If you’ve joined the Cathedral community in the last few years, you may have heard the tagline “Cathedral for the City” and wondered about it. The phrase was coined over a decade ago (before my time) and expresses what I think of as a very Anglican interpretation of a cathedral’s mission. In the Church of … READ MORE…
Dear St. Paul’s Family, In the continuing quest to help everyone become equally comfortable with our peculiar liturgical vocabulary, here are some terms we use in connection with service at the altar: Acolyte A lay person who assists with the service (also known as an Altar Server). Alb The white robe worn by those who … READ MORE…
Hello St. Paul’s, Welcome to the long green season! After Trinity Sunday on May 26, we will move into the second half of the church year and the standard liturgical color is green: green for growth. This part of the year is known as “Ordinary time”, not because it is less exciting than the Advent/Christmas/Lent/Easter … READ MORE…
Hello St. Paul’s, This weekend marks the beginning of our long green season and effectively the beginning of summer. In several recent years, we have enjoyed Summer Socials, informal gatherings at the homes of parishioners, every few weeks during this season. This year we are taking a slightly different approach, gearing our special summer gatherings … READ MORE…
Hello St. Paul’s, This Sunday we will celebrate Pentecost. It’s a big deal: we think of Pentecost as the birthday of the Church (not just St. Paul’s but the entire Christian church); it’s one of the five occasions in the year recommended for baptism; and it marks the end of the Easter season and the … READ MORE…
Hello St. Paul’s, From time to time someone makes a comment that makes me realize that they think we have a lot of clergy on staff. When you see all those robed individuals in the procession on Sunday, it’s easy to assume that they are all on staff, and you probably wonder about all the … 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…
Hello St. Paul’s, The history and identity of our church, the Episcopal Church, is complicated. Like most Christian denominations we are the product of a historic split; our name, Episcopal, is used by several denominations; and as part of the Anglican Communion we are part of a particular ethnic tradition. I want to say a … READ MORE…
Hello St. Paul’s, By now we are well into Holy Week, the center of our year and our faith. We have celebrated the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and we have meditated deeply on the mystery of his Passion, as recounted by St. Mark. Now we turn to the Triduum, the three holiest days. … READ MORE…
Hello St. Paul’s, Last week, Kathleen Burgess and I attended the annual Episcopal Parish Network conference in Houston. This is always a conference filled with good content, and it has tracks for rectors/deans, associate clergy, and lay professionals, so between us, Kathleen and I covered a good proportion of the offerings. About 500 lay and … READ MORE…