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Are the Sacraments Superfluous? Harriet Tubman and the Question of Baptism

March 10, 2023 By Melissa Wilcox Leave a Comment

Gathered around the baptismal font, right before questions are asked and promises are made, parents are instructed to “name this child.”

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Filed Under: Saints Tagged With: baptism, enslaved people, sacrament, saints

Faithfully and Earnestly Confirmed not to be Confirmed

June 17, 2022 By Melissa Wilcox 4 Comments

“Are you sad?” Without hesitation he said no, and he then paused and asked me, “Why, are you?”

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Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: Children in church, Confirmation, godparents, parenting

Navigating the Gospel with Hilda of Whitby

November 18, 2021 By Melissa Wilcox Leave a Comment

Many years ago, before I attended seminary, I worked as a volunteer for the Anglican Church of Tanzania to facilitate youth programs in the section of the country that bordered Rwanda.

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Filed Under: Saints Tagged With: cloud of witnesses, mystic, Tanzania, worship

Knowing and Saying Their Names

May 1, 2021 By Melissa Wilcox 2 Comments

As I sipped my coffee this morning, my son and husband were hunched over the New York Times. We all were discussing the deliberation of the Derek Chauvin trial. Soon we begin listing the recent cases of police brutality in our country.

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Filed Under: Saints Tagged With: baptism, Black Lives Matter, Feast Days, Names, St. Philip & St. James

Saint Matthew – How Jewish was Jesus?

September 21, 2019 By Melissa Wilcox Leave a Comment

I went to seminary as a single, young woman in my mid-twenties after living overseas in Tanzania for three years. I returned to the States […]

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Filed Under: Saints Tagged With: Bible, Feast Days, Judaism, St. Matthew

Trusting That Our Lives Have Meaning

January 24, 2019 By Melissa Wilcox 3 Comments

Bedtime is always a time of revelation and sometimes self-revelation in our household, particularly with our youngest child who is eight-years-old. We have noticed since Thanksgiving that he has been easily frustrated, trying out unsavory words on his older brother, and bursting into tears quite regularly.

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Filed Under: Saints Tagged With: anglican communion, bedtime, Florence Li Tim-Oi, Holy Spirit, meaning of life, saints, violence

What happens when a godparent dies before the child is grown?

October 28, 2018 By Melissa Wilcox 2 Comments

As a family gathers around the baptismal font, the words asked of the godparents are some of the most poignant queries. “Will you be responsible […]

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Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: baptism, death, godparents

We thanked God for each room in our old home before we moved.

October 7, 2017 By Melissa Wilcox 11 Comments

As a parent, moving a family creates a sense of dread and anticipation all wrapped into one.

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Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: children, liturgy, moving, parenting, Prayer

Jesus moved. The Israelites moved. And we’re moving too.

June 19, 2017 By Melissa Wilcox 5 Comments

Moving is once again making me realize: all of life is detaching from that which does not last forever and clinging to the good news in Christ.

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Filed Under: Discipleship Tagged With: Book of Common Prayer, Israelites, Jesus, moving, Old Testament, St. John, Temple

My daughter tried to make a bargain with God – then asked me if it would work.

March 31, 2017 By Melissa Wilcox 1 Comment

My daughter tried to make a deal with God – not the point of prayer. But so did the Psalmist.

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Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: Bible, Lent, Prayer, Psalms, young children

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