I was playing a violin piece for my teacher one day and I kept hitting the wrong string. I stopped and told Todd that I must need more rosin. He laughed and gently said, “It sounds good to me. I’m always ready to find a reason it is not me.” Rather than admit my bow control was notContinue reading “Proper 22 2022”
Category Archives: discipleship
Proper 21 2022
Have you ever felt invisible? You are standing at a checkout counter and every clerk that walks by seems to look the other way just as they get near you. You are in class with your hand raised and the teacher never calls on you. You are with a group of people and every time you start toContinue reading “Proper 21 2022”
Proper 18 2022
Today’s reading is one where we really have to understand the social structure in which Jesus is speaking. When you hear the word people, what do you think of? Is it a singular or plural noun? Do you visualize a group of random individuals or do you think of a single entity made up of many interconnected,Continue reading “Proper 18 2022”
Proper 17, 2022
Last week I used the image of a jigsaw puzzle to talk about how the story of Jesus healing the woman with a bad back touched on several aspects of the larger picture Luke was trying to describe and interlocked with both previous stories and next stories in Luke. I mentioned it contained images of Jesus’Continue reading “Proper 17, 2022”
Proper 11 2021
As many of you probably know by now, Fiddler on the Roof is one of my favorite shows. Besides just being entertaining, it gives us a glimpse into the common life of a pre-modern Jewish family. I suspect much of the social etiquette described in that show was in place in Jesus time. Everyone hadContinue reading “Proper 11 2021”
2 Epiphany 2022
Just a few weeks ago, Bp Jennifer was at Emmanuel and laid hands on N. and N.. As she laid hands on each of them she said “Strengthen, O Lord, your servant N. with your Holy Spirit; empower her for your service; and sustain her all the days of her life. Amen.” (BCP p.419) LastContinue reading “2 Epiphany 2022”
22 Pentecost 2021
As some of you know, I began physical therapy on my shoulder last week. I had high hopes of some new and exciting “cure” and instead was issued a series of old and boring exercises to do twice a day. I should not have been surprised, my music teachers still make me practice scales. ItContinue reading “22 Pentecost 2021”
20 Pentecost 2021
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? These poignant words from the Psalmist, later spoke by Jesus on the cross and even what John of the Cross called the “Dark Night of the Soul” are affirmation of relationship. We don’t miss people of whom we have no knowledge, and the more someone’sContinue reading “20 Pentecost 2021”
18 Pentecost 2021
This morning’s gospel reading may seem to you to be a bizarre and disconnected collection of sayings by Jesus and you wouldn’t be totally wrong. I suspect Jesus did not say them randomly back-to-back as they are listed here, but Mark has chosen them to make a point and I hope we can tease thisContinue reading “18 Pentecost 2021”
14 Pentecost 2021
“The unexamined life is not worth living” Socrates as quoted by Plato in the Apology. Both our reading from the Gospel of Mark and our reading from James’ Letter call us to examine our lives. What is our purpose? What are we trying to accomplish? Are the things we are doing helping or hurting whatContinue reading “14 Pentecost 2021”
The Rev. Beverly Patterson 