June 16, 2019 - Trinity Sunday

Lectionary Readings

In the name of God the Holy Trinity ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

            Today is the Feast of the Holy Trinity, one of the Principal Feasts of the Church year. It’s a fairly unique feast day in that its basis is not a Biblical narrative or a specific person, but rather a doctrine of the faith. Today, our focus is on the nature and essence of God, which is, admittedly, a rather lofty topic. It is the revelation that God is Trinity that makes Christianity unique. When it comes to interfaith dialogue, we can find a lot of common ground. But the Trinity really distinguishes our beliefs from that of other traditions. This is because the doctrine of the Trinity goes right to the core of belief, as everything that we believe is rooted in God, and the Trinity is fundamentally who God is.

June 9, 2019 - Pentecost

Lectionary Readings

Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire and enlighten us with thy celestial fire. Amen.

            There are many ways to think about the Holy Spirit, whose gifting to the Church we remember and celebrate on Pentecost. The Catechism tells us that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. So the first thing to grasp is that the Holy Spirit is God. And there are many other names for the Spirit, all of which tell us something about what it is. Sometimes the Holy Spirit is described as the Advocate, telling us that it is God’s work of interceding on our behalf, sort of like a defense attorney. Sometimes the Holy Spirit is called the Holy Comforter, reminding us that God’s presence with us is one of peace and support. Sometimes the Holy Spirit is described in terms of natural elements, such as wind and fire, both of which remind us of the Spirit’s power and ability to come and go throughout the world. And sometimes the Holy Spirit is described as breath because all life and vitality emanate from God.

June 2, 2019 - Easter 7C

Lectionary Readings

Grant, O Lord, that in the Holy Eucharist we might behold what we are and become what we receive. Amen.

            This sermon, unlike the last four that I preached, is not a part of my doctoral thesis project. However, the topic will still be the Eucharist. This is the encore that you didn’t necessarily ask for, but nevertheless, is being given. First of all, I want to thank you all for your attention to those four sermons and for filling out the response sheets. I took last week as vacation and worked on writing the chapter of my thesis about those sermons and your input was incredibly insightful and helpful in doing that work. I did get everything done that I had hoped to last week and now just have one more chapter to write. The reason why I want to continue to consider the Eucharist though is that you all raised some really good points and questions in the surveys that I’d like to respond to in order to round out that sermon series.

May 30, 2019 - Ascension

Lectionary Readings

In the name of the Risen Lord ☩ Amen.

One of the refrains throughout the Old Testament is that the culmination of Creation will be when the glory of God fills the earth. The prophet Habakkuk says that “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” And throughout the Psalms and other writings, that theme is picked up. We heard it in the passage from Ephesians tonight, that Christ fills “all in all.”

May 19, 2019 - Easter 5C

Lectionary Readings

Grant us, O Lord, in the Eucharist to remember what we are and become what we receive. Amen.

            Have you ever walked into the kitchen only to forget why you were there? Or maybe you’ve started an email and then forgotten what you needed to say. Perhaps you’ve forgotten something more important – someone’s name, a family member’s birthday, a meeting that you were supposed to attend. We all know what it is to forget things. One of the reasons why the Church celebrates the Eucharist with such intentionality and so often is because it reminds us of some very important things.

May 12, 2019 - Easter 4C

Lectionary Readings

Grant us, Lord, always to sit at your table and dwell in your house for ever. Amen.

            Think for a moment about the best meal that you’ve ever had. Maybe it was a home-cooked specialty made by your grandmother or perhaps it was at a high-end steak house. Think back to what made that meal so special. The food was probably good, the atmosphere was likely nice, but I bet that with more certainty than telling me what food you ordered or what music was playing in the background, you can tell me who you were with. What makes a meal sacred is the people gathered around the table with you. I’ve had some really lousy food, but the meal ended up being a good experience because I was surrounded by loved ones. This truth is what makes the Holy Eucharist such a special meal, because in it we are gathered with the dearest of people.

May 5, 2019 - Easter 3C

Lectionary Readings

O Lord, give us this day our daily bread. Amen.

            Meals are central to what it means to be human. Of course, all animals eat, but only us humans make a meal out of getting the necessary nutrients into our bodies. And there’s nothing quite like a meal’s ability to serve as the foundation for so many different occasions. Need to close the deal with a client? Take them to a nice restaurant. Want to celebrate a romantic relationship? Open a bottle of wine and have a nice meal. Celebrating a wedding? Make sure you have a good caterer to provide for a celebratory meal. Have a friend who is mourning the loss of a loved one? Take them a casserole. Birthday parties, farewell receptions, job promotions – sharing a meal is at the center of how we mark these occasions.