Thursday, October 3, 2019 | Reflections
I was in New York in August 2017 when I heard that Harvey was going to hit my hometown of Houston as a category 4 hurricane. I caught one of the last flights to Houston so I could be with my family. The rain fell, the floods came, winds blew and beat on...
Wednesday, October 2, 2019 | Reflections
I recently bought some oranges that were just beautiful—plump and round and very orange. I couldn’t wait to get home to enjoy them. I sat down to eat one, really wanting to savor it. While I was peeling this orange, I realized it didn’t smell sweet. When I put it in...
Tuesday, October 1, 2019 | Reflections
Ask. Search. Knock. There have been several times in my life when I have been in need—a job, a recommendation letter, a place to stay, a meal, a kind word. When the need is dire, I gather myself and pray.I remember when I needed a job desperately. My son...
Monday, September 30, 2019 | Out and About in EDoLA
Mr. Lawrence Brook, the oldest living American World War II veteran and the oldest parishioner in the Diocese of Louisiana, turned 110 on September 12. There was a grand celebration to honor this now supercentenarian. The National World War II Museum threw a party...
Monday, September 30, 2019 | Community Ministry, Reflections
by the Rev. Fred Devall, Rector, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, Metairie All clergy are required to engage in some form of continuing education. Over the years I have been to several excellent conferences, leadership programs, and seminars, but none have been...
Monday, September 30, 2019 | Reflections
Being a Christian is a bit like being grounded at an airport during a storm: We never know when we’re leaving. Countless believers have been motivated by a sense that Jesus’ return is imminent, and yet here we still are two millennia later. We have a very different...
Sunday, September 29, 2019 | Reflections
Having enough money to cover bills and living expenses offers options and space to think about the needs of others. Too little money causes constant, wearing anxiety about how to meet basic needs like shelter and food, leaving little room for any other concerns....
Saturday, September 28, 2019 | Reflections
Scripture isn’t super clear or consistent about what lies on the other side of death, though Jesus explicitly promises both resurrection and judgment. I like to think that after we die and await resurrection, we reside in some manner in God’s memory. In this way, I...
Friday, September 27, 2019 | Out and About in EDoLA
Pet Blessings will take place in the Diocese of Louisiana on September 28, October 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 27. Please join us!
Friday, September 27, 2019 | Reflections
Milk comes from mothers, honey comes from bees, and manna comes from heaven. But surely bread is the result of our own labor: the mixing, the kneading, the proving, the fire that needs to be built, wood or charcoal collected. And yet, Jesus reminds us in the prayer he...