Simply Christian LIFE with Bishop Michael Hunn

Here Be Dragons 3 : Living Faithfully When God is Silent

Here Be Dragons (Meditation 3): Trusting God in Silence and Darkness
Bishop Michael Hunn of the Diocese of the Rio Grande offers the third meditation in “Here Be Dragons: three meditations on the apophatic Way,” reflecting on Jesus’ raw prayer in Gethsemane and the apophatic experience of Holy Week where praise turns to abandonment and silence. He argues Christian leadership keeps tending earthly responsibilities while remaining open to God’s will, practicing costly trust rather than resignation. Hunn critiques the urge to fill hospital rooms and church meetings with easy answers, insisting darkness and silence are not empty but the soil of resurrection that strips away false images of God tied to success or influence. He urges shared resources across a wealthy church and describes cyclists navigating dark tunnels by lightly touching shoulders, a metaphor for staying connected in risky ministry, reaching out, listening, and trusting God is quietly at work.
00:00 Welcome and Series
Intro 00:37 Gethsemane and Surrender
02:07 Silence and Trust
03:42 Tomb Silence and Resurrection
05:20 Ministry Beyond the Map
06:53 God Is Good All the Time
07:55 Sharing Resources in the Church
08:48 Peloton Through Dark Tunnels
10:19 Leadership in Apophatic Times
12:53 Keep Searching and Closing Silence

Here Be Dragons 2 : When God Says NO.

Here Be Dragons (Meditation 2): When God Says No—The Apophatic Way and the Church’s Stripping Away Bishop Michael Hun of the Diocese of the Rio Grande reflects on the Episcopal Church’s shift from mid-20th-century cultural confidence and institutional influence to a present season of decline, financial strain, and uncertainty, describing it as an apophatic “stripping away” in which familiar supports, plans, and programs fail and God seems to say “no.” He argues this is not a verdict of worthlessness but a clarification of vocation: willingness to follow Jesus without the future, security, or success once imagined, focusing instead on the people, place, and work actually given. Drawing cautious historical “rhymes” from the German church under Nazism and the Roman Catholic Church in Chile under Pinochet, he warns against trading the gospel for respectability, silence, or political co-option, and calls the church to speak publicly about bodies, violence, and justice while discerning how to proclaim gospel truth so people across a polarized spectrum can hear it.
For more on Dietrich Bonhoeffer : https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...
For more on Chile and the Church see: William T Cavenaugh's book, Torture and Eucharist : Theology, Politics, and the Body of Christ.
00:00 Welcome and Series Setup
00:38 The Church We Remember
04:13 Facing Decline and Uncertainty
06:36 When God Says No
08:07 Vocation in the Wilderness
10:25 Germany and Bonhoeffer
15:24 Chile and the Churchs Voice
16:48 Gospel Not Partisan Politics
20:05 Incarnation and Public Witness
21:14 Choosing Faithfulness and Silence

Here Be Dragons 1 : This Is Not God

Here Be Dragons: Lent Meditation 1 — This Is Not God (The Apophatic Way) Bishop Michael Hunn of the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande introduces the first of three Lenten meditations, “Here Be Dragons,” exploring the apophatic way of faith beyond the “map” of confident religious language. He contrasts cataphatic theology, which makes positive statements about God, with apophatic practice, which clarifies what God is not and leads into silence, darkness, and mystery when words fail. Using images of stars, road signs, and medieval maps, he explains that God-language points rather than contains. Lent is presented as an apophatic season of stripping away comforts through fasting, self-denial, and simplification so attention can rest on God alone, with the Book of Job as a key biblical example. He closes with the church’s invitation to a holy Lent and shared silence.
For a good introduction to apophatic theology throughout Christian history check out : The Darkness of God: Negativity in Christian Mysticism by Denys Turner.
00:00 Welcome and Series Setup
00:39 Here Be Dragons Metaphor
01:43 Cataphatic God Talk
03:19 Signs and Star Pointers
06:09 Words Prepare Encounter
07:31 Entering the Apophatic Way
08:59 Lent as Stripping Away
10:42 Job at the Edge
13:40 On Not Fasting for Attention
14:31 Invitation to Silence

Here Be Dragons: Three Meditations on the Apophatic Way

Here Be Dragons: Lenten Meditations on the Silence and Darkness of God
Bishop Michael Hunn introduces a series of three meditations titled "Here Be Dragons," focusing on Lent, the silence and darkness of God, and wilderness times, and exploring the APHA tradition of theology as a way of speaking about God when there is little to say. The meditations are designed as an audible experience available on both podcast and YouTube, with simple visuals, and listeners are invited to settle in with coffee or tea, perhaps light a candle, and pray along. The speaker offers gratitude to the seminarians and faculty of the Seminary of Sewanee, University of the South, who invited the meditations and first prayed them together on Ash Wednesday 2026, and also to the clergy of the Diocese of the Rio Grande, with the hope that the meditations will be edifying and support a holy Lent.
00:00 Lenten Meditation Series
00:13 Here Be Dragons Theme
00:26 How to Listen and Pray
00:54 Gratitude and Dedication
01:22 Closing Blessing for Lent

A Holy Lent : A Season of Prayer, Repentance, and Renewal

A Holy Lent: Discipleship, Confession, and Prayer Book Practices A message to the Diocese of the Rio Grande introducing Lent as a season of wilderness that prepares Christians for Holy Week and Easter by recalling Jesus’ temptation in the desert. Drawing from the Ash Wednesday liturgy in the Book of Common Prayer, it explains Lent’s purposes: training disciples (including preparing converts for baptism), and restoring those estranged by sin through penitence, forgiveness, and reconciliation. The speaker invites viewers to observe a holy Lent through self-examination and repentance, prayer, fasting and self-denial, and reading and meditating on Scripture. Practical suggestions include joining the diocesan discernment program run by the Commission on Ministry for vocational discernment (lay or ordained), and reading resources such as Living the Sabbath (Norman Wirzba), Reconciliation: Preparing for Confession in the Episcopal Church (Martin Smith) with guidance on both general and private confession, Mary Earle’s introduction to the desert mothers, The Calling of the Laity (an anthology compiled by Verna Dozier) on lay vocation, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s The Cost of Discipleship and Life Together. The script also discusses the 1904 fictional short story The Archbishop’s Test, which imagines the Church of England canceling programs to focus on fully living the prayer book through the Daily Office, weekly Eucharist, Evensong, and catechism teaching, arguing that deeper prayer renews the Holy Spirit’s energy for ministry. Viewers are encouraged to begin Morning and Evening Prayer (or Compline) using the Book of Common Prayer, online resources like Forward Movement, or an app, and to use Lent to deepen faith, confess sins, seek reconciliation, and cultivate silence and solitude.
00:00 Welcome + What Lent Is Really About (Wilderness & Preparation)
00:56 Ash Wednesday in the Book of Common Prayer: The Church’s Invitation to a Holy Lent 02:15 Why We Keep Lent: Discipleship Training, Penance, and Reconciliation
03:53 Practical Lenten Plan: Self-Examination, Prayer, Fasting & Scripture
04:23 Go Deeper in Vocation: Diocese of the Rio Grande Discernment Program
05:20 Lenten Reading Picks: Sabbath Rest, Confession, Desert Wisdom & Lay Ministry
09:33 Bonhoeffer for Lent: The Cost of Discipleship & Life Together
12:00 A Prayer Book Reset: ‘The Archbishop’s Test’ and Returning to the Daily Office
15:47 Final Invitation: Deepen Faith, Confess, Reconcile, and Enter the Wilderness

Detention Centers: A Call for Morality and Reform

Michael Hunn, Bishop of the Diocese of the Rio Grande for the Episcopal Church, addresses the moral implications of the current detention practices at the US-Mexico border. He highlights the struggles faced by detainees, including many who have no criminal record, and advocates for the closure of detention centers. The video includes a clip from Border Chaplain Reza, who speaks out against the criminalization of migrants and the inhumane conditions within detention centers. Bishop Hunn calls on all people, regardless of faith, to demand that the government reflect moral values and to resist the expansion of detention facilities.
00:00 Introduction and Purpose
00:48 Current Situation at the Border
02:33 Testimony from Reza
05:04 Moral and Ethical Implications
07:10 Call to Action
 

Counting Lives : Integrity in a Time Like This

In this episode, we delve into the profound poem 'The Pedagogy of Conflict' by Pádraig Ó Tuama, exploring themes of integrity, hypocrisy, and the sanctity of life. Drawing connections to current social and political unrest, we urge a return to core moral values and faith-based principles. Through self-examination, prayer, and community support, we emphasize the importance of acting with integrity and love, encouraging everyone to reflect on their actions and live by their deepest beliefs. This reflective piece calls for both personal and collective responsibility in pursuit of a just and compassionate society.
00:00 Reflecting on Pádraig Ó Tuama's Poem
01:03 Counting Lives and Recent Events
02:20 Exploring Hypocrisy and Integrity
04:21 A Call to Law Enforcement and Government Agents
06:40 Lessons from the Civil Rights Movement
07:56 Actions of Faith and Integrity
10:09 Concluding Thoughts on Love and Integrity
 
#CountingLives #Integrity #HumanDignity #PeopleOfFaith #FaithInPublicLife #CommonGood #Nonviolence
 

Honoring Veterans: A Call to Responsible Deployment and Care Veterans: A Call to Responsible Deployment and Care

Honoring Veterans: A Call to Responsible Deployment and Care
 
In this video, Bishop Michael Hunn reflects on the historical and constitutional foundations of the U.S. military, emphasizing the importance of responsible deployment and comprehensive care for veterans. It advocates for accountability in the use of armed forces and highlights the need to address physical, psychological, spiritual and moral wounds of those who serve. A prayer for Veterans Day from the Book of Common Prayer concludes the commemoration.
 
00:00 Introduction: The History of Conflict
00:24 The Role of the Military in American Freedom
00:56 Honoring Veterans: A Call for Responsibility
02:17 The Moral and Psychological Costs of Service
03:01 A National Obligation to Care for Veterans
03:26 Prayer for Veterans Day

Life is Changed Not Ended, Bishop’s Address to Convention 2025

Facing the Future with Faith In this Address to the Diocesan Convention of the Diocese of the Rio Grande, Bishop Michael Hunn address the pressing challenges facing the world and our communities today—from political division and economic fragility to environmental crises and immigration issues. Within this context, the Episcopal Church stands as a beacon of hope and unity. Bishop Michael emphasizes the crucial role of clergy in guiding us through these turbulent times, urging support for the church's future through phases of spiritual renewal, financial planning, and strategic resource management. Discover how we can ensure the continued presence and mission of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of the Rio Grande for generations to come. 00:00 Introduction and Current Challenges 00:30 Political and Social Unrest 03:07 Environmental Concerns and Stewardship 04:25 Role of the Episcopal Church 05:40 The Importance of Clergy 09:09 Phases of Diocesan Renewal 15:19 Facing Financial Realities 18:13 Strategic Changes for the Future 21:18 Conclusion and Call to Action

A New Era: Bishop Sarah Mullally Chosen 106th Archbishop of Canterbury

Historic Election: Bishop Sarah Mullally Becomes the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury Bishop Michael Burkel Hun of the Diocese of the Rio Grande in the Episcopal Church celebrates the election of Bishop Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, marking the first time in over 14 centuries this role is held by a woman. Bishop Hun discusses the importance of the Anglican Communion's bonds through common prayer, affection, and the Eucharist, emphasizing the need for healing and unity rather than governance reforms. He highlights the significance of Mullally's leadership and the inherent unity given by Christ that binds the Communion together.
00:00 Introduction and Historic Election Announcement
00:51 Current Debates in the Anglican Communion
01:37 The True Nature of the Anglican Communion
02:42 Enduring Gifts of the Anglican Communion
04:02 The Role of Bonds of Affection
06:12 The Centrality of the Eucharist
08:14 Call for Unity and Moving Forward
08:51 Conclusion and Blessings