“You can’t do that, it’s against the rules.” When was the last time you heard that, or said it yourself, or even said it to yourself? In childhood we hear it a lot, as we learn the allowable limits of behavior. I am by nature a rule-obeyer. It makes me anxious to ponder breaking the … READ MORE…
If the Gospel readings have begun sounding familiar the last few weeks, you’re not imagining things. We are four weeks in to a five-week reading of the Gospel of John’s sixth chapter. The chapter begins with the miraculous feeding of the five thousand, and continues with a lengthy theological interpretation of the miracle. But maybe … READ MORE…
The call came on Ash Wednesday, a decade or more ago. I was in the sacristy, preparing for the noon service, when, most unusually, the secretary buzzed me from the office. An emergency call from a parishioner, bringing the news of a death. A well-known local musician, not a member of the church but a … READ MORE…
Every Friday morning I have breakfast at Bread & Cie in Hillcrest. It’s a public breakfast: I have a sign for the table and anyone who wishes is welcome to sit down and join the conversation. There’s a core group of 3 or 4 parishioners who come almost every week, but some weeks there are … READ MORE…
What a road THIS has been! This is not only my last Sunday here on staff, but it is also the anniversary of the FIRST day I ever walked through those doors 12 years ago …having not attended church growing up I had found myself in my 30’s practicing law and starting to ask questions … READ MORE…
On Friday morning St Paul’s hosted the monthly breakfast for RISE San Diego, an organization that brings faith communities together for action to empower the city’s residents. I served on the panel as we fielded questions about social challenges to faith, the separation of church and state, and negative stereotypes of Muslims. I shared the … READ MORE…
In the Holy Land during the eighth century BCE all was not well. While simple farmers and shepherds struggled to make ends meet, the elite ruling class exacted heavy taxes and enjoyed lives of lavish and debaucherous luxury. Some threw banquets, lived in tiled houses, and had ivory-decorated furniture as their neighbors withered before them. … READ MORE…
God sends the prophet Ezekiel on a journey. “Mortal,” God says, “I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels, … impudent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘thus says the Lord God.’” And so begins Ezekiel’s journey into the mysteries of … READ MORE…
The Rev. Colin Mathewson preached this sermon at the Daily Eucharist at General Convention, 2 July 2015 “The general remembers the tiny green sprigs/ men of his village wore in their capes/ to honor the birth of a son. He will/ order many, this time, to be killed/ for a single, beautiful word.” Thus concludes … READ MORE…
The year my brother turned 30, he joined a small crew on a 54-foot wooden sailboat named the Princess Taiping on a journey across the Pacific Ocean. The boat was a replica of a 16th century Chinese ship, traveling the course from China to North America and back again to prove that China’s greatest admiral … READ MORE…