Mark 9:30-37 One of the best sermons I’ve ever heard preached came from the mouth of a 3 year old. It was in seminary, in the school chapel, on a Thursday night. Normally, that chapel was a pretty intense and intimidating place. It was where we learned to do the dance of liturgy to theContinue reading “Welcoming the Child”
Tag Archives: faith
Who will save us?
Mark 8:27-38 Who do people say that Jesus is? A savior, a prophet, a healer, a friend, a sacrificial lamb, a judge, a Messiah, a wisdom teacher, a radical, a revolutionary, a Palestinian Jew, the Son of God, just a really good dude with some good ideas—the list goes on. I’ve even heard questionably earnestContinue reading “Who will save us?”
Being Human, and Being Better at it
Mark 7:24-37 The reality of the incarnation is one of the greatest scandals of history. Not the fact that God came to earth, plenty of deities have done that in mythology from all over the world. Not the fact that a human woman gave birth to a somehow more-than-human child, since of course the mythsContinue reading “Being Human, and Being Better at it”
Enough
John 6:1-21 I have lost count of the times I have heard someone ask “Will there be enough?” in the hours before a church event. As bodies flow into a potluck and the dishes on the table don’t seem to keep pace, we bite our nails and check the freezer for a backup plan. AsContinue reading “Enough”
Naming the Hurt
Mark 5:21-43 For the past ten days, as many of you know, I have been in my hometown of Louisville Kentucky for the 81st General Convention of the Episcopal Church. It was a marathon of worship, parliamentary procedure, networking, reconnecting with old friends and mentors, and learning. I look forward to talking with you moreContinue reading “Naming the Hurt”
May We Listen
1 Samuel 3:1-10(11-20) When you walk around wearing head to toe black with a white band around your neck, you hear a lot of people’s opinions about the Church. Sometimes people rush to tell you where they go to church and who their pastor is, or how often they go to church, or what denominationContinue reading “May We Listen”
Praying with the Spirit
Romans 8:12-17 I did not truly learn how to pray until I was a young adult. I grew up in a Christian home, I went to my family’s Episcopal Church every Sunday, I attended youth group and Christian summer camp, I loved church and the prayerbook and I listened to the sermons as best IContinue reading “Praying with the Spirit”
The Story Continues
Mark 16:1-8 And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Can you imagine if the Bible had ended here? For some early listeners, it apparently did. The oldest authorities we have end the story here, with the first half of verse 8. Later versions extend the story by three more verses, and evenContinue reading “The Story Continues”
A Day in the Life
Mark 1:29-39 There are some days when I feel especially grateful to the hundreds and thousands of people who contributed to the composition and preservation of the Scriptures. Today, as we read this passage from Mark, is one of those days. A lot of people over two thousand years and many continents made it possibleContinue reading “A Day in the Life”
Expansive Love
This sermon was preached on the Occasion of the baptism of twin boys, and speaks more to that momentous occasion than to any specific lections. The Propers for the day were Epiphany 2, Year B. While I was on my pilgrimage this past fall, the last site we visited was also my favorite. It wasContinue reading “Expansive Love”
Mother A Writes 