Greetings from The Rt. Rev. Philip, the National Chaplain
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace!” (Luke 2:14) Beloved in Christ, In the Christmas Season, we find ourselves pulled in many different directions by the world, by our families and by ourselves. The world pulls at us, as it seems to engage in political controversy, social upheavals and economic disasters. Our families pull at us as they make demands upon us for our time, for our support and for their well being. And we pull at ourselves as we seek to grow and fulfill ourselves and utilize our own potentials. Into this mix comes “The Holidays” and for us Christians, it is both...
Read MorePentecost 20201 Bishop Duncan
Dear Sisters in Christ,The Season of Pentecost is upon us. It is the “long season” in the Church’s year and will last until the 4 weeks of the Advent Season preceding Christmas. At one time this season was referred to as the Trinity Season. Pentecost references the Holy Spirit coming down upon the Apostles and their empowerment as Disciples to preach and teach the Gospel of the Risen Lord Jesus to all people “…even to the ends of the earth!”The Gospel challenges all of us to not only proclaim the Gospel but also to live it out in our lives. How might we share, invite, visit, include others...
Read MoreEaster Message from Bishop Duncan
“ALLELUIA!” “CHRIST IS RISEN!” “THE LORD IS RISEN INDEED!” “ALLELUIA!” Dear Sisters in Christ,Central to our faith is that “Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again!” In the early Church it was dangerous to be a follower of Jesus. Christians were often persecuted, enslaved and executed for sport and amusement. That the faith survived is testament to those who believed and risked everything that we could ever imagine.We give thanks for those who, nevertheless, witnessed to their faith and preached the Gospel that we now are called to share. These were the Saints known to us...
Read MoreLenten Message from Bishop Duncan
The 40 Days of Lent Dear Sisters in Christ, We are about to enter the Season of Lent. We prepare not only for Holy Week and the Easter celebration, but also for deepening our personal spirituality. I have over many years observed this time with prayer, fasting and good works in their many forms and outcomes. In my journey I have found this helpful in the physicality of focusing on not just “good works” but also deepening the areas of where I need to grow. It is not always easy. I am an extrovert. The Pandemic forces all of us to isolate for appropriate reasons. Yet, how I...
Read MoreEpiphany 2021
Dear Sisters in Christ, During this Pandemic I “feel” that time is moving very quickly which is odd; I would have thought I would be experiencing time dragging out and painfully slow. It seem to me that even with time on my hands it is moving rapidly. In an interesting way time to just sit and be and think is appealing to me. In short doses of course! (I am an extrovert!)We are all on a journey and like the “Wise Men” we move forward in different ways; sometime by returning from where we began. Just as we are told they returned home, but by another way. How do we see our lives changed by...
Read MoreBishop Duncan’s Christmas Letter
From The Rt. Rev. Philip Duncan, National Chaplain December 25, 2020 Each year I prepare for Christmas, and each year I try to think back to the Advents before in hoping to make my process more complete and fruitful in the getting ready. Soon that preparation will be in the past, and Christmas will be here, and I know I will have done my best and that is what is important. None of us is perfect, and Christmas is about God sending all of us His own perfection through The Word Made Flesh: His Son Jesus! I believe we each need to “relax” into the real sense of the Christmas message...
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