“Jesus seems to me to be saying: sure, structure and hierarchy can be useful, but how about we spend our time focusing on loving and serving others instead of arguing over who gets to call the shots.” #dailyoffice
Daily office commentary, Romans 14; “both are guests at Christ’s table”
is it possible to seek to advance our political and social goals in a way that does not “interfere with the free exchange of love” and remembers that those we disagree with “have their own history to deal with”? What might this look like in practice? #dailyoffice
Mutual ministry in the Episcopal Church: opportunities and possibilities
“The trend in Mainline Christianity membership is currently one of decline, not growth. While the community parish priest is the traditional model in Episcopal congregations, it will likely become more and more difficult to sustain, especially in smaller communities. This makes for exciting opportunities and possibilities.”
The “ideal” church among GenZ and Millennial Americans
As everyone has different gifts and speaks a different spiritual “language,” the diversity of our religious options in America is a boon rather than a burden on our culture and society.
Daily office commentary, Mark 6:7-13; shrugging off criticism and opposition
“If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.” (Mark 6:11, The Message) Is there a way that this could also be applied to our social media interactions?
Daily office commentary, Mark 4:35-38; calmness of mind in stressful situations
What stands out to me here is how calm Jesus seems to be, even to the point of being slightly annoyed with his friends for freaking out about the storm. To use psychology terms, he was able to suppress his amygdala anxiety threat response which allowed his prefrontal cortex to stay online and deal with the situation with all his “thinking cylinders” firing.
Hazelnut Notes 