As the Waters Cover the Sea....
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I am Ronald, a Deacon in the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut, and assigned to St. James Episcopal Church in Poquetanuck, CT. In this blog, I write about the challenges and opportunities of leadership in the church, and about sitting with paradox holding it together in tension.
As the Waters Cover the Sea....
3M ago
CHAOS | WATERS | NEW CREATION Sermon: Out of the Waters of Chaos… St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Madison, CT ¹. Taken from Mark 1:14–20 ²
Out of the waters of chaos, new creation comes | Photo by Ron Steed
I wonder…
Peter, Andrew, James, and John live as fishermen, and Jesus calls them into something new. I wonder if there is more going on in this simple story than just one of encounter and call. And whether there is more going on today as well.
In Mark’s Gospel, this story is the first call of disciples by Jesus after his Baptism. To understand what might be going on at the shore of Galilee ..read more
As the Waters Cover the Sea....
4M ago
ADVENT | BEING WITH | NAZARETH Sermon: Being With- The Way of the Lord St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Madison, CT ¹. Taken from John 1:6–8, 19–28 ²
Advent… a time of waiting for things to hatch | Photo by Ron Steed
I’m not any of those!
In today’s gospel, John the Baptist describes himself, frustratingly to the priests and levites sent from Jerusalem, as "none of the ones you are expecting. I am not the Messiah, I am not Elijah, and I am not the prophet." I think I should clarify why they ask John about three people like that.
The Messiah, we’ve talked about a lot, and while there was not con ..read more
As the Waters Cover the Sea....
6M ago
ACHE | LONGING | HOPE | OPEN-HEARTS | LOVE | JOY The Beech Trees are Dying St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Madison, CT ¹. Taken from Matthew 23:34-46 ²
Beech trees overhead, looking a little thin in Fall | Photo by Ron Steed
The Beech trees are dying.
The Beech trees are dying, and that breaks my heart. All of them have a disease that causes their leaves to fall off. I first noticed it three years ago in the forest where I walk. While the oaks and the maples were leafing out, the beeches were bare or thinly leafed, and its been that way for three years running. This tree is a staple of the C ..read more
As the Waters Cover the Sea....
7M ago
GOD BREAKING IN | DAY LABOR | VINEYARDS Sermon: When God’s Good Road Winds its Way… St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Madison, CT ¹. Taken from Matthew 20:1–16 ²
What happens when God breaks out in a vineyard? | Photo by Ronald Steed in Montepulciano , Tuscany
Come Holy Spirit, and halo-our-heads with the FIRE of your love!
What Happens?
I wonder what it is like when the Kingdom of God (or as Native American’s put it, "God’s Good Road") breaks into the world? What changes? What doesn’t? Does everything change all at once, or are there small, but important incremental changes that happen? Does i ..read more
As the Waters Cover the Sea....
8M ago
Who do YOU say that Jesus is? Sermon: A Longing and an Ache St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Madison, CT ¹. Taken from Exodus 1:8–2:10 (NRSV) & Matthew 16:13–20 (NRSV)²
A baby found among the reeds sets things in motion | Photo by Ron Steed in Bar Harbor, ME
Powerful Women
The People of Israel, enslaved in Egypt, had a longing and an ache… a longing to be saved from slavery and an ache to be their own people.
This morning’s story from Exodus¹ about the rescue of Moses from the Nile river seems like one that could be heard on the news today. It’s about a powerful national leader who is thre ..read more
As the Waters Cover the Sea....
9M ago
GOOD & EVIL | REDEMPTION | GOD’S GOOD ROAD St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Madison, CT ¹. Taken from Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43 (NRSV) ²
Summer Fields full of Rye Grasses | Photo by Ronald Steed at the CT Audubon Center, Pomfret CT.
Before you sit down, I want you to keep standing and take a moment to look around this space… turn to look at your neighbors behind you and across the aisle. Just look and take an inventory of who’s here.
Can you tell which of these people are good and which are evil? Can you tell the wheat from the weeds?
… Darnel & Wheat
There are a few things that might be ..read more
As the Waters Cover the Sea....
10M ago
MISSION | MAASAI | VINCENT DONOVAN Sermon: The Lion is God St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Madison, CT ¹. Taken from readings for Proper 6 ²
"His nose and eyes and ears pick up the prey. His legs give him the speed to catch it…" | Photo by Ron Steed in Florence Italy
I’ve been reading a remarkable book lately by Vincent Donovan³ called "Christianity Rediscovered". In it, Vincent, who is a catholic priest, tells of his mission to the Maasai people in Tanzania in the 1960s. The Maasai were famously impervious to Christianity to the point that many believed that it was impossible to convert them ..read more
As the Waters Cover the Sea....
11M ago
Ascension | Salvation | Julian of Norwich Sermon: We are SO Saved St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Madison, CT ¹. Taken from Acts 1:6–14 ²
Sometimes we are left looking at the clouds | Photo by Ron Steed
Something left undone?
As Christ is about to depart the Earth, the work here being complete, his gathered disciples have one final question; "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"
Now this might seem like a little question, but it’s not… a LOT hangs on the answer. It’s actually a question that is rich in meaning and emotion, and it gives us a little insight into t ..read more
As the Waters Cover the Sea....
11M ago
Haiku | Watercolor | Friday December 16
2022 Advent Word: Traveller
traveller pathway -
lingering vulnerably
in heartful places
#traveller #AdventWord
Watercolor painting at Chateau Orquevaux, France by artist Roxanne Steed | Photo by Roxanne Steed
Photo of the painting site at Barn Island Wildlife Management Area | Photo by Ron Steed, Watercolor painting by artist Roxanne Steed ..read more
As the Waters Cover the Sea....
11M ago
earth-tones saturate
autumn pumpkins and flowers -
seedtime fruitfulness ..read more