Sermons

  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: ...

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...