PARISH VOICES

How long can you wait patiently for something? A month? A year? A decade? Your entire life? I don't think I'm particularly patient. I recently grumbled because I spent five-and-a-half slightly uncomfortable hours on an airplane, and in that time traversed the entire continent. Fewer than 200 years ago, that trip would have taken about 140 days in a wagon! We live in an age of miracle and wonder, but to say we also live in an age of instant gratification may undersell just how

A big question that faces all of us is what should we do with our losses? Is there a way for that which is lost to be found? Can sadness...

For the new year, many people think about their goals and hopes. This New Year, I invite you to consider the place of the Gospels in your life. Back in the fourth century, St. John Chrysostom lamented that many parishioners knew more about the chariot races than they knew about the Scriptures. I doubt if many of us know much about chariot races, but St. John might still have a similar complaint today. Abba Matthew the poor, asks us to consider the value of Scripture in our

As Christmas and the New Year flew by, 2025 has already brought its own challenges. While I don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions, there’s something undeniably special about the new beginning it offers, allowing me to deepen my relationship with Christ and keep Him at the center of my life. Reflecting on Fr. Tom’s sermon from Theophany Eve about being a container of Christ, I was struck by the image of feeling trapped under a container by the weight of expectations and da

To quote Fr. Tom, (again!), what a blessing we have in the Church! The church provides us with many tools to help us remember, enrich, and encourage our walk with Christ. This fills us up with His grace, mercy, and love. Many of us know what it is like to walk without Jesus in our lives—whether we met him later in life, or like many we may have done a bit of wandering away from the church at times. The chorus would respond with an overwhelming “Hallelujah” that walking throu

Creation Touched By The Creator When Jesus is being baptized by John the Baptist, we are called to embrace the miracle of how creation participates in our salvation story! Our hymns at Epiphany reveal that: "Today, the uncreated one is, by His own will, touched by the creature. Today, the prophet and forerunner approaches the Master but pauses in awe. Today, the waters of the Jordan are turned into healing by the presence of the Lord. Today, paradise is opened to all humankin

Every person wants to be loved and feel special, and many of the ways people try to be special are so that they can be loved. Just look at what is popular around us. If someone is seen as special because they are a singer or movie star, they are more lovable. Maybe someone is special and loved because they are an athlete. People try to be special through their job or hobbies. Sometimes, the love of family and friends can feel conditional, so people feel like they must be sp

This time of the year is blessed with music of the season. My favorites are the hymns of Christmas that refer to Christ. (And, Mele Kalikimaka, I love Hawai’i! During this commercialized season of Christmas — when we in the Church remember the birth of Jesus and the salvation He brings — I’ve been impressed for many years how the holiday selections include so many songs, or hymns, where Jesus is the focus! It feels sometimes as if we live in a world that doesn’t remember God.

A View from the Moon I remember reading about the space shuttle Columbia where astronaut James Irwin walked on the moon in 1971. He said, "I can't describe the thrill of looking out into space and seeing it as only a handful of men have ever seen it. The stars and sun offered the most breathtaking colors humankind has ever witnessed…I could hardly contain myself. "I came to a stop. Moon dust settled down on my boots and chills ran up and down my spine. I thought, WOW!! This i

I heard a saying recently that went, “You can’t control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.” These eleven words could have been Jabran’s motto. He couldn’t control what happened to him but could control his reactions. He had the unwavering ability to live in the present. No lamenting about the past or stressing about the future. He lived life as if that day was the only day that mattered. When Jabran and I moved to the Pacific Northwest from Indiana, we were looking fo