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Homily Proper 12c

  Proper 12c July 26, 2025 Opening As a child I remember being a fair facsimile of a first child . I felt in my gut the expectation that I needed to succeed. I got the message that I was supposed to be like my father, whose name I carried. I took it for granted that I would follow the rules. When given the assignment in kindergarten to color pictures, I thought the number one rule was to stay within the lines. Around about puberty I began to reject that persona. Slowly at first. Then with more and more purpose I began to discover that going against the grain of the expectations placed on me, at the very least, opened up new possibilities. Where I had once been a good first born son, I was now becoming something of an imp . “A mischievous fairy or demon.” It is with that sort of outlook that every time today’s lessons would come around – I preached every 3 years for over 30 years on them – I would get a bit of a smile – an impish smile you might say. Here, after all, was: ...
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Funeral for Carl Feddeler, July 18, 2025

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title: Carl Feddeler Funeral author: St. Alfred's Church date: July 18, 2025 Opening I did 't know Carl the way most of you did. The reason you all are here is because you can tell the poignant, funny, sad, unexpected, long-forgotten stories about him. I can't do that. I've only been attending St. Alfred's for a couple of years, and I only know Carl from the time that I became aware that there was this tall well-dressed man who sat in the same seat every week. For the most part, when I extended my hand in greeting, he smiled back warmly and kind of nodded. Seeing him left me feeling something like "there's a man who is secure in his place in the world. He knows who he is and he's OK with that. He know's where he's come from and he's OK with that. He knows whose he is and where he's headed and he's OK with that." I want you to know that every time I saw him -- even more when he smiled and nodded as I shared the pea...
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Easter 6 Homily 2025

  Easter 6 St. Alfred's Episcopal Church May 25, 2025 Opening We've been gone We've been away for a while. I know some of you noticed -- thank you. Others of you no doubt saw my facial hair and didn't recognize me. I forgive you. Of all my siblings and children, I'm the only one who doesn't readily grow facial hair. I keep trying, though, even at my age. Once when my oldest was about 3, late at night after he'd gone to bed, I shaved off the mustache and goatee I had grown. When he got up the next morning, he walked in the kitchen where I was probably drinking coffee. His face totally collapsed, and he said, "No, Daddy, put it back." I imagine Paul feeling something like my son. "Maybe I should just go back and start over." I'm thinking that as he was dealing with the dramatic twists in his life, from Pharisee to a mute thrown off his horse, healed and called to preach what he once persecuted, there had to be a time he thought eno...
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Epiphany 7c Sermon

Epiphany 7c St. Alfred's Episcopal Church Palm Harbor, FL Feb. 23, 2025 The Rev. Dale C. Hathaway Attention Having heard the words that we have just read from scripture, I wonder what the right reaction is? We might just reflect that all those passages sure sound familiar. “I’ve heard those before.” It would be entirely appropriate to have some questions. A few years ago, the dean of Harvard graduate school of Education began speaking and writing about questions that really matter. Wait, what? I wonder? What truly matters? How can I help? Over 100 years ago GK Chesterton wrote, the Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried. For much of what we read in the Bible, as well as in the later Christian tradition, I think the best response we can make is to ask questions. Some of you have heard me tell the story about a young Jewish student living in a remote village centuries ago, shouting at the top of his lungs as he ran...
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Baptism of the Lord 2025

  Baptism of the Lord St. Alfred's Episcopal Church Fr. Dale Hathaway Baptism of Zack Robetaille January 12, 2025 opening We are gathered here this morning for a variety of reasons. In some places there might be children in church because their parents told them, “You will be in church.” Others are here because it’s what they do every Sunday. Some places I think there’s still a social expectation that a person will be in church. Some people, no doubt, don’t really know why they’re in church. Now some of you may be aware that after the Christmas festivities, there is often a drop off in attendance. So you all are no doubt here because you have chosen to be. For myself, there is the fact that Fr. Peter had sent me a list of who would celebrate and preach through February and March. This was one of my Sundays and I make a concerted effort to do what I said I would do. In the early centuries of the church on the day known as theophany – or more recently epiphany – in the eas...
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Homily Thanksgiving Day, St. Alfred's

Homily Thanksgiving Day 2024 St. Alfred's Dale Hathaway Nov. 28 Introduction: Various approaches to this day Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless ... Oh, that's from a different liturgy. This is Thanksgiving Day. Another occasion. Another festive time. The focus here is Thanksgiving. Gratitude. Thank you. But I must say, there's a mixed up pile of subjects that come to mind, driving this theme of "Thanksgiving". The Collect of the day -- the prayer that opens our liturgy sets a certain theme. It's a "harvest festival". Such as religions have celebrated from time immemorial. It's at least a part of the decor of our Thanksgiving celebrations. But really, the Collect suggests that we should celebrate and lift up the immigrants who harvest our food -- documented and undocumented, I suppose. And in the world we now live that particular theme is fraught with "issues." For many this is th...
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Proper 27b -- Palm Harbor FL

Sermon: Proper 27B St. Alfred's Episcopal church Nov. 9-10, 2024 After 42 years of ministry, this past Sunday's was among the most challenging sermons I ever had to prepare and deliver. It can be viewed at https://boxcast.tv/highlights/st-alfreds-episcopal-church-sunday-holy-eucharist-rite-2-syur7m0hxikht6lj1phm/pggokxirk3vhysidsow7/sp7txlsd8q19tvifjuyv . Opening We had an election this past week. You may have noticed. Wednesday brought a lot of intense emotions across our country – but, of course, the emotions varied a lot because it was win/lose situation. I felt it. But I did anticipate it. I have been thinking about this sermon for weeks now. I thought about previous occasions when I was called upon to preach after the nation had experienced something intense. I thought about the charge I accepted on the occasion of my ordination, that I preach the Gospel to all people, regardless of any distinction other than that they were children of God. The bishop's words to...
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