Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion University City

When I say I am praying for conversion, it is because I believe we can't continue to allow ourselves to be pulled toward hate, toward cynicism, toward the lies of cowardly men. God is coming to set the people free. What will we choose, chaos or community?

In the first of a series, we are joined by parishioner Denise Carpenter. A medical and geriatric social worker who has been a great resource for many as they've asked questions like: "How can I care for my spouse, my parent, or other loved one? Can I care for them at home?" Denise walks us through important questions to ask and resources in the St. Louis area for providing care at home.

The sickness we saw on Wednesday, it's not new. It didn't start two months ago with the election. It didn't start four or five years ago with the last election. The sickness we saw on full and shocking display on Wednesday has been with us since our foundation as a country. This Epiphany, we need to ask ourselves, will we choose another road home?

In the first regular session, We will take a look at the Bible, including discussing modern scholarship on the origins of the various documents in the text. This class picks apart all of the various parts of the Bible and asks, “what does it mean to talk about inspiration and Scripture?”

In this edition of Bible 101, Seminarian Emilee Walker-Cornetta will discuss call narratives in the Hebrew Bible and New Testament—stories in which God asks great things of ordinary people. These biblical stories tend to follow predictable a literary pattern. We’ll look at that pattern through a handful of specific examples and ponder the significance of ancient call stories for our life of faith today.

At the dawn of this new year, may God give each of us enough light to take one step away from who we’ve been told we must be and one step closer, together, to the kingdom of heaven.

Friends, there isn't just a light at the end of the tunnel. There has been light in the tunnel the whole time. You, for me, for so many, have been little lights shining. And the darkness did not overcome us.

This Christmas, if you are grieving the Christmas that could have been, perhaps there is an invitation. Next Christmas, will we look backward to all of the picture postcards of our childhood, or will we look forward? Will we work to make sure that in the year to come there has been good news, great joy, for all, yes all the people?

Whatever sorrow you are carrying, whatever grief, know: the message of Christmas is that God chose to show up in some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable. Seems foolish to the world, but there's God's wisdom. God chooses to walk with us when life hurts. That is the only plan.

How the the question the messengers asked John the Baptist free us this strange Advent season? Can we let go of control? Can we let God handle Christmas?