Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, 4800 Six Forks Road, Suite 300, Raleigh, NC (2026)

09/14/2026

Remembering Holy Cross Day, in today's diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for the Rev. Amanda Stephenson and the Rev. Maggie Stoddard.

Gospel: John 3:11-17, https://f.mtr.cool/noxzcg52wh
11 “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen, yet you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him.

09/13/2026

The diocese gives thanks for the ministry of the Rev. Milton Williams, rector of St. Francis in Greensboro, upon his retirement. Many blessings on the next chapter in your ministry!

Gracious God, bless your servant, Milton. Surround him with our gratitude and love in this season of change, that he would sense your presence and delight in his daily life. Thank you for giving Joe to us to know as a sibling in Christ, a steward of your mysteries, and a worker for peace. Guide him in the continued use of his gifts that he may use them to bless the church and the world through Jesus Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

09/13/2026

In today's diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for the Rev. Leslie Steffensen and the Rev. Hershey Mallette Stephens; Calvary, Wadesboro; St. John's, Wake Forest.

Gospel: Matthew 5:21-26, https://f.mtr.cool/x6esbyxlmy
Concerning Anger
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder,’ and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment, and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council, and if you say, ‘You fool,’ you will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

09/12/2026

In today's diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for the Rev. Joseph Sroka and the Rev. David Stanford.

Gospel: John 11:45-54, https://f.mtr.cool/j4ihdfdwxd
The Plot to Kill Jesus
45 Many of the Jews, therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. 53 So from that day on they planned to put him to death.

54 Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews but went from there to a town called Ephraim in the region near the wilderness, and he remained there with the disciples.

09/11/2026

As we observe and mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks we share with you the words of the Rev. Stuart Hoke, a priest of this diocese, now retired, who was serving at Trinity Wall Street in New York City that day. His remembrance and reflection speaks to all of us, as we hold in our hearts those whose lives were lost in New York, in Washington, D.C., and in Pennsylvania 25 years ago today.

A REFLECTION FROM THE REV. STUART HOKE
I was on my way to work at Trinity Wall Street in New York City on 9/11/2001. I had just gotten off the subway and was standing under the North Tower of the World Trade Center when it was attacked 1,000 feet over my head. My office was 150 yards away. On that day—and on almost every day for the next seven years—efforts aimed at recovery became the shape of my ministry.

The Rev. Dan Matthews, former rector of Trinity Wall Street and my boss at the time, preached a sermon on the Sunday following 9/11. Because of serious damage to Trinity Church, we had to borrow a place to worship, and felt ourselves wanderers in exile. Fr. Matthews hit the nail on the head when he said: “Dust, Dust, Dust, everywhere dust. The dust fell on all of us—no matter who we are, or what we do, or where we live—and our lives have been turned upside down and inside out by this horrendous event.”

Oh dear God in Heaven, recall for a moment the enormous loss of life on that terrible day, the woeful outpouring of grief, the destruction of the very heart of our nation, the termination of the illusion that America is impenetrable, and that wave of pitiful and incomprehensible demoralization that befell every single one of us. We know firsthand the meaning of devastation and desolation. And we will never, ever forget it.

But if you have any Christian blood in you at all, any notion of the Gospel message, any understanding of the Way of the Cross, you also know down deep in your bones that Good Friday is never the final answer when it comes to tragedy and loss. Easter always and everywhere lies on the other side of crucifixion. And God being God, you and I don’t have to wait long before the light begins to shine in darkness, life starts to emerge from death, joy begins to make itself known right in the midst of suffering, and good flattens evil. That’s precisely what we witnessed in the weeks and months that followed.

Experiences of awe-full redemption occurred simultaneously within that awful occasion of abject evil. God appeared in the most unexpected ways, from the most unlikely people, all provided through the vehicle of “coincidence,” most especially at times of extremity. Our extremity is always God’s opportunity.

09/11/2026

In today's diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for the Rev. Leon Spencer and the Rev. Canon Marion Sprott.

Gospel: John 11:30-44, https://f.mtr.cool/018wl3drg5
30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 The Jews who were with her in the house consoling her saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life
38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

09/10/2026

Today the Standing Committee announced the Search and Transition Committees for the search for the 13th bishop of North Carolina.

Read more: https://episdionc.org/2026/09/10/search-and-transition-committees-announced/

09/10/2026

In today's diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for the Rev. Teddra Smith and the Rev. Candace Snively.

Gospel: John 11:17-29, https://f.mtr.cool/loo98pguup
Jesus the Resurrection and the Life
17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”

Jesus Weeps
28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him.

09/09/2026

In today's diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for the Rev. Stephen Smith and the Rev. Susannah Smith.

Gospel: John 11:1-16, https://f.mtr.cool/ipbn64pcpc
The Death of Lazarus
11 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather, it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6 after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble because they see the light of this world. 10 But those who walk at night stumble because the light is not in them.” 11 After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” 13 Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

09/08/2026

In today's diocesan cycle of prayer, we pray for the Rev. Harmon Smith and the Rev. Murdock Smith III.

Gospel: John 10:31-42, https://f.mtr.cool/ezw6ww2yqp
31 The Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human, are making yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’—and the scripture cannot be annulled— 36 can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. 38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands.

40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. 41 Many came to him, and they were saying, “John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in him there.

Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina

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