PARISH VOICES

Do you remember James Taylor's hit song from the nineties, "The Frozen Man"? The song was inspired by an article Taylor had read in National Geographic about the discovery of a frozen man, a New Englander who perished in the nineteenth century. There is a haunting moment in the song where the frozen man asks an angel of mercy whether he is alive or dead. The song ends with these words: "I know what it means to freeze to death; to lose a little life with every breath, to say

Commencement speeches come and go. Most of you don't remember what was said at your own graduation or you might remember the feeling of being sent. One chapter closes, another opens, and suddenly your life is your responsibility. Steve Jobs said at Stanford's 2005 commencement, that "the reality of our death is the most important tool for making decisions. Death strips away illusion, pride, fear, the need to impress, and leaves only what matters." It's a jarring thought, b

Pentecost marks the moment when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles, empowering them to spread the Gospel. "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me." (John 15:26) The Spirit of God, eternally existing with the Father and the Son, became a guiding force, filling the disciples with divine inspiration. This moment was not simply about receiving knowledg