Day 3 of GC81 (June 25, 2024)

Today (Day 3 of General Convention 81), I met the dean of Canterbury Cathedral, the president and dean of Church Divinity School of the Pacific, the 4th century bishop of Myra, a member of the Anamchara Fellowship, and the former dean of Trinity Cathedral Phoenix. Regarding legislation, we passed resolutions that: – approved the expansion […]

Day 2 of GC81 (June 24, 2024)

On the second day of General Convention, we deputies discussed the budget in a joint session with the house of bishops in the morning. In the afternoon, we passed a resolution designating the Sunday closest to October 10th as Mental Health Awareness Sunday, with the objective of encouraging open dialogue about mental illness and encouraging […]

Kahlil Gibran, Jesus, and the Human Family

Readings for the Third Sunday after Pentecost (Year B – Track 1 – Proper 5) This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church in Eureka CA on Sunday June 9, 2024. One of my favorite poets is the Lebanese Christian Kahlil Gibran, author of the spiritual classic titled The Prophet. Gibran said, “The universe is my country […]

The Water and the Blood

Readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year B) This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church in Eureka CA on Sunday May 5, 2024. “This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, […]

Walking in the Light

Readings for the Second Sunday of Easter (Year B) This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church in Eureka CA on April 7, 2024. As we continue our celebration of the Resurrection throughout the fifty days of Eastertide, our lectionary offers us readings from the first Epistle of St. John, which exhorts us to turn away from […]

Death, Be Not Proud

Readings for Easter Sunday (Year B) This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church in Eureka CA on Easter Sunday March 31, 2024. Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! Christos anesti! Alithos anesti! Christus surréxit! Surréxit vere! Alleluia! Easter Sunday is the day that gives meaning to all other days. Without Easter, there […]

Snake-on-a-Stick Sunday

Readings for the Fourth Sunday in Lent This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church Eureka on Sunday March 10, 2024. “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” There’s a Facebook meme that comes around during […]

Let Christ Pray in Your Wilderness

Readings for the First Sunday in Lent This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church Eureka on Sunday February 18, 2024. On this First Sunday in Lent, we pick up our reading in Mark’s Gospel right where we left off, way back on the Second Sunday of Advent (almost two months ago!), when we read about […]

David, Valerie, and the Vena amoris

Readings for the Wedding of Valerie Jean Budig Markin and David Arthur Tschoepe Song of Solomon 2:10 – 13; 8:6 – 7 Psalm 67 Tobit 8:5b – 8 1 Corinthians 13:1 – 13 John 15:9 – 12 This sermon was preached at the Wedding of David and Valerie on Saturday January 20, 2024 at Christ Episcopal […]

New Year Reflections On the Saint of Rievaulx

This article was written for the January 2024 Chronicle newsletter for Christ Church Eureka. This January, I begin my seventh year at Christ Church (Jan 28), and I also celebrate the 10-year anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood (Jan 11). Since I was ordained on the Eve of the Feast Day of St. Aelred of Rievaulx […]