March 8, 2020 - Lent 2A

Lectionary Readings

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

            Have you ever had to start over? Maybe it was after being laid off from a job and having to start from scratch. Maybe it was after getting divorced and realizing that life isn’t playing out the way you thought it would. Maybe it was after not getting into the school that you hoped to attend and you had to go back to the drawing board. Maybe an idea you had just didn’t go as planned and was a total flop. Starting over is scary, full of uncertainty, and even if it leads to a good, or better, end result, the process of disorientation is not often a pleasant one.

January 12, 2020 - Baptism of our Lord

Lectionary Readings

O God, at the Baptism of our Lord you opened the heavens and declared him to be your Beloved. Grant that by Baptism we might be joined to him in your gracious love. Amen.

            I have a good friend who has been searching for jobs for the past couple of months. He’s asked me to read through his application materials a few times as he tries to succulently describe who he is and his sense of vocation. The titles and dates of previous positions are easy to get. Listing duties and degrees is fairly simple. The hard parts are the identity statements – who are you and why would you be a good fit here? And it’s not just in a job search that we struggle with these questions. We all struggle with those questions of “who am I now,” “who do I want to be,” and “what is my purpose?”

November 3, 2019 - Proper 26C

Lectionary Readings

Come, risen Lord, and deign to be our guest; nay, let us be thy guests; the feast is thine. Amen.

            Last month, we took the girls to the Renaissance Festival and had a really good time. I had never been that event before and didn’t quite know what to expect. It’s a 25-acre village that’s set up in Huntersville that mimics an English village in the 16^th century. There’s an assortment of food and entertainment options including a blacksmith, jousting, and all sorts of shows. But this is a sermon, not an infomercial for the Renaissance Festival. What absolutely fascinated me as a preacher and someone who has an eye on the culture is how this event isn’t just something you attend, it’s something you participate in.

June 30, 2019 - Proper 8C

Lectionary Readings

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be always acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer ☩ in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

            This morning, I want to present the other side of the coin. Last Sunday, we heard St. Paul say in Galatians that “We are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.” I used that verse to offer a reflection on God’s amazing grace and said that the point of the Gospel is not to get people to accept Jesus, rather it is to get people to trust that Jesus has already accepted them. This means that faith isn’t about what we have to do because we don’t have to do anything – instead of earning our salvation, we are to enjoy it. And all of that is absolutely true; I’d stake my life on it.

January 13, 2019 - Epiphany 1C

Lectionary Readings

In the name of the God who makes the common holy and the holy common. Amen.

            “When Jesus had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove.” Doves are beautiful creatures, aren’t they? Pristine white, graceful, peaceful, calm. Nothing like those nasty pigeons. We all know that pigeons are dirty, stupid, and they leave droppings everywhere, not to mention that there are too many of them. It’s no wonder that pigeons are often called “sky rats.” But doves, what a wonderful way to think about the Holy Spirit.

November 1, 2018 - All Saints

Lectionary Readings

O Almighty God, who by thy Holy Spirit hast made us one with thy saints in heaven and on earth: Grant that in our earthly pilgrimage we may ever be supported by this fellowship of love and prayer, and may know ourselves to be surrounded by their witness to thy power and mercy. We ask this for the sake of Jesus Christ, in whom all our intercessions are acceptable through the Spirit, and who liveth and reigneth for ever and ever. Amen.

            That Collect is one of the treasures of our Book of Common Prayer. It’s not often used, as it is the third option of the generic commons for a saint. Though it may not be one of the most often used prayers in our tradition, it is a splendid one to consider on the Feast of All Saints. This Feast of the Church is rooted in Baptism; in the fact that we are brought into the Body of Christ which transcends space and time. And as we can see in this prayer, which is found on page 7 of your bulletin, being the Baptized people of God sanctifies us, connects us, and gives us witnesses.

October 21, 2018 - Proper 24B & Feast of St. Luke

Lectionary Gospel Text (Feast of St. Luke Readings)

In the name of the loving, liberating, and life-giving Trinity. Amen.

            What difference does it make that you are a follower of Jesus? I’m sure you all know people who aren’t people of faith and yet they live lives similar to yours – they are nice people, they give to charity, and they’d be there to help you in a time of need. Certainly, we’re here this morning and they’re not, so that’s a difference. But the way they might view our religious practices is that it’s a nice hobby for us. It gives us a sense of purpose and meaning, and they might find that same sort of thing when they walk in nature, or practice yoga, or listen to music. When it comes down to it, what is the difference between a devout Christian and a compassionate atheist?

March 31, 2018 - Easter Vigil

Lectionary Readings

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

            This is the night. On this most blessed and holy evening, we encounter the fullness of all Christian liturgy. In the ancient church, people who were preparing for Baptism underwent an intense period of preparation, called the catechumenate. They learned about the faith before being baptized at the Easter Vigil. However, one thing that they did not learn about was the liturgy. Today, if you want to explore the faith, you can come and participate fully in our worship, you just don’t receive Eucharist until you are baptized. But in the ancient Church, the catechumens were dismissed after the prayers and did not ever see or learn about the Eucharist. And because Baptism happened once a year at the Vigil, and they were not yet baptized, they had never seen a Baptism or Easter Vigil.

January 7, 2018 - Epiphany 1B: Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Lectionary Readings

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

            You all have seen the footage of the landing crafts, full of infantry, landing on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944. This invasion by the Allied forces began the decisive victory over Nazi Germany and changed the course of world history. Though the war did not end that day, the tide of the war changed and D-Day began the process of the liberation of Europe. Many of you can probably recall one of the famous photographs of that day taken from inside a landing craft showing cloudy skies, a beach lined with artillery, and hundreds of troops. And though these troops were all individual men, the photos generally show them only from the back, obscuring their identity and portraying them as the collective savior of Western democracy. The reason why I’m beginning this sermon by helping you to imagine the D-Day landing is that image is precisely the one that will help us to understand what Mark is saying as he introduces us to Jesus.

September 10, 2017 - Proper 18A

Lectionary Readings

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

            You’ve probably heard the advice “dress for success” or “dress for the job you want.” And that’s generally good advice. While clothes don’t make the man, or woman, they do have an impact. I remember when I was a kid, when I would wear my Ken Griffey, Jr. baseball jersey, it seemed as if I was more confident as I stepped up to the plate than when I wore a regular t-shirt. What we wear does send a message – it sends a message to the world about how we present ourselves and it sends a message to ourselves, as clothing is an extension of ours self-image and priorities.

January 29, 2017 - Epiphany 4A

Lectionary Readings

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

            In Ephesians, Paul writes “by grace you have been saved.” The Epistle of James states that “So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.” And therein you can see the foundation being laid for the debate over what faith is all about. Are we saved by Christ’s faithfulness, regardless of our own thoughts and practices? Are we saved by thinking the right things? Are we saved by doing the right things and not doing the wrong things? It’s the classic case of grace and works.

January 22, 2017 - Epiphany 3A

Lectionary Readings

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

            Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you get on the same page and that you cut it out with these divisions, that you be united in the same intention and purpose. For it has been reported to me by Fox News and CNN that your bickering is reaching catastrophic levels, my brothers and sisters. What I mean is that each of you says “I’m a Republican, or “I’m a Democrat,” or “I’m above political party,” or “I’m Episcopalian, “Or I’m with Luther,” or “I’m Progressive,” or “I’m an Evangelical.” Has Christ been portioned out? Or were you Baptized into the name of anyone other than Jesus Christ? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Addison Griffith and Ruby Corriher. (I did baptize also my daughter Rowen; but the point is that I really don’t bother keeping a tally of people who I baptized). For ,Christ did not send me to me to gain my own following, but to proclaim his gospel, and not with soaring rhetoric that overshadows the power of the Cross of Christ. For the understanding of the Cross is utter foolishness to those who are fading away, but it is the power of God to liberate us.

January 8, 2017 - Epiphany 1A / The Baptism of our Lord

Lectionary Readings

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

            What is Baptism? Have you ever stopped to really consider what Baptism is all about? The first thing that you see when you walk into St. Luke’s is our Baptismal Font, and this is by design. The Font is the first thing you notice when entering because it is through Baptism that one becomes a member of the Church. Our Book of Common Prayer, is built upon the foundation of Baptism – Eucharist, Burial, Ordinations, Confirmation, all of these liturgies would be dramatically changed if we removed the underlying Baptismal theology. The belonging, calling, and hope that are embodied in these services flow from our Baptisms. It is clear that Baptism is crucial to our faith, but really, what is Baptism?

July 17, 2016 - Proper 11C

Lectionary Readings

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

            It is quite fitting that we have a Baptism today, as it partners perfectly with this morning’s reading from Colossians. Scholars tell us that verses 15-20, which are contained in the first paragraph of the reading in the bulletin, are an ancient hymn of the early Church. These verses would have been familiar to first generation Christians and is older than the book of Colossians itself. This song of the earliest Church was likely used at Baptisms that took place nearly 2,000 years ago in what is modern-day Turkey. So today, as we prepare to baptize Jacob Grey Storey into the Body of Christ, we are united to Christians throughout time and space as we consider this hymn about Christ’s Lordship.

January 10, 2016 - First Sunday after Epiphany & Baptism of Our Lord

Lectionary Readings

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

            Have you ever wondered what Baptism is all about? I mean, why do we do it? I think that many of us would say that God loves every single person in the world, and that we are all children of God the moment we are born, if not sooner. Our two-month old daughter hasn’t yet been baptized, but I don’t doubt God’s love for her for one second. We belong to God before we are baptized, so why Baptism? Some might say that in Baptism we receive the Holy Spirit. But do we really want to say that the Holy Spirit can only come through a human action – that somehow by denying someone Baptism that we could deny them the gift of God’s Spirit? I’m not comfortable with that one. Of course, some will say that Baptism is required for personal salvation from Hell, and as pervasive as that point of view is, that conclusion doesn’t really have any solid Biblical or theological basis. So why do we Baptize people?

December 13, 2015 - Advent 3C

Lectionary Readings

O come, O come, Emmanuel. Amen.

            The lectionary’s move through Advent mirrors our move through this season. A few weeks ago we were entering a season of putting up Christmas decorations and starting to listen to holiday music. But now things are getting real – you no longer have all month to buy gifts or plan for parties. Christmas is no longer something on the horizon, it’s nearly here and there are things that need to get done. As we began Advent a few weeks ago, we talked about themes like hope and God’s promises, but in today’s reading from Luke, things are getting very real as John the Baptist begins his preaching.

May 3, 2015 - Easter 5B

Lectionary Readings

In the name of the Risen Lord. Amen.

            “I am the vine, and you are the branches.” It’s such a great metaphor for the Christian life and vocation. But I want to focus on the reading from Acts this morning, so you’ll have to reflect on that metaphor throughout the week. Each verse of this passage from the Acts of the Apostles is saturated with meaning. In the John passage, Jesus speaks of bearing fruit, and this Acts passage is a great description of what that might look like in a real life situation.

April 12, 2015 - Easter 2B

Lectionary Readings

In the name of the Risen Lord. Amen.

            Often this Sunday is referred to as “Low Sunday” because, well, after the highs of joy and attendance last week, today seems rather low. And while I wish that every Sunday had the church packed like it did last week, that’s just not the way it works. Mountaintop experiences are great and wonderful, but you can’t stay there. And so, for me, the question for today isn’t “where did everyone go?” or “do people really think that Jesus wants us to show up on Easter and then forget about church until Christmas?” No, the question to be asking today is “so what?” The Lord is risen, but so what?

January 11, 2015 - Epiphany 1B

Lectionary Readings

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

            Today is a day about beginnings. Our reading from Genesis starts with “in the beginning;” and our reading from Mark comes from the start of that gospel. And, of course, we’re at the start of a new year. In The Four Quartets, TS Eliot famously says “in my beginning is my end.” If you attended the December class on the Gospel according to Mark, you’ll remember that we discussed the notion that this first chapter of Mark is an overture of sorts to the entire Gospel. This story of Jesus’ baptism serves to set us up for the theological and emotional trajectory for the rest of Mark.

February 23, 2014 - Epiphany 7A

Lectionary Readings

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

“You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy…Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” I was just hoping to make it through the day without thinking uncharitable thoughts towards others, but holiness and perfection? That’s a tall task. One of the aspects of Leviticus, and any of the Law-giving statements, that is often overlooked is their context. In this handful of verses from Leviticus, we find the refrain “I am the Lord your God” five times. What is easy to miss is that these passages about Law aren’t simply a “do” and “don’t” list. As I’ve said before, the Bible is not a book of directions, but instead is a book that provides direction. And most of these rules, if that’s how we read them, are fairly self-apparent: don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t steal. Any godless society that is interested in having order could come up with a similar list of rules.