God of life and love, just as you opened the tomb, open our hearts and minds to the joy of Easter. Amen.
Easter comes just in the nick of time. There’s been a lot of Good Friday sort of news in our personal and public lives. Easter delivers the jolt of beauty, joy, and Good News that we could all use an extra dose of these days. It’s always good to proclaim it, but there seems to be an extra bit of relief this year to hear the message that the Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!
In the name of God ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
If you were to ask people what they most yearn for, after they go through the near-term wants and desires, most of us will eventually say “peace.” We long for peace. Scripture gives us the words of an often-used blessing that describes this longing – the peace of God which passes all understanding. One of the prayers that so many pray nightly in Evening Prayer is “Give peace in our time, O Lord.” Many just want some peace and quiet, we want peace in Palestine, Ukraine, and Sudan, we want a peaceful civil discourse. Peace is what so many want, and peace is the final emotion to consider this Holy Week. Since Palm Sunday, each sermon has focused on a different emotion as a way of entering into the drama of this week which finds its consummation in the peace of God.
In the name of God ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Holy Saturday is unlike any other day in the Church Year – both liturgically and theologically. On both counts, the day is stark. The liturgy is simple, because what is there really to do on a day of waiting? And while there certainly are writings and reflections on what it means to proclaim that Christ descended to the dead, it’s hard to develop much theology on a topic that Scripture is mostly silent. There is a sort of emptiness to Holy Saturday that can lead to despair.
In the name of God ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
If you want to sow disagreement, ask Christians what they think of the hymn “In Christ Alone.” Episcopalians typically aren’t involved in this debate, as the hymn in question was written in 2001 and our Hymnal was published in 1982, so we don’t sing it very often, if at all. What makes it a controversial hymn is the line, “This gift of love and righteousness, scorned by the ones he came to save: Till on that cross as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.” This Holy Week, each sermon is focusing on a different emotion as a way of participating in the drama of this week. Today, on Good Friday, we consider wrath.
In the name of God ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Of all the emotions, disappointment might be one of the most difficult to move on from. There are strategies that can help us when we are angry, anxious, or impatient. Feelings of happiness, courage, or hope can all be fleeting, but there are practices that we can use to hang on to those positive emotions. But disappointment seems to just stick with us like storm clouds on a rainy day. On this Holy Wednesday, the emotion we’re reflecting on is disappointment.
In the name of God ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Tonight, as we continue considering the emotions of Holy Week, we turn to courage – both the courage that we see in Jesus and the courage that he intends to instill in us. This week which we call holy focuses on the Passion of Jesus. Passion, in Latin, means “to suffer,” which is where we get the phrase “The Passion of Jesus Christ.” But for us English speakers, “passion” more often means intense feelings and desires that are rooted in the heart. And this definition connects to courage. The root of the word “courage” is “heart.” So, when someone says “take heart,” it’s an appeal to be courageous. Ultimately, love is what drives the Passion of Jesus and so there is no Holy Week without the heart, without courage.
Lectionary Readings & additional Gospel reading
In the name of God ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Several decades ago, the cable network TNT used the slogan “We know drama” as a way of assuring audiences that their programming would be exciting, entertaining, and emotional. Well, in Holy Week the Church can borrow that phrase and say, “We know drama.”
Abiding God, help us to know that we are always at home in your love. Amen.
Dorothy was right, “There’s no place like home.” After two full days of travel, 10 days in Kenya, and 4 unexpected days in London, I am so glad to be home. The team that went to Kenya, Dora, Tory, and Amy, and I will have a lot more to say about the time in Kenya in the coming weeks and months, but I do want to say thank you to the Parish and the Foundation for sending us as representatives of St. Luke’s to our friends and companions in Mumias, Kenya. We had such a fantastic time and enjoyed rich food, fellowship, and worship as we further built our relationship with the Cathedral there. That being said, I think the four of us would all agree that it is so very good to be home.
Preached at the Bishop James Hannington Memorial Cathedral in Mumias, Kenya
In the name of God ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Psalm 133 begins with: “O how good and pleasant it is when siblings dwell together in unity.” Indeed, it is so very good to be here. On behalf of Dora, Amy, and Tory, we are so delighted to be here, and we are overwhelmed with the beauty of your country and people. We are so very appreciative of the hospitality that you have shown us.
Gracious God, you hate nothing that you have made, so keep us forever in the knowledge of this great love ☩ in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
This warmer weather has been a nice change. Baseball is again being played and early flowers are budding. All of this means one thing: spring is nearly here. And along with Spring break and March Madness often comes spring cleaning – when we realize that we didn’t quite make the progress on the New Year’s resolution to be better organized and so, bolstered by warmer weather, we spring to action.
O God of grace and glory, help us to behold that which you are helping us to become ☩ in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Church Year, today is known as Quinquagesima – that’s a fun word, isn’t it? Quinquagesima: it means that we’re approximately fifty days from Easter and that this is the Sunday before Lent begins. On these Sundays between the Epiphany and Lent, the sermons have been focusing on our worship – exploring what we mean when say that foundational to our identity is “intentional worship.” Our worship is intentional in that it is deliberately and prayerfully planned and led, and it is intentional in that it is done with a purpose in mind. Today, as this sermon series concludes, I want to consider that last bit – what is the purpose of worship?
Forgive the sins of the preacher, O Lord, that only your Word be proclaimed and only your Word be heard ☩ in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
For those who are paying attention to the news about the government, it’s a disconcerting time. Constitutional and historical norms are being disregarded, chaos and confusion are rampant, and there’s a tone of division and meanness that are menacing. You all know that in the Baptismal Covenant, we commit to striving for justice and peace among all people and pledge to respect the dignity of every human being. So for those of us who are committed to the ideas of treating people with respect, of caring for the environment, that families should not be ripped apart, that who a person loves should not impact their civil rights, that diversity and inclusion are not problems but virtues, for those committed to following the way of Jesus – we’re at a loss about what to do. Attending a rally can feel like an echo chamber, contacting Congress feels like an exercise in futility, posting on social media is vain virtue signaling, standing by idly and hoping that mid-term elections help seems too passive and naïve, and prayers are confusing because for many, this outcome is exactly what many prayed for. I wonder what Scripture has to say about all of this?
In the name of God ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
I’m the last person to ask for advice about plants. I’m not sure if it’s overwatering, underwatering, a lack of fertilizer, or putting them in the wrong places, but not even a cactus that would make it in the barren desert is safe in my care. So don’t take my advice about plants, but do listen to Jeremiah and the Psalmist, they have something worth listening to. Jeremiah says “Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals… they shall be a like a shrub in the desert… But blessed are those who trust in the LORD… they shall be like a tree planted by water.” And Psalm 1 declares that those whose delight is in the law of the LORD are “like trees planted by streams of water… everything they do shall prosper.”
In the name of God ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
“Woe is me! I am lost.” Those words of the prophet Isaiah describe well what many have been feeling over the past several weeks. Another translation puts it as, “I am undone.” These days, there are two camps that most people identify with. One is just so sick and tired of the nonsense and division of politics that they have little to no tolerance for hearing about it at church. They want a respite and a shelter from all of that. They want church, and specifically the sermon, to speak about eternal truths instead of temporal realities. The other group wants to know that the Church sees the eroding of our democratic norms, they are perhaps afraid for themselves or someone they love, and they want assurance that God is aware of injustice, that this is a community that stands for something, and that our faith is relevant in our modern world.
In the name of God ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Come, Holy Spirit, and help us to dream holy dreams. Amen.
The passage that we heard known as the “wedding at Cana” is one of my favorite stories in Scripture. It’s such a rich passage with so many layers of meaning. Every time I study it, there is more Gospel grace and truth to encounter.
Lectionary Readings (and full Gospel text)
In the name of our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace ☩ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
What would you do if you had no fears? If you could take any risk, go on any adventure, or do that thing you’ve always wanted to do, what would it be? That was one of the questions that we recently pondered at a youth group gathering. Several of our youth gave some insightful responses. And one youth said something that really resonated for me – “I’d be more honest with people.” It’s a great response. So often there are things that we want to say, but we worry how they will be received. Maybe we think we can offer some helpful bit of advice, but we worry they’ll take it the wrong way. Perhaps there is someone we want to give an affirmation to, but there’s a chance it will come out wrong, so we hold back. It could be that when someone asks us how we’re doing, we play it safe and say “I’m good” instead of asking for the help we need. We are bound by so many emotions and fears.