By Ron McCrary One Astonishing Motion by Our God: The Cross and Resurrection Our Easter celebration really begins with Good Friday: Jesus' victory on the cross that defeated Satan and the spiritual forces of evil, and his triumphant resurrection on the third day. Easter and the cross are inseparably joined in God’s redeeming work in [...]
By Carol Dowsett, a Bible study teacher, intercessor and lay leader at All Saints Dallas "Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment." (Luke 23:56 ESV) It is the day slid between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Not much is said in the Scriptures about the time between the filling [...]
By Mark Nesbitt, Formation Pastor at Luminous Parish As you are well aware, there are group of people who only show up for church on Christmas and Easter. The pangs of guilt they feel as these two seasons roll around, often prompted by a call or text from a parent, bring them back to the [...]
By Katy Monwai, parishioner at St. Bartholomew’s, Dallas, TX This Lent, we at St. Bartholomew’s mourn the loss of our dear friend Nelson Koscheski. He was a retired priest who lived a crazy and full life, and my husband, Brian, and I had the privilege of knowing him and his patient wife, Judy, during the past five years in pastorate. He had uncommon depth. We knew him as a contemplative intellectual who spent his time painting icons, writing poetry and regaling us with stories of his life and of God’s unending faithfulness. […]
By Rachel Hunt, a parishioner at St. Andrew’s Little Rock I am a dirty, messy, broken girl. As we approach Lent, I examine myself. I am unable to deny that I am a dirty saint, a messy image-bearer, a broken disciple. This would be troubling if not for the gospel of grace that wipes away the dirt, cleans up the mess and smooths the sharp places of my broken edges. […]
By Lauren Balfour, parishioner at Grace Northridge Church in San Antonio, Texas Lent is a season to remember what is and is not truly ours through the act of fasting. Time, resources, pleasures, favorite foods or drinks—any of these, the Holy Spirit may nudge us to fast from. For a few years now, my fast has been from social media. I’m not an active contributor to Facebook or Instagram, but I do seem to love whiling away time scrolling, using my phone to stave off boredom or loneliness or impatience. When I fast from social media, I realize how little control I have over time. Without social media, in the empty moments of waiting that are a part of daily life, I just have to be patient and be in my own thoughts. Suddenly I find myself more available to open my Bible app or to say a short prayer when a friend comes to mind. It is not that social media is innately harmful; it’s that my flesh loves entertainment and the enemy loves distraction. Sometimes doing what’s not quite right is just as detrimental as doing what is wrong. […]
By Kayla Mendoza, parishioner at Gathering Midtown, San Antonio I feel lead to begin by describing shortly what Lent is. So, what is it, and why do we celebrate it? Lent is the 40 days leading into the Easter season. It is a holy time of self-examination, a true reflection of where we are and a time of turning back to our Father. It’s a time of sobering oneself, and one of alignment with God. In short, Lent is a season of honesty. […]
Lent begins next week, and so we begin a series of a blogs to help us prepare for and experience the season in deeper ways. By Robert+ Cook, Rector, St. Andrew’s Little Rock I stand in awe of how the Lord continues to reveal himself to us. He is a Father who reveals himself most clearly through his Word, but who also speaks to us as a loving Father to his children to encourage us, to lift us up and to console us. Last fall, Bishop Dan Scott visited St. Andrew Church for confirmations. As +Dan prayed over those who came to be confirmed, I watched tears flow down cheeks as he spoke prophetic words to them, each specific to the individual. Where were the tears from? The Father had spoken through +Dan to his sons and daughters to encourage them, to lift them up in their journeys, to renew and restore hope that he knew them and cared deeply about what was going on in their lives. […]
by The Rev. Nowell Copley, All Saints Spartanburg This year, as we do each year on November 1, Christians around the world will celebrate the Feast of All Saints. We do this to commemorate the lives and ministries of those saints who have gone before us, particularly those who were very good at living faithful lives and having faithful ministries. […]
