Preaching to the world

Photo:  The nave and high altar of St. Paul's, Chattanooga.

St. Paul's is a vibrant, large urban parish filled with the Holy Spirit.  

 A gem in the Diocese of East Tennessee that makes you feel blessed to be an Episcopalian.

Tomorrow, live at 10:30 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time), yours truly will be preaching at my field education parish, Saint Paul's Episcopal Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee. You can hear a live stream of the service, which will include five baptisms, via the parish's website or you can go directly to the radio station's site.  Both links are posted below.

If you can't spend that much time listening tomorrow, the sermon will be archived in a few days on the parish website, click below to go there now.  I'll be posting the text on the blog tomorrow as well.
St. Paul's Episcopal Church website

To listen to the service tomorrow, go directly to Talk Radio 102.3 fm in Chattanooga where the service is broadcast live, simply click on the "Listen Live" button at the top of the webpage.

Little Eucharists

Thank God for little eucharists. They come at unexpected times and usually in unexpected ways. It's so easy for me to bury myself into the work of the day to forget these thanksgivings, these God-given and Spirit-filled moments of pure joy. It's like a pinprick of light bursting through the grayness, or like a drop of water flooding your soul. Refreshing and invigorating, no doubt; they pick you up when you really need the warm hug of love.

It doesn't have to be big, in fact sometimes it's the smaller ones that really hit home. Whether it's a friendly smile, a short e-mail from a friend, or even just the ability to breathe a little, I thank God for little eucharists.

St. Hildegard, Abbess of Bingen and Mystic

A Collect for St. Hildegard (from Lesser Feasts and Fasts)

God of all times and seasons:  Give us grace that we, after the example of your servant Hildegard, may both know and make known the joy and jubilation of being part of your creation, and show forth your glory not only with our lips but in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Saviour, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen.

Poem: Water-logged

Help!  I'm soaked to the bone.
There's no sun, nothing to dry my body,
nor heat to warm my soul.
It just keeps pouring, and flooding,
and driving me away.
I can't even clear my eyes to see!
Help me Lord!
Give me something, some dry land,
some foothold in this world.
Subdue the waters and give me your
Daystar.
Please help me!  I fear I can't tread
the waters much longer.