The Kirk

08/05/2024

Cat Olympics

'Catius Pawltius Furtius' - The Olympic Spirit has taken over Simon's Cat these days! Enjoy him as he competes against his furry friends in our latest colour...

10/17/2020

We are living in weird times. I don't do much coffee roasting anymore. I have shifted my focus to coaching. If you find yourself a bit lost and need an outside voice, send me a note and we'll talk. Fees are on a sliding scale.

03/28/2020

Maybe some of you have been thinking for a long time about holy orders and engaging your local community in a passionate hands on, pastoral way. Maybe this is the time to explore. We have a way that will train you and not saddle you with any student debt. The Community of Saint George is a liberal catholic expression of Christianity, which you may be interested in joining. Please don't hesitate to contact me. Bp. Kirk

https://www.youngriteusa.org

03/22/2020

A meditation for today.

March 22, 2020 by kirk Are We Blind?– A Meditation for the Fifth Sunday in Lent Hang onto your hats, today’s gospel is a long one… The Gospel According to Saint John 9.1-41 Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his par...

01/27/2020

A local friend of mine has been complaining that I have been spending too much time sanding a wood piece for my daughter's birthday. What he doesn't understand is that it is easy to make the rough cuts. But it is difficult and time consuming to make the final sanding, most of which is by hand.

When you think about ministry, think of an artist who is given a blank slate of marble. What is God calling this piece to become? The first cuts are easy. It is the details that make all the difference.

01/24/2020

On my website thekirkcoffee.com, I started to post some of my 20 or so years of past sermons. I thought it would be an easy thing: one a week, some small changes, do it, done. After about three of these sermons, I realized that the old ones were very community specific. They do not translate to a larger audience than to the congregation they were initially preached to. So I abandoned the project.

Two of my favorite preachers are Thomas Long and Barbara Brown Taylor. Their published sermons/reflections have a global audience. They are great inspirations on how to craft a sermon. But when one serves a local community, one wants to connect with local issues, and what is going on in the life of the community. General sermons do not necessarily translate across community boundaries.

I confess, that when I had super busy weeks (like three funerals, two mandatory community appearances, two administrative meetings (either local or jurisdictional) a wedding, a wife, and two daughters and their activities), I did modify existing sermons, not spending the time doing a fresh exegesis. It saved me a few hours, hours I did not have to give.

This is what I have learned: the preached word is a living word. The preached word has to engage the people you are trying to reach. The biblical text is paramount in formation. It is the foundation. But it ultimately is all community based.

Preach on dear friends, preach on!

01/10/2020

So, I hate, hate, hate! to ask, but I know that I will need between $1-3k to attend my convocation. Most of which will be in new vestments, some in travel. If any can spare a $20, I’ll be forever grateful. And I'll include consulting time with you.

01/07/2020

Well, the Christmas season is officially over and now church professionals get to coast for a couple of weeks before Lent begins. I am wondering what you all are planning on doing to recharge and reset? Remember, I am always here for you.

12/31/2019

How can I pray for you today?

12/30/2019

The first of the year is nearly upon us. It is the time when we often make resolutions. One is getting healthy. If you are a church leader, why not invest in yourself and resolve to make yourself a better leader? I'd be blessed to walk this journey with you.