John 2:1-11 The wedding feast at Cana, the site of Jesus’s first miracle in the Gospel of John, is one of the most well-known stories in Scripture. Or at least, we think we know it. We know Jesus turned water into wine, and we’ve probably heard sermons about how wedding feasts in the ancient worldContinue reading “Mary’s Second Yes”
Tag Archives: ordinary time
Faith Survives the Falling
Mark 13:1-8 Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives andContinue reading “Faith Survives the Falling”
Walking in Love
Mark 12:28-34 What is love? We as the church tend to talk about love, sing about love, pray about love, and read about love a lot. But what is it, really? What does love look like? What does it feel like? What does it smell like, taste like, sound like? If love is so centralContinue reading “Walking in Love”
Brave Prayers
Mark 10:46-52 Most Wednesdays, at noon, I attend the midweek Eucharist at St John’s in Lynchburg. This is a practice I have brought with me from my time in seminary, where a very wise priest reminded me that I was baptized well before I was ordained and I should order my life with this truthContinue reading “Brave Prayers”
Unburdened
Mark 10:17-31 “Good teacher, what must I do?” Jesus has been interrupted yet again by a supplicant, this time not a religious leader or a disabled person or a parent of a demon-wracked child. This time, the one who questions him is just a man. In other tellings of this same story by the otherContinue reading “Unburdened”
Think Twice, Open.
Mark 7:24-37 Someone told me once that I should always think twice before speaking or acting. The reason, they said, is that our first thoughts are rarely even ours. So often, the first words on the tip of our tongue or the first thoughts that cross our mind do not belong to our deeply heldContinue reading “Think Twice, Open.”
The Mirror
James 1:17-27 These are trying times. Our hearts and our shoulders are heavy with the burdens of our personal lives and with the horrors covered in the news every day. Violence continues as we watch and pray for those who are desperate to escape Afghanistan and for those who will be left behind. Our veteransContinue reading “The Mirror”
Reach
Mark 5:21-43 Today we join Jesus as he disembarks from the once storm-tossed boat and steps onto a beach that is quickly crowded with people. His reputation as a teacher and a healer precedes him, and everyone who is able comes rushing to meet him, craning for a glimpse of this mysterious man. Among theContinue reading “Reach”
Keep Getting in the Boat
Mark 4:35-41 A common refrain in some Christian communities over the past year has been “Faith over fear.” We may have heard or even said ourselves the phrase “We cannot live in fear.” Indeed, one of the most repeated refrains in Holy Scripture is the invocation of the angels: Do not be afraid. Jesus’s responseContinue reading “Keep Getting in the Boat”
We are remembered.
This sermon was given on All Saints Sunday to the people of St Luke’s Episcopal Church in Anchorage KY in 2019. This time last year, I was sitting in a choir stall, in a huge crowded chapel full of candlelight and community. I was there to observe the feast of All Saints, to witness aContinue reading “We are remembered.”
Mother A Writes 