God the courteous tutor

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:19:00 -0500

God is no captious sophister eager to trip us up whenever we say amiss, but a courteous tutor ready...

The Feast of All Saints

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:03:00 -0500

It was a hot summer day twelve years ago. We were in Central Park at the Conservatory Water. My...

The Empty Space

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:59:00 -0400

Of the prophets Michelangelo painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the one easiest to...

“One of the important things about faith is to realize...

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:46:00 -0400

“One of the important things about faith is to realize that faith doesn’t and neither should it insulate you from the challenges of the world. And after all, for us Christians, I mean, our Lord was crucified. It’s rather worse than getting screamed at in the House of Commons.” — Tony Blair, speaking about being a Christian in public service.

The Dance

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:17:00 -0400

When King David brought the ark of God up to the shrine he had prepared for it in Jerusalem, we read...

Boyd Matson interviews Laura Waters Hinson about her documentary...

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:18:00 -0400

Boyd Matson interviews Laura Waters Hinson about her documentary film *As We Forgive* on the National Geographic Weekend radio show. Used with permission. Look for a screening at Saint Francis.

Video

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:36:00 -0400

Compagnons de voyage

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:36:00 -0400

When you’re a priest and you say the word ‘stewardship’ people start edging toward...

“Many people ask me why on earth should a survivor of the...

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:36:00 -0400

“Many people ask me why on earth should a survivor of the genocide in Rwanda forgive someone who murdered either their mother or husband or brother or sister. When you consider that a million people got destroyed by the cruelest means ever known, hacking people to death with machetes and banging children on the walls. Somebody has to tell them this painful message of forgiveness. If we let them be consumed by that ongoing bitterness and anger, it’s like an acidic content in a metal container. It will eventually eat the container up. When they forgive, they get released. Those perpetrators, after they get forgiven, come to us and say, ‘Can you help us to do something to show our remorse?’ And now they are building houses for their victims.” — Bishop John Rucyahana

The Prodigal Father

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:25:00 -0400

A woman I know described to me once an experience she had in the process of giving birth to her...

The 2009 Potomac Country House Tour slideshow

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:36:00 -0400

The 2009 Potomac Country House Tour slideshow

Autumn

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:08:00 -0400

No Spring, nor Summer beauty hath such graceAs I have seen in one Autumnal face. — John Donne, The...

On the birthday of Victoria, the cantus firmus of the Ellsworth...

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 12:08:00 -0400

On the birthday of Victoria, the cantus firmus of the Ellsworth family, the fun theory. It’s there in Holy Writ, the most recent public example being the appointed lectionary reading of a couple Sundays ago, the howler from the eleventh chapter of the Book of Numbers of all things. It was all I could do not to fall off my prayer desk.

The rabble among them had a strong craving; and the Israelites also wept again, and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”

Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, all at the entrances of their tents. Then the LORD became very angry, and Moses was displeased. So Moses said to the LORD, “Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? Did I conceive all this people? Did I give birth to them, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a sucking child,’ to the land that you promised on oath to their ancestors? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they come weeping to me and say, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I am not able to carry all this people alone, for they are too heavy for me. If this is the way you are going to treat me, put me to death at once—if I have found favor in your sight—and do not let me see my misery.”

So the LORD said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tent of meeting, and have them take their place there with you.”

So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and placed them all around the tent. Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again.

Eutychus

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:00:00 -0400

In Peculiar Treasures, Frederick Buechner writes: “Sermonettes make Christianettes,” the...

Gillian with her friend and roommate Brianna Zrinsky. Hat tip to...

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:25:00 -0400

Gillian with her friend and roommate Brianna Zrinsky. Hat tip to Morgan Sorenson.

"I often think of the set pieces of liturgy as certain words which people have successfully addressed..."

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:58:00 -0400

“I often think of the set pieces of liturgy as certain words which people have successfully...

Jack Heise died suddenly this morning of a cerebral hemorrhage....

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:46:00 -0400

Jack Heise died suddenly this morning of a cerebral hemorrhage. He loved his Terrapins, and he loved his Lord and his church, Saint Francis. Visitation is at the Great Hall of Saint Francis Episcopal Church, Thursday from 3:00 to 5:00 and from 7:00 to 9:00pm. The Burial Office will be said at the University of Maryland Memorial Chapel Friday, October 9th at 11:00am. Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis.

What First Class Looks Like

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:46:00 -0400

Not all people have the physical courage of Saint Francis, but some do. I’m an Army brat proud...

Francis and Melek-el-Kemel, 1219

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:43:00 -0400

That physical courage is not at all on the minds of people who think of Francis indicates how little...

Potomac Country House Tour is Saint Francis Church’s...

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:43:00 -0400

Potomac Country House Tour is Saint Francis Church’s annual fundraiser that benefits ministries at home and far away. The Saint Francis clergy were chauffeured to the homes by this year’s terrific Co-Chairs, Fran and Anne Baker, Jim Baker doing the actual driving. Here we say a quick hello and thank you to John Whatley, parking attendant at the home of Ken and Lee Ann Slosser. Thank you to the hundreds of Saint Francis parishioners who worked so hard and well on this year’s tour!

MORE THAN 39 ARTICLES

God the courteous tutor

The Feast of All Saints

The Empty Space

“One of the important things about faith is to realize...

The Dance

Boyd Matson interviews Laura Waters Hinson about her documentary...

Video

Compagnons de voyage

“Many people ask me why on earth should a survivor of the...

The Prodigal Father

The 2009 Potomac Country House Tour slideshow

Autumn

On the birthday of Victoria, the cantus firmus of the Ellsworth...

Eutychus

Gillian with her friend and roommate Brianna Zrinsky. Hat tip to...

"I often think of the set pieces of liturgy as certain words which people have successfully addressed..."

Jack Heise died suddenly this morning of a cerebral hemorrhage....

What First Class Looks Like

Francis and Melek-el-Kemel, 1219

Potomac Country House Tour is Saint Francis Church’s...