I made you a mixtape. Let me explain. When I get to know someone in church ministry and it comes out at some point that I have a background in poetry, there are usually just two responses. For some, it’s a polite pivot into safer conversational territory—so how about this weather we’ve been having, huh?…
Five Big Mistakes I’ve Made in Preaching
I’m not the best preacher, but after 18 years of preaching, I’ve learned a great deal from my own mistakes. To spare you, I’ve listed some of the biggest ones here. Not Believing in Preaching Itself I hope we all share a belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Believe it, and always preach it….
Pastoral Prayer
A priest is to pray frequently. Sometimes it is as a designated or honorary pray-er, as at a church dinner. “Father N., will you bless the food, please?” Anyone could do this, of course, but it often falls to the priest. While it is a token moment, it is also an important one. This serves as…
That’s Not the Gospel
Priests spend a considerable amount of time in hospitals, visiting the sick and praying with and for them. Some of those we visit are young and generally very healthy; they are expected to make quick and full recoveries. They almost always do. Praying for them is “easy” because our prayers for healing are often answered,…
Why the Parish?
It surprises many people entering Anglicanism from other Christian traditions that we use the term ‘parish’. They had always referred to their church as simply “church” or “congregation,” but now they hear the word “parish.” What is a parish? How is it different, and why? Let’s lay out two understandings of what defines a parish. The first is a canonical designation, or how…
