September 14, 2025 - The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Readings

In the name of the God who is love ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

What a joy and blessing it is to be here with you all at Grace and St. Stephen’s! There I was, minding my own business and trying my best to do faithful ministry in Salisbury, North Carolina when the Holy Spirit did what the Holy Spirit so often does – stirring things up. One of the things that makes grace so amazing is how it surprises us and comes unexpectedly. About a year ago, I was celebrating my 10-year anniversary as the Rector of St. Luke’s and I distinctly remember thinking, “I can’t imagine that I’d ever encounter another parish that I’d want to serve.” Truly, I was not looking for a new call, and I wasn’t even open to the idea at first. But the Holy Spirit’s clear call, along with the fantastic parish profile that you developed and your energy and hospitality during the interviews helped to open my imagination enough to know in my heart and mind that, indeed, I was being called to Grace and St. Stephen’s. And I’m so incredibly excited to see what the Holy Spirit has in mind by bringing us together.

August 10, 2025 - The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Readings

Glory to God, who working in us, will do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.

Out of curiosity more than anything else, earlier this week I went back and read the first sermon that I preached here. I had no recollection of it, but as I read it, I was reminded of my nervousness for being the Rector of a parish for the first time, my excitement over being called to serve at St. Luke’s, and my hopefulness for what, working through us, God was up to.

August 3, 2025 - The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Readings

Glory to God, who working in us, will do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.

July 27, 2025 - The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Readings

Be with us, Lord Jesus, for if you are with us nothing else matters; and if you are not with us, nothing else matters. Amen.

If you’re our guest at St. Luke’s this morning, perhaps because you felt drawn here or because you are here as a part of the Music & Arts Camp from this past week, welcome. This is an interesting time at St. Luke’s because I’ve recently announced that I’m leaving to serve a church in Colorado Springs. So, this sermon isn’t quite a standard one due to this context.

July 20, 2025 - The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Readings

Be with us, Lord Jesus, for if you are with us, nothing else matters; and if you are not with us, nothing else matters. Amen.

Understandably, I’ve been thinking about this beloved parish a lot in the past week. As I’m writing letters of introduction for a new congregation and diocese, I’ve been thinking about how to describe this amazing and wonderful place that I will be coming from. I can’t say it enough, so I’ll say it now – it has been the joy and honor of my lifetime to serve as your Rector for these past 11 years. We will forever cherish this place and each of you. And so, I’ve been thinking about the things that I’m proudest of that we’ve done together. And near the top of that list is our icon project. I promise that I won’t take them on my way out, but I’d be lying if I said that I’m not tempted to.

July 6, 2025 - The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Readings

Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of relief. Amen.

These days, we’re all looking for relief of one sort of another. Maybe it’s relief from aches and pains, perhaps from bills and interest piling up on your credit card statement, it could be from anxiety that you’re carrying related to work, school, children, or parents. Or maybe, just maybe, you’re weary of all that’s in the news: war, bitterness, buffoonery. Whatever it is, we are living in an exhausting and bewildering time – and we’re all searching for relief.

June 29, 2025 - The Third Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Readings

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

On June 11, our Presiding Bishop, Sean Rowe, issued a letter titled “Acting Faithfully in Troubling Times.” A part of this letter reads, “At its best, our church is capable of moral clarity and resolute commitment to justice. I believe we can bring those strengths to bear on this gathering storm. Churches like ours, protected by the First Amendment and practiced in galvanizing people of goodwill, may be some of the last institutions capable of resisting the injustice now being promulgated. That is not a role we sought – but it is one we are called to.”