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Contributed by Stephen Wickman, St. Thomas Episcopal, McLean Every Sunday the BBC carries a church service from somewhere in the United Kingdom. This morning (June 29) was a choral matins service from the heart of the Anglican Communion, of which my church, an American Episcopal Church, is a member. The service and the music of […]

Contributed by:  Stephen Wickman, St. Thomas Episcopal, McLean The day after the Summer Solstice, Fr. Will Drosos, the Assistant Rector at my church, preached on this passage from I Kings:  But [Elijah] himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might […]

Contributed by Lois Herr:  First Church of Christ, Scientist, McLean Many people set aside time in their day for prayer, reflection, or meditation. As a Christian Science practitioner, I often find inspiration in daily audio reflections presented by members of our church, called the Daily Lift. A recent Daily Lift by Madelon Maupin, from Scottsdale, […]

Contributed by Stephen Wickman, St. Thomas Episcopal, McLean The Jewish festival of Shavuot, occurred June 1-3.  According to Rabbinic tradition, this celebration marks the revelation of the Ten Commandments to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai.  Amidst the ongoing violence in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Cameroon, and anti-Jewish attacks and other religious-based assaults against peace-loving civilians […]

Contributed by Stephen Wickman, St. Thomas Episcopal, McLean The abnormally cool weather has lulled us this year, but soon “they” will be here…. Mosquitoes, I mean. And the latest episode of “Curious Cases” is particularly scary if, like me, you feel unfairly targeted (BBC Radio 4 – Curious Cases, Series 23, Don’t Bite Me!).   I […]

Contributed by Stephen Wickman, St. Thomas Episcopal, McLean  In 2003, Robert Waldinger, a psychoanalyst who would later become an ordained Zen Buddhist priest and who had always been preoccupied by questions “with an existential flavor” accepted an offer from Harvard (I know) to take on one of its most prized possessions, the longest-running wellness study […]

Contributed by Stephen Wickman, St. Thomas Episcopal, McLean I love songs, and the BBC (yes, again) has a neat show called “Inheritance Tracks” that invites celebrities to tell us about one song passed down to them from their parents and one song they want to pass on to future generations. Today Jared Harris – who […]

Contributed by: Yerusalem Work May is International Muslim History Month (IMHM). To celebrate, I’m sharing a poem with Islamic themes. The message is universal. The original version I wrote in English and Arabic. By God’s grace, it was translated into Spanish through the arduous work of Norma Margulies, an ardent supporter of interfaith dialogue. A […]

Contributed by:  Rev Dr Trish Hall, Centers for Spiritual Living Maria Popova declared some time ago, “These days I am less certain I will see the rosy outcome I would like, but I am more determined to meet the future with the best version of myself.” What if each of us released our attachment to […]

Contributed by Stephen Wickman, St. Thomas Episcopal, McLean As we join our Roman Catholic sisters and brothers to mourn the passing of Pope Francis, let us remember that Francis was the first pope ever to visit the grounds of Southeast Asia’s largest mosque, where he signed a joint declaration together with Muslim leader Grand Imam […]