John 20:19-31 There is a story, a bit of a parable, that is attributed to the Irish. A man dies, and when he arrives at the gates of heaven, he asks to be let in. St Peter is more than ready to open the gates to him, but first he says “Show me your scars.”Continue reading “Worth Fighting For”
Author Archives: amcaudill27
Jesus the Gardener
John 20:1-18 She thought he was the gardener. In her grief and confusion, in her desperation, Mary saw Jesus standing there and mistook him for a stranger, a laborer come to tend the garden where she stood sobbing. I have heard someone speculate that maybe she saw calloused hands with dirt under the fingernails becauseContinue reading “Jesus the Gardener”
Choosing Presence
John 13:1-17, 31b-35 If today was your last day on earth, how would you want to spend it? If you knew, without a doubt, that you were about to die a sudden death, what would you want to do? Most people, most of the time, think of the loved ones they would want to spendContinue reading “Choosing Presence”
A Triumph of Jennies
Matthew 21:1-11 While I was away for my second residency of my fellowship, another fellow invited anyone who was interested to come with him into town for coffee and a change of scenery during one of our longer breaks. A few of us took him up on it, and we enjoyed a sunny stroll throughContinue reading “A Triumph of Jennies”
The Unexpected Main Character
John 9:1-41 For the last two weeks, we have been granted the opportunity to be a fly on the wall of two private conversations between Jesus and two very different individuals. Nicodemus, the well-respected Jewish community leader, comes to Jesus in the night. Photine, the woman at the well in Samaria with a painful andContinue reading “The Unexpected Main Character”
In the Light of Day
John 4:5-42 Last week, we met Jesus in the night with Nicodemus, a man who was not yet ready to encounter the truth in the light of day. This week, we meet Jesus at high noon, the sun blazing down from above. The teacher is tired and hot and thirsty, so he stops to restContinue reading “In the Light of Day”
Gazing in the Dark
John 3:1-17 Since Ben and I moved to Virginia, there has been at least one exceptional meteorological or astronomical event per year visible from this area. The aurora borealis, the northern lights, have shown themselves multiple times. There has been a near total solar eclipse, which I remember particularly well because I was blessing completedContinue reading “Gazing in the Dark”
Who We Truly Are
Matthew 4:1-11 This sermon references two litanies; the Litany of Penitence beginning on page 267 of the Book of Common Prayer and the Great Litany on page 148 in the same book. Both are very appropriate devotional practices for personal use any time in the Lenten season. In nearly every Episcopal Church, Lent begins withContinue reading “Who We Truly Are”
Rend Your Heart
Joel 2:1-2,12-17 This world will break your heart if you let it. There is so much to grieve, so much to fear, so much to run from. Most of us, most of the time, are numb to some or all of it. Sometimes, the numbness is the only way to keep going, to keep fromContinue reading “Rend Your Heart”
Dazzling Humanity
Matthew 17:1-9 In many of the traditional icons that depict the Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountaintop, the poor disciples are either face down on the ground or laid out on their stomachs or backs with looks of pure panic on their faces. The juxtaposition of serene Jesus, Moses, and Elijah with freaked out Peter,Continue reading “Dazzling Humanity”
Mother A Writes 