Sermons

Sermon: March 19 – Lent 3 lectionary Massah/Meribah. Is the Lord with us? Testing the Lord/Moses. Moses’ punishment for this place was not to enter the promised land? Woman at the well, many husbands, her testimony brought many. It was the Samaritans (outcasts, outsiders) who resonated with Jesus’ message. Because of her many came to believe The Good News comes from unlikely sources, God’s ways surprise our expectations Water: Moses, woman at well In my early 20’s I began trying to implement regular prayer into my life. One of the things I began to exercise was Morning Prayer (from the BCP I’d been given in confirmation (1928) The Venite was an important part of that. Venite Psalm 95:1-7 O come, let us sing unto the Lord; * let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and show ourselves glad in him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the corne...

Church Sun, Mar 5, 2017 St. Peter’s lectionary serpent in garden, 2 trees, origin of sin Romans: “As sin came into the world …” one man and death Paul’s explanation is about how Christ is the answer, not how it all started Matthew’s temptation … Angels came and waited on him Invitation to “Holy Lent” Ash Wednesday On Ash Wed. a remarkable passage appears in the liturgy of the church. They are words that invite us as a people to enter into the life of Jesus’ Passion and Resurrection by means of penitence, forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration. Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sins, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby,...

Church Sun, Feb 19, 2017 St. Peter’s Lectionary Lev. Reads something like what I would have associated with what a “gentleman” does. My word is my troth. (faithfulness, fidelity, or loyalty: by my troth.) Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (Paul) like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. (Paul) love your neighbor, hate enemy? no, rather … (be perfect) cf. Lev. Be holy, because the LORD is holy The Holy When was the last time you encountered holiness ? Of course I don’t just mean, "When was the last time you sang the sanctus in church. That’s how it goes (in Latin), “Holy, holy, holy.” We first encounter that song in Isaiah 6:3. As if to frame the Bible itself we meet it again in Rev. 4:8. Did you really get a full blast of holy when you woke up this morning? I got a bit of it yesterday when I saw two ends of a partial rainbow. ( in Hawai’i I understood them to be a message of blessi...

Feb. 5, 2017 5th Sunday after Epiphany lectionary When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him” (cf. Isaiah 64:4) The lessons from Scripture today speak to me in the hushed tones of mystery and speak of what is sometimes beyond language can say. I heard that mystery speaking to me earlier last week in a short reading from a prayer book I use every night before I turn out the light. From Celtic Prayer Book of the Northumbria Community Once you’ve heard a child cry out to heaven for help, and go unanswered, nothing’s ever the same again. Nothing. Even God changes. But there is a healing hand at work that cannot be deflected from its purpose. I just can’t make sense of it, other than to cry. Those tears a...

Sun, Jan 29, 2017 Lectionary Frankly the readings from scripture today seem like the triumphant announcement that all the weeks since Christmas have been building toward. The way a symphony starts by introducing a theme, pursues various sub-themes or variation, and then as the music reaches a crescendo, the grand presentation of the meaning of the work breaks forth. He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? ( Mic 6:8 ) Paul: “message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise Matthew’s gospel presents Jesus in the fullness of his authority as teacher and rabbi. He begins his grand sermon on the mount, beginning with the Beatitudes which we hear today. As if his birth, his epiphany to the magi, his baptism, his calling of...

Sun, Jan 22, 2017: Preface Lectionary Trying to hear with new ears Jesus has heard that John was arrested. Was he afraid? Was that a sign for him? Whatever, he withdrew to Galilee and went to Capernaum by the sea. Fulfilling the prophecy he said. Who are these living in a land of deep darkness? The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness– on them light has shined. ( Is 9 ) We hear this passage twice today: once from the prophet himself. The other from the gospel writer quoting the prophet. Mathew’s call of the disciples: 2 familiar pairs of brothers: Peter & Andrew, James & John With the repetition of the words of the prophet, I am inclined to emphasize them. To see in them a clue for us to hear with fresh ears. The prophet spoke to his generation. The writers of the NT heard the words as God speaking to them. We perhaps should do the same. Listen to these words speaking to us in our generation. then ...

Sun, Jan 8, 2017 Lectionary lectionary “who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit” from collect – also connecting to baptism of all of us Suffering Servant – bold language and vision Peter sermon overview of message Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth A light to the nations – from Isaiah Once again I am drawn to the power, the laser-like precision that the prophet Isaiah speaks to our own time as well as the time of the Messiah and his own time as well. His words seem to speak to all eternity – every-present, always relevant. “I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spr...