Calling : Vocation
Calling : Vocation | Parish Ministry | Life and Work | Personal and Family
My calling as a priest is rooted in discipleship.
Jesus called people to follow him,
to do the work he was doing.
Those who did so were his disciples, and he trained and equipped them to be trainers and equippers in turn of the people who became the first “little Christs” (Christians) and later the church.
As this call continues through the centuries,
the role of the priest and pastor is to model, teach, and walk with their community in collective encountering the divine, being transformed in heart and mind, and sending out to work in mission.
My theological perspective has been formed by my upbringing in and then leaving the fundamentalist tradition, current biblical and religious scholarship, feminist and liberationist movements, and my studies in process, theopoetics and radical theology traditions interacting with continental philosophy and psychoanalysis.
Our calling is to partner in God’s salvation (Gk: sozo); of Christ’s work to heal and make whole. As we are healed, we are to heal others, and continue the work of uniting and making-one (at-one-ment) all creation. Hallelujah!
Spiritual Formation
Formation is more than head knowledge; it’s about transformation of the heart and soul.
Classes & Curriculums.
I’m passionate about education.
From theology and doctrines, to Biblical scholarship and religious studies, I love developing curriculums and walking with parishioners through discussion-based deepening of faith and tradition. I encourage questions, diversity of perspective, and careful attendance to what matters.
You can browse many different topics that I’ve taught on my Formation project page.
Pilgrimages & Nature.
Connecting with God.
Geography, architecture, ecology—all have profound ramifications for embodied spiritual beings. Exploring these avenues of connection and transcendence is becoming more vital every day as our world is increasingly imperiled and disconnected from reality.
My own spirituality has grown through pilgrimages and encounters with nature, and I’m eager to lead others in this way.
Contemplation & Rites.
Liturgy + Mysticism.
The Anglican tradition is grounded in both formal liturgy and boundless mysticism. As we embrace the spectrum from traditional BCP rites to ecstatic expression, we find enriching experiences for a range of personalities, needs, and connections.
My calling continues in leading individuals and communities through these transformative moments and movements.
Preaching
“Every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like
the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
— Matthew 13:52 —
The parable above is the heart of my preaching.
Each week, I go into the household of faith and I dig, sort, and present treasures both ancient and new from our scriptures, theology, and tradition.
Here I have selected a range of different approaches to my homilies, along with some personal favorites:
In July 2020 I preached a four-part series from our Hebrew Bible readings on Jacob, beginning with “Tis a Gift to be Simple.
This past Juneteenth broke in the middle of another wave of racist violence, and so I gave the mic to a priest of color and 35 silenced voices in Listening for Justice (see video).
April’s Hosting the Stranger was my most ambitious use of the video medium, taking advantage of the pandemic situation to look deeply into a painting by Caravaggio (see video).
Two years ago I preached a sermon in a progressive parish on the Miracle of Opening.
The first sermon I preached in my sending parish was more personal and vulnerable than most, and I hope The Wilderness After Epiphany resonates with others.
Art, Media, and Writing
With a first career in design and media
and a long interest in the arts,
I’m excited about new ways to spread good news and form community. These pandemic restrictions have given us ample opportunity, as well as other projects I’ve been working on over the years already. Here are a few examples:
In 2015, I wrote a book on affirming gay and lesbian Christians with a conservative reading of Scripture.
My wife and I have started collaborating on liturgical art.
I’ve been using design to teach and communicate religious knowledge.
During the pandemic, I experimented with different forms of preaching and liturgy via video (see below and above).
In collaboration with the Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, I produced the 2022 Season of Creation Liturgical Guide which was endorsed by the dioceses of Massachusetts, Western Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, and Central Gulf Coast as well as used in parishes around the country.
Social Justice
From the Hebrew prophets to Jesus, and for so many of the great saints of our tradition, the gospel is God’s yearning for a healing and restoration to the image of equality implanted in our creation.
My conservative upbringing taught me about an individual, spiritual salvation, but as I began to seriously read the Bible for myself in my early 30’s I realized there is a deep concern for collective and this-worldly renewal and liberation in our scriptures. This connected with a shift I was already making in my political perspective, and has led me to a fierce passion for the role of the church and religion in social justice.
Calling : Vocation | Parish Ministry | Life and Work | Personal and Family