The Very Rev. Penny Bridges Happy St. Francis Day! Here’s the one thing you need to know about Francis of Assisi: Francis was a leader of Christian resistance. Francis lived in the 12th century, in a small city in what we now call Italy. The Roman Catholic Church dominated the western world, a huge, imperial … READ MORE…
Rev. Cn. Richard Hogue Jr. With how crazy the world is right now and how messed up so many things seem, I wanted to take the lens of hope and Jesus’s hope for today’s readings. And I’ll start with Jeremiah. I know that the text from Jeremiah had a lot of crazy names. Thank you, … READ MORE…
The Very Rev. Penelope Bridges The Hebrew prophets have been pretty hard on us all summer, and Jeremiah continues the gloomy trend today. He describes a hot wind, a wind of destruction, a metaphor for the pending national disaster of conquest by the Babylonian Empire. Jeremiah sees a reversal of creation: the earth waste and … READ MORE…
Penelope Bridges All our Scripture readings today have something to say about what has worth and what doesn’t. The prophet Jeremiah is appalled at the way his people have thrown away their close relationship with God, for the sake of pursuing idols that are no better than a cracked water vessel. They have changed their … READ MORE…
Penelope Bridges “Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard.” After hearing some disturbing words from Jesus in the Gospel, it might feel like a relief to return for a moment to Isaiah’s beautiful vineyard poem. The Hebrew prophets often used metaphors and parables to duck under the mental defences of their … READ MORE…
Rev. Cn. Richard Hogue Jr. Today’s gospel reading inspires a great deal of thought for me. At first glance, it can seem that Jesus is simply dismissing the laws of God’s covenant, though nothing could be further from the truth. It helps me remain hopeful in these times, and it leaves me with some lingering … READ MORE…
Penelope Bridges Last month I attended a weeklong chamber music camp. I played my viola in small groups for 7-8 hours a day, bringing to life masterpieces of the classical and romantic eras. Chamber music usually requires that each part is played by one musician. You cannot rely on anyone else to fill in your … READ MORE…
Rev. Cn. Richard Hogue Jr. Happy Comic Con Sunday everyone! Some Scriptures, such as today’s reading from Hosea, strike many people as “horrible,” and not completely unfairly. But what if I told you that things we consider horrible can often be the key to finding out who we are and how we best live in … READ MORE…
June 29, 2025 Proper 8Penelope Bridges We continue the theme of freedom in Christ this week. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul pleads with them to use their freedom in Christ for positive ends, to build community, to practice the spiritual virtues with one another, as concrete signs that they love one another. Paul … READ MORE…
Trinity Sunday Penelope Bridges The selection of readings for Trinity Sunday feels a little contrived, as if the people putting the lectionary together said, “Where can we find anything in Scripture that might hint at a Trinitarian image of God?” This is because the doctrine of the Trinity is something the church came up with … READ MORE…