Galatians 5:1,13-25 For freedom Christ has set us free. As the red, white, and blue decorations go up and the flags wave and we prepare for our own celebration later this week, the topic of freedom is timely. This nation in which we live and whose birth we remember on the 4th of July everyContinue reading “Freedom & Costly Grace”
Tag Archives: christianity
Listening Together
John 16:12-15 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” Right there, in red letters, the Bible tells us that God has more to teach us than what could be said in the brief time that God walked the earth in human flesh. Jesus promises the apostles thatContinue reading “Listening Together”
This Is The Hard Part
Acts 2:1-21 Last Sunday marked four years of ministry together, for me and you, and for the partnership between our two parishes in an official capacity. It marked four years of ministry for Ben at St John’s, and it’s been a little over four years since we moved into our home in downtown Lynchburg withContinue reading “This Is The Hard Part”
We Are All Here
Acts 16:16-34 Content Warning: This sermon addresses suicide, mental illness, and death. The photo associated with this post is a photo I took at the excavated prison cell in Philippi where Paul was imprisoned as depicted in Acts. When I saw the readings assigned for today, I was deeply moved. This reading from Acts isContinue reading “We Are All Here”
The Promise of Home
Revelation 21:1-6 See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the firstContinue reading “The Promise of Home”
Being Made New
Luke 24:1-12 Why do you look for the living among the dead? The messengers of God may be dazzling, but they don’t seem to have much tact. The women come to the tomb carrying spices, after weeping their way through the Sabbath, faces tear stained and eyes puffy, with the intention of seeing their friendContinue reading “Being Made New”
The Devil is a Liar
John 18:1-19:42 Yesterday, we heard that the devil had put it in the heart of Judas to betray Jesus, and today we bear witness to the outcome of that betrayal. “The Devil made me do it,” a phrase popularized by a comedian in the 70s, has long been a tongue-in-cheek way of excusing minor infractions,Continue reading “The Devil is a Liar”
In Remembrance of Me
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 & John 13:1-17, 31b-35 Do this in remembrance of me. In Paul’s letter to the Christians in Corinth, we have the earliest mention of the Eucharist, Holy Communion, the Lord’s Supper. Paul was writing almost a generation before the Gospel of John was written, and decades before Mark or Luke or MatthewContinue reading “In Remembrance of Me”
For Love’s Sake
Luke 9:28-36, [37-43a] For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved one particular prayer in the prayerbook more than any other. It is found in the Compline liturgy, prayers for the close of the day, which was prayed before bedtime every night at my summer camp growing up and at the end of everyContinue reading “For Love’s Sake”
Winnowing
Luke 3:7-18 There’s nothing like getting called a brood of vipers to really get you in the holiday spirit! The lectionary keeps reminding us that yes, the birth of the Christ Child is just around the corner, but there’s more to the preparations than decorating trees and baking treats. John, the miraculous child of twoContinue reading “Winnowing”
Mother A Writes 