Friends,

I would like to take this unique opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Micah Brown, and I am a summer intern at St Luke’s. Though, I plan to stick around after the internship. I am originally from Oregon, but live in Alexandria with my wife, Dewey, and our dog, Ginny. I am heading into my final year of seminary.

My role at St Luke’s is not only an intern. Dewey and I consider St Luke’s our home church. God-willing and the people consenting, Bishop Stevenson will ordain me in the spring, and Fr Nick is my presenting priest for ordination. It is a great privilege to be back at St Luke’s – back home; we are slowly settling back in, with things like the Block Party and Supper Club. But the church is just as welcoming as it was when we left it, so it has been all too easy to settle back in.

Like many of you, I did not grow up in the Episcopal Church. I was raised a child of two Pentecostal youth pastors. I discovered the Anglican tradition while I was in college, where I was studying for a Bachelor of Theology with an emphasis in biblical studies. I'm very interested in theological studies and the biblical languages. (I am currently writing my masters thesis on biblical interpretation.) I also love youth group. But I've learned the hard way that these often don't mix well. I found that middle schoolers, especially, are typically asleep before I can say "theologically.”

On a slightly more interesting note, I very much enjoy English literature (Dickens especially) and some Russian literature (Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy), though I don't know Russian so I am bound to the translations. My favorite book is The Brothers Karamazov, but a close second is The Spiritual Letters of Abbot John Chapman, which has had an enormous influence on my prayer life. I also love music. John Mayer and Bob Dylan are most common, especially for their guitar playing. I’ve played the guitar for many years, and have recently begun learning the banjo. I always love to watch a new movie, but some of my frequent replays are Happy Gilmore, The Imitation Game, and The Departed. My favorite food is a croissant. (Especially those with chocolate in the middle!)

I hope to get to know you all more very soon. If you resonate (or, indeed, strongly disagree!) with any of my preferences in this introduction, please do come say hi and have a chat. Many of you already have. I am continually impressed by how welcoming our parish is.

In the gospel this Sunday, we will hear some words from Jesus that should encourage you all. He says to his disciples, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” St Luke’s has created a culture of welcome. This church family is taking seriously that New Testament imperative, so that strangers – no matter how strange – are offered a new vision of a loving humanity, one so different from a vision offered outside the walls of the church. Hospitality is a particular gift of yours. Hospitality, philoxenia in the New Testament, means literally “love of the stranger.” Linguistically, it is precisely the opposite of “xenophobia” (“fear of the stranger).

I am excited to get to know our inspiringly hospitable community better this summer (and beyond!). Thank you for being so faithful to that New Testament description of Christian community, one that takes Jesus at his word when he says, simply: “everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Thank you for extending that love to Dewey and I for two years now. I look forward to learning this hospitality from you all this summer.

-Micah