In the midst of splendid worship Isaiah cries out, “Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips.” Paul writes that he is unfit to be called an apostle. Simon Peter shrinks back from Jesus, stammering about his own sinfulness. Today’s Scripture conspires to convince us that the call to ministry is no … READ MORE…
Dear St. Paul’s family, Here’s another in our occasional series of “Words of our Worship”. This one is about Laying the Table. When we lay the table for a dinner party we are careful to include the right forks, knives, condiments, place mats and dishes. The same goes for setting the altar for the sacrament … READ MORE…
What is Jesus talking about in today’s gospel? Why is everyone getting so angry? What are these Nazarenes so upset about? In order to get the whole picture of what Jesus is proclaiming in this week’s gospel we need to remember the whole story, which began in last week’s gospel. Not only that, but we … READ MORE…
Dear St. Paul’s family, Last Sunday we celebrated our annual Cathedral Day with several special events, some planned and some surprises. It seems fitting that on a day when I preached about letting go of expectations and allowing the Holy Spirit to be messy, that we encountered noisy technical difficulties, a disruptive visitor, and a … READ MORE…
For about a decade my sons spent time each summer at an Episcopal camp in the Shenandoah Valley. It was an old-fashioned rural camp with rustic cabins each sleeping 10 kids plus a counselor, separate bathroom huts, lots of outdoor activities, and daily worship. The closing worship was always the same. We parents gathered on … READ MORE…
Dear St. Paul’s family, We have wonderful news to share with you. Thanks to the generosity of two current parishioners (who prefer not to be publicly acknowledged) and one deceased parishioner, Mary McBride, we are announcing the launch of the St. Paul’s Cathedral Music Endowment. This fund will be invested with our other funds through … READ MORE…
This week I came across an article about the psychological causes of racism, which lead me down many rabbit trails as I avoided writing this sermon. I found many studies on the relationship between human psychology and the effort to determine the relationship between our anthropology, our psychology, and our choices in making racist and … READ MORE…
Dear St. Paul’s family, As we approach our annual meeting and 2019 gets underway, I want to share with you one of the perennial dilemmas that the Chapter faces in our efforts to find the funding for our ministries. As you have probably heard or read, we are celebrating a successful pledge campaign, having reached … READ MORE…
A visiting preacher was was testing the acoustics of the cathedral. He fidgeted on the microphone, tapped it a little bit murmured, “There’s something wrong with this microphone.” And the people replied, “And also with you.” Today is the 1st Sunday of the Epiphany and we are celebrating the Baptism of Jesus. There are three … READ MORE…
Dear St. Paul’s Family, As you know, on December 18, 2019 this congregation will complete 150 years of ministry in San Diego. Our sesquicentennial year started last month on Dec 16th with a sumptuous reception in the Great Hall entitled “A Victorian San Diego 1869 Christmas”, following a special organ concert and Evensong. The event attracted … READ MORE…