Sermons

Homily: October 28:Ordinary Time Proper 25 – Supply at Our Savior Preface Let me open with a somber disclaimer. I had prepared this homily before we heard news about the massacre in a synagogue in Pittsburgh. We seem to be living in a time when violent and angry events dominate and are escalating daily. The worst anti-semitic act in American History is a deeply alarming event that demands a response from us. I considered scrapping my homily and just speaking to the Tree of Life Congregation massacre. This homily starts from a description of a senseless collection of violence and evil and moves in stages to evoking the Glory that only God can bring. I decided that the best course of action was to let my originalprepared homily be my initial first response to yesterday’s news. Conclusion of misunderstood OT book – Job This week we come to the end of a series of four readings from the book of Job. We have also had during this time readings from the letter to the Hebrews and we will...

Intro Thank you for inviting me back as it were for an encore talk on Anglicanism. We have been asked this year to reflect on three aspects of our religious tradition. In my case the Anglican tradition. The three aspects: scripture, sacraments , and tradition . One of the first thoughts that comes to my mind is that the very question itself supposes that there is something that can be identified as “Anglican tradition”. I’m not sure just to begin with how much one can pin down the tradition I represent. I refer to the adage that I quoted a year ago at my presentation: the Anglican tradition is made up of one part of Lutheran theology, another part Calvinist polity, and the third part Catholic haberdashery . One of the basic premises of my tradition is that it reaches back across the entire history of Christianity in Britain. The first Christians were present in what is now London by the second century of the Common Era. To say that the Anglican tradition covers so much time mean...

Proper 21 Sept. 30, 2018 – Our Savior, Rock Hill Be salt Don’t you just hate those health warnings that get in the way of our enjoyment of life? It has kept us from salting things for so long. I developed a habit long ago of not salting things – and Mary Pat is still trying to change that habit. When she read a draft of this homily she asked, “And you still don’t cook with salt?” I do love salt. There are some things about myself I need to work at changing. There are a few symbols, maybe they’re metaphors – there are a few symbols that have deep meaning throughout many different cultures and throughout the history of humanity. Water is one of them. Salt is another one. I used to think bread ranked up there with the best of them. I have been a Episcopalian all of my adult life. And closely related to that the Eucharist with the powerful symbols of bread and wine has been a powerful presence for me. I was aware of bread having a powerful evocative symbolic power In a variety of cult...

Homily: Proper 20 Our Savior Sept. 23, 2018 Introduction Several weeks ago in my homily at another church I made reference to the first lesson we heard this morning – the final chapter of the book of Proverbs . The chapter devoted to a description of the ideal good wife . I suggested that if people were in church they might listen to whether the preacher preached on Proverbs 31. I made a wager that not very many clergy would dare to do that. I mention that here not because I’m going to focus on it, but I am going to come back to it. The passage that guides me this morning comes from the 2nd reading, the Letter of James. “Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; …” The moment I read that, I was captivated by the possibilities of what James was saying. First off he had the temerity to suggest that we human beings were immersed in “conflicts and disputes”....