I am clergy in the Episcopal Church. I am also a monk dedicated to my life of prayer. Others sometimes assume that people like me have deep insightful wisdom to offer about prayer. Do not be disappointed when I say that I do not. It is not for me to tell anyone how to connect with God. All I can genuinely offer is my own experience, which has taught me that there are as many ways to pray as there are human hearts beating for God. I spent a good deal of time alone as a kid.

John 10:1-10 One of the most tender images in the bible are those of Jesus as a shepherd. Throughout John 10 we hear Jesus refer to himself the shepherd who cares for and calls his sheep. It is such a loving metaphor – the good shepherd who keeps the flock safe and watches over them and even lays down his life for them. In today’s passage Jesus is the gate and the gatekeeper for the herd. He is leading the way into safety and even abundance. What a compelling way for Jesus

Here we are again with the story of Jesus showing his wounds to reassure Thomas that he continues to be present in his life. This is a story about making sure that Thomas is secure in his walk with Jesus, even after he has been killed. It is important to Jesus that Thomas have a solid faith to rely on as they face the storms ahead for the disciples. Faith is a great strength for all of us as we navigate the challenges life will undoubtedly bring. I didn’t grow up believing

Beginning Thursday, we follow the story of Jesus’s final three days in Jerusalem and his destiny, and our destiny, with the cross. The story of these three days, which we call the Triduum, begins in the upper room with Jesus breaking bread with his disciples and continues into Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and the Great Vigil of Easter. The importance of the movement of these three days, what it meant for Jesus, the disciples and for us, cannot be understated. Each day and n

John 11: 1-45 Why does Jesus weep at the tomb of Lazarus? He knew when Lazarus's sisters, Mary and Martha, sent him the message that his beloved friend was ill, but he chose not to come. He delayed going for two days and he told his disciples that his friend was asleep and that he was going there to awaken him. Then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.” And clearly Jesus had a plan to resurrect his beloved friend so that others may believe. He said to his disciples, “F

John 4:1-45 Henri Nouwen, one of the greatest spiritual teachers of our time, began one of his sermons by telling the congregation that they and he were all beloved daughters and sons of God. He then encourages them to really take this in. Then he says, “Our spiritual path is to claim that and live a life based on that knowledge.” We are all beloved children of God. For some, if not many of us, it seems it is difficult to let go of the idea that we have to earn God’s love;

Matthew 5:13-20 When we think of someone who we see as having a special goodness about them, we might describe them as “salt of the earth.” We mean that without these people, life would lose some of its flavor. Such people help remind us of what is important. They’re like sounding rods that keep us grounded in what’s real in life. Life is richer because of their presence. We have heard that we are, as Jesus says during his Sermon on the Mount, “the salt of the earth” and “l

In 2016 I had the great fortune of taking a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Every moment of that trip was extraordinary but one of the highlights was going out on the Sea of Galilee in a boat that was made to replicate the one that Peter and Andrew would have been fishing on. Even though there was a local man demonstrating for us how they threw the nets off the side of the boat it felt authentic, not at all like a Disney version. I sat on the front edge of the boat and dangled m