Luke 2:1-14(15-20) For this sermon on the Incarnation, I am indebted to the work of the reverend Mark Nabors, vicar of St Alban’s Stuttgart and St Peter’s Tollville, who composed the hymn text In the birth of Jesus, God came among us as one of us. This was not a symbolic act of solidarity butContinue reading “The Victorious Surrender”
Author Archives: amcaudill27
Standing Guardian
Matthew 1:18-25 When we picture the family of Jesus, we probably all see some variation of the same image. Jesus is at the center of the Holy Family, held in the arms of Mary who looks down upon him with quiet reverence and perhaps a small smile. Standing or kneeling above them, perhaps leaning againstContinue reading “Standing Guardian”
Doubt & A Thrill of Hope
Matthew 11:2-11 John the Baptist leapt in his mother’s womb in recognition of the miracle Mary carried. John the Baptist left behind his comfortable birthright for a short life of locusts and wild honey and persecution. John the Baptist was the voice crying out in the wilderness even when his voice grew hoarse and theContinue reading “Doubt & A Thrill of Hope”
It Starts With Repentance
Matthew 3:1-12 We meet John the Baptizer in the season when we are awaiting the birth of the infant, and that can make our timelines a bit fuzzy. John is both the harbinger of the Messiah and his contemporary. The adult John is not already preaching while the unborn Jesus still grows in his mother’sContinue reading “It Starts With Repentance”
Anticipatory Joy
Matthew 24:36-44 Do you remember what it felt like to go to bed knowing that tomorrow would bring something magical? Perhaps for you it was a Christmas Eve of your childhood, or a special birthday, or the eve of your wedding or a once-in-a-lifetime trip. That jittery, sparkling, jumping-out-of-your-skin anticipation of what is to come.Continue reading “Anticipatory Joy”
The Widest View
A version of this sermon was first preached in 2019 to the people of St Luke’s in Anchorage KY. Due to a difficult week including the loss of a beloved pet, I will be revisiting this sermon in 2022 with the congregations of St Mark’s Clifford and Grace Massies Mill. I give thanks to GodContinue reading “The Widest View”
Remember the Living
Ephesians 1:11-23 If there is one thing that the annual observance of the feast of All Saints can teach us, it is that we do not come to know Jesus in a vacuum. None of us is a product solely of our own originality, but rather a mosaic of all the little pieces we haveContinue reading “Remember the Living”
A Very Different Story
Luke 19:1-10 Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to experience the familiar story of Zacchaeus with entirely new eyes, and this experience has challenged me. I think it might challenge you too. As an elected member of the Trustees of the Funds for our Diocese, I participate in quarterly meetings with some clergy andContinue reading “A Very Different Story”
Have Mercy
Luke 18:9-14 Two men went up to the Temple to pray. One of them was a pious religious leader, and the other was an agent of the state who participated in and financially benefited from the oppression of his own people. Both of them went up to pray in a place set apart for worshippingContinue reading “Have Mercy”
Recasting the Parable
Luke 18:1-8 I was asked in Bible Study this past Wednesday why our Bible is so long, why we don’t just have a text made up entirely of Jesus’s own words. I wish I’d had the presence of mind at the time to bring up today’s Gospel text, but perhaps I was just saving thatContinue reading “Recasting the Parable”
