Clergy Notes — June 14, 2026

Last week I wrote about the importance of the Daily Office in slowing down the frantic pace of our lives, and reminding us of God’s constant presence. This week, the theme of prayer has continued with me, both in my own personal reflections and in conversations I’ve had.

I’ve been thinking specifically of the way corporate prayer impacts our lives in subtle, sometimes undetectable (to us) ways. As a priest, I can say for sure, that when my Offices have slipped, people can tell, even if they don’t know why! But I think that’s probably true of all of us – after all, we are all shaped by our surroundings, the people we keep company with, and the activities we choose to participate in. So it makes sense that if we spend our lives as people of prayer, that time with God and in worship alongside one another will impact our lives, as well as the lives of those around us.

Likewise, when prayer falls away, other things take its place, and then those things will shape us instead, whether we are conscious of it or not.

So what are the things shaping your life right now?

If getting back into prayer when it has slipped away feels a bit intimidating, you might consider starting small – like saying grace before a meal; or asking God to bless your daily activities before you leave in the morning, or taking a moment to read a psalm at lunchtime. Prayer doesn’t have to be long or complex! The Office of Compline in the BCP is short; it only takes about 10 minutes and is a lovely way to end the day. And praying together with a friend is even better. St. James’ still prays the Office together every day, both in person and online – and we would love to have you join us!

Mother Amanda

Click here to find the Liturgy at Home for Sunday

/by

Clergy Notes — May 31, 2026

Any cleric who has preached on the Trinity knows there is only so far one can go in one’s preparation without the temptation of allegory beckoning from the doorway. Allegory, of course, can be very helpful in drawing us closer to an understanding of God, as St Augustine wrote extensively about, but even he agreed it was only helpful to a point. God, ultimately, cannot be defined in human terms.

Wonder at this great mystery is our natural response, and drives us to define something that cannot be defined. Still, the doctrine of the Trinity matters: not only is it a central tenet of our faith but also the key unifying belief we share with other Christian denominations and the one that most sets us apart from other religions. So it makes sense we would want to define it; package it up safely in neat language we can deliver to those who wonder what we believe in.

Except we already have ancestors of the faith who did this for us. They agonized and fought with each other for centuries to finally land on – not a definition, but a declaration – a summary of what we are actually saying when we pray in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Creeds aren’t just a nice little optional add-on in our worship. They are proclamations of the faith that bind us together as a body. On days when our own belief may falter, the persons in front and behind us, and to the right and left of us in the pews will hold that faith for us, and we will do the same for them when their faith wavers.

But declarations of faith and use of allegory can only take us so far: what are we to do when faced with the actual mystery of the Trinity? I think our natural response, and the correct one, is to move from wonder into adoration, as the poem by John Donne in this week’s Reflection, or this beautiful traditional hymn inspires us to do:

Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and Mighty!
God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Mother Amanda

Click here to find the Liturgy at Home for Sunday

/by