Keys to the Kingdom

On Sunday we hear a story about our old friend, Saint Peter. It's a famous story, one that the Roman Catholic Church has invested a lot into. It's the story of Peter's confession that Jesus is the Son of God, the messiah, the Christ.

"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah...And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church...I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in

Rite 1

I often hear from people that their favorite thing about Episcopal liturgy is its constancy. It is familiar. They can learn the prayers and know them for a lifetime. They know what to expect when they come to church to worship, because we follow a set pattern, a set routine. And that familiarity is comforting.

But a case can be made for changing things up from time to time, too. Sometimes doing things a little different helps you to pay more careful attention, listen more closely, and prevents you from just saying the

Will Our Children Have Faith?

Will Our Children Have Faith? is the title of a classic book from the 1970s by John Westerhoff. Even four decades ago, when the Church was still in the fading stages of its "glory days," there was a growing awareness that our efforts to raise and form the next generation of faithful people were floundering. Westerhoff wrote about our over-reliance on Sunday School, and the single, precious hour during the week that most parents expose their kids to learning about the Christian faith.

Chiming In

So I've got good news and bad news.

The good news is that the bishop search survey deadline has been extended by one more week. You have until August 7 to complete it online here. It takes about 10-15 minutes of time (or more, if you have lots you want to say).

The bad news is that they extended the deadline because they've had so few people take the 10-15 minutes to fill it out that they simply can't conclude the surveying yet.

On Sunday in a show of hands only six people had completed the survey, so it seems

Building for Tomorrow

There' s a bit of buzz swirling around about a possible capital campaign at St. Peter's, so I want to bring you up to speed on what's going on. At our Annual Parish Meeting in February, I concluded my Rector's Report with some remarks about looming capital renovation and restoration needs.

"There are numerous projects here that require our immediate attention, the ignorance of which would only cost us added difficulty and expense down the road. In order to preserve the facilities of St. Peter's for

Jacob's Ladder

You may have noticed that the Old Testament lessons in recent weeks have followed the story told in Genesis of God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants. What I love most about Genesis is that it's more creative and bizarre than the wildest daytime soap opera. It began with the miraculous impregnation of Sarah, who gave birth to Isaac. And Isaac, in turn, had his own miracle twin babies, Jacob and Esau. This week the story picks up with Jacob, who we learned last week tricked his brother out of his

Bishop Search Survey

The Diocese of Rhode Island is looking for a new bishop, and they need your help!  The Search & Nomination Committee invites your input through a diocesan-wide survey.  Please take a few minutes to complete the survey by July 31 and offer valuable information that will be used to develop the Diocesan Profile later this summer, where we will list the skills and experiences we will seek in our next bishop.  We need to hear from as many people as possible; please take the time to share your thoughts.  If at

Come Holy Spirit

This Sunday is the Day of Pentecost, one of the principle feast days of the church (i.e. one of our greatest and most important holy days). It's the day when we hear the story (Acts 2) of the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples with a rushing wind and tongues of fire.  It's a story we know well, but I also suspect that we may have a falty impression of what the story is about. 

It would be easy to read the story of Pentecost and think it's all about deliverance, celebration, victory, and strength. After

Committees Begin Work on Bishop Transition Process

Members of the Search & Nomination Committee and Transition Committee met June 3-4 at St. Mary's in Portsmouth to begin the formal work of seeking and welcoming the 13th Bishop of Rhode Island.

On Friday evening, members of the Standing Committee and Diocesan Council joined the retreat to meet committee members.  The Hon. Scott Avedisian, president of the Standing Committee, and the Rev. James Bocchino, vice-president of the Diocesan Council, led a ceremony to officially