Category Archives: Uncategorized

There comes a moment in every preacher’s life — usually somewhere between the second cup of coffee and the opening hymn — when you look down at your sermon manuscript and think, “Ah. I see the sermon has decided to preach something entirely different today.” This is a well-known spiritual phenomenon, shared among clergy withContinue reading “When Your Sermon Has a Mind of Its Own. A meditation on preaching, improvising, and trusting the Spirit when your notes betray you”

There are places in parish life where heaven and earth seem to meet — around the altar, of course; in the parish hall when the coffee is fresh; and, surprisingly often, in that most misunderstood of ecclesial ecosystems: the church parking lot. If sanctuaries are for prayer and proclamation, then the parking lot is whereContinue reading “The Theology of the Church Parking Lot (Where Holy Hospitality Meets Mysterious Traffic Patterns and the Spiritual Discipline of Not Honking)”

There is a particular sound that every parish priest knows deep in their bones. It is not the rustle of hymnbooks, nor the gentle wheeze of the organ blower finally giving up the ghost. No, it is the rectory doorbell — that tiny electronic herald of mystery, mischief, and occasional mayhem. Some doorbells are polite,Continue reading “The Rectory Doorbell: Adventures in Unexpected Pastoral Visits (Where sanctification arrives one chime at a time.)”

There are several great mysteries in parish life: the location of the rector’s favourite pen, the theological significance of that one switch that controls exactly nothing, and the ancient, inscrutable habits of the church choir. Of these, only the choir is willing to speak—though not always in unison. Now, if you ask any choirmaster, theyContinue reading “Why the Choir Always Shows Up Early (Except When They Don’t) A music-infused meditation on the mysteries of choir logistics and why someone always forgets their folder”

There are days in the Church when we celebrate the great luminaries of the faith — Augustine, Teresa of Ávila, the Venerable Bede, and that one medieval bishop whose chief accomplishment seems to have been “died peacefully, thanks be to God.” But in the spirit of holy mischief — and with a nod to StephenContinue reading “Why Wardens Deserve a Feast Day (With Apologies to Saints Everywhere, Who Are Probably Fine With Sharing the Calendar)”

If you really want to understand the soul of a parish, don’t start with the rector’s study, the vestry minutes, or even the sacristy cupboard (though, truth be told, that last one contains a whole universe best approached with mitts, a flashlight, and possibly an assistant curate). No, the true spiritual barometer of any churchContinue reading “The Parish Noticeboard: A Comedy in Thumbtacks and Hope”

Step quietly now, dear reader, for we are about to enter one of the least-documented ecosystems in the Anglican Church: the Rector’s Study. Though often glimpsed through a half-open door or a Zoom background carefully curated to hide the worst of the stacks, the study remains a mysterious and slightly dangerous habitat — somewhere betweenContinue reading “The Rector’s Study: A Field Guide to Controlled Clerical Chaos (Where the Spirit hovers over the clutter, and the clutter hovers back.)”

There are days when I’m convinced that Anglicans invented the first group fitness class. Long before Pilates became trendy and well before you could attend a Spin class at 6 a.m. with people who look much too cheerful for that hour, the Church had already perfected a full-body liturgical workout. I’ve often thought that ifContinue reading “Pews, Kneelers, and the Aerobics of Anglican Worship Why the Church Might Be Holier — and Fitter — Than We Think”

There are few artifacts of Anglican life as enduring, adaptable, and mysteriously indispensable as the humble church bulletin. Yes, the 1549 Book of Common Prayer set our liturgical rhythm, but it was the accompanying leaflet—copied on the parish’s one reliable machine (the Holy Spirit, obviously)—that truly carried the weight of the faithful. The bulletin hasContinue reading “The Lost Art of the Church Bulletin: Origami, Fans, and Emergency Note-Taking Devices (A Whimsical Meditation on the Most Underestimated Liturgical Accessory Since 1549)”

There’s a curious truth in parish life — the people who think they are running the place seldom are, and the people who think they have nothing to offer often carry the quiet wisdom that keeps the whole thing from toppling over like a badly stacked tower of hymnbooks. St. Paul, in one of hisContinue reading “The Broken Become the Body: Rethinking Ministry from the Margins (because sometimes the church’s strongest muscles are its sprained ankles)”