January 28, 2024 - Septuagesima

Lectionary Readings

Help us, O God of love, to welcome Jesus into the whole of our lives. Amen.

            On what authority are you doing this? That’s a question that most of us have probably asked or been asked. We live in a society that has trained us to value autonomy above pretty much everything else. The right to self-determination is written in our psyches. We see ourselves as the consumers who have the power of choice, as directors who have the power of control, as constituents who have the power of a vote. And while autonomy is not necessarily a bad thing, it’s also an illusion because the harsh reality is that we aren’t really in control.

January 21, 2024 - The Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Lectionary Readings

Gracious God, forgive the sins of the preacher, for they are many; that only your Word may be proclaimed and only your Truth be heard ☩ in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

In most artistic endeavors, being repetitive isn’t often a virtue. If Van Gogh only painted vases of yellow flowers, he probably wouldn’t be remembered. If Shakespeare only changed the names of the characters in his plays, but not the dialogue, we wouldn’t know his name. If every song recorded by Bruce Springsteen was just a re-release of “Born in the USA,” he wouldn’t sell out even the smallest of concert venues. But I hope to be remembered as a one-trick pony, as a preacher who only had one thing to say, as someone who just repeated the same old song.

January 14, 2024 - The Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Lectionary Readings

Let us pray… Amen.

            Faith is about hearing. That does not mean that thoughts, emotions, sight, smell, taste, and touch aren’t involved, but faith is primarily about hearing. When it comes to God’s self-disclosure to us, God is lovingly loquacious. God has a lot to say, meaning we have a lot to hear. And, to be clear, I’m not restricting this to auditory hearing. Those who are dealing with hearing loss or deafness can, without question, be people of faith who still very much hear the voice of God. Faith is about a word that is spoken from the beautiful and infinite love of God directed towards us.

            It’s no accident that when God has something to say, we are sent prophets with a message. When God chose to come among it, John describes it as the “Word becoming flesh.” The story of Jesus is called a “Gospel,” which translates to “Good News.” The story of Jesus is news to hear about. And as St. Paul puts it in one of his letters, “faith comes by hearing.” What this means for us is that, as people of faith who are seeking to be in tune with God, the Christian life is a life of listening.

January 7, 2024 - The First Sunday after the Epiphany: The Baptism of Our Lord

Lectionary Readings

Lord Jesus Christ, you prayed for us, that we might be all be one as you and the Father are one. Help us to work through our divisions and hold fast to what we hold in common, that we might become your beloved community ☩ in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

            Last Sunday, I preached about how having the Incarnation of Jesus at our center makes us distinctive as Anglicans. The core conviction that Jesus, the Son of God, lived and died a human life influences how we view Creation, mystery, and ourselves. Several people mentioned that they found it to be helpful in understanding who we are as Episcopalians, so if you missed it, do go back and read or listen to it. Today’s sermon is the counter-balancing corrective to that sermon.

January 6, 2024 - The Feast of the Epiphany

Grant us, Lord, the lamp of charity which never fails, that it may burn in us and shed its light on those around us, and that by its brightness we may have a vision of that holy City, where dwells the true and never-failing Light, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

            “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.” The prophet Isaiah tells those who live in darkness that there is a dawning light of hope. It was a message of hope for the people thousands of years ago, and it remains one for us as well.