This sermon was given on the observance of the feast of All Saints (transferred) and on the occasion of the baptism of an adult. The readings of the day can be found here, but the content of this sermon focuses on the occasion itself. I recently heard a friend and colleague recounting her memory ofContinue reading “We are All Saints”
Category Archives: ordinary time
Jesus is always on the other side
Luke 18:9-14 This parable is one that lives rent-free in my head and I’ve never really been sure why. It is not one of the more well-known or well-loved, not often depicted in art or remembered in hymns. But in reading a blog post by the dean of Berkley Divinity School at Yale, I thinkContinue reading “Jesus is always on the other side”
It’s a Beautiful Day to Yell at God.
Luke 18:1-8 A friend of mine recently shared an image with me of an abstract scene in which three figures are shaking their fists at the sky and shouting expletives toward the sun. The caption read “It’s a Beautiful Day to Yell at God.” Among other phrases, one figure cries out “Face us you coward!”Continue reading “It’s a Beautiful Day to Yell at God.”
Let us pray
Luke 17:11-19 I am indebted this week to Mary Karr and Anne Lamott, both of whom have done much to shape my own prayer life. The essay by Mary Karr that is referenced here is “Facing Altars: Poetry and Prayer” found in the journal Poetry. Anne Lamott’s book Help Thanks Wow: The Three Essential PrayersContinue reading “Let us pray”
What Doesn’t Hold Water
Jeremiah 2:4-13 The content of this sermon is difficult, and includes references to gun violence, war, and famine. Footnotes have been provided not as an exhaustive list of resources, but as a starting place for those who wish to learn more about the facts of gun violence and its contributing factors. For steps to takeContinue reading “What Doesn’t Hold Water”
Called & Equipped
Jeremiah 1:4-10 I recently learned that Jeremiah is often referred to by scholars as “the Weeping Prophet” because of how vulnerable, honest, and anguished he often is in the service of the Lord. Throughout the book of the Prophet Jeremiah, one of the longest books in the Bible, the prophet brings hard words to theContinue reading “Called & Equipped”
Recognizing Heaven
Luke 12:13-21 Robin Wall Kimmerer, indigenous botanist and author of Braiding Sweetgrass, recounts several traditional stories of her people that have been used for generations to teach important lessons and pass on cultural values. Many of the stories feature Nanabozho, the teacher in the Anishinaabe cosmology, as a central figure whose choices illustrate lessons aboutContinue reading “Recognizing Heaven”
Lord, Teach Us to Pray
Luke 11:1-13 Lord, teach us to pray. God bless the disciple who asked, no, demanded this lesson from Jesus. We don’t know how to pray, Lord, teach us. It is such a simple thing, and such a vulnerable thing for a religious person to admit. And yet, I hear it again and again in myContinue reading “Lord, Teach Us to Pray”
Rest, Rise, Refill
Luke 10:38-42 A few months ago, I had the opportunity to participate in a Bake & Pray workshop at St John’s in Lynchburg. Some members of St Mark’s also participated in the workshop, which was open to the community. My friend Maria, a talented baker and lay minister, led us in the art of bakingContinue reading “Rest, Rise, Refill”
An Unwanted Savior
Luke 10:25-37 The parable of the Good Samaritan looms large in the Christian imagination. The role of the “good Samaritan” is embedded in our cultural vernacular and enshrined in our legal codes. College students attend trainings when they arrive on their campuses in which they are encouraged to be a good Samaritan, an active bystanderContinue reading “An Unwanted Savior”
Mother A Writes 