Bathing in sunlight and gazing at mountain peaks that looked as if they were brushed with oil onto the sky, I found myself pondering an unexpected lesson from this year's clergy retreat: God often dwells in the moments we barely notice. Each year, the Diocese of Western North Carolina gathers clergy and staff for a fall retreat. Every retreat is different. Sometimes a speaker teaches on a particular topic; other times, a theme guides our time together. This year, our speaker

Holidays invite us to recognize, commemorate, and cherish what feels like a gift or a blessing. When I recently wrote about Mother’s Day, I explored how complex the holiday can be for many people. Now, we find ourselves at Father’s Day, which carries its own heavy significance. Relationships with father figures are rarely straightforward. They are a patchwork of shifting seasons, layered emotions, and vivid memories. As I researched the history of Father’s Day, I was struck b