Carlye J. Hughes's blog

Bishop Hughes' message for Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.

Your spiritual gifts are the way God not only takes care of you, but also takes care of the world around you. And the more you practice your spiritual gifts, the better you'll get at them. This can feel like a daunting prospect, but Bishop Hughes has some simple suggestions for how to approach this. (Time: 2:05.)

At the 145th Annual Diocesan Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark, Bishop Carlye Hughes gave her address in three parts structured on the Convention theme of "Gifted, Called, Sent."

"You are the salt of the earth." Watch Bishop Carlye Hughes' homily at the opening Eucharist of the 145th Annual Diocesan Convention.

Bishop Hughes reminds us that Diocesan Convention in not just one big business meeting, but also a place for the entire community to gather and remember just how diverse we are, just how big we are, just how many ways God blesses us.

Bishop Hughes suggests that we can nurture our spiritual lives by following Mary's example, when she "treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart."

Except for the very organized folks, I imagine most of us are in final preparation mode for Christmas celebrations.

As we enter into the seasons of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany and celebrate them in community, Bishop Hughes encourages us to invite someone to join us.

You are in my prayers this holiday. I hope your celebrations are filled with love, laughter, and a really good meal!