Category: Sermons
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It Takes All Kinds
The Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul (Ezekiel 34:11-16; Psalm 87; 2 Timothy 4:1-8; John 21:15-19 ) Image source: Wally Gobetz via Flickr PDF | Audio (or via Dropbox) | Text: “It takes all kinds,” my mothers says from time to time. To be a family. To be a team. To be the Church. It takes all kinds. My…
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The story of a name
Trinity Sunday, Year C (Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15) Image source: Felix O CC BY-SA 2.0* via Flickr PDF | Audio (or via Dropbox) | Text: “O LORD our Governor, * how exalted is your Name in all the world.” Amen. For those of you who might be new to liturgical churches or…
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A parable of preparation
Lent 5, Year C (John 12:1–8) PDF | Audio (or via Dropbox) | Text: Image source: Stephanie Watson CC BY 2.0 via Flickr I was speaking recently with a teacher at a religious high school. She had been studying this passage from John’s gospel with her students and was both charmed and surprised by their…
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Activation Energy & Spiritual Gifts
Epiphany 2, Year C (1 Corinthians 12:1-11) PDF | Audio (or via Dropbox) | Text: Image source: jasonwoodhead23 CC BY 2.0 via Flickr I wonder if Epiphany is easier in the southern hemisphere. “In your light, we see light,” was the phrase from this morning’s psalm that stuck with me all week. But this matra had…
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When Advent gets away from us
Advent 4, Year C (Luke 1:39-55) PDF | Audio (or via Dropbox) | Text: Image source: Chris Wolff CC BY 2.0 via Flickr — Three weeks ago, Bishop Steven Miller bid us to embrace the present moment and put on the splendid apparel that is ours in Christ Jesus. Two weeks ago, Fr. Humphrey helped us name…
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Jesus Is Our (Metaphorical) Rock
Thursday in 1 Advent, Year 1 (Isaiah 26:1-6, Ps 118:19-24, Matt 7:21-27) PDF | Audio (or via Dropbox) | Text: Image source: idleformat CC BY 2.0 via Flickr — May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. In college, I worked…
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Gathering with the Saints
“I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers” (Ephesians 1:15–16). I hope the author of the Letter to the Ephesians won’t mind me borrowing these words.…
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Sermon on Mark 6 from Sunday, July 22: “Discipleship when life happens”
I’ve recently started work as a part-time assistant for pastoral care at St. Paul’s Parish on K Street in Washington, DC. As I say in this sermon, “life happened” (and also death) early Friday morning in Aurora, CO. So my first sermon in this new position took an unexpected turn. Please continue to pray for all…
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Sermon on Glory and Mercy, 2 Lent
Between field ed, the VTS chapel, and class, I have preached seven times in the last six weeks. That’s all in six weeks’ work for the average parish priest, but this seminarian is definitely ready for the break ahead. In the meantime, here’s my final effort, from Sunday’s readings (and collect!). Many, many thanks to…
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First Sermon on … Sex and Beer … ?
I’ve complained a lot in seminary that we don’t talk enough about sex. We talk around it a lot. We talk about its implications (or rather, sexuality’s implications) for church polity a lot. But we don’t actually talk about sex, about desire, about pleasure. At least not very much, at least not in the Episcopal…