http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/ Stories from our Journey Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:19:37 GMT en-us Copyright 2011 St. Bartholomew's Church http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/the-twelve-days-of-christmas/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/the-twelve-days-of-christmas/ Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:19:36 GMT Growing up, our Christmas tree in went up at varying times during the Advent weeks with little rhyme or reason.  But when it came down was a different story. My Mum was very particular about the day that the tree came down.   Our ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/bringing-it-home-creation-care-immersion/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/bringing-it-home-creation-care-immersion/ Sat, 10 Sep 2011 23:33:08 GMT One of the biggest take-aways from my trip to Seattle was that the church has something very important to offer the environmental movement: Hope. We know how the story ends. God is redeeming all of creation.There are some organizations out there ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/back-home-from-seattle/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/back-home-from-seattle/ Wed, 07 Sep 2011 01:17:29 GMT Back in NashvilleNow that I’m back in Nashville I’ve had a little more time to reflect on my experience in Seattle. Our schedule was packed everyday and I found that there was so much more to write about than there was time to write. ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/live-from-seattle-oscar-romero/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/live-from-seattle-oscar-romero/ Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:10:26 GMT There are two things that just about all of us young adults on this trip have in common. One is passion for the work of caring for creation. The other is the grief we all feel when we see how bad things have gotten and how little our efforts ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/from-seattle-what-can-i-do/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/from-seattle-what-can-i-do/ Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:39:30 GMT In our travels across the Seattle area, meeting with leaders and advocates, we have seen how the negative affects of environmental damage are more likely to impact the poor and marginalized. One of our visits was to the Duwamish Longhouse. The ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/justin-cole-from-seattle/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/justin-cole-from-seattle/ Mon, 29 Aug 2011 03:06:35 GMT This week I’m attending an “Eco-justice Immersion Experience” in Seattle: leadership and advocacy training on environmental stewardship. One of the texts we were asked to read before arriving in Seattle was ‘The Liturgy ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-15-reshaping-the-church-for-mission-living-the-future/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-15-reshaping-the-church-for-mission-living-the-future/ Tue, 14 Jun 2011 01:53:57 GMT The danger in any tradition (religious or otherwise) is that the very things that have been unique identifying markers of that tradition can become empty and meaningless.  Void ritual!   But the solution isn’t to abandon the ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/suprised-by-hope-chapter-14-reshaping-the-church-for-mission-biblical-roots/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/suprised-by-hope-chapter-14-reshaping-the-church-for-mission-biblical-roots/ Tue, 07 Jun 2011 01:51:35 GMT I know you’ve heard this before: They’re so heavenly minded they’re no earthly good.   Even though we hear the phrase less and less these days, there is a sense that if someone is really interested in life with God, if ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-13-building-for-the-kingdom/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-13-building-for-the-kingdom/ Mon, 30 May 2011 03:26:47 GMT   What does it mean to be a part of building the Kingdom of God?  It means that all of the work the Lord does in us and through us is not done in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).  God will use every bit of it – some of it here, ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-12-rethinking-salvation-heaven-earth-and-the-kingdom-of-god/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-12-rethinking-salvation-heaven-earth-and-the-kingdom-of-god/ Mon, 23 May 2011 20:52:58 GMT   In the previous sections, Wright said a preoccupation with “life after death” distracts us from the present work we are to accomplish here and now. In the twelfth chapter, Wright addresses our bungled notions about ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-11-purgatory-paradisehell/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-11-purgatory-paradisehell/ Mon, 16 May 2011 01:43:33 GMT And now. . . the juicy stuff!  After spending the first half of the book debunking much of the conventional wisdom about “heaven,” Wright takes up in chapter 11 the corollary issues of hell and purgatory.  In light of ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-10-the-redemption-of-our-bodies/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-10-the-redemption-of-our-bodies/ Mon, 09 May 2011 15:27:25 GMT In this chapter Wright gets to the nuts and bolts of the question “What happens when we die?” Wright has been building up to this in the previous nine chapters.  This is his fundamental thesis in that God’s people are ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-9-jesus-the-coming-judge/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-9-jesus-the-coming-judge/ Mon, 02 May 2011 16:41:01 GMT             In our Liturgy every Sunday in one way or another, we remind ourselves and each other that “Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again.”  In ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-8-when-he-appears/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-8-when-he-appears/ Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:08:57 GMT In the introduction to Chapter 8, Wright expresses his hope that the preceding chapters have led us to a renew focus on “the personal presence of Jesus, as opposed to his absence.”  We are blessed to be able to experience the ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-7-jesus-heaven-and-new-creation/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-7-jesus-heaven-and-new-creation/ Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:05:03 GMT "It is impossible to collapse the ascension into the resurrection or vice versa" (109). Wright takes on an explanation of the mystifying topic of the ascension in the beginning of Chapter 7, by explaining and ultimately just reminding us that ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-6-what-the-whole-worlds-waiting-for/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-6-what-the-whole-worlds-waiting-for/ Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:04:27 GMT In Chapter 6 of Surprised by Hope, Wright wonders if we have been so influenced by Gnosticism/Platonism and evolutionary optimism (explained in Ch. 5) that we have settled for something less than the hope of the Gospel. Have you ever caught ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-5-cosmic-future-progress-or-despair/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-5-cosmic-future-progress-or-despair/ Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:44:50 GMT “What is God’s purpose for the world as a whole?” This question is the topic for Part II, but before Wright addresses how real Christian hope answers this question, he dedicates a short chapter to discussing and evaluating two ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-4-the-strange-story-of-easter/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-4-the-strange-story-of-easter/ Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:05:40 GMT Do you believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ?   My resounding “YES!” can be rhetorical.  I’ve believed it all my life.   So I was startled by fresh resurrection reality as, in chapter four, N.T. ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-3-early-christian-hope/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-3-early-christian-hope/ Tue, 22 Mar 2011 12:46:27 GMT In Chapter 3, Wright begins with a known modern event. A debate that took place at Cambridge College, October, 25, 1946, at 8.30 PM. He describes the two men engaged in the debate; their renown, credentials, backgrounds, emotional ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-2-puzzled-about-paradise/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-2-puzzled-about-paradise/ Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:18:46 GMT Wright begins this chapter by unpacking some of the commonly held misconceptions about death and what happens to followers of Jesus after our physical death.  He also addresses a growing trend towards all but dismissing the resurrection of ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-1/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/surprised-by-hope-chapter-1/ Mon, 07 Mar 2011 23:33:55 GMT Welcome to the One Church One Book blog for N.T. Wright’s Surprised By Hope. We want this space to be a place of constructive conversation and life giving insights. Please be kind and generous in both your reading and comments and may everything done in this space glorify the risen one in whom we hope, Jesus Christ. http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/the-paradox-of-walking-humbly/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/the-paradox-of-walking-humbly/ Tue, 01 Feb 2011 15:20:24 GMT Dave Madeira responds to Father Jerry's January 30th Sermon on wisdom and the nature of humility. http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/vestry-unanimously-endorses-anglican-communion-covenant-/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/vestry-unanimously-endorses-anglican-communion-covenant-/ Sat, 16 Oct 2010 14:40:37 GMT After years of debate which has often disintegrated to serous animosity, a lot of theological reflection, and much prayer and study, the world-wide Anglican tribe to which we belong, has finally proposed a way forward through the muck and the ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-16-new-creation-starting-now/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-16-new-creation-starting-now/ Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:30:26 GMT I must confess, after the first couple of pages, I found it difficult to focus on the rest of this chapter because I was so enchanted by what I had read so far. So I am going to rather selfishly pay attention to the bit I liked best. I started ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-15-believing-and-belonging-/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-15-believing-and-belonging-/ Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:41:55 GMT What is the church? It’s a complicated word for English-speakers, in that we use it to describe a building, an event (Sunday worship), a local group of believers, and the wider body of Christ. We often say things like “Where do you ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-14-the-story-and-the-task-/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-14-the-story-and-the-task-/ Tue, 31 Aug 2010 15:49:01 GMT Reading the Bible to children isn’t for the faint at heart. The story, it turns out, is not rated G. And if reading about death and sex and greed isn’t enough, there’s a chance the language they hear from Bible reading or by ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-13-the-book-god-breathed-/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-13-the-book-god-breathed-/ Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:03:29 GMT By nature, I am a reader. A voracious reader. A nearly indiscriminate reader: I read thrillers, mysteries, nonfiction, travel writing, general novels, just about anything. My bedside table is a stack of books, some half read, some nearly ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-12-prayer-/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-12-prayer-/ Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:14:45 GMT When I first read Simply Christian, I took a break between chapters eleven and twelve, thereby missing the beauty in the segue. This week, as I read it again, I was intrigued with the transition Wright makes from worship to prayer. He ends the ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-11-worship-/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-11-worship-/ Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:22:25 GMT “We are invited not just to watch- but to join in and sing with all of creation.” I’m really grateful for Wright’s chapter on worship. I’ve developed a fairly complicated relationship with worship over the years ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-10-living-by-the-spirit-/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-10-living-by-the-spirit-/ Mon, 02 Aug 2010 13:14:58 GMT In mid-chapter, N.T. Wright asks, “What does it mean, theologically to stare into the sun?“ (138). From the start of this chapter, I felt like I was staring into the sun and the Son—all at the same time. My heart felt it, but I ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-9-gods-breath-of-life-/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-9-gods-breath-of-life-/ Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:17:47 GMT “I will, with God’s help.” My reaction to saying these words is one of the most troubling encounters I have with my own faith. The rite of baptism, which we have performed a lot lately at St. B’s, is always a ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-8-gods-breath-of-life/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-8-gods-breath-of-life/ Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:27:33 GMT While I love to read, I never have been drawn to books like Wright’s. Reading is my preferred escape and books like this seem like work to me. So I read Simply Christian to follow Father Jerry’s request (and because we had been ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/the-anglican-communion-covenant/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/the-anglican-communion-covenant/ Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:07:33 GMT Later this summer, our parish family will spend some time intentionally studying the Anglican Communion Covenant, following the directive of both the Episcopal Church General Convention of 2009 and our Diocesan convention in 2010. To prepare ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-7-jesus-and-the-coming-of-gods-kingdom-/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-7-jesus-and-the-coming-of-gods-kingdom-/ Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:47:33 GMT Wright addresses the person of Jesus, first, by way of clarifying what Christianity (and therefore Jesus) is not about. Three common themes witnessed in contemporary Christian thought lead his discussion: Christianity is not about a moral ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-6-israel-/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-6-israel-/ Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:22:02 GMT When Fr. Jerry assigned the chapter on Israel, he must have known that the themes in this chapter have been integral to our family story in the last couple of years. I have shared this story with many who know us, but it bears repeating. When I ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-5-god-/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-5-god-/ Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:43:07 GMT In the previous chapters, N.T. Wright describes what he calls “echoes of a voice” in people’s souls related to our longing for justice, spirituality, relationships, and beauty. These echoes point to a reality beyond themselves, ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-4-for-the-beauty-of-the-earth-/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-4-for-the-beauty-of-the-earth-/ Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:58:34 GMT In chapter four N.T. Wright takes us further in the journey toward Christianity with a discussion of beauty. He contends that in our want for justice and our thirst for spirituality, we have a desire to capture and often put our own stamp on ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-3-made-for-each-other-/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-3-made-for-each-other-/ Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:59:17 GMT We were made to be in relationships and we need a community to belong to. Just look at the popularity of relational web portals like MySpace, facebook, twitter, and match.com! They reveal how much our culture (us included) does not want to be ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-2-the-hidden-spring-/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-2-the-hidden-spring-/ Sat, 05 Jun 2010 19:48:46 GMT N.T. Wright continues his reflection on qualities of our human experience and public conversation that provide clues about our design and purpose. Following his observations about our longing for justice in chapter one, he turns to the subject ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-1-putting-the-world-to-rights/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/simply-christian-chapter-1-putting-the-world-to-rights/ Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:32:26 GMT N.T. Wright describes in the first chapter of his book something we all feel – that as much as we all believe that the world should be peaceful and just, we just can’t seem to make it happen. In fact much of the time we can’t ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/faithfulness-to-community-brings-restoration/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/faithfulness-to-community-brings-restoration/ Tue, 25 May 2010 19:46:19 GMT Some of us have developed a new appreciation for water in the last few weeks, haven’t we? As much as we need it for nourishment it can also be a force of destruction that is almost impossible to be reckoned with. One way or another, water ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/the-flood--recovery--a-letter-from-fr-jerry/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/the-flood--recovery--a-letter-from-fr-jerry/ Thu, 06 May 2010 15:34:48 GMT As the water levels subside and the impact of the storm begins to be seen throughout our community, I want to share some encouragement and hope. This week we will begin to calculate the loss, the magnitude of which is perhaps greater than our ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/intimacy-and-betrayal/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/intimacy-and-betrayal/ Sun, 25 Apr 2010 23:28:32 GMT On the fourth day of Holy Week, we celebrate a feast called Maundy Thursday. The name is derived from the Latin word mandatum meaning “commandment” and remembers both the institution of the Lord’s Supper and Jesus washing his ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/take-up-your-mat-and-walk-a-celebration-of-easter/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/take-up-your-mat-and-walk-a-celebration-of-easter/ Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:18:30 GMT “See, the former things have taken place, 
and new things I declare; 
before they spring into being” (Isaiah 42:9) Foundational to the Easter message is understanding that with the resurrection of Jesus, we are being invited to ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/a-holy-week-invitation/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/a-holy-week-invitation/ Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:44:13 GMT The invitation to walk with Christ through this upcoming Holy Week provides us with an opportunity to appreciate just what it is He endured on our behalf. Our propensity is to want to enjoy the blessings of being a follower of Jesus, but we are ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/the-state-of-the-parish/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/the-state-of-the-parish/ Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:55:33 GMT The following is the transcript of the “State of the Parish” speech given by Fr. Jerry during our 2010 Annual Meeting this past Sunday.   This evening marks my sixth annual meeting at St B’s.  It is hard to believe ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/a-lenten-meditation/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/a-lenten-meditation/ Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:33:48 GMT St. Paul could not have been more direct when he wrote the fledgling church in Corinth these words: “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” (1Cor 4:20) As we have now been on our Lenten journey two full weeks ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/a-call-to-lent/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/a-call-to-lent/ Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:51:47 GMT In the Book of Common Prayer on which I was weaned, this past Sunday would have been Septuagesima, or 70 Days before Easter. This coming Sunday would be Sexagesima and the following Sunday Quinquagesima. This period is also known as the ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/january-2010-branch-now-online/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/january-2010-branch-now-online/ Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:41:52 GMT The January issue of The Branch is here! Read it online or grab one this Sunday. http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/presiding-bishop-visits-trinity-dental-clinic/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/presiding-bishop-visits-trinity-dental-clinic/ Fri, 08 Jan 2010 21:17:35 GMT   On Wednesday afternoon, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori visited St. B's missionaries Keith and Kristin Chapman at Trinity Dental Clinic in Liberia. Her visit was part of a weeklong stay in the country, at ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/dont-miss-the-point-of-epiphany/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/dont-miss-the-point-of-epiphany/ Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:27:45 GMT In the liturgical calendar, Christmas segues right into the often-ignored season of Epiphany. We are so busy cleaning up after the festivities and then preparing for the advent of a new year that the impact often passes us by. In some ... http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/advent-an-invitation-to-wait/ http://www.stbs.net/the-branch-blog/advent-an-invitation-to-wait/ Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:22:27 GMT In my first ministry I worked with a rector who took Advent very seriously. Part of my responsibility was to plant a new church in a growing part of the city, and as an evangelistic method, a group of community members decided to invite ...