May 31, 2020 - Pentecost

Lectionary Readings

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

            The Holy Spirit, in most Christian traditions, is by far the most neglected person of the Triune God. We pray to the Father often and understand that it is from God’s gracious hand that all blessings flow. Rightfully so, Jesus stands at the center of our faith. And that leaves the Holy Spirit. Part of this neglect is because we can sort of get our minds around God the Father – we even have a helpful metaphor built into it: a loving parent. And Jesus walked this earth and we have earthly stories to help us in knowing him. But who is the Spirit? Do we really mean that part of God is something like a ghost? And the ways that the Spirit shows up in Scripture aren’t always clear – water, wind, breath, and fire. These are inanimate and amorphous things. So who is the Holy Spirit?

May 24, 2020 - Easter 7A

Lectionary Readings

In the name of the Risen Lord. Amen.

            Have you ever received something and didn’t realize the treasure that it was? Maybe it was some sort of odd tool that you never thought you’d use, but it’s become your go-to. Perhaps there is someone you thought was only an acquaintance, but in a moment of great need, they became your hero. For me, it was a piece of advice. Many years ago, as I was hoping that a particular job search would open, a good friend said, “Robert, if you want something, ask for it.” At the time, it was simple advice, but, for me, it’s been an invaluable piece of wisdom. Sometimes we receive things and we just don’t understand how life-giving and important they are.

May 21, 2020 - Ascension

Lectionary Readings

Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that as we believe your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into heaven, so we may also in heart and mind there ascend, and with him continually dwell; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

            It is good to be with you all this evening to celebrate the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, in this pandemic situation, it would be easy for us not to have this liturgy. Even in a normal year, if we had more than 50 people here that would be a good crowd. But I want to commend you all for taking part in this liturgy. In the midst of so many unsettling things, it’s so important for us to gather, even virtually, to recount the story of Jesus with each other, to give our thanks and praise for God’s goodness, to be nurtured in God’s grace, and to celebrate that by the Ascension, Jesus reigns as our King, our Judge, our Lord. In the presentation of the Ascension in the Gospel text from Luke, there are four distinct movements. By paying attention to those actions, we’ll gain a better sense of the grandeur of the Ascension and its importance in our faith.

May 17, 2020 - Easter 6A

Lectionary Readings

In the name of God, in whose love we live, and move, and exist. Amen.

            What is the story that you live your life by? You know, what’s the story that you tell yourself to get through the daily grind, to make yourself get out of bed in the morning, to motivate yourself to do things that you don’t really want to do, to find hope in this pandemic? In a great book called Seculosity that I’ve mentioned before, the author says that religion is shorthand for whatever that story is. Religion is the thing that focuses our desires, ranks our priorities, and determines what we say “yes” and “no” to. And any story that you live by is a religion in this sense. So it’s not a question of which box do you check off for “religious affiliation,” it’s a question of your guiding principles and which gods you worship.

May 10, 2020 - Easter 5A

Lectionary Readings

In the name of the Risen Lord. Amen.

            Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” For very good reasons, John 14:6 is a famous and foundational verse of Scripture. For one, it’s got three words: way, truth, and life. Three is a good Biblical number, and it’s also easy to remember a list of 3 things. And those words all have so much heft – we want to go the right way, we want to know the truth, and we want to receive life. And while a great sermon could be preached by really diving deep into each of those words or by focusing on how Jesus is preparing a place for us to dwell with God, this morning I want to use the passage we heard from Acts as an illustrative case study for what it means that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.

May 3, 2020 - Easter 4A

Lectionary Readings

Risen Christ, faithful shepherd of your Father’s sheep: teach us to hear your voice and to follow your command, that all people may be gathered into one flock, this we pray by the power of your Spirit. Amen.

            Some of you know the story of why I’m a priest. When I was a boy growing up at St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Boynton Beach, Florida, I starting serving as an acolyte when I was maybe 8 or 9 years old. And I loved it. I loved being close to the altar and I loved having this way to serve God and that’s where my call to the priesthood began. In that parish, there were different classes of acolytes, depending on one’s experience and reliability. The top one was called the Level 4 acolyte, and no one had achieved that level since this program was instituted. Well, I’m competitive enough and enough of a perfectionist that I probably don’t need to tell you who the first was. As a small aside, all of the acolytes wore wooden crosses around their necks when serving, but the Level 4 acolyte got a silver cross – and it’s still the one I wear to do this day when I get vested for worship.