At the time, March 12 felt like any other Thursday. I went to the office. Our oldest son went to school. We had friends over for dinner and we even experimented with a new chocolate mousse recipe (with Grand Marnier instead of plain ol’ Brandy). Not knowing quite what to make of it, the coronavirus was just one of the many topics around the table. Out of what felt like an excess of caution, we decided not to shake hands... Read more
This is the transcript of a message I gave during our Good Friday Compline service on April 10, 2020. Today is Good Friday, the day when Christians around the world remember the crucifixion of Jesus. During this Compline service, I want to offer a meditation on the cross of Christ. Christians believe that 2000 years ago, on a cross, in the middle of a trash heap outside of Jerusalem, a man called Jesus of Nazareth suffered and died. The crucifixion... Read more
The emotional whiplash caused by the coronavirus and the changes it has wrought has been severe. For some of us, the feeling of loneliness has been painfully heightened by our imposed homebound isolation. For others, we are dealing with the stress of trying to work from home with a house full of children who need their lessons in reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic. Because of the flood of changes, many of the things we formerly took for granted are now insecure:... Read more
I hesitate to post anything related to the pandemic, especially while we are yet in the thick of what – from everything I can tell – is just the beginning of the coronavirus winter. In a time when there are so many hot takes, so much (mis/)information, so many opportunists benefitting from the chaos, the last thing I want to do is contribute to the clamor. At the same time, I have deeply appreciated some of the things I have... Read more
This may sound like an odd confession coming from an Anglican priest but, once upon a time, in the earliest days of my fledgling faith, I would have considered the praying of written prayers as suspect. At the very least, I would have thought this was inauthentic because it wasn’t a spontaneous. At the very worst, I might have considered it a vestige of dead religion. Of course, the praying of written prayers can be rote and disingenuous but that... Read more
The Annunciation Henry Ossawa Tanner’s “The Annunciation” is one of my favorite depictions of this pivotal biblical scene where the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that, though she is a virgin, the Holy Spirit will come upon her and she will bear the Son of God. We read about this incredible scene in Luke 1:26-38: In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man... Read more
This is Part 4 in a series of posts exploring the question “Should all Christians become vegetarians?” In Part 1, I laid the foundation for why this question is one that Christians, particularly American Christians, ought to take seriously. In Part 2, I outlined a biblical theology of creation. In Part 3, I surveyed what the Scriptures say about death before the fall. In this section, we will survey the Scriptures say about eating meat before the fall, after the fall,... Read more
This is Part 3 in a series of posts exploring the question “Should all Christians become vegetarians?” In Part 1, I tried to lay the foundation for why this question is one that Christians, particularly American Christians, ought to take seriously. In Part 2, I tried to outline a biblical theology of creation in order to help locate ourselves in the biblical metanarrative. We ended with the observation that the first sinful act – the transgression that led to human death... Read more
I had the opportunity to hear Bon Iver in concert a couple weeks back. 33, “GOD” was one of my favorite songs of the set and it is my favorite song from his previous record 22, A Million. It is one of the songs I have listened to the most the past three years – easily dozens of times. After hearing it live, I decided to revisit the song. I think it’s one of the songs that is most representative... Read more
Adjacent to signs for a smattering of Democratic senators with presidential ambitions, a neighbor of mine has this sign planted in their front yard: “Vote Blue No Matter Who!” Perhaps this would be saying something in some quarters but I live in a city that is overwhelmingly blue. Since 1964, Washington, DC has had a mere three electoral votes and never once has a Republican candidate received one. Apart from signaling their political leanings to loads of neighbors who, by and... Read more
