There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. — Ephesians 4:4-7 Years ago, when I started both Education for Ministry (EfM) and writing for Episcopal Café, I customarily wrote “We” in sentences and paragraphs in the first person plural form. I know that preachers, priests, and clergy use, “We,” in prayers and sermons, and even our BCP uses the plural form in litu ..read more

A poetic reflection on Psalm 88 Every few weeks as I roll through the Psalms in the Daily Office I always end up bumping into this one and saying to myself, “Oh yeah… This is the one that doesn’t have a happy ending, and never will. We just sit in the dark with that poor guy at the end.”   Psalm 88 is such a rulebreaker, when it comes to the format of the average Psalm. Most of the Psalms have a standard format, you know. First, the Psalmist addresses God; sometimes intimately. next comes the praise, raw sadness, or lament;  after that a petition. Finally, the Psalmist ..read more

(Night time is beautiful; a bedtime prayer for children) The moon and stars dance overhead To let us know it’s time for bed. Night holds us in a safe embrace, So we may rest in this soft place. Thank you, dear God, for this past day With time to learn and time to play. Thank you for friends, and family too, God bless them all, and bless us too! God, guide our dreams, for your love’s sake, Bless all with peace until we wake.Jesus, stay near, with angels bright,And guard us through this blessed Night. — Leslie Scoopmire ..read more

“You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” – 2 Peter 1:19 As I read through today’s passage from the Second Letter of Peter, I was captured by this sentence.  A mature faith is the result of a transformation in consciousness, the writer implies.  It’s lovely language: the morning star rising.  The sun hasn’t yet appeared, but it is coming, and we know it.  Sunrise colors – salmon, turquoise, purple – begin to light the horizon.  And here is the star, a beacon of what is ..read more

As Episcopal Journal and Cafe suspended publication on this site as of Aug. 15, 2023, fans of the podcasts TeaTime Theology and Faith to Go may access them on their websites: TeaTime Theology Faith to Go ..read more

By Episcopal Journal and Café Episcopal Journal & Café announced that it is suspending its online publication as of Aug. 15, 2023. “The EJC team is proud to have brought news, features, arts coverage and inspirational writing to Episcopalians for more than a decade, separately as Episcopal Journal and Episcopal Café, and as the merged publication for the past year,” said Solange De Santis, editor. “The economics of online publications, and a former print one, are challenging and the decision has been made to stop updating the site and ultimately archive it.” Farewell messages from Speakin ..read more

Photo: Rob Gieselmann By Rob Gieselmann “O God, our times are in your hands …” (BCP 830) These words from the Prayer for a Birthday in the Book of Common Prayer speak not only to the annual celebration of our beginning, but also to our terminus. They invite trust, the folding of our days front to back, in Providence. Tinged with grief, yet fully grateful for each breath, we live each day knowing not only that our time-space existence is book-ended, but also that each breath we take is a gift. Each breath, which turns me to this final page of Episcopal Journal and Episcopal Café, Speaking to th ..read more

Maria Evans and her heirloom tomatoes. By Maria Evans I often joke with parishioners at each of my interim assignments, “I was called to be an interim because I’ve never been very good at long-term relationships.” Yet, here we are, in what became a long term relationship, albeit a long-distance one. It’s hard to believe that we have been sharing the Daily Office together every other Friday (and sometimes, every Friday) since October 2011–and that relationship has come to an end after nearly 12 years. How do I even begin to express my gratitude for over a decade of the privilege of sharing the ..read more

By Laurie Gudim I want to express my deep thanks to all the folks who have followed the Speaking to the Soul column over the years. Speaking to the Soul has been an important avenue for me in my spiritual formation and in finding my voice as a writer. Writing short reflections every week has allowed me to dialogue with scripture and put words to my journey in relationship with God. You’ve been witnesses to my discoveries and to (hopefully) my growth. Your warm-hearted regard and your gentle comments have been an inspiration, balm to my soul, and deeply appreciated encouragement. I will miss y ..read more

by Emily Meeks “I believe that this life is an extraordinary gift, a blink of bright light between vast darknesses.”  – Bryan Doyle, from Leaping: Revelations and Epiphanies  The clouds rolled in and braided in colors of sunset as the day’s final moments gave way to night. We stood on rocks and dust, our bodies refueled from the day’s hike-in with tortillas, beans and guacamole smashed in camp bowls. It was day one of our young adult backpacking trip to the Goat Rocks Wilderness and all had gone as planned except two of our friends were still not to camp, having taken a later st ..read more