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.”
Tag Archives: sermons
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”
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”
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”
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”
The Truth Reigns
John 18:33-37 This day is a peculiar one in the church calendar. Depending on who you ask, this day is Proper 29, or the 27th Sunday after Pentecost, or Christ the King, or Reign of Christ Sunday. Technically, Christ the King is not a major feast in the Episcopal Church. It is not listed inContinue reading “The Truth Reigns”
Crying in Church
1 Samuel 1:4-20 & 1 Samuel 2:1-10 As you may have noticed, I am not a particularly stoic person. When we sing a particular hymn, or read the words of a particular psalm, or even at times when I am preaching or teaching or sitting with folks going through something hard, tears come to myContinue reading “Crying in Church”
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?”
Mother A Writes 