Matthew 22:34-46 I am indebted for this sermon to the work of Robert Alter, particularly his translations of Deuteronomy and Leviticus and commentaries therein. I am also grateful for the teaching of the Rev. Dr. Rebecca Abts Wright, who first lifted up for me the rich symbolism of the Hebrew scriptures and how it affectsContinue reading “Loyal Love”
Tag Archives: sermons
We Believe Together
Philippians 2:1-13 When I was a teenager, I was asked to stand up for what I believed in. And I mean that literally. During a Christian Education session at my beloved church camp, the chaplains asked us all to stand up or raise our hand. They told us they were going to read aloud theContinue reading “We Believe Together”
Lost at Sea
Matthew 14:22-33 Yesterday, some members of our two parishes gathered at Trinity Episcopal Church in Arrington to take part in an ancient mode of prayer. On Trinity’s beautiful campus, set a little apart from their cemetery, is a labyrinth, a circuitous path laid in the ground for the purpose of prayerful walking. Those who haveContinue reading “Lost at Sea”
Look Up
Genesis 22:1-14 I am indebted to a large list of resources for this sermon- Dr. Ellen Davis’s sermon at Duke Chapel, the Rev. Ben Madison’s article for Mockingbird (CW: foster care), My Jewish Learning’s article The Binding of Isaac, My Jewish Learning’s article Seeing the Ram, this week’s Pulpit Fiction podcast episode, and conversations withContinue reading “Look Up”
Easter on the Way
Matthew 28:1-10 Mary and Mary Magdalene were not fools. Or rather, they were fools, but the kind that we all become when we love fiercely and completely. These two women were disciples, students of Jesus who had followed him on his journey from town to town. They had witnessed his healings and miracles, they hadContinue reading “Easter on the Way”
Can These Bones Live?
Ezekiel 37:1-14 & John 11:1-45 Mortal, can these bones live? O Lord God, you know. The hand of the Lord brought the prophet Ezekiel into the valley of the shadow of death. The valley full of bones, dry and still and long dead, a sight which makes our haunted houses and metaphorical closets look likeContinue reading “Can These Bones Live?”
Healing, Not Curing.
John 9:1-41 I am deeply indebted in this sermon and in my reading of the healing ministry of Jesus to Amy Kenny, author of My Body is Not a Prayer Request. If you only purchase or check out one book this year, I hope you’ll try Amy Kenny’s. I am also indebted always to TheContinue reading “Healing, Not Curing.”
Jesus our Teacher
John 3:1-17 Our Gospel passage today is one that is so frequently quoted that it has essentially developed a brand all of its own. John 3:16, the second to last verse in this passage, is printed on shopping bags, billboards, the backs of eighteen wheelers and even tattooed on the bodies of countless Christians. ForContinue reading “Jesus our Teacher”
Awakening
Matthew 17:1-9 Please note that some of the links in this sermon lead to descriptions of discriminative policies affecting LGBTQIA+ individuals and people capable of pregnancy. I include these policies to ensure that any narrative built around recent events at Asbury University do not leave out the violence done by such policies and the systemsContinue reading “Awakening”
Transforming Community
Matthew 5:21-37 Something I noticed for the first time while preparing for last week’s Wednesday Bible Study and for this morning’s sermon has really impacted me and how I’ve been hearing Jesus this week. For several weeks now we’ve been hearing passages from the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew’s Gospel. This is Jesus’s stumpContinue reading “Transforming Community”
Mother A Writes 