Rector's Blog
April 07, 2010, Christianity (85), In the News (Richmond) (74)
Posted by Wallace+
I hope you saw Alex Evans' RTD op-ed on Easter Day. I recommend it.
Today, all around the globe, in more
languages than we can imagine... Christians celebrate Easter as the best news of
God's victory and life.
Obviously this good news does not mean there is no more bad news. We
all know too well how heartache and suffering, evil and death wreak
havoc on our lives and our world.
But as Christians, we affirm that the bad news does not have the last
word. For individuals, and a city, and a world challenged with many
things, Easter celebrates God's victory over evil and even death.
I give thanks to God for calling Alex to Richmond, as Pastor of Second Presbyterian. He and I arrived in town about the same time, and I am grateful to serve alongside him in downtown Richmond.
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April 06, 2010, Christianity (85), City & Commonwealth (63), Food for the Soul (55), In the News (Richmond) (74)
Posted by Wallace+
Saturday before last (the Rev.) Jim Somerville and I ran in the Monument
Avenue 10K. It was a perfect morning to be out running (sunny, cool)
on that beautiful avenue, with 37,000 other people (wow!), and 20+ bands
playing tunes along the way. Jim
wrote a blog post on the run that I thought I'd pass along, as (good,
and entertaining) food for the soul. And, by the way, I'm sure
there's also a "faster rector" out there!
Also, last week my next door neighbor, Kristen Swenson, an author and
VCU professor of religious studies, wrote a
charming and insightful op-ed for the RTD on translating and
interpreting scripture. I thought I'd pass that along as well.
I Iiked Kristen's mention, in particular, of the Hebrew word for "work"
(or "till") used in Genesis to identify what God put the human being in
the garden to do. As she explains, that same word is used to mean...
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April 02, 2010, People of St. Paul's (42), Christianity (85), Church (77)
From today's "Coming Up on Grace Street" e-message.
My Dear People,
Today we observe Good Friday. Our noon liturgy was poignant as the Rev. Kate Jenkins reminded us that "the point is not what sense we can make of the cross, but what sense the cross makes of us." In just a little while, we will go still deeper into Good Friday as we follow the Stations of the Cross.
As we make our way through Holy Week, I can't help but begin to sense the hope of Easter on the horizon. Tomorrow evening, Bishop Shannon Johnston will preside over our Easter Vigil service at 7:30 p.m., during which 24 people will be confirmed or received, or will reaffirm their Baptismal Vows. And on Easter Sunday, I look forward to seeing each and every one of you for a worship experience and celebration that exemplifies living, laughing, and loving as Christ's disciples in the heart of the city.
As Bishop Shannon reminded us at the close of our 2010 Lenten Series: As Christians, we don't get up on Sunday and decide whether or not to worship. Indeed, worshiping the Living God is the most important thing we do; it is, yes, at the heart of everything we do.
Your brother in Christ,
Wallace+
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April 02, 2010, Christianity (85), Church (77), In the News (Nation, World) (80), Love (17)
Posted by Wallace+
Pernessa Seele, Founder & CEO of The Balm in Gilead, sent a note of thanks to people of faith throughout Richmond who participated in the National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS. I, in turn, share her note with all people of St. Paul's, thanking you for your prayers.
To My Family in Faith:
We greatly appreciate and sincerely thank you for your participation in the National Week of Prayer for the Healing of AIDS (2010 NWPHA).
Because of the participation and enthusiasm generated by faith communities and organizations such as your own, NWPHA 2010 was a tremendous success. As a result of our combined efforts, over 20 million people throughout the United States received our message of prayer, education, advocacy and service for the healing of AIDS. Across the nation, communities were educated about HIV prevention and testing while encouraged to support the availability of compassionate care and treatment for those living with the disease; and to love unconditionally all persons affected by HIV/AIDS.
Click on 'read more' to continue reading her letter.
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April 01, 2010, Christianity (85), Food for the Soul (55)
Posted by Wallace+
From yesterday's Word from Grace Street:
Madeleine L'Engle told the story of how, one Holy Week, a young friend
said to her, "I cannot cope with the atonement."
L'Engle's answer was that neither could she, if, that is, atonement was
understood to be all about crime and punishment, and some forensic
maneuver by the Divine.
On the other hand, going back to the true meaning of the word, and, for
that matter, to the word's etymology, L'Engle discovered, or
rediscovered, something that she could believe in: at-one-ment.
As she explained, "It simply means to be at one with God. Jesus on the
cross was so at-one with God that death died there on Golgotha, and was
followed by the glorious celebration of the Resurrection."
Click here to read the full message.
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