Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Advent
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…
Sermon for the Third Sunday of Advent
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…
Sermon for the Second Sunday of Advent
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…
Sermon for the Season after Pentecost – Proper 29 – Christ the King Sunday
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…
Sermon for the Season after Pentecost – Proper 28
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…
Sermon for All Saints Sunday
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…
Sermon for the Season after Pentecost – Proper 25
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…
Sermon for the Season after Pentecost – Proper 23
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…
Sermon for the Season after Pentecost – Proper 22
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…
Sermon for the Season after Pentecost – Proper 21
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…