by St. Francis | Dec 12, 2025 | Rector's Reflections
Joseph and Mary had to walk from Nazareth to Bethlehem for Emperor Augustus’s census. For years, I never questioned this statement. The Romans conducted a census every five years for tax purposes, though there was never a stipulation that men return to their...
by St. Francis | Dec 6, 2025 | Rector's Reflections
There was no room in the inn. The innkeeper turned away a very pregnant Mary–possibly in labor–because there was no room. If nothing else, there was his room, but giving them his room didn’t simply mean he would have to sleep somewhere else for the night. Given that...
by St. Francis | Nov 22, 2025 | Rector's Reflections
In this season of stewardship and fundraising, we have heard how St. Francis is a sanctuary for the lost and hurting, a place that fosters and honors commitment, encourages introspection, and cares for and includes people of all ages and walks of life. For my family...
by St. Francis | Nov 6, 2025 | Rector's Reflections
How do we make church relevant to people, especially to young people? I encounter this question weekly—sometimes daily—and it’s nonsense. How do we make church relevant? What are we asking when we say this? Are we speaking of the institution,...
by St. Francis | Oct 9, 2025 | Rector's Reflections
The Rev. David Black is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church. On September 19, he was standing outside an ICE detention facility in Chicago, praying and preaching, when an ICE agent who was on the roof shot Rev. Black in the face with a pepper ball –...
by St. Francis | Oct 2, 2025 | Rector's Reflections
Last week’s gospel was difficult and meant to make us feel uncomfortable. The gospel about the rich man and Lazarus is not a feel-good story of love and redemption; it is a warning against pride, arrogance, and putting our faith in anything other than God. When he was...
