May 12, 2020 Dear Friends, The novelty of the novel coronavirus has completely worn off. We are all “over it.” The problem is that COVID-19 is not finished with us. Not by a long shot. Like you, I am soooooo tired of being cooped up, tired of...
Dear Friends, In every person’s life there are moments that are so momentous, we never forget them. Often, we can remember very specific details about these experiences—a smell, a sensation, a conversation, a look—that remain embedded in our memories, almost frozen in time. For me, the...
April 29, 2020 Happy Birthday, Calvary! On Saturday, my church will commemorate its 72nd birthday. In our Coronavirus-laden reality, we won’t get to share a cake (chocolate, of course.) Or sing together. But, we will still be celebrating, just from our individual homes. As I reflect on...
Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. Full of honor and majesty is God’s work, and God’s righteousness endures forever. God has...
April 15, 2020 Blog Post On Sunday we celebrated Easter, the highest and holiest day on the Christian calendar. It was, without question, the strangest Easter I’ve ever experienced. Unable to be in the church sanctuary, separated from my congregation, devoid of the soaring sounds of...
April 7, 2020 Dear Friends, On Sunday, with a service of palms and passion, we launched into Holy Week, the most sacred week in the Christian calendar. I’ll be honest—a)I don’t much feel like it is Holy Week, regardless of what the calendar says, and b)I felt...
For parents, the weeks preceding Christmas provide multiple opportunities to celebrate the birth of Christ in ways that appeal to children, and are easily understood. Children learn by “finding themselves in the story,” and who can’t identify with some part of the Gospel accounts depicting...
Dear Friends, By now you are no doubt aware of the mandatory orders of the Virginia and Maryland governors as well as D.C.’s mayor to stay home. The Virginia order, issued Monday, March 30, runs through June 10 which means that it will be much longer...
Dear Friends, First, I want to thank you for being part of our first ever live-streaming worship on Sunday, for inviting your family and friends to be virtually present with us, and for “sharing” it online later. If I’m honest, I have to admit that...
Friends, Happy St. Patrick’s Day! In our new Coronavirus-driven reality, today is unfolding as an unprecedented observance of this day that commemorates the life of Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. Many gathering places that would typically be jam-packed with people...