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”
Category Archives: ordinary time
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”
Mustard Seed Hearts
Luke 17:5-10 I have seen what faith the size of a mustard seed can do. I have seen mountains move, and the impossible come to pass. I’d be willing to bet most of the people in this room have too, whether you know it or not. One of the greatest privileges and most difficult challengesContinue reading “Mustard Seed Hearts”
Tearing Down the Gate
Luke 16:19-31 “If you’re talking about the afterlife, you’re missing the point.” In my preparations for this week’s sermon I listened to a sermon podcast that Ben likes to reach for, and this phrase from the episode on Lazarus and the rich man has really stuck with me. If I’m talking about the afterlife inContinue reading “Tearing Down the Gate”
Finding the Right Answer
Luke 16:1-13 The parable of the dishonest manager, as our Gospel lesson from Luke this week is known, is one of the most hotly contested and opaque passages in the New Testament. Since the earliest days of the church, Christian scholars and believers alike have puzzled over this strange story from the mouth of Jesus.Continue reading “Finding the Right Answer”
Stories Jesus Told
Luke 15:1-10 The stories we tell our children shape them, and us, and pour the foundation upon which a life is built. Those stories include stories out of picture books and Bibles, movies and television, family history and the day’s news. Growing up as the daughter of an educator, I had the great privilege ofContinue reading “Stories Jesus Told”
Worth the Cost
Luke 14:25-33 “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” It’s not the only time Jesus says something like this in the Gospels, but it is maybe the most direct. I once led a Bible Study withContinue reading “Worth the Cost”
Practicing Freedom & Rest
Luke 13:10-17 In our Bible Study this past Wednesday, we reflected on the fact that our mainstream Christian culture has become far removed from anything resembling the practice of Sabbath. Some of you reflected that you’ve seen the shift in your own lifetime, recalling a time not too long ago that stores were closed onContinue reading “Practicing Freedom & Rest”
Mother A Writes 