All Saints Have Shadow Sides

Canon Robert Lewis from August 22, 2025

Support for New Ministries

Dean Kristi Maulden from August 15, 2025

Ministry: Where Your Gifts and Joy Intersect

Canon Robert Lewis from August 8, 2025

How Can I be a Faithful Christian When...

Dean Kristi Maulden from August 1, 2025

Vacation Bible School Reflections

Dean Kristi Maulden from July 18, 2025

Why I preach at Funerals

Dean Kristi Maulden from June 6, 2025

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Last Sunday, I left with a sense that I had not completed my sermon. I had spoken of the saints of old, their challenges, their perseverance, and how, even today, some still fall into the category of those who will see the promises of God come to fruition. Still others will hold on to the promise that God will answer those prayers after they have long gone on to their eternal reward.

The part I omitted—though I seriously debated including it—was this: many of the saints mentioned in Hebrews 11 (or featured in our calendar of saints) had shadow sides.

Take Abraham, for example. He is the father of nations and a hero in the stories of all three monotheistic religions. But when his faith was tested, he took matters into his own hands, fathering his first child by a slave woman who was not his wife.

Or consider Isaac. The favoritism he and his wife Rebekah showed toward their sons pitted them against one another and caused deep division. And then there's Jacob, a thief and a cheat, who defrauded his own brother to take his inheritance. King David, considered the monarch at the high point of Jewish history, was indeed a “man after God’s own heart.” But he was also a deeply flawed father. His family line continued through a union we would now recognize as an abuse of power and sexual assault, followed by a proxy murder to cover it up.

In the New Testament, the saints had similar struggles. Paul, once a zealous Pharisee, consented to the murder of Stephen. In his own shortsightedness, he even advocated that slaves remain in their condition (Titus 2:9). Apparently, that same shortsightedness was shared by Peter, who wrote similarly in 1 Peter 2:18. Surely we can agree that advocating slavery is hardly a Christian virtue. But we must remember, they believed Jesus would return in their lifetimes.

No doubt, the saints in your own lives have shadow sides too. Perhaps there was an uncle who loved Jesus and provided well, but who became difficult to manage when he had been drinking. Maybe there was a sister who was as close to a Proverbs 31 woman as one could find, but who had a temper that could make anyone afraid. The point is this: saints are not perfect. They are not flawless. They are examples of people who actively engaged their faith, but who carried the same imperfections that we all must work to refine.

I had also thought about saying that saints are not superheroes. But the more I considered it, the more I realized they actually share many characteristics. Superheroes, too, have both positive and negative impacts. They can inspire creativity, promote physical activity, and teach noble values. Yet they can also glorify violence, reinforce gender stereotypes, and promote unrealistic body images. But here’s the key difference: superheroes are fictional, and saints are real.

Still, I do believe children and adults need role models. Perhaps that’s the crux of the matter. Our journey toward sanctity requires examples, just as the writer of Hebrews knew his audience needed to see those who had run the race that was set before them with endurance.

So, I encourage you: find those people you can look up to. Glean from them a strategy for growing in Jesus. But remember, every saint has a shadow side, just as we do. Perhaps they spent their whole lives trying to overcome it, only to find it the promise they held onto when they went into glory

May we still seek their prayers and support, and may we work diligently to confront and resolve our own shadow sides, this side of eternity.

Canon Robert+

Support for New Ministries

The 2025–2026 program year is beginning! We have already launched our return to three Sunday morning services. Sunday School is back in session, and Forum is once again meeting at 10 a.m. The choirs will return in September, along with several new Christian Education classes. I will be leading a course on Parables starting September 16th, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Canon Robert continues to lead the Adult Forum, where they are exploring non-canonical scripture texts. Even more exciting, a number of laypersons are developing a wide variety of new ministries. Here are some highlights of these nascent efforts:

Loaves of Love

Julie Hammond felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit to take up baking. This is quite a story, as Julie was never one to bake! She began baking loaves of bread and distributing them to the unhoused. Now, she bakes for Church Unbound, our street ministry, almost every week. The people who attend Church Unbound affectionately call her the “Bread Lady.” She has melted hearts and broken down walls of suspicion simply by offering bread to strangers.

Julie would like to expand this ministry so that even more people can receive this gift. She is looking for fellow bread bakers—no experience necessary—to join her on Friday mornings at the Cathedral to bake together. If this ministry interests you, please contact Julie at juliehogghammond@gmail.com.

Cathedral Knitters

There have been previous versions of a Knitter’s Guild at the Cathedral. This is a resurrection, of sorts. Drew Austin is leading the charge to restart a gathering of knitters and crocheters to create scarves, hats, blankets, and more for various charities throughout the Albuquerque area.

Drew is an amazing knitter and a wonderful teacher. She invites anyone interested, experienced or not, to join her on Tuesday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. This will be a lovely time not only to enjoy the creative process, but also to build community in a small group setting. For more information, please contact Drew at drewellenaustin@gmail.com.

Parenting Group

Becca Lewis, mother of little Michael and wife to Canon Robert, is putting together a group specifically for parents of small children. Becca has a deep faith and brings a wealth of knowledge from her career as a nurse.

This group will begin gathering soon to discuss their plans for the fall. Meetings will likely take place on Sunday mornings between services. If you would like to be a part of this group, please contact Becca at paquette.r@gmail.com.

Buildings and Grounds

Dan Ashton, our Junior Warden, is looking for volunteers to help with maintenance and care of the Cathedral grounds. If you’re interested in lending a hand, please reach out to Dan directly.

Weekday Worship

Weekday service opportunities are expanding to include Wednesday evening in-person Vespers, led by Erin Donegan. More information, including the start date, will be published in the coming weeks.

Dean Kristi+

Summertime is soon to be a thing of the past, but before it fades into memory, it’s a good time to pause and take stock of how well we are living into our callings. Each of us, by virtue of our baptismal promises, is a missionary – called to proclaim the Good News of God in Christ through both word and example. How we live out that calling is as individual as a fingerprint.

I’m fond of saying that our individual ministry lies where our gifts and our joy intersect. If either is missing, then that’s not the place where God is calling us to serve. Perhaps you love the idea of music but can’t carry a tune. Well, I suspect the choir would be quite relieved if you didn’t try to join them! Conversely, if you sing beautifully but find the idea of singing in a group torturous, that likely isn’t your ministry either.

Instead, consider John, a man who served faithfully in a prior parish of mine. He was a skilled carpenter, especially when it came to finish work. Across from the church was a local Habitat for Humanity that we occasionally partnered with. I introduced John to their executive director. What started as a simple introduction, led to the parish sponsoring a build each year. John became the parish coordinator, and each year, a family received much-needed affordable housing. John got to teach his craft to those eager to learn, and the community came to see that the parish was invested in real solutions to the housing crisis.

People like John aren’t the exception. They fill our pews Sunday after Sunday. Many don’t even realize that ministry should feel normal, even energizing—like being “in their zone.” Your clergy love helping you discover your ministry—it's where your gifts and joy intersect.

Are you unsure what ministry God may be calling you to? Don’t worry. One of the privileges of ordained life is that we are called, as Ephesians 4:12 reminds us, “to equip the saints for the work of ministry.” That means the Dean and I find our own joy in helping you utilize your gifts to serve here at St. John’s !

As summer draws to a close, maybe it’s time to talk with one of us about finding the ministry that’s just right for you.

Canon Robert+

What does it mean to be a Christian these days?

I wanted to reflect on a conversation I had with a young woman. She is not a member of our Cathedral. She visited one Sunday and wanted to talk about what it is that we do here. We talked for over an hour about her faith journey and what she was seeking. She asked some pretty deep questions. I feel that it is very important to ask these kinds of questions. Maybe you have been asking these too.

How are we to live as Christians while attending a church that excludes people that we consider friends?   This gets as the heart of Jesus’ time on earth. Jesus spent most of his time with people who were excluded from the Temple. He hung out with tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers and foreigners. He made a point of going to the homes of the outcasts. He healed and brought back into fellowship those who were judged as unworthy. As faithful Christians, this is the way of love. I am so grateful that the Episcopal Church and this Cathedral make it a point to welcome and include everybody. We, as a church, have struggled to get where we are now. The process for ordination is open to all people regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. These things have happened in my lifetime. When I was baptized as a baby, women were not yet allowed to be priests. I am glad to belong to a church that asked itself those tough questions.

What do I do when I love the people at my church but I do not believe like they believe? Should I stay there or find another place to worship?  This is tough. It is a journey of discernment. Do you still find peace when you worship at your current congregation? Is God calling you to go where you will be more comfortable with the values of a different church or is God nudging you to help your current church have those difficult conversations? People in any congregation will disagree on any number of topics. We all have passions and convictions that are sometimes at odds with our fellow church goers or our clergy. Often churches are bound as well by denominational constraints when it comes to inclusion regarding who can lead or teach. Are we called to be change agents? Is it time for a season of growth or a season of rest?

 What are we doing here that makes a difference? Tell me about Church Unbound. Why does your church support that? What else do they support?  Many people are looking for a church that makes an impact into the greater community. I think we do this in a number of ways. For years, the Food Pantry has helped our downtown neighbors with food insecurity. The Thrift Shop donates thousands of dollars to organizations who help the unhoused. They also support under-resourced elementary schools and underwrite the costs of the Cathedral’s Food Pantry. Church Unbound’s mission is to bring the love of Jesus to those who have no place to go. It is a ministry that does not judge or discriminate. Those who serve at Church Unbound bring food, prayers, communion, clothes and Bibles to our neighbors who rarely feel the love of God otherwise. 

The Cathedral impacts our neighbors in other ways. Many of our small churches in this diocese do not have the ability to offer Christian Formation classes. We offer hybrid Christian formation classes that are available to anybody-you don’t even have to live in New Mexico. Our music program offers music education (for free!) for children and youth in the Albuquerque area.  We are a place where people can enjoy beautiful, inspiring music throughout the year through worship and through afternoon concerts and special services. We connect to our neighbors through community events like Breakfast with Santa, the Children’s Messiah and Trunk or Treat. We live our faith through action.

 How can I be faithful to Jesus when I have so many questions?  To be a follower of Christ is to live with the questions. We walk by faith and not by sight. There are days when we believe and God feels so close. There are other days when we wonder if God is even there. Does God even care about my troubles? Where is God when there are floods and earthquakes? Where is God when there are people starving? Any one of us cannot fix all the things that go wrong-either through natural causes or through human hands. But, as Christians we are called to be sources of light and love. There will always be moments of darkness in our lives. Being faithful means we don’t give up. Being faithful means that we hold fast to the joy that is in us. Being faithful means we keep showing up.

Dean Kristi+

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Dean’s Column

Reflections from 20 years of doing crafts and art at Vacation Bible School

I have spent many years designing crafts for kids for Vacation Bible School or Breakfast with Santa or Sunday School. Overall, most children love to do arts and crafts. So do I. In fact, I may get more energy out of researching, designing and doing the project myself  than in actually leading it. But, there is a tremendous variety in how kids, as individuals, approach any given project. I love to see their creativity! Watching how children interact with materials and guidelines has caused me to let go of any desire to direct the outcome. It is better that way. And, they do give me a glimpse into the diversity of how we live our lives outside of art class. I think how we do art points to how we do everything. I want to share some of those reflections. 

In every group of kids, there are the rule followers. In fact, it is seems totally reasonable to start with them. They pay attention to the instructions. They make a plan. They are the ones who will color in the lines with the appropriate colors. They cut things out carefully and don’t use too much glue. If we are talking about boats, they draw something with a boat. They come out with projects that are lovely examples of how it should be done. They would like an A even when there are no grades. 

Then, there is that one kid who takes forever to finish. No matter what the craft is, painting or drawing, God’s eyes or felt figures, they will add their own special touches. When everyone else has moved on to snack, they can be found back at the craft table, intent on what they are doing, oblivious to the rest of the world. When they are finished, they have created art that incorporates facets of themselves. They are the ones that are never satisfied with the status quo.

We also see the kids who take, for example, the palette of colors given to them and decide that the selection is lacking. With these colors they are not satisfied. In fact, it is in the mixing of the colors to form new ones that they find satisfaction. Oh, were they supposed to use them to do the project? Totally secondary. If they do the project, they produce art that explores ways of taking the ordinary and making it completely new. Often they are the ones that also have drips and splashes of their palettes all over their clothes and person. If you are looking for completed art from this group to hang on the wall, just forget it. The process is what matters to them.

I have known kids (and adults) who are the perfectionists. They look at art as a challenge. It must be absolutely as they envision it in their heads. It must turn out beautifully. Be the best in the room. There is nothing random to the paint used or the ribbon curled. They are similar to the rule followers, but with more angst. They get stuck on a skill until they get it right. Or, they throw the object of their angst away, in disgust. This is easier to do with a craft project, of course, than the things that life throws our way. 

Inevitably, there are those who I will term the heavy onlookers. Maybe they feel insecure in their own abilities. Maybe they don’t trust their own imagination. Or, they are looking for belonging or approval. They are the ones that look to the left and to the right, watching what the other kids are doing. And then they copy them. I remember early on when I was leading a communion class and we were decorating chalices. Funny how patterns and color choices were duplicated by those sitting next to each other. You can get away with this in art class. This is highly problematic in other types classes, say Algebra. And, of course, simply copying and pasting other people’s thoughts and behaviors into our own lives may lead to an unimaginative and unreflective spirit. 

Then there are those that are quick to finish. Art is a job to be done. They do the job as quickly as possible then move on to something else. Art is not something that absorbs them. These are the ones that cause us teachers of kids to have back up plans. They are the ones that rush to the “what are we doing next?” They are the ones who get bored and want to know when there will be snacks, or games, or just anything else. Perhaps, with any of us, there are those parts of life that we rush through. Maybe we are not into reading or playing sports or doing housework. Maybe we don’t take our time in forming relationships or developing our faith. I wonder what we miss in our rush.

I am totally fascinated by “Those who are oblivious to mess”. I have watched kids make incredible pieces of art (that have nothing to do with what we were intending) by letting water seep and colors run together. Their work is chaotic and messy. They might even drip on another’s work and not even notice. They use too much glue and don’t care that it will never dry. I think I learn the most from those who are the opposite of me. These kids would be them.  I thought of this as I watched one child use watercolors by drenching the paper with water and dripping color from brushes laden with paint onto it. This child watched the colors merge and move. The paint was not contained by the paper. And there was great satisfaction. 

 Are you a mixer of color? Are you driven by rules or by perfection? Are you a mess maker or a careful planner? Whoever you are, it is okay to paint or color outside the lines. Just remember, there are people who approach life in all these ways. We can be annoyed or we can learn.

Dean Kristi+

Why I preach at Funerals

One thing is certain: we all will die. This mortal body will wear out at some point. We all know this. But death seems to come as a shock to the system, always. There is no easy goodbye, even if we know that someone we love has been on hospice for months. Preparing for loss is troubling and often incomprehensible. What we experience of the people we love is physical presence, intellectual connection, emotional response, and soul shaping memory. So, when we lose someone to death, our minds cannot make sense of it. This is one reason I always preach at funerals, even when I didn’t know the person who died.

Making sense of death and dying is a universal human struggle. I know from walking alongside many who grieve that how we die is also an important part of this struggle. The violent or sudden death of someone we love leaves us immersed in anger, depression, and anxiety as a heavy layer on top of our grief. Questions of why or how could this happen or if only, circle in our thoughts, again and again. There seems to be no answer to these endless questions. We want someone to blame. We blame other people, ourselves and God. How could God allow this to happen? Where was Jesus for my aunt, my child, or cousin, or father or brother? People use death as a reason to pull away from faith. Sadly, these times of deep emotional hurt are exactly when we need to be drawing in closer. This is also why I preach at funerals.

It is good when we have time to say goodby. It is helpful when the ones we love are at peace with dying. I have been present for many gentle deaths. Even there, grief can take us far from the One who made us. We need to hear of hope. As Christians, we have a great hope: we know that this body is temporary and that there is a resurrected body waiting for us. Death is not the end of the journey-it is the beginning of a new one. It says in 2 Corinthians 3:8, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed from one degree of glory to another.” The disciples saw this transformation in the face of our resurrected Lord Jesus. We are inheritors of that promise. There is so much more to come! But we walk by faith and not by sight. Another reason to preach at funerals.

Not all church funeral services offer grace and resurrected hope. Sometimes what people hear at funerals are threats of hell if they don’t repent and turn to Jesus. I do not believe we serve a God that desires our allegiance out of fear. I know God desires the best for us, in this life and in the one to come. I believe that path is one filled with love and forgiveness. One of our prayers for mission in our Book of Common Prayer (pg 101) states that “Christ stretched out his arms of love on the hard wood of the cross so that all might come within the reach of his saving embrace.” God’s embrace is loving, joyous, gentle and gracious. God’s desire is for all to be included in the promise of heaven. God understands the human heart. We are not left comfortless. There is far more good news than bad! Offering an alternative approach to God: also why I preach at funerals.

Many people who attend funerals are not regular church goers. Maybe they have never been to church. What they see and hear at a funeral may very well be their first introduction to God. I believe there is a longing in every person to connect to God. They may not have the language for this feeling or this ache. Humans are very good at finding alternatives to connecting to God. We worship at the altars of money or addictions or immerse ourselves in hobbies, sports, or other fun things. However, nothing on earth can take the place of our relationship to God. If it is at all possible, when a non believer or a former believer, sits in the pew of our Cathedral, whatever the occasion, I hope they experience grace. I pray that the words of our liturgy, the beauty of our music, our sacred space, the kindness of our people, the message we give, touches the hearts of those who are lost, lonely, angry, grieving, apathetic, or cynical. Transformation happens all the time. I will always preach at funerals.

Dean Kristi+