Posts by The Rev. Mike Mayor

Readings1 Samuel 3:1-10(11-20)Psalm 139:1-5, 12-171 Corinthians 6:12-20John 1:43-51 Have you ever had an epiphany? Webster’s Dictionary defines an epiphany as “a sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of…

ReadingsGenesis 1:1-5Psalm 29Acts 19:1-7Mark 1:4-11 Do you know who you are? The easy answer is “yes, of course I do.” It is easy for us to list all things in…

ReadingsIsaiah 9:2-7Psalm 96Titus 2:11-14Luke 2:1-20 This time of the year is filled with romantic images. Whether it is the decorations of the season or the films and tv shows that…

Readings2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26Romans 16:25-27Luke 1:26-38 Growing up first as a Roman Catholic and then as a high church Episcopalian, for many years I had a very romantic…

ReadingsIsaiah 61:1-4, 8-11Canticle 15 (The Magnificat)1 Thessalonians 5:16-24John 1:6-8,19-28 Today we hear a very different version of the story about John the Baptist. In fact, he is not even referred…

ReadingsIsaiah 40:1-11Psalm 85:1-2, 8-132 Peter 3:8-15aMark 1:1-8 Today I want to start with the passage we heard from Isaiah. “A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of…

ReadingsEzekiel 34:11-16, 20-24Psalm 95:1-7aEphesians 1:15-23Matthew 25:31-46 Today is the last Sunday of the church year and is traditionally called “Christ the King Sunday.” It is a day when we remember…

ReadingsZephaniah 1:7,12-18Psalm 90:1-8, (9-11), 121 Thessalonians 5:1-11Matthew 25:14-30 Taken at face value it would be easy to think that our Gospel lesson was written with venture capitalists in mind. On…

ReadingsRevelation 7:9-17Psalm 34:1-10, 221 John 3:1-3Matthew 5:1-12 Like every first Sunday in November, we once again find ourselves celebrating the feast of All Saints. This is a day when it…

ReadingsLeviticus 19:1-2,15-18Psalm 11 Thessalonians 2:1-8Matthew 22:34-46 Today we hear one of the perennial stories of Jesus in the Gospels. We, in fact, hear his central teaching regarding what is paramount…

ReadingsIsaiah 25:1-9Psalm 23Philippians 4:1-9Matthew 22:1-14 Today’s Gospel passage is problematic to say the least. Not only does it contain disturbing images, but when we think about the implications of those…

ReadingsIsaiah 5:1-7Psalm 80:7-14Philippians 3:4b-14Matthew 21:33-46 We live in an age of ever-increasing polarization and violence. We need look no further than our daily news to see it and to hear…

ReadingsEzekiel 18:1-4,25-32Psalm 25:1-8Philippians 2:1-13Matthew 21:23-32 Mohandas Ghandi, the famous pacifist of India, is reported to have once said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians…

ReadingsJonah 3:10-4:11Psalm 145:1-8Philippians 1:21-30Matthew 20:1-16 Today we hear a challenging parable about the nature of God’s kingdom. One that, if we are open to what it teaches, makes available a…

ReadingsGenesis 50:15-21Psalm 103:(1-7), 8-13Romans 14:1-12Matthew 18:21-35 Today’s Gospel passage starts with Peter asking a perennial question for Christians. How much and for how long should we forgive? Jesus responds by…

ReadingsEzekiel 33:7-11Psalm 119:33-40Romans 13:8-14Matthew 18:15-20 It would be easy to think that today’s Gospel is all about discipline in the Church. And why wouldn’t we? We literally spend two-thirds of…

ReadingsIsaiah 51:1-6Psalm 138Romans 12:1-8Matthew 16:13-20 Having a teenager learn to drive is a terrifying experience. But not just from sitting in the passenger seat praying that you don’t get in…

ReadingsIsaiah 56:1,6-8Psalm 67Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32Matthew 15:21-28 Today we encounter a shocking image of Jesus, one that flies in the face of our popular images of him. Who among us doesn’t…

Readings1 Kings 19:9-18Psalm 85:8-13Romans 10:5-15Matthew 14:22-33 In case you couldn’t have guessed it from my preaching, I’ve always had a bit of a struggle with miracle stories. I’ve never needed…

ReadingsExodus 34:29-35Psalm 99:5-92 Peter 1:13-21Luke 9:28-36 How many of you have heard the phrase “If all you have is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail?” It’s a fairly…

Readings1 Kings 3:5-12Psalm 119:129-136Romans 8:26-39Matthew 13:31-33,44-52 One of my favorite shows each week is CBS Sunday Morning. I don’t get to watch it when it airs because I’m at church…

ReadingsIsaiah 44:6-8Psalm 86:11-17Romans 8:12-25Matthew 13:24-30,36-43 Today’s Gospel passage picks up where we left off last week. Jesus is continuing to teach in the metaphor of seeds and wheat. And we…

ReadingsIsaiah 55:10-13Psalm 65:9-14Romans 8:1-11Matthew 13:1-9,18-23 Today we hear a parable that seems simple enough. It’s a story about sowing seed and what happens depending on where the seed lands. When…

ReadingsZechariah 9:9-12Psalm 145:8-15Romans 7:15-25aMatthew 11:16-19, 25-30 Today’s gospel concludes with one of Jesus’ quintessential sayings, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I…

ReadingsJeremiah 28:5-9Psalm 89:1-4,15-18Romans 6:12-23Matthew 10:40-42 Today’s Gospel is all about hospitality. Written specifically about the kind of hospitality the disciples might receive as they were sent out, it nonetheless raises…

ReadingsHosea 5:15-6:6Psalm 50:7-15Romans 4:13-25Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” These five words, both in Hosea and Matthew, set the tone and the stage for everything we hear in…

ReadingsGenesis 1:1-2:4aPsalm 82 Corinthians 13:11-13Matthew 28:16-20 As a preacher, today is probably my least favorite Sunday of the year. Why? Because it is the only Sunday specifically dedicated to a…

ReadingsActs 2:1-21Psalm 104:25-35, 371 Corinthians 12:3b-13John 20:19-23 How many of you remember the old Abbot and Costello routine about “Who’s on first?” You know the one where Bud Abbot tells…

ReadingsActs 1:6-14Psalm 68:1-10, 33-361 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11John 17:1-11 On this Ascension Sunday we remember the final physical departure of Jesus from the disciples, and by extension, our lives. It is…

ReadingsActs 17:22-31Psalm 66:7-181 Peter 3:13-22John 14:15-21 The feast of one of the great mystics of the church, Julian of Norwich, occurred this past week. Julian, who lived in 14th century…

Readings Acts:7:55-60Psalm 31:1-5, 15-161 Peter 2:2-10John 14:1-14 To say we are living in difficult times would be a gross understatement. We live in a time of climate crisis. We live in a…

ReadingsActs 2:14a,36-41Psalm 116:1-3, 10-171 Peter 1:17-23Luke 24:13-35 Sometimes it feels as if the world we live in is heading in the wrong direction. We live in a world where an honor roll student is…

ReadingsActs 10:34-43Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24Colossians 3:1-4Matthew 28:1-10 I have to confess to you that every year I struggle with what to say on Easter. Most of us are so familiar with…

ReadingEzekiel:1-34Psalm 130Romans 8:6-11John 11:1-45 This morning we hear the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. For most of us it is a familiar story. Jesus hears of Lazarus…

Readings1 Samuel 16:1-13Psalm 23Ephesians 5:8-14John 9:1-41 Like last week, we have a long Gospel reading for this morning. And again, it is a story where Jesus engages and encounters a…

ReadingsExodus 17:1-7Psalm 95Romans 5:1-11John 4:5-42 Over the last 9 months I have been challenged around questions of gender and race. About nine months ago I took up a class sponsored…

ReadingsGenesis 12:1-4aPsalm 121Romans 4:1-5, 13-17Matthew 3:1-17 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may…

ReadingsGenesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7Psalm 32Romans 5:12-19Matthew 17:1-11 Today’s Gospel reading tells us the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. We are told that after his baptism Jesus is driven by…

ReadingsExodus 24:12-18Psalm 992 Peter 1:16-21Matthew 17:1-9 I have a picture for us to look at this morning. Believe it or not, this picture spells out a very familiar word. And…

ReadingsIsaiah 58:1-9a, [9b-12]Psalm 112:1-9, (10)1 Corinthians 2:1-12, [13-16]Matthew 5:13-20 Sing the first verse of “This little light of mine.” In today’s Gospel Jesus reminds us that we are the light…

ReadingsIsaiah 42:1-9Psalm 29Acts 10:34-43Matthew 3:13-17  In this morning’s Gospel we are invited to experience the baptism of Jesus. For most of us this is a very familiar story. Jesus comes…

ReadingsIsaiah 9:2-7Psalm 96Titus 2:11-14Luke 2:1-20 Tonight/this morning we hear the cherished story of the birth of Jesus, of God becoming one of us. We hear of angels, shepherds, and a…

ReadingsIsaiah 7:10-16Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18Romans 1:1-7Matthew 1:18-25 Let me start by saying that I know it’s Advent, but I’m going to break with Anglican orthodoxy and say, “Happy holidays!” I do…

ReadingsIsaiah 35:1-10Psalm 146:4-9James 5:7-10Matthew 11:2-11 Do you believe or do you have faith? Not long ago such a question would have left me confused and perhaps it leaves you in…

ReadingsIsaiah 11:1-10Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19Romans 15:4-13Matthew 3:1-12 Who among us wouldn’t agree that we live in a broken world surrounded by a broken humanity. Whether we are talking about the ravages…

ReadingsIsaiah 2:1-5Psalm 122Romans 13:11-14Matthew 24:36-44 In the Gospel this morning we hear Jesus speaking about the coming of the Son of Man. We hear him, put simply, talking about his…

ReadingsDaniel 7:1-3,15-18Psalm 149Ephesians 1:11-23Luke 6:20-31 Blessed are you who are poor. Blessed are you who are hungry now. Blessed are you who weep now. Blessed are you when people hate…

ReadingsIsaiah 1:10-18Psalm 32:1-82 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12Luke 19:1-10 Unlike most Sundays, today’s sermon is not based on the readings we have just heard. Today I want to talk to you about…

ReadingsJeremiah 14:7-10,19-22Psalm 84:1-62 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18Luke 18:9-14 One of the great difficulties of this time of the year, in terms of what we read in the Gospels, is that many of…

ReadingsGenesis 32:22-31Psalm 1212 Timothy 3:14-4:5Luke 18:1-8 Because of how this Gospel passage opens we might be tempted to assume we know what this parable is all about. It says it…

Readings2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15cPsalm 1112 Timothy 2:8-15Luke 17:11-19  Today we have a story from the Hebrew Scriptures about a man named Naaman from the country of Aram. He was a…

ReadingsHabakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4Psalm 37:1-102 Timothy 1:1-14Luke 17:5-10 Yet again, we have a difficult lesson in today’s Gospel. Jesus speaks of faith and miracles and then of masters and slaves. At…