Support the Café Feature Story Episcopal and Lutheran bishops in Georgia respond to the verdict in the McMichaels-Bryan trial November 24, 2021 No Comments The three men who are now convicted of crimes were initially shielded from facing their accusers in court. Until we can bring equity to the system that initially protected them, the rest of us will not have done what we can to create the just society for which we long. Read More » New Speaking to the Soul The Best Present is Being Present December 2, 2021 No Comments “Being present—being alert and awake to what is going on around us right now—I am convinced is one of the great lessons of Advent. In a time when our identity and sense of self-worth is wrapped far too tightly around what we do or who we know, Advent reminds us that simply BEING is perhaps even more important.” Read More » Stories Related to COVID-19 Recent Stories Presiding Bishop Michael Curry responds to verdict in Ahmaud Arbery case November 24, 2021 No Comments We must reimagine and advocate against systems, laws, and policies that encourage vigilantism and diminish human life, because all people should be treated with the dignity, love, and respect that is due children of God. – Presiding Bishop Michael Curry Read More » North Texas trauma continues November 23, 2021 No Comments E-mails exchanged between opposing legal counsel encapsulates the on-going antagonism between the two sides. Read More » 1 2 3 Follow us Podcasts PODCASTS Faith to Go: God’s Voice in the Wilderness Special guest the Rev. Mary Lynn Coulson joins to discuss the arrival of John the Baptist in the wilderness of Judea LISTEN HERE » December 2, 2021 PODCASTS All Things Rite & Musical: Lessons and Carols David previews the music at the 2021 Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King’s College, Cambridge LISTEN HERE » December 2, 2021 Subversive Undercroft #222: Wade in the Water We’re talking baptism, the entry-way to life in Christ. LISTEN HERE » November 26, 2021 PODCASTS 2FAB: Elizabeth Cady Stanton Luci and Jordan explore the life and legacy of the author, lecturer, and philosopher Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and her mission to work for the equality of women. LISTEN HERE » November 26, 2021 Speaking to the Soul The Best Present is Being Present December 2, 2021 “Being present—being alert and awake to what is going on around us right now—I am convinced is one of the great lessons of Advent. In a time when our identity and sense of self-worth is wrapped far too tightly around what we do or who we know, Advent reminds us that simply BEING is perhaps even more important.” Read More » Advent – a second coming December 1, 2021 There is no cloud of glory can define, no gates of heaven can confine; there is no dogma, doggerel, or doctrine can describe, no earnest imitation reinscribe him. Read More » A Good Day November 30, 2021 “After all the long nights feeding the baby, the meltdowns over what clothes the toddler would wear, the endless pile of dishes, the worry about a family member’s recent diagnosis, the food to be cooked, the distractions, the constant busyness, and the coordinating of schedules, the days are good. Because as night comes and I’m ready for bed, the words come naturally. A good day.” Read More » … the Effort of Faith … November 29, 2021 “…(the hope against hope) that there is in this cosmos the listening, the watching, and not least, the judging, the sorting, which so many of us, for so long have sought,…” Read More » The Lead Episcopal and Lutheran bishops in Georgia respond to the verdict in the McMichaels-Bryan trial November 24, 2021 The three men who are now convicted of crimes were initially shielded from facing their accusers in court. Until we can bring equity to the system that initially protected them, the rest of us will not have done what we can to create the just society for which we long. Read More » Presiding Bishop Michael Curry responds to verdict in Ahmaud Arbery case November 24, 2021 We must reimagine and advocate against systems, laws, and policies that encourage vigilantism and diminish human life, because all people should be treated with the dignity, love, and respect that is due children of God. – Presiding Bishop Michael Curry Read More » North Texas trauma continues November 23, 2021 E-mails exchanged between opposing legal counsel encapsulates the on-going antagonism between the two sides. Read More » Bishop of Olympia on the Rittenhouse verdict November 20, 2021 I would say if Rittenhouse had been Black, he most likely would not have come out of that night alive. A young white man brazenly carrying an automatic weapon through city streets was virtually ignored by law enforcement. Had it been a Black man, I do believe the result would be drastically different. – Bishop Greg Rickel Read More » The Magazine A Chaplain’s Perspective: Essay II – “He leads me beside still waters” November 28, 2021 No Comments There are times when being a compassionate presence who can keep their head is all that happens within a patient visit or family encounter and that action can be a very effective chaplain encounter. At the same time, the chaplain is trained to assess and bring forth whatever has given that person or family hope, meaning and strength in the past. To say it another way, the chaplain journeys and encourages the person or family to access within themselves whatever it is that has given their lives hope, meaning and strength. Finally, and for some this is the hardest part, the chaplain must be open and respectful to how that person or family answers that question. Read More » When Charge! becomes Re-Charge: On Making Retreats (Part I) November 28, 2021 No Comments When I first went on retreat at my beloved Episcopal, Benedictine monastery, Holy Cross, in West Park, New York, to find out something about the place was a chore. I actually didn’t know anything about the Divine Office or monastic spirituality until I got there. Oh, they sent me a brochure. But it didn’t tell me much. Today, Brother Google to the rescue! To find out about your retreat center or monastery, well, just google it. All of them will tell you about the rhythm in the house, the services provided, the schedule of each day. You need not fly blind, like I did, back in 1978. Read More » A Chaplain’s Perspective On the 2020-2021 Pandemic- Introduction and Essay I: Easter November 25, 2021 1 Comment I began these writings on Easter Sunday 2020. At that time, there was much uncertainty and fear surrounding the Coronavirus and no one knew what to expect during a pandemic. It quickly became apparent that one of the truths of a worldwide pandemic is everyone will have a unique experience, their own personal story of the pandemic. The reflections that follow draw upon those experiences and seek to produce a picture of life, challenge and hope at the bedside as a hospital chaplain in a large hospital. Read More » Happy Thanksgiving… November 25, 2021 No Comments Happy Thanksgiving, Across the world of social media and other avenues of advice and admonitions and things we are told to look at, the message, Read More » The Episcopal Café seeks to be an independent voice, reporting and reflecting on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican tradition. The Café is not a platform of advocacy, but it does aim to tell the story of the church from the perspective of Progressive Christianity. Our collective sympathy, as the Café, lies with the project of widening the circle of inclusion within the church and empowering all the baptized for the role to which they have been called as followers of Christ. The opinions expressed at the Café are those of individual contributors, and, unless otherwise noted, should not be interpreted as official statements of a parish, diocese or other organization. The art and articles that appear here remain the property of their creators. All Content © 2017 Episcopal Café