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News & Resources: Spiritual Spot

Welcome! 

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

You'll find here occasional writings, a few rants, and hopefully some insights too, about Christian discipleship, the Episcopal Church, and on faith community's life at the Parish of the Epiphany in Winchester, Massachusetts. At the Epiphany we understand ourselves to be "a welcoming Episcopal community, united in God, called to seek and serve Christ in all persons, and to transform the world with love and generosity."


  • January 23, 2019 2:58 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Several years ago, during a challenging time in my life, my spiritual director gave me a wonderful quote from artist and writer Brian Andreas. His art is very quirky, which I love, and his quotes for each day either make me smile or give me hope. Here is the quote from Brian that she gave me: It is the way of all things that the night ends & the light returns. The light always returns...

    For those of you who find the winters difficult, especially with ice and cold and shorter days, this may give you some comfort. I know that I always rejoice when the Winter Solstice comes, for I know that sometime in February it will become clear that the days are indeed getting longer and with more daylight comes the hope of spring!

    For those who may be struggling with an illness or some issue in your life, I hope this quote reminds you that the light of Christ is in you and around you. Even if you do not feel it at times, the prayers and concern of others, along with God’s love are there to bolster you when you may be feeling completely alone or without help.

    The other thing that always amazes me is the fact that there are contemplative people all over the world – some who are monks and nuns and some who are lay people – who have devoted their lives to praying for others, even strangers. Someone, somewhere in the world, right now is praying for you and is praying for me. They may not know us by name, but they are praying all the same. These people of faith, of all faiths, pray for peace, for those in danger, for those who are dying, for those who have no one else to pray for them. Some of them chant their prayers and I believe that their music and prayers change the Universe somehow. Just like a stone thrown into a body of water creates ripples that go on far beyond what our eyes can see, so the intentional chant of prayerful people ripples out and changes the world. These prayers bring light where there is darkness. And when we pray for others, our prayers join that light that scatters the darkness.

    In the first chapter of the Gospel of John we hear, “What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” Christ is our light and the darkness – whether it manifests itself as fear, anxiety, grief, depression, or illness – the darkness will be dispelled by the light of Christ that is in each one of us and dwells with people of faith in every corner of the world.

    When the light returns, we are not the same as we were. We are forever changed, maybe in small unaccountable ways, but we are changed nonetheless. “It is the way of all things that the night ends & the light returns. The light always returns....”

    Faithfully yours in Christ,


  • January 11, 2019 2:10 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    “Ask, and it will be given to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you” [Matthew 7:7]

    What? How can this be? All of us have experienced unanswered prayers, lost treasures, and closed doors. Surely, God is not Santa Claus doling out presents for good children who behave. Furthermore, I can’t believe we need prayers to convince God to take action or to inform God of our needs. God knows and acts and loves, without our prompting. So, why practice intercessory prayer? What good does it do?

    I’ve had several experiences in recent years that have made me, once skeptical of this spiritual discipline, a regular practitioner.

    First, an experience of asking for prayers. Several years ago, parishioner Brett Johnson asked if he might pray for my family. At his request, every few months, I send an email sharing specific joys and concerns of our family. Crafting this email is a centering and rewarding work. It forces me to think carefully about those I love. What do they need? What would help them grow? What blessings have they received recently? This task refocuses me on the most important issues in our life -- those experiences of grace that draw us into the abundant life Jesus promises and those experiences of suffering that hold within them the hope of resurrection. Asking for prayers transforms me. I wonder, how would our Parish be changed if each of us asked a fellow parishioner to share his/her deepest prayers with us?

    Second, an experience of offering prayers. For the last four years, I have had the privilege of helping to lead the prayer list team at Epiphany. Every week, one of us reaches out to members of our community who have asked us for prayers, either for themselves or those they love. We write to assure them of our prayers and to inquire about how their loved ones are faring. It’s deeply humbling work. I know how much trust and courage it takes to ask for prayers. When I write these emails, I’m filled with gratitude, humility, and connection. It’s one of those moments when I am sure that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Offering to pray for others transforms me. I wonder, how would our Parish be changed if more of us asked to place the names of those we love on our weekly prayer list?

    Finally, an experience of praying in community: Every Tuesday night, five to twelve of us gather in the Chapel at 6:00pm. We sit in a circle and recite the names of those who are on our prayer list. It’s a short, contemplative service. To be honest, there are weeks when my brain is racing through the first fifteen minutes. In these moments, I often imagine God smiling gently, waiting for me to return to the present. And I look around at the faces of my brothers and sisters in Christ. I also know that there are others who will receive the prayer list via email and have promised to lift up these needs to God. I feel inspired by their faith and welcomed by their love. Praying in community transforms me. I wonder, how would our Parish be changed if you (yes, YOU) joined us in person, or prayed with us at home on Tuesday night.

    And so, what good does intercessory prayer? Well, for me, it helps me return to the Good News of Christ Jesus - the promise that we are made for love, that we are called to deep connection with all of creation, and that we are never, never alone.


    Jacob Montwieler



  • January 04, 2019 1:14 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    I am a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem (AFEDJ). AFEDJ raises funds in the United States to benefit schools and hospitals that are owned and operated by the Jerusalem Diocese. Every three years the Board travels to the Middle East to visit some of the schools and hospitals in several countries which we support. I joined the Board on this year’s trip in October and so I visited schools and hospitals in Jordan, the West Bank, Israel, and Gaza.

    I had been to the Middle East before on an Epiphany pilgrimage. But there were to be few, if any, holy sites on this trip. This was all about people in need in today’s world. Before I left on the trip, I expected to see many sad things: a neglected people who are the victims of violence and political dysfunction, a lack of medical facilities and good education, and a lack of hope. I knew that the U.S. had just cut its aid to the Middle East and that that significantly affected two hospitals that we support. I guess I wondered where God is in all of this.

    On the trip, I saw much of what I had expected to see: evident poverty, unemployed people, shortage of water, heavily armed checkpoints and border crossings throughout, and obvious discrimination. What I had not expected to see in such abundance is hope. One such encounter was at the Holy Land Institute for the Deaf, in Salt, Jordan. The Institute cares for 140 deaf or hard of hearing, mostly residential children, nine deaf/blind children, and 75 disabled children who visit daily from the nearby Syrian refugee camp. I was particularly struck by the painstaking efforts involved in teaching deaf/ blind children. The work, almost all of which requires one teacher per student, primarily involves teaching hands-on sign language. To see a deaf/blind student smiling while learning is not something I will soon forget.

    Another such encounter was at Gaza’s Al Ahli Arab Hospital. The situation for people living in Gaza grows more desperate almost daily. The area is isolated by border restrictions that surround it, with a 44 percent unemployment rate and with 33 percent of children being undernourished or suffering from malnutrition. I was happy to learn that many of the children treated for malnutrition, when given an affordable, nutritious diet recommended by the hospital, regain full health. We saw one happy father blow a kiss to his child’s nutritionist. Gaza is predominately Muslim with 900 Christians living among a population of 2 million. The hospital serves 38,000 patients per year and survives largely on charitable contributions and government support. Recent reductions in U.S. aid have cut $40,000 per month from the hospital’s income. One particular aspect of the unfolding tragedy is that the hospital possesses equipment to perform mammograms but does not possess the equipment to perform radiation oncology. Such equipment exists nearby in Israel, but 40 percent of medical requests for travel to Israel are denied. While I was following the hospital director, she stopped in front of a woman sitting on a bench waiting to see a doctor. The patient pointed to me and said, in Arabic, “We desperately need medical access to Israel and only two people can make that happen: God and you.” God is in her heartfelt appeal and will be in whatever I do with that appeal.

    Robie White


  • December 21, 2018 7:15 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    “God, are you the one who is living life?” 
               The Book of Hours II, 12, Ranier Maria Rilke

    There are periods in life when you just know that it is God who is doing the living, and you are fortunate to be tagging along!  So it is with me now. 

     In my late 50s, when the pre-retirement question “What are you going to do with the rest of your life?” filled my waking and sleeping hours, both the urgency of that question, and the inspiration for the answer, came not from me but, clearly, from God.
    God’s answer: “GIVE BACK!” 
     Me: “How?”
    God:  ACT with Love in Community. 

    So for the past five years, I have served as Co-Chair of ClassACT, an initiative I founded with my Harvard-Radcliffe ‘73 classmates, to allow us to work together to create significant positive change.  The “ACT” stands for “Achieving Change Together.” Our slogan, which harks back to our Vietnam War, Civil Rights activist, Feminism-filled college days is “It’s not too late to change the world!”   

    What are we doing? 

    We established and run The Benazir Bhutto Leadership Program in honor of our assassinated classmate, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. This program‘s mission is the advancement of democracy, women’s rights, education for all, and religious reconciliation in predominantly Muslim countries. It achieves this through providing fellowships to Harvard’s Kennedy School Government for mid-career leaders from predominantly Muslim countries, working with leaders from the region of South Asia, and educating Americans about these cultures and the challenges they face. 

    In America, we are helping to found an organization dedicated to strengthening STEM education through sports analytics in our own country’s most challenged schools.  We have provided targeted assistance to nonprofits working in NOLA, the Bay Area, DC, New York, Maryland, Kenya, Haiti, Ghana, Mexico, and Costa Rica.  The range of those organizations’ service includes medicine, music, education, human rights, food, clothing, and criminal justice reform.  At present, there are a couple hundred classmates sharing their time and talents in these various endeavors.  

    This all seems something of a miracle. God’s miracle!

    Through this work, I have met the Attorney General of Afghanistan, a champion of women’s rights.  I have spent time in the home of a social activist in the Treme neighborhood of NOLA who is changing the lives of the children there.  I have listened to former prisoners describe the work they are doing to combat the racism inherent in the US criminal justice system. And, in early December, I met with Malala, whose love for others is changing the world.  

    What I have learned afresh is that we are all one in God’s love. That love creates community and produces action. And it seems to me that though it may appear that the “Body of Christ” is exclusively Christian, people across the globe live God’s love in, and for, the world.  Isn’t that Christ’s Body?  I think so, and I am so grateful to be part of it. 

    Marion Dry 
    Parishioner




  • December 13, 2018 1:50 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    This Friday, 21 December, will be the longest night of the year. Some celebrate the Winter Solstice, the day with the fewest hours of daylight in the whole year, and where the sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky. This year, we will be one day short of a full moon, which will light up the sky on the longest night of the year.

    For those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere, this great happening in nature coincides with our anticipation of the Feast of the Incarnation – Emmanuel, God with us and taking on human flesh and dwelling among us. Christ is our Light. As John writes in his gospel, “In him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.”

    In just one short week we will celebrate the Incarnation, beginning on Christmas Eve. Will our hearts and minds be ready? Every year we seem to fall into a flurry of activity and much of it is good, very good. Some things can distract us from this Holy Season and in the rush to get everything done on our to-do list, we may grow short on patience, compassion, and understanding.

    My prayer for all of us is that we will carve out some time in the coming week to be fully present to what really matters: our family and loved ones, those who make our lives easier and more pleasant, those who need a smile or a word of encouragement, or those who have no one to care for them.

    And then there is God. God is just waiting, longing for us to take a moment to be still and hang out with the One who created us – the One in whom we live and move and have our being. Just a moment or two, that’s all.

    I offer to you this prayer I came across recently that really spoke to me. I hope it will speak to you as well.

    A prayer at the shortest day

    From the rising of the midwinter sun to its setting
    Scatter the darkness with the light of Your love, O Shining One.
    Make me short on mean thoughts, long on offering words of comfort.
    Make me short on being driven, long on paying attention.
    Make me short on focusing only on my own, long on looking beyond.
    Make me short on obsessive lists, long on spontaneous acts of kindness.
    Make me short on mindless activity, long on time to reflect.
    Make me short on tradition as habit, long on re-discovery and re-owning.
    Make me short on rushing and tiring, long on walking and wondering.
    Make me short on false festive jollity, long on stilling and rooted joy.
    Make me short on guilt, long on being merciful to myself.
    Make me short on being overwhelmed, long on peaceableness as I set forth this day.

    ~ Tess Ward, from Celtic Daily Prayer, Book Two.

    Faithfully yours in Christ,





  • December 07, 2018 3:18 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    It has impressed me since I have become a member that Parish of the Epiphany offers so much to reach out to so many with varied needs. That is, to serve and be served, to worship, to be comforted, to be challenged. What we know is that there occurs at times in our lives an unexpectedly difficult time, grief, loss or other crisis. I know from my work as a physician that the most healing thing at that time is not a "fix" to the problem. It is rather a kind presence, a listening and accompanying; that is what's really needed. This is the kind of care that a Stephen minister can provide.

    Stephen ministers offer a practical way to respond to Christ's commandment, "Love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12). People who are hurting have a compassionate companion - a caring Christian friend who provides spiritual and emotional support. The Stephen ministers grow themselves as they serve others. The relationship between a care receiver and a Stephen minister is confidential. Men are matched with men and women are matched with women. When a care receiver's needs exceed what a Stephen Minister can provide, the Stephen ministry team makes a referral to an appropriate mental health professional or another community resource.

    As a Stephen Leader, I look forward to the process of training the new Stephen Ministers. The training is extensive and practical. I see ways in which it can be helpful in other areas of our lives. I see it as an opportunity to grow spiritually as well. Those who cannot serve as ministers should know about what we do and look for opportunities to help to get care for others in our Parish and in our community. The training will begin after the New Year. May there be many blessings as we work to bring Christ's love to hurting people.

    Gloria Korta



  • November 19, 2018 2:38 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    A note from the publisher

    What follows is a reflection from parishioner Gayle Pershouse, who is the first of several leaders who will occasionally write to us about ministry and faith. I am grateful to Gayle for her time and thoughtfulness, and grateful to you for valuing one another’s ministries and gifts. Suffice to say the writers of this column needn’t be limited to the clergy and program staff! If you are interested in writing what we refer to as “the pastoral article” please contact me at tbrown@3crowns.org; I would be glad to describe the process and help you inspire our parish’s faith.

    Faithfully in Christ,

    Healing My Black Swallowtail

    Yesterday, a beautiful butterfly tumbled into my basket as I stood in the garden picking cherry tomatoes. As it fell to the bottom, a few tomatoes rolled over it, pinning its wings to the bottom of the basket. “Oh dear,” I thought, “he’s too weak to get up.” He flapped his wings a little trying to get out from under the round, rolling fruit. I took out all the tomatoes in order to help the butterfly. He couldn’t climb up the side of the basket to get out, much less fly, but he didn’t look at all injured. His wings were perfect and none of his legs or antennae seemed to be going off at odd angles. Was he sick? Was he dying?

    Frank loves butterflies. He’s taught me how to recognize a few different kinds. I knew this one was very special, not one we’ve ever seen in our garden. Black swallowtails are rather rare around here. I carefully helped him climb up onto a leaf. From there he clung to a slender stalk, as still as a statue. He didn’t even wave his wings the way butterflies usually do. I decided to try to give him some healing. So I cupped my hands loosely around him and began to send him healing energy. Normally black swallowtails are pretty wary. They won’t let you get within a foot or more of them. This one clung quietly to his stalk while I cupped my hands within 3 inches all around him - even though my hands were putting him in the shadow. Butterflies don’t like shade.

    I kept my hands around the little creature as long as I could. It started to rain. “ What am I doing healing an insect? Am I crazy? Can he feel anything? Is this healing energy strong enough to actually help him fly again?” I doubted it could do any good. He sat very still on his stalk. I could see tiny eyes looking at me. I took a picture and went in out of the rain figuring I’d never know.

    Today I was making lunch when Frank came in from the garden with the tomato basket in hand. He set it down and went over to the kitchen window. “Look! There’s a butterfly trying to get out!” I came over to the window to see, and there was our rare black swallowtail flying up and down in front of the closed kitchen window trying to escape! We put him into the small basket and carried him out to the garden to release him. But how did he get into the kitchen? It’s a mystery because all the doors and windows were closed.

    Did he come back to say “Thank you! I’m going to live. I can fly now.”? Was the Holy Spirit trying to say to me “healing is very real? Don’t worry about your upcoming MRI. Your cancer is already healed.”? Yes, I know it was.

    Gayle Pershouse


  • November 16, 2018 11:14 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    He sat down opposite the treasury and NOTICED the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

    The Gospel of Mark 12:41-44 


    On 13 September 2018, excessive pressure in natural gas lines owned by Columbia Gas caused a series of explosions and fires in as many as 40 homes, with over 80 individual fires, in the towns of Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover. There was much news coverage in the days that followed about the tragedies and loss. Then we heard about mammoth plans set in motion to replace the 45 miles of pipeline that had been damaged. My first reaction was to try to help in some way, I donated to different funds, checked in on friends, cooked for those whom I thought could use it, and then was done. I moved onto other things. Now, two months afterward, any information about this continuing story can be found on the back page of the newspaper, if that. It is no longer front page news. I easily slipped back into my “busy” life and among all of the news I hear, I placed the pipeline news with all of the other news. At the beginning of his sermon on 11 November 2018,Thomas said of himself with regards to the recent spate of horrific news, “I am desensitized.” I am desensitized too. But it is getting cold and many are still without heat.

    My youngest daughter Gracie attends Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, MA. I drive her to and from school. During the week, I leave my beautiful office in Winchester in the afternoon and drive up to Lawrence to pick her up. I drive through downtown Lawrence and then cut through the city again by another route to get home to Andover. Lawrence is a very different place than Andover, as is any city. There are many apartments and multi-family houses and in the warm weather, Gracie and I see families sitting outside on the city sidewalks socializing with neighbors. I know that many are beginning to seek other housing. I know this because on our drive home, Gracie and I drive by a park in the city and, as the days have gone by, the park has been slowly populated by camping trailers to house those with no heat.

    Hundreds of camping trailers have been brought in and there is now row upon row of them in several places in the city. As the weeks have gone by, the number of families living in them has increased. There is fencing around the park for security. It is not only cold, but it has also been raining a lot and the park is muddy. In the morning as I drive by this park, I see moms and dads coming out of their trailers with their children and they trudge through the mud to the sidewalk to wait for the school bus. Such a normal family scene but this is in a makeshift campground in a park in a city, a few miles from my house. I NOTICE.

    Many people and agencies have stepped in to help these families. Perhaps these angels have done so out of thankfulness for what they have. For me, I am thankful for what I have, but this is not what drives me to respond to all of this, but I pray that perhaps someday it will. I think for me right now when I notice, my response is one of empathy. When I see a mother climb out of a trailer in the morning with her little girl, hurrying her along because she is late for the bus, strapping a pink backpack onto her daughter, I can relate to this. I imagine what it was like to spend the night crammed in with other families in other trailers and know that there but for the grace of God go I. Thanksgiving is this week and these families will not be spending it in their homes.

    The flashy news is gone and I have witnessed how these people are living into their reality. I am grateful that my daughter and I see how the rest of the story is unfolding away from the news cameras. The hard work of living on is not glamorous. I pray that through this experience, I will notice others who are in need, who are suffering, who are mourning, and I pray that I will not be too busy.

    I pray that I will NOTICE THEM – everywhere.

    Love,



  • November 02, 2018 12:35 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Good Morning!

    I’m David McSweeney. I’m a member of our vestry, and I am serving on the Stewardship Committee this year. Today, we are kicking off our 2019 Commitment Campaign. This is the time of year when we all have the opportunity to reflect on our participation at Epiphany.

    Our theme this year is Bread for the Journey: Setting a Bountiful Feast. This theme celebrates our gratitude for God, our Church, and each other. I think that’s a really important message – celebrating our gratitude for God, our Church, and each other. It makes me realize how lucky and blessed we are. Am I right? (This is when you all say “YES”)

    As we were preparing for this year’s stewardship campaign, I was reminded of a wonderful sermon that was given here four years ago by Bishop Gene Robinson. Here are the important things that I learned from that sermon:

    1. Stewardship is about gratitude

    2. We have so much to be grateful for, especially in a global context, so what are we going to do about it

    3. We ourselves end up being the greatest beneficiaries of our giving

    4. If we don’t have a lump in our throats when we write our checks, then we’re not giving enough

    He said all of these things! Honestly, I was squirming in my seat, but it helped frame our discussion at home about our giving and our desire to get closer to tithing, which I’ll admit is still an aspirational goal. I know, I said it. Tithing – it’s the third rail in the Episcopal Church – Bishop Robinson said that too! He also shared his story about how he increased pledging by 1% of his income each year over a 10-year period, so that he could reach that goal. He likened it to training for a marathon; he actually called stewardship a kind of spiritual fitness. There’s no way I could go that far, but little by little you can get, if not there, at least close. Brett and I will be increasing our pledge by 1% of our total income this year, as we have been doing since that sermon in 2014.

    Did you know that 87% of our church’s annual budget is financed by our pledges? Because we are committed to maintaining a balanced budget, it’s so important that we have all of our pledges in by December 2nd. On that day, we’ll have a church-wide celebration after the 10:00am service; please plan to be here.

    And, as you consider how grateful you are and what you are going to do about it, if you are able to increase your pledge or even pledge for the first time, each of us will be the greatest beneficiaries of our giving.

    Thank you,
    Dave McSweeney



  • October 26, 2018 12:48 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Faith is knowing that no matter what the day hands you, God is with you. This Church is with you.

    When we christened our two girls in this Church, we thought we would teach them this traditionally through weekly sermons and Sunday School lessons. Never would we have thought that it would instead be learned experientially during some of our toughest days. Never did we think our Faith as a family would be solidified during a year that we were not permitted (through doctor’s orders) to step foot through Epiphany’s doors.

    It all began with Thomas’ blessing for our family in our home a few days prior to Jason’s stem cell transplant. It was a few days before Jason would be in the hospital isolated and away from the girls for 30 days over the Christmas holiday and yet we never felt stronger in our Faith. We knew God had us in His hands. We knew that Thomas and this Church wrapped us in an embrace so tight that it literally held us together. The day after Jason’s transplant (Christmas Day), we received a handwritten, thoughtful note from Thomas very simply proclaiming, “New Life awaits.” That note remains on our family bulletin board as a symbol of the Faith that surrounded us when we needed it the most. Faith that was not questioned when we were feeling weak and scared, but Faith that was strengthened and abundant from this community.

    That note went on to also represent the many ways that during that year-long isolation we were anything BUT alone. Whether it was Brett Johnson and the Tuesday Prayer Group passionately praying for us (a family many did not even know), or the prayer squares we received to rub during stressful moments, or the blankets that were quilted for us by a skilled and thoughtful parishioner, or Sarah’s smile when she never judged us for our always late holiday flower donations, or Miriam and Carolyn’s gentle ways of checking in without needing to say a word. Again, at a time when it was impossible for us to connect with this community within its beautiful brick walls, we never felt so connected and loved. We know that connection can be found to some degree in other communities, but we BELIEVE it is truly unique HERE and what makes Epiphany so very special.

    The story of our journey here at Epiphany is unique to us and our personal journey that God has put us on thus far. That, to us, is the miracle of Faith. It is not something that is the same for everyone, yet when you open your heart and your eyes to it, it is there for everyone to take in. And to us, there is no better place to absorb and spread that Faith than here at Epiphany. We hope that you will join us on our journey.

    Jason, Robin, Maggie, and Alexandra Shevland



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Winchester, MA 01890
Phone: 781.729.1922
office@3crowns.org

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