was perfect for me, I had to find out more. When he explained to me that we would … READ MORE…
A matching grant is challenging YOU to Support Rural Healthcare in Haiti ! On January 24 and 31 the St. Paul’s Outreach Committee will be asking you to support a fundraising campaign to bolster up the rural healthcare efforts of local Haitian organizations well known to parishioner and physician Bart Smoot. For every dollar you … READ MORE…
Meet your chapter candidates in person at Sunday’s forum. Jennifer Jow I was born in Hong Kong, adopted by my parents at 18 months and grew up in the bay area. Growing up I attended a Methodist church and belonged in the youth group and sang in the choir. After I graduated from high school … READ MORE…
A few weeks ago I saw the movie “Brooklyn”. It’s a charming story about an Irish girl who emigrates to the United States. There are some obvious parallels to my own story, and maybe that’s why I liked it so much, besides the fact that it’s a gentle story of love and loyalty, with subtle … READ MORE…
Alleluia, unto us a child is born. O come let us adore him, Alleluia. It is always a joy to see a full church, and tonight it is especially good to welcome you, whether you are a regular attender, a first-time visitor, or a returning wanderer. This is a night for welcome, for home-coming, for … READ MORE…
Today is Mary’s day — Mary the bold teenager, the peasant, the Virgin, the God-bearer. What delights me again and again about the Incarnation is that it is absolutely ridiculous, utterly absurd, and inevitably and undeniably human and fleshy and messy. It begins with the Annunciation, which is like the Queen of England arriving by … READ MORE…
This season recalls the principle of great, cosmic reality being revealed by the seemingly insignificant piece. Some have been mindful of key details (persons) when most of us have passed over them. Holidays bring added details with obligations to rush through; or we could take time to appreciate what many have no time for. We … READ MORE…