There are certain things you expect when you go out to dinner. A fork, a spoon, a kinfe. A napkin. A plate. A table to eat on. Someone to take your order. Someone to fill your cup. And depending on which restaurant you choose or whose house you’ve been invited to, the theme and fare can vary. There might be sombreros on the wall in a Mexican restaurant, while pictures of Ronald and Hamburgerler comprise the artwork at your local McDonald’s....

As I’m sure is the case for many of us here, reading the newspaper is a key part of my morning routine. Coffee is, of course, key as well, making the news of all that’s going on in the world somewhat more digestible. This is a morning routine that my parents follow, learned from their parents before them, I’ll bet, and on up the generational line. There are a couple of differences, though, in how this routine gets carried out these days....

A couple summers ago my wife and I piled the kids into the minivan and headed West. It was to be our big vacation of the year – all the way to California coast. Why fly when the classic “road trip” offers so much more? More sites to see; more local cuisines to sample; more time together – the latter, of course, adding some emotional depth to the experience, one might say....

‘Tis the season for the Tour de France. This is the legendary bicycle race throughout some of Europe’s most dramatically beautiful countryside. And just as the scenery is breathtaking, so is the riding. About 100 cyclists, at the peak of humankind’s athletic capabilities, ride for twenty-one days, averaging around 100 miles each day, at speeds of 30 to 40 miles per hour. For the uninitiated, these are jaw dropping statistics, only achievable by the best of the best....

Imagine, if you will, a group of Episcopalians standing together and talking just before the start of the Pentecost service. It’s the annual bishop’s visit and last minute preparations are being made. The acolyte master says, “Lay eucharistic minster, the verger will meet you in the narthex.” And one of of the eucharistic minster’s adds, “right near the acolytes and the thurifer.” The associate rector then says, “Anyone seen the canon to the ordinary?...