Dean Letter: Lemons & Lemonade

Hello St Paul’s, It’s an understatement to say that we are living in anxious times. I’m sure that like me, you could really use some good news. A couple of weeks ago I was in a sort of COVID slump, feeling quite low about the state of the world, including national politics, the pandemic, the … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Jonah

Hello St. Paul’s, This weekend one of our Sunday readings will come from the book of Jonah. We will hear the end of the story. It’s the only time in our three-year cycle of readings that we hear from Jonah, and it’s one of my favorite books of the Bible, telling the story of one … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Honoring our rituals

Hello St. Paul’s. I recently started to watch the West Wing series from the beginning. It brings up all kinds of feelings, in part because of the contrast between that White House and the current one, but also because I lived just outside Washington DC for 17 years and many of the exterior shots awaken … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Clarifying the COVID Guidelines

Hello St. Paul’s, I’m not sure which is more challenging: to have rigid rules that we don’t like, or to have flexibility that brings confusion along with it. I’m sure I am not alone in my struggle for clarity around the rules and restrictions regarding gatherings, worship, and social events. When it comes to COVID-related … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Scavenger Hunt

Hello St. Paul’s, It seems that most people enjoy the quizzes we see on social media, so this week I invite you to test your knowledge of our great Anglican treasure, the Book of Common Prayer, by going on a short scavenger hunt with me through our Prayer Book. I have twelve questions for you. … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: We are all in this together

Hello St. Paul’s, The other day I sent an email to a couple of my chamber music friends, just to check in. We haven’t been able to play together since February, and I have been strangely reluctant to pick up my viola and practice it during the pandemic, although I have, strangely, been playing the … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Hearing the Word

 Hello, St. Paul’s. One of my favorite Collects goes like this: “Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life …” We hear it … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Seeking Explanation

Hello St. Paul’s, When bad things happen, we look for explanations. It’s part of the amazing curiosity and drive of the human species that we seek answers to all the mysteries of the universe, and that includes the mystery of illness. Why does one person get terribly sick or die from COVID but not another? … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Sacred Ground

Hello St. Paul’s,  This week the cathedral staff gathered on Zoom for our first Sacred Ground session. We are serving as a guinea-pig for the customized version of Sacred Ground that the eight or nine parish groups will begin using in August.   Much of the first session, with 12 staff members, was introductory; each person was invited to say something … READ MORE…

Dean Letter: Finding Joy

Hello St. Paul’s. We are coming up on five months now since our lives changed so dramatically. I am grateful for the fact that, so far, very few of our cathedral family members have been sick with the COVID virus and only one has died from it. I’m also deeply grateful for being able to … READ MORE…