St. Christopher's Episcopal Church

06/18/2026

June 18 — Abide in my love

In today’s Daily Office, Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.” (John 15:9)
Abiding is different from striving.
Much of life teaches us to push, prove, achieve, and fix. Even in faith, we can fall into the habit of thinking we must earn closeness with God through effort or accomplishment.
But Jesus offers something different: remain.
To abide is to stay rooted — to dwell, to rest, to trust that we are already held in love before we do anything at all.
This does not mean faith is passive. Branches still bear fruit. But fruit grows from connection, not from force. Cut off from the vine, striving alone, we wither.
There are seasons when the invitation is not to work harder, but to stay closer.
To pray. To listen. To be still. To remember that God’s love is not fragile or fleeting.
And from that place of abiding, the next right thing often becomes clearer.
Today, where might Christ be inviting you to stop striving and simply remain?

06/17/2026

June 17 — Do not be afraid

In today’s Daily Office, Jesus says to his disciples, “Do not be afraid.” (Matthew 10:31)
It is a phrase that appears again and again in Scripture, often spoken not when things are calm, but when they are uncertain.
Jesus says it as he sends the disciples out into the world — vulnerable, exposed, and carrying a message they cannot control. He does not promise ease. In fact, he promises difficulty. But he reminds them that they do not go alone.
Fear has a way of narrowing our vision. It makes us cling tightly, hesitate, or imagine the worst before anything has happened.
But faith widens our sight.
To hear “Do not be afraid” is not to deny the reality of risk or pain. It is to remember that fear does not have to be the thing that governs us.
Courage in the Christian life is not the absence of fear. It is moving forward despite it — trusting that God’s presence is larger than whatever we face.
Sometimes the bravest thing we do is simply take the next step.
Today, what fear might Christ be asking you to loosen your grip on?

06/16/2026

June 16 — Wait for the Lord

In today’s Daily Office, the psalmist writes, “O tarry and await the Lord’s pleasure; be strong, and he shall comfort your heart; wait patiently for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:16)
Waiting is one of the hardest disciplines of faith.
We often want movement, clarity, resolution — something to tell us what comes next. Waiting can feel passive, even frustrating, especially when we are carrying unanswered questions or living inside uncertainty.
But in Scripture, waiting is rarely about doing nothing. It is an active posture of trust.
Psalm 27 is not written from comfort. It comes from a place of fear, threat, and longing. And yet in the middle of it, the psalmist chooses to wait — not because everything is resolved, but because God is still present.
There are seasons when faith looks less like striving and more like abiding. Less like fixing and more like trusting. Less like pushing doors open and more like standing still long enough to hear which one God may open.
Waiting can refine us. It can reveal what we cling to, what we fear, and what we most deeply hope for.
Today, where might God be asking you not to rush ahead, but to wait — with courage and trust?

06/16/2026

June 15 — Sowing in tears

In today’s Daily Office, the psalmist writes, “Those who sowed with tears will reap with songs of joy.” (Psalm 126:5) �
Vanderbilt Lectionary
It is one of Scripture’s clearest reminders that grief and hope are not opposites. They often occupy the same ground.
The psalm remembers a people who had known exile and loss, and yet also knew restoration. But the restoration did not erase the tears it took to get there. The sowing still mattered. The weeping still counted.
That can be hard to trust in the middle of our own seasons of uncertainty — when the work feels costly, when relationships feel complicated, when the future is unclear. We wonder whether anything good is taking root at all.
But God often works in hidden ways, beneath the surface, in places we cannot yet see.
Faith is sometimes nothing more than continuing to sow: showing up, loving well, telling the truth, holding boundaries, staying present.
And trusting that, in time, what feels like loss may yet become harvest.
Today, what tears might God be asking you to trust as seeds?

06/15/2026

June 15 — Waiting together

In today’s Daily Office, the disciples gather together in prayer as they wait for what Jesus has promised. (Acts of the Apostles 1:14)

They do not yet know exactly what is coming next. The resurrection has happened. The ascension has taken place. And now there is waiting.

Not passive waiting, but faithful waiting together.

There is something important in that. The disciples do not scatter into isolation or attempt to force clarity before its time. They remain present to one another, praying, hoping, and trusting that God is still at work even in the uncertainty.

We know how difficult waiting can be. We want answers, movement, resolution. We want to know what comes next. And yet some seasons of faith are less about action and more about remaining open and attentive.

Today, where are you being asked to wait with trust instead of fear? Because the risen Christ is still at work, even in seasons when the next chapter has not yet fully arrived.

06/14/2026

The Very Rev. Ron Pogue will preach and celebrate today.

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06/14/2026

June 14 — Follow me

In today’s Daily Office, Jesus says to Peter, “Follow me.” (John 21:19)

It is a simple invitation, but it comes after failure, grief, confusion, and restoration. Peter has denied Jesus, returned to fishing, and struggled to understand what comes next. And still, Christ calls him forward.

Resurrection does not erase the past, but it does open a future. Jesus does not ask Peter to become someone else before following. He simply invites him to keep walking.

We often imagine discipleship as having everything figured out — clarity, confidence, certainty about where the road leads. But much of faith is learning to take the next faithful step even when the future remains unclear.

Today, where is Christ inviting you to follow? Perhaps not into something dramatic, but into greater trust, compassion, courage, or faithfulness in ordinary life.

06/13/2026

June 13 — Do you love me?

In today’s Daily Office, Jesus asks Peter a simple but piercing question: “Do you love me?” (John 21:16)

It is striking that after Peter’s failure and denial, Jesus does not begin with accusation or shame. He begins with relationship. Again and again, he asks Peter to speak love aloud, and with each response, Jesus invites him forward: “Feed my sheep.”

Resurrection is not about pretending failure never happened. It is about discovering that failure does not have the final word. Peter’s story is not ended by fear or regret. Christ meets him in the aftermath and calls him once more into purpose and responsibility.

We know how easy it is to define ourselves by our worst moments, our mistakes, or the ways we have fallen short. And yet the risen Christ continues to call people not only toward forgiveness, but toward renewed vocation.

Today, where might Christ be inviting you to begin again? Because grace does not merely restore us. It also sends us forward.

06/13/2026

06/12/2026

June 12 — Blessed are those

In today’s Daily Office, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” (John 20:29)

Thomas often gets remembered for his doubt, but the truth is that he wanted what the others had already received — a real encounter with the risen Christ. And when Jesus appears, he does not shame Thomas for his questions. He meets him with grace.

Faith has never meant having every answer or never struggling with uncertainty. Even the disciples wrestled with fear, confusion, and doubt after the resurrection. And yet Christ continued to come to them.

We know how much we want certainty. We want proof, clarity, reassurance that we are not mistaken. But much of the spiritual life is learning to trust even when we cannot fully see.

Today, where are you being invited to trust a little more deeply? Because the risen Christ still meets questioning hearts — not with condemnation, but with presence, patience, and peace.