tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4472926527297400382024-03-08T13:46:30.350-08:00the vicar of silverdalelooking for jesus in silverdale, washingtonUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger445125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-53579774265114343722016-07-27T18:10:00.000-07:002016-07-28T18:14:35.059-07:00Letter to the Editor of the Kitsap SunI submitted this Letter to the Editor of the Kitsap Sun and it was published July 27, 2016.
To the Editor:
Rutted trails. Crumbling buildings. Washed-out bridges that aren't replaced. Leaning signposts. When I hike into the wilderness at Olympic National Park, I' m dismayed to witness the continual deterioration of the trail system. Although trail crews cut out most of the logs that have blown Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-16923831190680724592015-11-07T10:48:00.001-08:002015-11-07T11:24:40.804-08:00Coach Joe Kennedy and prayer on the football fieldLately, Bremerton High School Coach Joe Kennedy has been in the news because of his insistence on praying on the football field after a game. The controversy over his actions has gone beyond the local newspaper, blogs, and columns all the way to tweets by Presidential nominees.
Coach Kennedy, a part-time assistant coach for the Bremerton High School football team, has had a practice of coming toUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-4086556354030714392015-10-12T14:47:00.001-07:002015-10-12T14:47:20.219-07:00Going home againLast Saturday I attended an 80th birthday party for one of my former parishioners at my church in Florence, Oregon. It was a lovely event, with many family members and friends gathering to celebrate this lovely lady.
I went because I wanted to give Judy my love and gratitude but also to see some of my former parishioners who I was sure would be there. Sure enough, I received hugs and high-fives Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-17740634447793558742014-10-16T20:22:00.000-07:002014-10-16T20:55:11.152-07:00Mark Driscoll: How not to be a pastorThere's been a lot in the news about the resignation of Mark Driscoll, the head pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. Driscoll, well-known for his abrasive, masculine, in-your-face style of Evangelical Christianity, built the mega-church of Mars Hill by the power of his media-savvy personality. At its peak, Mars Hill claimed 14,000 people in attendance on Sundays at 15 locations in five states.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-38228697814685700032014-07-10T11:15:00.002-07:002014-07-10T11:15:28.113-07:00Exciting timesThese are exciting times for St. Antony's. We've had a number of new initiatives come up recently, and we're beginning to see a lot of activity. What I find energizing is that many people are involved in making things happen.
1. Last Sunday, we began sharing our church building with the members of New Fellowship Church. New Fellowship is associated with the Church of God in Christ, a PentecostalUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-74516029976498644562013-12-23T13:37:00.000-08:002014-01-16T22:27:15.615-08:00Advent Day 23Advent is a threshold time, an in-between time as we wait for God to come. I chose these lines from a poem by R.S. Thomas and the image of opening a door to illustrate how Advent opens us to a new reality.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-30309990867035637602013-12-22T17:30:00.001-08:002014-01-16T22:28:28.941-08:00Advent Day 21According to Isaiah and Matthew, pregnancy is the sign that God is with us.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-3897874276877076812013-12-22T17:28:00.001-08:002014-01-16T22:28:58.145-08:00Advent Day 20
One of the themes of Advent is waiting. Just like Mary waited for the child growing within her, we wait for the coming of Christ.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-34419852214640280862013-12-19T23:13:00.001-08:002014-01-16T22:29:42.568-08:00Advent Day 19
In this Sunday's Gospel lesson, an angel tells Joseph, "Don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife." And Joseph obeys.
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-29110315965032544272013-12-19T18:44:00.000-08:002014-01-16T22:30:15.284-08:00Advent Day 18I've always wondered what Joseph went through as he wrestled with his decision to dismiss Mary or to marry her.
(Click on the image for a larger view)
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-67436994037042634732013-12-17T21:10:00.003-08:002014-03-01T19:06:51.979-08:00Advent Day 17Our New Testament lesson for this Sunday consists of the opening lines of Paul's letter to the Romans. In my imagination I can see him carefully forming the letters of his message.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-487687885801152102013-12-16T22:07:00.001-08:002014-03-01T19:07:52.429-08:00Advent Day 16
In the Old Testament lesson for Sunday, the prophet Isaiah tells King Ahaz to ask God for a sign, but Ahaz refuses. But God gave him a sign anyway.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-31214910065815811352013-12-15T22:09:00.001-08:002014-03-01T19:08:38.907-08:00Third Sunday of Advent
Last night I heard the Bremerton Symphony Chorale perform the Christmas Oratorio by J.S. Bach. Three members of St. Antony's sung in the performance, which was joyful and uplifting. A good way to observe the Third Sunday of Advent.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-34460556570262990652013-12-14T17:35:00.002-08:002014-03-01T19:09:08.616-08:00Advent Day 14
Katy and I are dog-sitting Basil, our grand-dog, while our son, Chad, and his fiance, Brittany, are in Hawaii. As I watch Basil pine for his masters to return, I think about the theme of waiting in Advent. Basil is waiting.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-65157644345935837732013-12-13T22:39:00.000-08:002014-03-01T19:09:41.724-08:00Advent Day ThirteenThe Gospel message is that God has overturned the ways of the world. In this Sunday's Gospel, Jesus tells Paul that he has healed the lame and made the blind see. In the Magnificat, we hear Mary's cry of joy that God has cast down the mighty and lifted up the lowly. In our own small ways, we live out the Gospel message.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-1232864734383085262013-12-12T22:51:00.002-08:002014-03-01T19:10:11.540-08:00Advent Day Twelve
In our Gospel story for Sunday, John is languishing in prison. He tells his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come?"
It makes me wonder about the various kinds of prisons we find ourselves in.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-47936954715938333132013-12-11T22:04:00.003-08:002014-03-01T19:11:19.518-08:00Advent Day 11
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In the Gospel lesson for Sunday, Jesus quotes the prophet who says, "See, I am sending my messengers the prophets ahead of you." It made me think of where I stand in the line of the prophets.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-11187036908059113602013-12-10T15:31:00.002-08:002013-12-20T19:39:50.941-08:00Advent Day Ten
One of the themes of Advent is waiting. The lesson from James for this Sunday picks up this theme: "Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-85416255926746329802013-12-09T13:35:00.000-08:002013-12-20T19:40:14.273-08:00Advent Day Nine
The Old Testament experience of exile was deep and profound for the people of Israel. They were taken from their familiar beloved country to an alien place they didn't know, with gods they didn't recognize. Their experience of grief and loss helped form them into a people that did not need to have a building or a city to know they were the children of God.
Today we may feel that we're living Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-91422941607301529572013-12-08T07:00:00.000-08:002013-12-09T13:35:36.118-08:00Advent Day Eight
Today is the Second Sunday of Advent, a holy day in the season of preparation.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-77629059172420701312013-12-07T08:00:00.000-08:002013-12-20T19:41:54.221-08:00Advent Day Seven
The Reading fro the Letter of Paul to the Romans says, "Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you." This makes me think about all the ways we welcome life as it comes to us.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-36285608348726518122013-12-06T08:00:00.000-08:002013-12-20T19:42:27.281-08:00Advent Day SixUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-81551466517132443602013-12-05T17:08:00.005-08:002013-12-20T19:42:38.548-08:00Advent Day Five
In the Gospel lesson for Sunday, John the Baptist fulfills the words of Isaiah, who says, "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." Makes me think about all the ways we might prepare the way of the Lord.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-20477622727290292282013-12-05T17:06:00.003-08:002013-12-20T19:42:55.012-08:00Advent Day Four
John the Baptist is the focus of the Gospel reading this Sunday. I think of him as a very intense guy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-447292652729740038.post-56084178595906026652013-12-03T10:14:00.000-08:002013-12-03T10:14:05.604-08:00Advent Day ThreeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0