Rector's Blog
Rector's Blog: Worship is a Movement
I remember when we were developing our vision statement and I was showing a working draft to various ministry heads and leaders at Redeemer. One of those people was Cynthia Williams. She read it with her characteristic attention to detail, taking...
Read MoreRector's Blog: Honest Work of Prayer
Praying is hard. I don’t want it to be hard. I’ve been a Christian my whole life, and now praying is even a part of my job. But it’s hard. And sometimes I feel like I’m bad at it. By the way, it doesn’t matter if it’s already writt...
Read MoreRector's Blog: You Are Here to Bless
This month in our Thursday morning Bible study we’ve begun the story of Abraham. His story is found in Genesis, and it begins with God saying, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ...
Read MoreRector's Blog: God is With Us
This Sunday at church, we’ll hear St. Matthew quote Isaiah when talking about Jesus. “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” Matthew writes, and then, just to make sure we’re all on the same pag...
Read MoreRector's Blog: I'm Glad You Exist
It’s difficult for me to tell you to be joyful this season. I feel like the Dad with his kids on vacation: “You guys are gonna have fun whether you like it or not!” When we’re honest, we know we cannot feel things just because we’re su...
Read MoreRector's Blog: Comfort and Affliction
I have heard it said by more than one person in my vocation that a pastor’s job is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. I have always had problems with that. My experience is that almost any person I meet is some mixture of com...
Read MoreRector's Blog: Advent Comfort & Joy
My favorite line in any Christmas song comes from O Little Town of Bethlehem . The first verse is addressed directly to the little town, which is noticeable, if at all, for its ordinariness. In Jesus’ time, Bethlehem is not Israel’s power ce...
Read MoreRector's Blog: Sharing Life with Madison Villa
As I mentioned last week, Madisonville is our neighborhood. It is connected to Redeemer, and Redeemer is connected to Madisonville, and what happens in Madisonville is happening to Redeemer. It is our intention that our life, love, mission, and m...
Read MoreRector's Blog: Who Is My Neighbor?
Who is my neighbor? What is happening in Madisonville? Why does it matter to Church of the Redeemer? What is your part in it? When Jesus is asked who is my neighbor , his response, stripped down and made plain, is really, “Whoever is right...
Read MoreRector's Blog: From For to With
Passion for Mission is in Redeemer’s DNA. Yes, our relationship with outreach is always developing, never perfect. And sure, it’s easy enough for people to assume since we’re an Episcopal Church in Hyde Park we are content to exist in a lit...
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