Baptized for Life
An Episcopal Discipleship Initative
Isaiah 40: 28-31 40:28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. God does not faint or grow weary; The Holy One’s understanding is unsearchable. 40:29 God gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless. 40:30 Even youths will faint …
Isaiah 42:16 I will lead the blind by a road they do not know,by paths they have not known I will guide them.I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground.These are the things I will do, and I will not forsake them. I have a friend who is 99% blind. Everything in …
Psalm 62:5-862:5 For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from You. 62:6 God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 62:7 On You rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. 62:8 Trust in God at all …
-– Lisa Kimball, Ph.D, Project Director – Baptized for Life I started my day with a long hike through the woods with a good friend and both of our dogs. It was sunny and crisp. The 32-degree temperature didn’t stop the dogs playing enthusiastically in the river. As we returned to the parking lot with …
By Rodney Dean – BFL Spiritual Director/Catechist Summer slowly ripens into August…when crepe myrtles are still blooming, not as they were… yet still lovely with the variety of colors…white, lavender, magenta. Pampas grasses are in their moment of glory with iridescent pink and cream colors. The sun shows up later and says goodnight sooner as …
By Rodney Dean, BFL Spiritual Director/Catechist–– Summer is moving into middle age and beyond. This season of special outdoor experiences matures just like we do. Yet this summer is aging differently. There is a weariness that is part of this summer, this season, this pandemic. Freedom from the normal schedules looks different too. What is …
by BFL Spiritual Director/Catechist: Rodney Dean –– A serious thunderstorm gives way to a beautiful summer rain. Walking barefoot in the wet grass, the warm rain falling, I roll the garbage can out for the weekly visit from those amongst us who take care of what we no longer want or need. A resident bunny …
By BFL Spiritual Director, Kathy Staudt – Something I have heard said often in church circles – and by people I admire – including Verna Dozier and our Bishop Michael Curry – is this phrase: “We have to follow Jesus, not worship him.” The source of this quote is a sermon from the 1920’s by Harry …
by BFL Spiritual Director Kathy Staudt — When I think of the practice of “Blessing” invited in the Way of Love, I immediately hear a song that has been a welcome “earworm” on my personal spiritual soundtrack: the Jewish singer and cantor Debbie Friedman’s lovely “l’chi lach” (Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8WrShnKTWY) The Hebrew words refer to God’s call …
by Francie Thayer – Spiritual Director Some days when I wake up, there is a musical refrain in my head. Frequently I can trace them back to something I heard on the radio on my 45 minute commute to and from work, but Saturday I had no idea where it had come from . I …
by BFL Spiritual Director Kathy Staudt This semester I’m teaching in 2 places (Wesley Seminary and Virginia Seminary) a course on what I call “contemplative writing” – the practice of using writing as a way to clear the space in our hearts and minds to attend to the presence of God. What I call “contemplative …
Today we are proud to introduce St. Phillip’s in Greenville, South Carolina. The mission of St. Phillip’s is: “To fulfill the Great Commission of God which involves comforting and renewing God’s people by providing spiritual, physical, social and mental well-being to God’s people through local, national and world mission programs.” Even though they are a small …
