Michael W. Galica

Out of the Narthex

Distinct from the Ecclesial Beta Testing section, here are my more informal thoughts on the church and theology in a Post-Christian era. My goal is for this to have at least monthly posts, though life happens. Sometimes an idea that begins here might be developed into something more formal later, especially if there is interest for it.

Latest Posts

  • Independence Day
    As this posts goes live, it is July 4, 2026—the 250th anniversary of the issuance of the Declaration of Independence, and the day we in the United States of America celebrate the beginning of our nation’s existence. And today, I’m going to write a bit about a problem we’re facing, one that dresses nice and looks presentable and may even have some tempting notions, but ultimately one that is quite problematic: Christian Nationalism.
  • Eating & Drinking Together
    For most of the folk who would appear on my website, today is just a Thursday. But for our Catholic siblings it is a feast day: the Feast of Corpus Christi. For Protestants, who on the whole do not take a literalist interpretation of Jesus’s presence in Holy Communion, it’s a feast day we don’t remember. Maybe we should though, because it’s also a day to remember one of the most important aspects of Christianity: the new community we are in Christ.
  • Up, Up, and Away!
    Today is Ascension Day, the final moment in Jesus’s time on earth. He was born a human, lived as a human, died as a human, raised as something more than human, and finally returns to God the Parent as that resurrected human. In many churches and for many pastors, the ascension is an afterthought; but I think Jesus’s ascension is far more important than we give it credit for, because it sums up God’s purpose for the entire Incarnation: being with humanity.
  • Installing & Installed
    Even though I’ve served at the church I serve for several months now, today (at the very moment this post goes live, in fact!) I will be officially installed as its pastor. It seems a little weird to do—I’m already the pastor, after all. The church called me, I’ve been there for months; why bother with this special service? We bother because it’s a moment to recognize the numerous covenants and important relationships which sustain pastor and congregation.
  • Holy Saturday
    Today is Holy Saturday—sometimes called Great Saturday or Black Saturday. It’s the day between Good Friday (on which we remember Jesus of Nazareth’s death by crucifixion) and Easter Sunday (the day we remember and celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin and death through his resurrection) but in most churches, this day is not usually celebrated. Instead it is the day of an Easter Vigil, or a day of preparation for Easter Sunday. But Holy Saturday is one of my favorite days of the church year, because it’s the day which best reflects the Christian life with its tension between the promised future of God and the uncomfortable present.

Archived Posts