Ben Sternke

This past Sunday was our 7th in a row of worshiping online, and I’m tired. I’m tired of not seeing people face-to-face, tired of not hearing our voices blending together, adjusting to one another as we sing and pray together, tired of not being able…

Dear Church, Holy Week starts tomorrow, on Palm Sunday (we’ll all be gathering our own “palms,” more details below). During Holy Week, we walk with Jesus toward the cross. As we do so, it’s as if time liturgical “slows down,” like a slow-motion scene at…

Dear sisters and brothers, This past Sunday we read about Jesus’ response to his friend Lazarus’ death, and the pain and desolation it caused Lazarus’ sisters, Martha and Mary. Jesus was “deeply disturbed and troubled” by all the sadness, and wept at his friend’s tomb.…

Dear Sisters and Brothers, As the coronavirus pandemic evolves, it seems we are in uncharted territory in many ways. There have been global pandemics before, of course, but the particularly pernicious nature of this pathogen, combined with our political and social climate right now, makes…

The Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday following the First Sunday of Lent (along with 3 other times during the year) are what’s called “Ember Days” in the Anglican Church: days set aside to pray for those called to Holy Orders (i.e. ordained ministry as Deacons, Priests,…

Dear Church, Lent is just around the corner! Lent is an ancient Christian practice of taking 40 days of solemn reflection and penitent preparation for celebrating the resurrection of Christ. It starts on Ash Wednesday (February 26 this year) and lasts until Easter Sunday (April…

This Sunday morning, February 9, BEFORE worship, at 9:30am, we will hold our first ever All-Church Meeting! If you consider The Table your church home, (or if you’re just interested in The Table), this meeting is for you. We will be sharing some reflections from…

Last Sunday I led a class on how to use the Book of Common Prayer. We went through the mechanics of how morning and evening prayer are structured in our new prayer book, and how to find the readings and prayers for each day. I…