Individuals have stories to tell about their spiritual journey. Churches and communities also have spiritual journeys and a story to tell. This is the story of the Community of Saint George. So, “What is the Community of Saint George?” In order to fully answer that question, let me share our spiritual genealogy so you…
Lent is a transforming path in the conscience of God
An important time for Christians in general is approaching. It begins with a visible and tangible sign when ash is applied on Ash Wednesday of each year. What does ash mean in Lent? What does this sign tell us in our spiritual life? These are two questions that should lead us to the importance of…
La Cuaresma un Camino Transformador en la Conciencia de Dios
Se acerca un tiempo bastante relevante para la cristiandad en general. Precisamente comienza con un signo visible y tangible como es la ceniza que se aplica en ese miércoles de cada año. ¿Que significa la ceniza en la cuaresma? ¿Que nos dice este signo en nuestra vida espiritual? Estos son dos cuestionamientos que nos deben…
A Journey Home: Finding One’s True Faith in an Unexpected Place
I never thought when I entered college as a Religion major in 1979, that 30 some years later I would be an Old Catholic priest. I did not grow up Catholic. I was a member of the United Church of Christ. My plan was to finish college, go on to seminary and become a UCC pastor. …
Faith is not a journey, it is a way of being
There is an old adage, never ask a question if you aren’t ready to hear the answer. I thought I was ready, but the answer has stuck with me now for a very long time. Don’t get me wrong, I’m okay with the answer – it was good information and I really did need to…
Faith Journey
The earliest memories I have of the first steps in my faith journey are a large wooden statue of Our Lady of Grace that I played with, and my mother teaching me a song at age four, “Jesus Loves Me”. At four years old, I had a sense of knowing Jesus and learning the song…
Empty Hats: The Silent and Ever Pervasive Scourge of the Old Catholic/ISM Movement
A few years ago, about midstream in our growth as a parish, I was interviewed at our Blue Bell location by Father Rick Romero. Sometime during the interview, Father asked me about why I didn’t work harder to promote or identify with the ISM movement. I said very directly that I really could care less about…
United By Grace: A Movement of “We” and not “I”
Some months ago, I made a passing comment on Facebook that has sparked an ongoing conversation. Before friends and colleagues, I proposed that we stop thinking of ourselves as an Independent Sacramental Movement and instead think of ourselves as a United Sacramental Movement. Not surprisingly, we all did not rush out to immediately change our…
From the Editor
This edition of Convergent Streams focuses on the journey of faith that we all have to traverse at some point. My story is much like many of those in this loose group of episcopi vagantes we call the Independent Sacramental Movement (ISM). I was born to Roman Catholic parents. I spent most of my time…
Why do persecutions and incomprehensions serve?
Although, because of our nature of faith, we have been taught that persecution and misunderstanding by our fellow men would be normal, we seldom ask ourselves about their usefulness and about their objective regarding the spiritual health of a person. When we confront this question with the reality of many brothers in the faith, the…