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From The Presiding Bishop
We are woven together
He was a young man. In his early 20s. He had cancer. His mother and stepfather cared for him to the point of weariness. The family was unchurched, but a…
From The Presiding Bishop
Can we answer the question ‘why’?
Once for continuing education I signed up for an introduction to philosophy course at the community college. I was a music education major in college and never had any philosophy…
From The Presiding Bishop
The good Samaritan
I have been thinking a lot about the parable of the good Samaritan lately (Luke 10:25-37). Parts of it are so familiar—the unfortunate victim, the robbers, the priest, the Levite,…
From The Presiding Bishop
We have a choice
Browsing through my work journal recently, I noticed the date when my entries stopped: March 19, 2020. The next week the Chicago-based churchwide staff began sheltering in place. I remember…
From The Presiding Bishop
The way back to our center
587 B.C.E. was not a good year. The siege of Jerusalem ended with the destruction of the city, its walls and Solomon’s temple. Many died of starvation during the siege….
From The Presiding Bishop
A time for a reset
In the first seven chapters of Genesis, we move quickly from the glory of creation to disobedience, expulsion from the garden and fratricide to the wickedness of humankind. We read,…
From The Presiding Bishop
What masks do we all wear?
Getting ready to leave the house—for work or errands—takes a couple extra steps during a pandemic. Do I know how crowded my destination will be? Did I remember to take…
From The Presiding Bishop
The cross is the true gift of Christmas
I remember this jarring image: It was the Christmas Eve candlelight service at my home congregation. A banner depicting Mary and Jesus in the manger had been hung from the…
From The Presiding Bishop
God has given us a mission
Remember the Beatles? John, Paul, George, Ringo! I was into it. I had Beatle boots, love beads and granny glasses. My big brother gave me a model of Paul (the…
From The Presiding Bishop
We are invited into silence
There are very few times in my life when I experience silence. There is the ever-present ambient noise of the city or the office: traffic, planes, power mowers, power tools,…
From The Presiding Bishop
We are the body of Christ
There was once a time when two distinct peoples were trying to comprehend how they could be one people. One was a millennia-old people who had persevered through enslavement, oppression…
From The Presiding Bishop
The life he promises will prevail
I planted a garden last summer during the pandemic. Here in Chicago, March and April 2020 were cold and dreary. And it snowed. All around us was the oppressive reality…