Like you, I’ve watched, read and listened to news of the situation in Ferguson, MO, and been saddened by the depth of the rage and challenges, and the apparent inability of law enforcement, grassroots organizations, community leaders and governmental authorities to work together to find a short-term end to the problem so that that they can get to work on a longer-term solution. It is both a reminder of the reality of racism in our day and what it’s like to feel disempowered by a system (educational, social, governmental, etc), that at times doesn’t seem to have made much progress in the last 50 years. [As I get ready to post this I see that the governor of Missouri has ordered the National Guard to begin withdrawing from Ferguson. I pray that this is the beginning of some resolution.] Read more →

Our third Season of Sacred Story is off and running! What an amazing story we heard on Sunday from Dave about William Alexander Duer, one of the founding wardens of Redeemer.

An historian in our extended family, the Rev Canon Elliot Lindsley wrote to tell me how glad he was to see that we were sharing this story, and to add a bit to it: “Your mention of William A. Duer, a founder of the CofR leads me to tell you, if you don’t already know it, that he is buried in the  Presbyterian churchyard. I have forgotten why his interment was/is there. He came to Morristown to stay with his daughter, Mrs Hoyt of “Hoyt’s Corners” – the fine Victorian stone(?) gingerbread house at the intersection of 202 & Jockey Hollow Rd…..” Read more →

What a strange week it’s been. In one week we’ve celebrated 50 years of the Civil Rights Act, seen the Supreme Court claim religion can be used to discriminate in matters of health insurance coverage and watched marriage equality make it to Kentucky. Fifty-one years ago the only one of those imaginable might have been religion being used as the basis for discrimination (though birth control was not something that was covered by health insurance in those days–“the pill” was still illegal in 8 states in 1964). Read more →

Although we’ve just wrapped up ten days of time connecting with the Morristown community in a way that was fun and at times educational, there were actually LOTS of other things that happened here while RedeemerFest was going on. Two in particular are worthy of note: the return of Family Promise to our Parish House, and the repair of the front door of the church. Read more →