Mar 24, 2020 by The Rev. Dr. Nancy Lee Jose

To Live in Relationship with God

“Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires know, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord”. Amen Watching my nieces and their children playing together on the beach year after year, I remember the first steps my sisters, brother and I took into chilly Atlantic waters growing up together. The colliding power of waves, o…

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Library shelf with many copies of the Book of Common Prayer
Mar 02, 2020 by The Rev. Dr. Nancy Lee Jose

Five goals for us to examine during Lent

Our Book of Common Prayer Sets out five goals for us to examine during Lent Self Examination: When Jesus looked into the hearts of those he met, he both saw them more truthfully than they were able to see themselves and judged them more compassionately than they were willing to judge themselves. In Lent we are to examine ourselves anew through the painfully honest and totally loving eyes of Christ. Repentance: Lent invites us into the traditional fourfold pattern of repentance (turning away …

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Feb 24, 2020 by The Rev. Dr. Nancy Jose

”a right beginning of repentance”

+…”a right beginning of repentance”…+ Episcopalians are not big on sin. Mind you, I don’t mean we aren’t good at it. To the contrary. If you want to be reminded what is meant by humanity’s “sins” and “wretchedness,” often you just don’t have to look further than any parish. Still, we don’t put sin at the center of the way we pray, or at the center of what we believe. That place is reserved for God’s love, mercy and compassion, and our prayer to be formed in God’s image. Faith for us means learn…

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Feb 17, 2020 by The Rev. Dr. Nancy Jose

Collect for the Last Sunday

Collect for the Last SundayAfter the Epiphany Grant to us that we…may be strengthened to bear our cross,  and be changed into his likeness. At the end of Epiphany there is a quiz. One question. Short answer. In fact, it’s a yes/no choice, although most of us will try to argue to make it multiple choice. There have been many clues. Remember the lessons from Advent? The unexpected turn of events at Christmas? John the Baptist’s call to turn back, look harder, listen more closely, prepare better…

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Baptism water splash
Feb 09, 2020 by The Rev. Dr. Nancy Jose

Baptism

Baptism Who doesn’t love a good baptism? It’s like Open House Party day at church – anticipation is in the air, everyone is excited and feels included. We’re actually getting (sorta) close to the next time (Easter Vigil) in our liturgical calendar when baptisms are invited; and at minimum nearly every Episcopal priest I know becomes giddy about the possibility of A BAPTISM!!! This is a cold time of year to think about Jesus’ Baptism in the River Jordan, much less contemplate our own. The image…

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Love Message
Feb 02, 2020 by Rev. Dr. Nancy Josy

Epiphany – A Time of Discernment

Epiphany, the scriptures continue to teach us is about learning to see and recognize Godin the improbable person--Jesus: born in a stable, baptized by one who ate bugs and wildhoney. Jesus who stayed up late drinking at weddings and died that we might live.Epiphany is about the recognition of the miraculous in the middle of the ordinary. It’sabout listening not just with our ears, yet with our heart and soul. It’s about theambiguities of trying to hear God speak even in silence, to hear angels s…

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