A Conversation on Koinonia in the Diocese of Northern Michigan

I recently had a chance to speak with Bishop Rayford Ray and Canon Lydia Bucklin about the model of economic fellowship that has taken root in the Diocese of Northern Michigan. This ended up being one of the most radical (and intriguing) conversations I've had about money in the church in a long while. Take a listen and let me know what you think.

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On Eucharist and Economic Justice

By the summer of 2005, I knew I was no longer Roman Catholic. The revelations about the child sex abuse scandal that the Boston Globe began publishing in 2002 combined with the conservativeness of the young seminarians I'd met while studying at a small Roman Catholic university in Texas, as well as the prospect of spending any more time arguing for "the basics" such as women's ordination and acceptance of LGBTQ+ people, led me to realize that I needed to go elsewhere to find a faith community that shared my core values. One year prior, I'd boarded an Amtrak train for a three-day trip to New York to begin studying for my Master of Divinity degree at Union Theological Seminary. Taking a train was both a romantic and terrible decision that I regretted as soon as I settled into my seat. Nevertheless, the train eventually brought me to Penn Station to begin my life in New York. After a tumultuous year of adjusting to life in the city, I was determined to try to find a ...

Homily for the First Eucharist of the Rev. Dr. Mary Barber

This homily was preached at St. George's Episcopal in Newburgh, NY on September 19th for the first Eucharist of the newly ordained priest, the Rev. Dr. Mary Barber. Good evening. First and foremost, I want to say that it is a joy to be here with all of you and, especially, to witness and be a part of the Rev. Mary’s first Eucharist. Today is a great day in the life of the Church. In today’s Gospel from Mark, Jesus and his disciples are passing through the region of Galilee in secret. Jesus was avoiding large crowds and was instead trying to tell the disciples what was about to happen to him, but we read that “they did not understand what he was saying and they were afraid to ask him.” For instead of asking what Jesus meant, the disciples were engaged in a heated argument among themselves. When I hear this passage, I imagine the disciples fighting in the way that siblings sometimes do – or at least that I did with my siblings. That is, in secret -- trying to keep one’s ...

A Begrudging Respect for Christian Charity

“Why do we not observe that it is their benevolence to strangers, their care for the graves of the dead and the pretended holiness of their lives that have done most to increase atheism?" - Julian the Apostate in his letter to Arsacius In this post, I want to look at the fascinating figure of Flavius Claudius Julianus, 331/332 - 363 CE, the last non-Christian emperor of Rome. This emperor is more well known as Julian the Apostate, a name given to him by his later Christian detractors because of his efforts to undermine imperial Christianity and return Rome to its former, pagan religious traditions. His two-year reign offers an intriguing window into the light and shadow, strengths and weaknesses of Christianity during this critical transition point as it was in the process of becoming the official religion of the Roman empire. The Christian bishop Gregory of Nazanius would later describe Julian’s reign and efforts to revive paganism - and curtail Christianity - as little mor...

Wealth and Poverty in Christianity

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