by Katie Posey Bishop Standing at the front of the sanctuary, feeling the Spirit, ready to do the benediction, a shriek rings out from among the congregation. Only I look to see who it is – because I know the voice. It is my daughter, Eden. At all of a year old, hearing my voice [...]
The Call to Create: An Interview with Suzanne Stovall Vinson
Interview by MaryAnn McKibben Dana This month we begin our intermittent series of interviews with YCWs who blend art and ministry in ways that are nourishing and inspiring. The Rev. Suzanne Stovall Vinson (suzanne l. vinson through her art) offered such thoughtful responses that we offer her thoughts completely unedited here. Don’t miss the photos [...]
For Deployment and For Stateside
by Julia Seymour This year, on Good Friday, when many of my colleagues were having noonday services remembering Jesus’ crucifixion, I was going through a different ordeal. While it wasn’t physical torture, the emotional and spiritual pain of dropping my husband off for a nine-month deployment to Iraq had its own nuances and added a [...]
New Hymns
by Rebecca Littlejohn Editor's note: Is this publication late, or just a reminder? If you're like me, there's often some worship filing on your desk on Monday and Tuesday. If you're really like me, you may just now be getting around to filing Easter materials. And, thus, it is the perfect time to publish these [...]
Being Named
Name Withheld Today, the day of the parish retreat, the new church signs made their appearance. Beautiful block lettering with the name of the parish bold against a white background. Vibrant reds and blues in the Episcopal shield–and, the name of the rector in gorgeous script. I am the associate rector in this place and [...]
Dating Do’s and Don’ts
by Kedron Jarvis and Michael Pipkin This month, the Single Rev’s Guide to Life goes to the lighter side with a brief list of survival guidelines the rocky territory of dating in the church. Enjoy – and feel free to add your own tried and true rules in the comments! 1. Never date a parishioner. 2. Don’t let the [...]
The Young Clergywoman’s Top Ten Practical Considerations for Interfaith Dialogue
by Rev. Stacy Smith One of the greatest challenge facing Christians today is the call to understand our Christian identity amidst growing religious diversity in our communities, our nation and in the world. More and more Christians are finding themselves in relationships with people from other faiths – in school, work, or the neighborhood. As [...]
A Gardener’s Education
by Molly Vetter I’ve been on a bit of a Michael Pollan kick lately. Enthused that his explorations of our food systems have helped make gardening hip (or, at least, have helped get Michelle and Barack to dig in), I keep going back for more. Since first reading Omnivore’s Dilemma, I have delighted that his [...]