A reflection on life and power Stuart Higginbotham My friends, I hesitate to say “I hope this finds you doing well,” because it feels like no one is fully “doing well” these days. We are all, at least, uncomfortable, shaken up, disturbed. So, I will say that I hope this finds you breathing and staying... Continue Reading →
The still point in the midst of the storm
Stuart Higginbotham June 19, 2022 The still point in the midst of the storm I tried to write a sermon for today three times, once while in Paris (which I thought would be a marvelous place to think about a sermon). Then, the tragedy with the extended Cummings family led me to shift what I... Continue Reading →
The shaman sits by the fire (A love letter to clergy)
The shaman sits by the fire (A love letter to clergy) Stuart Higginbotham The shaman’s tent sits outside the wall or at least at the edge, planted, a vision to be gained by one, a place to be reached by others who seek the real in all things, beneath and within all. There I sit.... Continue Reading →
That we may all be one: Are we willing?
That we may all be one Stuart Higginbotham May 29, 2022 It has been a while since I typed out a manuscript for a sermon. These days, I usually reflect on the text and (try to) listen deeply, then I stand and share what is on my heart. Given where we are, this week it... Continue Reading →
Yearning For–and Resisting–a Transfigured Life
The Last Sunday after the Epiphany February 27, 2022 The Rev. Dr. Stuart Higginbotham Yearning for--and resisting--a Transfigured Life Of course, I wrestled with what to say in a sermon on a day like today, when we find ourselves witnessing the Russian invasion of Ukraine, wondering how we respond in our interconnected world. We remember... Continue Reading →
The Rev. Dr. Stuart Higginbotham Second Sunday after Epiphany January 16, 2022 The Practice of Shining Forth As we step more into this year, I feel led to shift the approach of my sermons a bit. I want to look at the readings of the day, the broader tradition that we practice, and then be... Continue Reading →
Grant that we may share the divine life: A Sermon for a New Year
Grant that we may share the divine life Stuart Higginbotham The Second Sunday after Christmas January 2, 2022 I remember getting my first copy of The Book of Common Prayer years ago and slowly flipping through the pages. I had no idea what a “collect” was then, no idea how the pieces fit together, no... Continue Reading →
A New Class in 2022: Healing Images of God: Exploring how we see ourselves, one another, and God
Share in a four-month online class beginning in January! While exploring Matthew Fox’s book Julian of Norwich: Wisdom in a Time of Pandemic--and Beyond, we recognized how our conversations continually returned to the way our image of God affects and shapes our image of ourselves and one another. Of course, our images of God and... Continue Reading →
We’re Crashing Into Each Other
We’re Crashing Into Each Other Stuart Higginbotham Just the other day, I was driving to the office in my new little hybrid car when I stopped in road construction some three miles from our house. I was singing my heart out with Christmas carols (Mariah Carey, but don’t tell anyone), when a large truck suddenly... Continue Reading →
White Man, Black Madonna: Reflection One
White Man, Black Madonna A Journal of Prayer, Reconciliation, and Healing Stuart Higginbotham A replica of Notre Dame Sous le Terre, Our Lady Under the Earth from the Crypt Chapel at Chartres Cathedral, France Back around 2002, I worked in the bookstore at Columbia Theological Seminary when I was a student there. While it was... Continue Reading →