Last Saturday I attended a lovely Eucharist honoring my friend and fellow deacon, Vonnie Hubbard. She was being honored by the City of Newburgh, New York, for her work in the community. It was a packed, un-air-conditioned church (in case you forgot, last...
“It’s good to see you!” I expect to say this a lot on Homecoming Sunday, September 10. And when I do, I promise there’s no subtext. As in, I promise I don’t mean, “Where’ve you been?” Parishioners will often apologize or offer explanations for why they have...
I recently began teaching a few courses at St. John's University in Queens. Among them is "History of Christianity I: Origins through the Middle Ages," where I try to teach about thirty (mostly) sophomores--from a variety of faith traditions--a little...
This week I’ve had the pleasure of hanging out with my mom. She is a woman of deep faith and personal piety, always up for reflecting on Scripture and always ready with an encouraging word. If you ask her, “What’s God teaching you these days?” or “What’s the...
As New Yorkers, we move through a sea of countless faces every day. Some grumpy, some cheery, most simply intent on where they're going. If I look closely, I can often detect a hint of stress, sadness, humor, or even wonder (especially among the tourists on...