Sermons

Sermon July 30, 2017 – St. Peter’s, Great Falls Paul’s 8th Ch. Of his letter to the Romans We are confronted by words and phrases that have entered the universal jargon and terminology that has entered the standard beliefs of Christianity. Like parables that we have heard over and over again – such as we hear in today’s gospel passage from Matthew – it is so easy to think, “Oh I know that, now on to the next thing…” And all the while our ears are blocked to the deeper significance of the message for us. predestination justification All things work together for good for those who love God Nothing can separate us from the love of God We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justif...

Sun, Apr 30, 2017 (St. John’s, Winnsboro) lectionary Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” that day about three thousand persons were added Now on that same day two of Jesus’ disciples were going to a village called Emmaus … We’re still connected by the narrative of the gospel with Easter time … with the time still being around Easter Taking a fork in the road Walking along a road, two companions. They didn’t really know where they were headed because where they were from was so astonishing. Frost: 2 roads … I took the one less traveled I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. An...

Easter Sunday St. Peter’s, Great Falls – Sun, Apr 16, 2017: Elements of our liturgy There are some changes in the liturgy today that you can’t have missed. We lit a “Passover” candle – i.e. “paschal” Secondly we have renewed our baptismal covenant We fulfill a part of that covenant as we break bread together Service of Light Normally this happens in a service sometime in the dark of Saturday. In the prayer at the lighting of the candle it seemed to me appropriate that we leave some reference to the night time that gives way to the light of the morning. Easter night gives way to Easter morning. I expanded a little the prayer related to lighting the “paschal” candle I first experienced an Easter Vigil where this candle lighting normally takes place at seminary. There was tremendous power in the service. We gathered at night outside the doors to the chapel. Someone kindled a fire from a flint as the congregation sat in complete darkness. The fire rose and then the candles lit...

Easter vigil: 2017 Our Savior, Rock Hill, SC This is the night Some of you may have heard me, at the beginning of our service tonight, repeat the refrain: “This is the night …” Most of the time over the last 40 years or so, as I have heard the words of the exsultet proclaimed, I have heard 2 voices. Sometimes 1 is stronger. Sometimes the other. One of them is the person doing the singing or the saying. The other voice is from somewhere else. It is a heavenly sort of voice. In fact, trying to think about it, I’m pretty sure it has been an angel of some sort. This is the night This is the night, when you brought our fathers, the children of Israel, out of bondage in Egypt, and led them through the Red Sea on dry land. This is the night, when all who believe in Christ are delivered from the gloom of sin, and are restored to grace and holiness of life. This is the night, when Christ broke the bonds of death and hell, and rose victorious from the grave. How holy is this night, when...

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...