Robert Louis Stevenson was a 19th century Scottish novelist and poet. His work includes thrillers like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and the adventure tale Treasure Island, as well as the more innocent offerings in A Child’s Garden of Verses (“the world is so full of a number of things, I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings”).

Growing up in Edinburgh, Stevenson suffered from tuberculosis which kept him isolated from other children. Often alone, he was often lonely too. For many hours of every day, he would stare out the window, face pressed against the glass, taking in the activity on his street and in his neighborhood…..

Last Saturday, May 31st, the Diocese held a celebration of the ministry of Bishop Mary Glasspool as she prepares to retire. Bp. Glasspool has been groundbreaking in many ways, not least because she was the first openly lesbian woman to be consecrated as bishop in the Anglican Communion. Mother Anna and Canon Bob and some of our parishioners were glad to be able to attend the festivities!….

Last Sunday I preached about collective, relational peace—and I used the eating habits of the unicellular stentor as an example of individual energies combined and magnified for the greater good. One of my favorite things about preaching is continuing the conversation once the sermon is done, and after the service on Sunday I was approached by a visitor who told me that a similar collective process happens with the formation of stars.

Apparently, (and a quick online search reinforces this), stars begin with cosmic dust. The dust responds to gravitational pull, and the more dust coalesces, the greater that pull becomes. Stardust attracts more stardust. This stardust combines with atmospheric gasses, forming what’s known as “stellar nurseries.” The positive energy cycle grows and grows until the gravitational force becomes so great that the collective mass folds in on itself, concentrates, ignites, and becomes a star…..