July 27, 2025 - The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Readings

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

If you’re our guest at St. Luke’s this morning, perhaps because you felt drawn here or because you are here as a part of the Music & Arts Camp from this past week, welcome. This is an interesting time at St. Luke’s because I’ve recently announced that I’m leaving to serve a church in Colorado Springs. So, this sermon isn’t quite a standard one due to this context.

July 20, 2025 - The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Readings

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

Understandably, I’ve been thinking about this beloved parish a lot in the past week. As I’m writing letters of introduction for a new congregation and diocese, I’ve been thinking about how to describe this amazing and wonderful place that I will be coming from. I can’t say it enough, so I’ll say it now – it has been the joy and honor of my lifetime to serve as your Rector for these past 11 years. We will forever cherish this place and each of you. And so, I’ve been thinking about the things that I’m proudest of that we’ve done together. And near the top of that list is our icon project. I promise that I won’t take them on my way out, but I’d be lying if I said that I’m not tempted to.

July 6, 2025 - The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Readings

Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of relief. Amen.

These days, we’re all looking for relief of one sort of another. Maybe it’s relief from aches and pains, perhaps from bills and interest piling up on your credit card statement, it could be from anxiety that you’re carrying related to work, school, children, or parents. Or maybe, just maybe, you’re weary of all that’s in the news: war, bitterness, buffoonery. Whatever it is, we are living in an exhausting and bewildering time – and we’re all searching for relief.

June 29, 2025 - The Third Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Readings

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

On June 11, our Presiding Bishop, Sean Rowe, issued a letter titled “Acting Faithfully in Troubling Times.” A part of this letter reads, “At its best, our church is capable of moral clarity and resolute commitment to justice. I believe we can bring those strengths to bear on this gathering storm. Churches like ours, protected by the First Amendment and practiced in galvanizing people of goodwill, may be some of the last institutions capable of resisting the injustice now being promulgated. That is not a role we sought – but it is one we are called to.”

June 22, 2025 - The Second Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Readings

Preached at All Saints Episcopal Mission in Linville, North Carolina

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

It is so good to be here in Linville with you all. A parishioner back in Salisbury has a mountain house and often speaks about coming up this way for an “altitude adjustment.” Well, that’s exactly what this week is – an altitude adjustment that allows clergy and their families to get away from the demands of parish ministry and the summer heat, while enjoying the gift of your company in this lovely community. This is our fifth summer here and we are so grateful for the invitation and the hospitality. I pray that the time here is restorative for you just as it is us.

June 15, 2025 - The Feast of the Holy Trinity

Lectionary Readings

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

In May, we went on a family vacation to Washington, DC and while we were there, we did all of the stuff that you do: National Cathedral, Zoo, the Smithsonians, the White House, and the Capitol. We booked the Capitol tour through Senator Thom Tillis’ office, and so in addition to the tour, we also received gallery passes for the Senate. Now, I’m not saying that I figured out how to fix Washington, but I did identify a first step.

June 8, 2025 - The Feast of Pentecost

Lectionary Readings

Come, Holy Spirit, and speak of your wonderful works through us. Amen.

This sermon will function something like a “101” on the Holy Spirit. God, seen as a loving parent, an artist, a creator is something we can start to imagine. God, in coming to us as a Son in Jesus is something we can relate to in our humanity. But God as Spirit is a bit harder to sort out – so God helps us unlock more stars on Duolingo, and is fire, and whispers in our ears? But, then, if you’ve never heard the voice of God, or feel cold and lost, or struggle to remember when’s the right time to say “whom” instead of “who,” we might be confused about what the Holy Spirit is all about.