Sermons

Church Homily – August 15: Saint Mary the Virgin, Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ History Assumption of Our Lady This feast originated in Jerusalem before the fifth century as the “Falling-Asleep of the Mother of God.” It was adopted in Rome in the mid-seventh century and was renamed the “Assumption” in the next century. It celebrates Mary’s passing over, body and soul, from this world into the glory of her risen Son. [1] Mostly a Catholic feast, although not exclusively so. Like the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption was not always an official dogma of the Roman Catholic Church – not until Pope Pius XII ruled it so in 1950. It is, however, a pious belief held by some Orthodox Christians and some Anglicans. It is regarded as the principal feast day of the Virgin Mother. link Catholics response: are currently sensitive to the long tradition of devotion to Mary that looked and felt a whole lot like worship. I suspect there will be many homilies preached today ...

August 5:Ordinary Time, Proper 13: Supply St. Paul’s, Ft. Mill Introduction Sometimes the Episcopal Church makes the craziest decisions. I’ve been serving in it long enough I feel like I have been serving in it long enough I can poke fun. Like you know how there are introductory words to various parts of the liturgy that kind of rattle off the lips without thinking? Who was it who thought it would be a good idea to have two different sets? One for Rite 1 and one for Rite 2. When I say, “The Lord be with you.” Do you say “And with thy spirit” or do you say “And also with you.” And if we’re in a mixed audience and I hear someone next to me responding – the other way – I think to myself, “Oh, you’re one of those!” I know the liturgical reformers in the 60’s and 70’s had good intentions. But … The opening of the Eucharist is almost the same – except for the Lenten response. Some of us are supposed to remember that it is “Bless the Lord who forgiveth all our sins” rather than “Bless...

Homily: St. Paul’s July 29 Welcome & Thank you It’s certainly been a while since I was last here and it’s good to be back. Thank you to your rector for inviting me to be with you during her vacation time this summer. Mary Pat is unable to be here today because of surgery she had on her foot at the beginning of the summer. The surgery was relatively straightforward but the recovery is a slow-going process. Telling the story (Narrative) Have you been following the magnificent story we’ve been hearing in the first reading this summer? It’s the Great David, introduced by the steady hand of – well sometimes the not so stay or accurate hand of – Samuel . And, of course, God who provides the winning hand. I’m so grateful to the adjusted readings we get because of the Common Lectionary . We get to listen to continuous readings from the Old Testament in a way we weren’t before the last 15 years or so. We’re in the midst of the narrative about David. It turns out David is really imp...

title: Homily Proper 10 author: The Rev. Dale C. Hathaway Homily July 15 Ordinary Time, Proper 10: Supply St. Peter’s Two great themes of Ephesians We will hear from this letter in the NT for the next 6 weeks, up through the end of August. A little introduction to it seems like it might be in order, to help train our hearts and ears to hear the word spoken through the rest of the summer. I will take all this personally to heart, because, in fact, I am in need of a word of hopefulness during these times that seem so dark and fraught. This letter takes a cosmic view of things. It is a classic view of Christ as the Lord of all creation. Creation is big. Christ has reconciled all creation to himself and to God, and Christ has united people from all nations to himself and to one another in his church. In an almost trite sort of way, I can tell myself, “This, too, will pass away.” “In the scheme of God’s plan for creation, these times don’t even measure a blip.” That message do...

author: The Rev. Dale C. Hathaway title: Homily: Spartanburg: Proper 9 date: July 8, 2018 lectionary Welcome: Introduction Thank you for inviting me to pray with you this morning, to celebrate the Eucharist this morning, and to share with you about the Gospel as I hear it and see it. This is the first time I have supplied in Spartanburg. I’ve come along ways from the little mining town in Arizona where I was born. You can see that my white hair indicates a well-traveled head. Of course you wouldn’t know ahead of time that my hair began turning white in my 20’s. I am a retired priest, but I’m not retired in the sense of kicking my feet back and not knowing what to do. I am teaching as an adjunct at Winthrop University because my wife is on the faculty there, teaching Math to folks who are going to be teachers. I teach in the Religion Department. I was raised in the West, went to seminary and graduate school in the midwest, was a rector of congregation in Northern Indiana and on...

Homily: July 1, 2018 – Our Savior Proper 8 lectionary David: “lament” poetry and song Psalm 130 De profundis We are a church built on the backs of prophets and apostles who have gone before Personal conviction: in order to see, hear God, one can start anywhere. Based on the premise that God created all that is; so therefore God’s imprint is found everywhere. The same applies to preaching the Gospel. I have taken my vow to faithfully preach the Gospel very seriously. “As a priest, it will be your task to proclaim by word and deed the Gospel of Jesus Christ,…” 1 Conviction, then, that the Gospel can be proclaimed from any setting. For me, to preach the Gospel does not mean that my sermon must focus on the text we read from one of the 4 gospels. It includes that, but it is much bigger than those particular words from the Bible. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is much larger than that. It was, afterall, “at the birth of the beginning.” Today, I begin with the psalm. In the course ...

Homily: St. Peter’s Proper 6: June 17, 2018 David In our first reading we hear the account in spare but powerful language of the prophet Samuel choosing the next king for the people of Israel, replacing Saul who – well, didn’t work out so well. This is pivotal point in the historical cycle that in former days we wouldn’t have heard from. The whole cycle runs from Joshua / Judges through 2 Kings and is know as the Deuteronomistic History. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. I have been preaching from the Episcopal lectionary for well over 30 years now. I have experience of Episcopal preaching going back to the Prayer Book of 1928. I am especially glad for the shift that has occurred – just in th...