Sermons

Sun, Feb 24, 2019 St. Paul’s Ft. Mill Homily Sun, Feb 24, 2019 St. Paul’s, Ft. Mill The Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany Color: Green Assigned Readings Lesson 1: Genesis 45:3–11,15 Psalm: 37:1–12,41–42 Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 15:35–38,42–50 Gospel: Luke 6:27–38 I’m not really sure when it first struck me as odd. It might have been sitting in the pew, just 16 year old, with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder, thinking to myself as I heard the gospel read. Jesus said, "I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.” And I thought to myself, “I won...

Epiphany 4 02/04/2019 Homily: St. John’s, Winnsboro Opening When my brother was in college in Santa Fe, he had a teacher who was introducing the class to music. He gave them a cassette tape of a piece of music that he had bought in Germany. He said it was unavailable in this country at the time. The teacher described the tape as the most beautiful piece of music ever written . When my brother played it I agreed with him. I even tried a few years later to get a copy of the music in order to learn to play it on the piano. Then I began to discover and later I heard over and over again the piece of music that at one time was unavailable in this country was the famous and sometimes infamous Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major. Now of course that piece of music can be found virtually anywhere and heard from department stores to church to commercials. It is beautiful, but it is so familiar, so often heard, that it is exceedingly difficult to hear it as if with new ears. I still like the music...