The epistle for this Sunday is a foundational letter from the Apostle Peter to early Christians in Asia Minor to offer encouragement on how to persevere through persecution. A reflection by Bob Young for May 3, 2026. From what I have observed about human nature, regarding the short-term focus of our needs and wants, I […]
Reflections on Our Christian Faith
Every week, a reflection is posted by a thoughtful writer, a member of our congregation. These writers are not ordained clergy but the Episcopal Church encourages every member to be a minister of Christ.
Fire at Mother African Union Church
May 18, 2026 Dear members of the SsAM community, Yesterday many of us woke up to the news that a fire had destroyed the building that houses the Mother African Union Church on Franklin Street. We have deep ties to our siblings at Mother Church and this news has hit many of us very hard. […]
Changing the Pray-er
“The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.” ―Søren Kierkegaard [1813-1855] Whether I’m asking, telling, pleading, placating, I have to admit that, for me, my personal prayer is mostly meant to influence God: Please do, please don’t do, please fix this problem, change […]
XXX Christian Witness
I had asked my friend to tell me about his faith in Jesus, so I was amazed that he chose to do so at a XXX-rated bar. As it turns out, he was more surprised than I was. A reflection by Danny Schweers for Sunday, April 19, 2026. As we walked up to the bar, […]
The Transforming Power of the Resurrection
The Gospel according to John, Chapter 20, versus 19-23 is the lectionary reading I have elected to reflect upon for this coming Sunday. A reflection by Bob Young for Sunday, April 12, 2026. This passage illustrates the transformative power of the resurrection of Jesus. As one might imagine, the disciples were a forlorn group of […]
The Fullness of Empty
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Easter Day is the most joyous day in the Christian year. While Christmas is lovely and inspiring in its own way, it would be no more than a pagan celebration of the winter solstice without the miracle of the Resurrection. A reflection by Christina Brennan Lee for Easter Sunday, April 5, […]
Reluctance is One Sign of Inspiration.
A reflection by Danny Schweers for Holy Week. From the very first page of “The Hobbit”, readers learn that the Baggins family members are respectable, not only because they are rich, “but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected.” Bilbo Baggins, we learn, has an adventure and loses his neighbors’ respect. […]
Acknowledging and Recommending all the Meritorious
How does it make you feel when someone singles you out for hard work or meritorious behavior in a public forum? How do you feel when your significant contributions to a cause go unnoticed or sometimes trivialized? A reflection by Bob Young for March 22, 2026. In this Sunday’s epistle of Apostle Paul to the […]
What Do You Believe?
What Do You Believe? I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don’t know the answer. ― Douglas Adams* To be completely fair, the question “What do you believe” was not a question asked of Mr. Adams that I know of, but his words that I quoted are simply that, a quote […]
The Eyes See What The Mind Misses
A reflection by Danny Schweers for March 8, 2026. This past week, Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in Wilmington, North Carolina picked up one of my Photo Prayers from three years ago and shared it with their congregation as a Lenten Reflection. That was a bit of a thrill for this author, to have my text […]
Journey Into Light
After struggling with how to encapsulate the meaning of Revelation 4:2-11, with all of its symbolism, into a brief reflection, I decided instead to tackle the gospel of the day, John 1:1-4. A reflection by Bob Young for March 1, 2026. This passage begins with “In the beginning was the Word (logos in Greek), and […]
Lent Begins – Don’t Just Give Up – Take On and Pray!
The fronds from last year’s Palm Sunday have been burned to ash. Carnival Sunday was a blast and Mardi Gras, which literally means Fat Tuesday, or Pancake Tuesday, was filled with pancakes, great Fellowship and many other pre-Lenten treats. It was also Shrove Tuesday as we are soon to be shriven, that is, absolved of […]
Thank God for Winter – A Reflection
“We will soon experience many days of real winter here in Delaware — highs in the twenties, lows in the single digits. I am delighted!” That is what I wrote more than two weeks ago. Was I crazy? Not at all! A reflection by Danny Schweers for February 15, 2026. As a child living in […]
Reach Out With Audacious Faith
In this Sunday’s gospel lesson (Matthew 9:18-26), two miracles are described that demonstrate the healing power of Jesus. A reflection by Bob Young for Sunday, February 8, 2026. In the one instance, a prominent synagogue leader approached Jesus, asking him to lay hands on his daughter who had died to restore her to life. Along […]
First, Not Equal
Nearly two generations ago, eleven Episcopalians were the first women to be ordained to the Episcopal priesthood. This July it will be 52 years since The Philadelphia 11 were “irregularly ordained,” essentially meaning women’s priestly ordination hadn’t yet been approved by the Episcopal Church’s General Convention, which it was 2 years later. A reflection by […]
Just Before Church Begins
The fullness of time brings me a feast, a banquet prepared. Because my wife serves at the altar nearly every Sunday, we get to church half an hour early. It used to be that I had time on my hands but not any longer. I figured out how to stay busy for half […]
Repentance and Humility — First Steps to Salvation
From Capernaum, a message carried across the Roman Empire and around the world. A reflection by Bob Young for January 18, 2026. The Book of Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels that describe the life and ministry of Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew was principally suited for a Jewish audience and described Jesus’ […]
Blessings and Light, Hope and Courage
Be blessed today, blessed in who you are, in the time you are, in the place you are. Blessed in your moment of rising, when what waits for you still waits, either good or bad, so that you may face it knowing you are not alone. Blessed in your acts of creation, great and small, […]
No Midnight On New Year’s Eve
I love having my expectations bamboozled and enjoy entertaining others afterwards with my amusing stories of confusion, consternation, and bewilderment. A reflection by Danny Nelson Schweers for January 4, 2026. Let me tell this story carefully. In the last hour of the year 2000, my wife and I were driving east. It was 11:30 p.m. […]
In All Things, Give Thanks!
As I think about this Sunday between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, I ponder the spiritual blessing of the virgin birth of Christ, as well as the worldly challenges experienced during the year. I am reminded of words of The Apostle Paul that “in all things, give thanks”, meaning to maintain a spirit of […]
