Blog

God Sees

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
March 21, 2022
At Exodus 3:1-15, God says, “I have seen the misery of my people … I have heard their cry … I have seen their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them …” As we see the situation in Ukraine many of us are asking, “Why isn&rs...

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Sin Tags

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
February 16, 2022
Much of Christianity is very adept at hanging “sin tags” on people. Our multi-layered religious structures nearly always become a kind of club where there are “insiders” and “outsiders”. The club has rules, and these rules, if broken, allow ...

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Get the App

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
January 11, 2022
I remember my first Mobile Phone. It was a suitcase-size box behind the seat of the truck and a handset with a wire mounted on the front console. It could blow the horn if the phone rang, and I could run back to the truck and answer it. Then there was the Bag Phone. If the ba...

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A Brand New Year

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
December 28, 2021
We are about to embark on a brand new year. It includes 365 days, 52 weeks, 12 months, or 8,760 hours. If you work five days a week, you will work about 260 days next year. If you work eight hours a day, you will work about 2,080 hours next year. According to the old standard...

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Tuning-In

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
December 01, 2021
How many of you remember the old-fashioned dial radios? Yes, we actually had to turn a knob to change the station and sometimes it could be a little tricky. If the transmitter was far away, or you were travelling, the signal might fade. Often it would be necessary to adjust t...

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Two Kinds

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
November 17, 2021
In the past several weeks I have visited a few large cities. I noticed that a growing majority of people present themselves as one of two kinds; (1) Angry, or (2) Worried. I can see it in their faces. The angry ones have a grimace permanently glued on their face. They d...

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Unbind Them

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
November 09, 2021
In the Gospel According to John at chapter 11 we find the story of the death and raising of Lazarus. Lazarus had been dead for four days and “surely stinks” (v.39). Jesus walks up to the tomb and says, “Take away the stone.” Jesus’ next words are,...

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Other Sheep

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
November 03, 2021
Would you believe anyone that died outside of the traditional church structure of faith could have a chance at entering the Kingdom of God? Many Christians would adamantly answer, “NO!.” That concerns me. I see something in Holy Scripture that offers grace and life...

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Fake Bait

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
September 14, 2021
I have been getting fishing tips from Clint Baranowski of Infinity Fishing for a few years and I am amazed at the extent of his knowledge. When setting-up a plastic worm on a hook, he tells me to make sure the worm is straight on the hook and that the tip of the hook is covere...

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Masks?

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
August 25, 2021
To mask or not to mask, that is the socio-political question. Whether ‘tis nobler to don the mask and be scoffed at, or deny the mask and be otherwise labeled. I have been troubled many a fortnight with this question. When I was about 8 years old, an aunt that had been ...

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Happiness

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
August 16, 2021
Does happiness come from our circumstances, or from within us? If from within us, then can happiness be programmed into our minds as a norm, rather than an exception? What is real happiness? I remember living in the hills of Tennessee when our boys were little. We were truly...

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Heaping Coals

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
August 11, 2021
“… if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” (Romans 12:20, NRSV) I remember hearing and reading this scripture as a young person and thinking, &...

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The Room

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
July 21, 2021
Imagine finding a room in your home that you didn’t know existed. As you enter the room you notice that the floor is solid glass, glowing with pure white light. All the walls of the room are covered with bookshelves lined with books. There is a chair in the middle of the...

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Rain on a Mown Field

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
July 14, 2021
I was driving through NE Oklahoma the other day looking out at what seemed like thousands of acres of grass. It was about 2-3 feet tall and waving in the breeze. Then I saw a field that had been mown and baled. There looked like hundreds of large, round bales scattered across...

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Grass in the Cracks

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
June 30, 2021
When I was a kid, there was a stretch of four-lane highway built across a 9-mile area of rural farm land. It connected two very small towns and there was no reason for that road to be built, except that it was funded as part of a larger Bill in the State Legislature by a loca...

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The Mask

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
June 08, 2021
As masks rapidly disappear all over the Country, I feel it is appropriate to remember some of the unique moments we enjoyed while wearing them. Like the times you just ate a big meal, then burped into the mask, only to realize it didn’t smell as good as it tasted. Or p...

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Teaching Spirit

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
May 25, 2021
As Jesus was explaining to his disciples that he would soon be leaving the earth (See John chapter 14), he went on to say, “I will send the Advocate, the promised Holy Spirit to teach you everything and to remind you of all the things I have said.” (John 14: 26) P...

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See God?

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
April 21, 2021
A child asked me if I can “see” God. She was concerned because she could not. She had heard others say they “saw” God, and she felt left-out. I pondered the question for a minute and realized it was a tougher request than I had thought. How do you exp...

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Deepest Intentions

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
April 12, 2021
In the Bible book of Genesis, chapter 22, we read the story of God asking Abraham to offer his son, Isaac, as a burnt offering sacrifice. Abraham and Sarah had been promised a son, even though they were both nearly 100 years old. Isaac was a very precious gift of God. Being a...

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Hearts, Minds, and Guns

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
March 31, 2021
In the wake of mass shootings and other gun-related crimes, there are many voices demanding the limiting of guns and the strengthening of gun laws. Some even advocate taking all guns away from citizens. I don’t necessarily mind the limiting of assault weapons or the st...

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How Far Back?

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
March 22, 2021
I have been asking various people a question; “How far back can you remember?” Most say they can remember as far back as about 3 or 4 years old. My question is, “What happened to those first few years? Did you totally forget them?” The answer is ...

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Turn It Off

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
March 16, 2021
I tried something different last weekend. My days off have traditionally been Friday and Saturday, since I work on Sundays and would like to have two days off in a row. However, I worked the previous seven weekends without a day off. Not that my work is all that hard, but eve...

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Springgy

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
March 01, 2021
I went outside the other morning and thought to myself, “It feels rather springgy out today.” (I believe “Spring-like” would be grammatically correct) The sky was clear, the sun bright, and the oxygen-rich air smelled like nature was waking-up. We are ...

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Holy Lent

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
February 17, 2021
The observance of a Christian Season of Lent likely began shortly after the Council of Nicea (325 AD). The Council worked to define who we are as Christians when Christianity was first legalized. From it we have the Nicene Creed, and other documents used by the church to...

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Communities

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
February 03, 2021
Listening to the news this morning, something caught my ear in an unusual way. The reporter was discussing the varying effects of COVID-19 on different communities. The reporter stated that “black communities are harder-hit by the effects of the virus.” For ...

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The Lord is Near

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
January 20, 2021
In his letter to Christians in the ancient city of Philippi, the Apostle Paul wrote: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near … And the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard yo...

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Another Chance

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
December 29, 2020
Alleluia! A new year begins! 2020 certainly was way-up on my weird-o-meter! For the first part of 2021 things will be much the same as they have been for the last ten months or so. But, I can see a light at the end of the tunnel; perhaps by June 2021 we will be learning and p...

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Here I Am

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
December 16, 2020
The original Christmas story, beginning in Luke chapter 1, verse 26, tells how the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a small town called, Nazareth (many of my generation remember a rock band by the same name). Gabriel told Mary, a virgin (See Matthew 1:24-25), that she would c...

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Different

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
December 02, 2020
I was watching the old movie, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” featuring the voice of Burl Ives the other night. One of the main principles of the movie is the rejection of Rudolph because he is not like the other reindeer. Although it wasn’t until later in ...

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Start Here

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
November 24, 2020
The Bible book of Proverbs is a collection of the wise sayings of King Solomon, the son of King David of Israel. Solomon was writing instructions for living into the will of God and into the great potential God implanted in the human race. For Solomon, the prayer that God&rsq...

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Final Act

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
November 18, 2020
In Matthew chapter 24, Jesus’ disciples ask Him, “What will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?” Jesus describes what the world will be like when the “end” comes: “… many will fall away [from the faith] and they w...

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What is Love?

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
October 28, 2020
As I ask that question, I discover how difficult it is to answer. How would you describe love? If you think love is a feeling, think again; that could be heartburn. If you think love is like a fantasy, that can be dangerous; fantasy is almost always better than reality. What ...

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Turbulence

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
August 12, 2020
Marla and I were out in the boat last weekend and I always enjoy looking back and watching the turbulence behind the boat. I don’t know what it is that appeals to me about it. Last weekend as I looked at the prop turbulence, I noticed how the water remains stirred-up fo...

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Empathy

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
August 04, 2020
I used to get sympathy and empathy confused. Sympathy is when we feel bad for someone; empathy is when you try to understand how someone else feels. The following scripture from the Letter to the Hebrews is from The Message Bible: “Regard prisoners as if you were in pri...

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Loved?

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
July 29, 2020
At John 13:34, Jesus is quoted as saying, “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another.” (The Message Bible) This advice is to recognize how much we are loved and to love others the same way. That is often the...

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Kindergarten

By The Rev. Dr. David L. Bridges, Priest
July 22, 2020
I remember seeing a poster many years ago that said, “I learned everything I needed to know in life in Kindergarten”, then went on to list the most important life lessons: 1. Be Nice 2. Eat your vegetables 3. Wash Your Hands 4. ...

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Chosen Flesh

By The Rev. Dr. David L. Bridges, Priest
July 15, 2020
“The Word became flesh and stayed for a little while among us …” (John 1:14a; TIB) Christians understand the “Word” as being the pre-incarnate Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. The first verse of John chapter 1 tells us, “… The Word was...

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Abba and the Chosen One

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
July 08, 2020
“Abba God the loved the world so much that Abba God sent the Chosen One, so that everyone that believes in the Chosen One would never die, but live forever.” (John 3:16; The Inclusive Bible) The gift of love, intended for all humankind, comes from Abba God, the Cr...

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Cool Water

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
June 25, 2020
Do you remember the Marty Robbins song, “Cool, Clear Water”? The first verse reads: “All day I've faced a barren waste, without the taste of water, cool water. Old Dan and I with throats burned dry, and souls that cry for water. Cool, clear, water.” At...

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I Saw God

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges, Priest
June 11, 2020
The words below were sent by email to me under the pen name, “A Simple Man”. I am so impressed by these words that I need to share them with you. I will warn you that the punch line may surprise you, but I believe God often has a way of reaching us when we are not...

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DWJWD

By The Rev. Dr. David L. Bridges, Priest
June 04, 2020
I remember when the catch phrase, WWJD, became popular. It was a great concept; to ask yourself how to act or react based on what you believe Jesus would do. But does that mean we actually did it? My good friend, Carl Dunlap, asked me if we could use the acronym DWJWD = &ldq...

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Partners

By The Rev. Dr. David L. Bridges, Priest
May 28, 2020
Words have meaning, but the meaning of words is often contextual, and meanings change based on societal changes in usage. For example: “Awesome” can mean, large, mighty, intimidating, etc. But in the 1980′s “Awesome” meant, great, cool, or neat. Now...

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Inspiration

By The Rev. Dr. David L. Bridges, Priest
May 21, 2020
As I sit at my desk hoping for inspiration to write this article, I realize that is what I should write about; Inspiration. Webster’s Dictionary defines it, in part, as: “An awakening, quickening, or creative impulse, especially as manifested in artistic achieveme...

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Tails Up!

By The Rev. Dr. David L. Bridges, Priest
May 06, 2020
You may have noticed the “ritual” involved with two or more dogs meeting for the first time. Of course there is the obligatory butt-sniffing (which has a scientific purpose, look it up), but long before that is the first impression response. Some dogs assume othe...

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After

By The Rev. Dr. David L. Bridges, Priest
April 29, 2020
There are events in life that cause us to measure time in terms of “before” and “after”. We clearly mark time in our stories as one or the other. For example: “Before 9-11, we didn’t have as much security at airports.” Or, “after...

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The Cocoon

By The Rev. Dr. David Bridges
April 15, 2020
The Corona Virus stay-in of 2020 is also being called “The Great Re-Set”. Nothing seems the same as before, and things may never be the same again. It that bad? I’m not sure. I have noticed more people talking about faith and spirituality. I have noticed mor...

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Spiritual PPE

By Fr. David Bridges
April 08, 2020
Lately we have been hearing and learning a great deal about PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). Many people are making their own face masks and hand sanitizer. We are taking great precautions for our own safety and that of others. One of those precautions is to shelter-in-p...

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The Garden

By Fr. David+
April 05, 2020
In the Book of Genesis there is a narrative describing the time before creation when “… no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up – for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to...

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Stay In

By Fr. David Bridges
March 25, 2020
Here we are at the “Stay In” learning how to work from home. Funny how many of us have dreamed of working from home, but now that we are staying home out of necessity, it may not be as much fun as we thought. What is most difficult for me is not having &ldqu...

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Independence

By Fr. David
July 03, 2019
This July 4th the United States celebrates 243 years as a nation. I was reading the Declaration of Independence and noticed a few very significant phrases. Our founding fathers believed that this Nation should be formed to assume “the separate and equal station to which the...

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Beauty

By Fr. David
June 26, 2019
Have you seen those TV programs or on-line collections of advertisements and fashions from past decades? Sometimes the styles and fashions of the past look funny to us now. Other times, those styles and fashions return to popularity. Or perhaps you have seen advertisements from t...

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Behind the Scenes

By Fr. David
June 20, 2019
We can’t always know what is happening behind the scenes. Often, years later we hear the story-behind-the-story. Macrina (340-379), a monastic and teacher, is at the heart of one of those stories. Macrina founded one of the earliest Christian communit...

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Toil & Trouble

By Fr. David
June 12, 2019
We have all known someone that seems to have a dark cloud over them. The weirdest and least-likely disasters happen to these people. Even when things are going well for them, they may make choices that bring more trouble into their lives. It seems that some people have had so muc...

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Preserve Us

By Fr. David
June 05, 2019
This prayer appears in the Daily Devotion section of the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer: “Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversi...

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ST. ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
555 E. Third Street | Grove, OK 74344
(918) 801-2203

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