March 10, 2019 - Lent 1C

Lectionary Readings

Grace, mercy, and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

            Come and See. That’s been a sort of unofficial motto that I’ve been using at St. Luke’s for the past year or so. That phrase is used throughout the Gospel according to John as a way of pointing towards the glory of God made manifest in Jesus. The way we’ve been using it at St. Luke’s is as both an inward summons for us to go deeper into our faith so that we might come and see more fully the grace of God and as an outward invitation to use to bring other people to St. Luke’s so that they might come and see the love of God in the community and worship of this church.

March 6, 2019 - Ash Wednesday

Lectionary Readings; Psalm 51

Grace, mercy, and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

            There was an article in The New York Times a few weeks ago that caught my attention. The title is “Raising Children Without the Concept of Sin.” It’s written by a mother who writes, “The notion of sin dominated my girlhood, it was the inflexible yardstick against which I was measured. God was the megaphone bleating in my head: You’re bad, you’re bad, you’re bad.” She goes on to tell how she slowly wandered away from the church and religion altogether. When she became a mother, she resolved to raise her children differently than she was. She concludes by saying, “I had raised my daughter without sin.”

March 3, 2019 - Quinquagesima

Lectionary Readings

In the name of God ☩ who is love. Amen.

            We do like to focus on those big moments, don’t we? You might not watch much football, but you tune into the Super Bowl. You try to ignore politics, but the State of the Union catches your attention. You don’t always make it to church, but you’re sure to be here on Easter Sunday. It’s the mountaintop experiences that grab us and make us pay attention. The Transfiguration of Jesus, which we heard about in Luke this morning, is certainly one of those experiences. And while mountain top experiences can be amazing and insightful, every single mountaintop has a base, a foundation that the entire experience sits upon. While the pinnacle is certainly wonderful, this morning, I want to focus on that foundation of the Transfiguration.

January 27, 2019 - Epiphany 3C

Lectionary Readings

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

            Whether it’s a politician’s stump speech, a lawyer’s opening argument, a movie’s opening scene, or a teacher’s introductory lecture, we know the importance of setting the stage. This morning’s passage from Luke is doing just that – it is Luke’s summary of the Gospel. In this liturgical year, which began in Advent and will run through November, Luke’s Gospel is the one we’ll have read on most Sundays, so having a firm grasp on this passage will be a keystone in our understanding.

January 20, 2019 - Epiphany 2C

Lectionary Readings

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

            Is Scripture about God or is it about us? That simple question greatly influences how you read the Bible and what conclusions you draw from the text. Of course, Scripture offers us insights about both God and all of Creation. But the question is about first impressions. Is the first thing we look for in a Biblical text a revelation into the character of God, or do we primarily read Scripture to find out what we are supposed to do?

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.

January 6, 2019 - Epiphany

Lectionary Readings

In the name of Christ who shines the light of grace upon the darkness of our lives. Amen.

            How do you handle conflict? There’s a conflict style assessment that scores you on your preferences for avoidance, accommodation, forcefulness, compromise, and collaboration. And, if you like, you can find a summary of your type that corresponds with an animal – a turtle, teddy bear, shark, fox, or owl. I’m an owl, and rarely ever a turtle. It’s not that any of these conflict styles are right or wrong, rather these sorts of assessments just name your default response to conflict. So how do you handle conflict? Do you run from it or right into it? Are you willing to compromise, or is winning all that matters to you? While it can be difficult and unhelpful to try to name someone else’s personality, it’s pretty safe to say that King Herod was a shark.