Glory to God Whose Power…, Proper 12 (C) – 1998
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. We recite this prayer, taken from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, often without focusing on the importance of […]
He Was Young, Well-Mannered…, Proper 23 (B) – 1997
He was young, well-mannered, well-educated, and well-off. He was sincere, honest, and seemingly above reproach. Maybe he also had an engaging personality and a winsome smile. Certainly Jesus found him likable, for Jesus, who was about to set out on a trip, took the time to engage with him. Jesus even tried to recruit him […]
This Sunday’s Gospel…, Proper 22 (B) – 1997
This Sunday’s gospel has words that are likely to make us cringe. It is hard to hear them as good news! It sounds, on the face of it, that Jesus is ruling out divorce. And so many of us are divorced, or our friends and family members are. Where does that leave us? First we […]
Moses Has Had It…, Proper 21 (B) – 1997
Moses has had it. The people of Israel have been freed from slavery. But the price of their freedom is costly — seemingly too costly for them to deal with. All this wandering around in the wilderness, with nothing but a steady diet of manna to eat…memories of their time as slaves in Egypt seem […]
Early in the Morning…, Easter Day (B) -1997
Early in the morning the women disciples of Jesus are on their way to the tomb when suddenly they realize they are going to encounter what we moderns might call a technical difficulty. Who will roll away the stone? It’s a big stone, it’s a big problem. But they continue on anyway. Rocks may be […]
The Angels Have Sung…, St. Stephen – 1996
The angels have sung, the shepherds have gathered. People young and old met in churches all over the world on Christmas Eve to hear again the touching story of Mary’s firstborn Son, wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. In many households, the kids were home for the first time in months. Maybe […]
We Hear Them Telling…, Day of Pentecost (A) – 1996
“We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” Acts 2:11 Most of us who have been the members of the Episcopal Church here in the United States have grown up in a church which was English speaking, a church which largely worshipped in Elizabethan English. The culture shock of transition […]
Obituary for a Fool, Pentecost 8 (C) – August 3, 2025
[RCL] Hosea 11:1-11; Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Colossians 3:1-11; Luke 12:13-21 Obituaries are about the life, not the death. The death is the occasion, but it’s usually reported in just one sentence, maybe with a detail—a disease, a condition, a struggle, an accident – and an age. We appraise: so young; a long life; so sudden; […]
The Reign of Christ, Pentecost 7 (C) – July 27, 2025
[RCL] Hosea 1:2-10; Psalm 85; Colossians 2:6-15, (16-19); Luke 11:1-13 When the Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde urged President Trump to have mercy at the National Cathedral, she sparked a conversation on the proper relationship between the church and politics. On the one hand, many cheered her biblical call for mercy in public life. What else […]
Communitas, Trinity Sunday (C) – June 15, 2025
[RCL] Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31; Psalm 8 or Canticle 13 (or Canticle 2); Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15 Bob Dorough, teaching about the number “3” on Schoolhouse Rock, used to sing: Three is a magic number.Somewhere in the ancient, mystic trinityYou get three as a magic number.The past and the present and the future,Faith, hope, and charity,Give […]
Accessibility for Sacred Ground
Accessibility for Sacred Ground Curriculum Recommendations for Maximizing Accessibility for Blind Participants in Sacred Ground Version 1.0 (April 2025) – This will be continually revised; feedback is welcome! GENERAL: MATERIALS: CIRCLE EXPERIENCE: ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES: *Many thanks to Laurie Williams, Ann Foxworth, and Glenda Born for their input during the creation of this guide. Recommendations for […]
What to Expect When You’re Electing 2024
The 2024 election is underway. Americans are going to the polls to vote for the president, 435 members of the House of Representatives and 34 Senators, and many local and state officials. We want to share some key information about how U.S. elections are structured and administered. In the wake of the violence on January […]
Episcopal Church Policies on Gun Safety and Gun Reform
“We stand together in hope. We stand together in faith. We stand together in love. We stand individually as ambassadors of hope, vessels of faith, and sentinels of love. We stand as a community committed to making no peace with gun violence. We pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to inflame and enkindle […]
The Truth Will Make Us Odd, Pentecost 14 (B) – August 25, 2024
[RCL] Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18; Psalm 34:15-22; Ephesians 6:10-20; John 6:56-69 Note: During the 2024 Season after Pentecost, Sermons That Work will use Track 2 readings for sermons and Bible studies. Please consult our archives for many additional Track 1 resources from prior years. The writer Flannery O’Conner reportedly once said, “You shall know the truth […]
Living Together, Pentecost 12 (B) – August 11, 2024
[RCL] 1 Kings 19:4-8; Psalm 34:1-8; Ephesians 4:25-5:2; John 6:35, 41-51 Note: During the 2024 Season after Pentecost, Sermons That Work will use Track 2 readings for sermons and Bible studies. Please consult our archives for many additional Track 1 resources from prior years. There is a reason that the Rule of Saint Benedict is […]
Strength in Weakness, Pentecost 7 (B) – July 7, 2024
[RCL] Ezekiel 2:1-5; Psalm 123; 2 Corinthians 12:2-10; Mark 6:1-13 Note: During the 2024 Season after Pentecost, Sermons That Work will use Track 2 readings for sermons and Bible studies. Please consult our archives for many additional Track 1 resources from prior years. Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made […]
Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves shares thoughts from 2024 Anglican Primates’ Meeting
The Rt. Rev. Mary Gray-Reeves, vice president of the House of Bishops, attended the 2024 Anglican Primates’ Meeting in Rome April 26 to May 3 on behalf of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. Every two years, senior bishops, archbishops, and moderators from the Anglican Communion’s 42 member churches meet for prayer, conversation, study, and fellowship.
Life-Giving Force, Pentecost 6 (B) – June 30, 2024
[RCL] Wisdom of Solomon 1:13-15; 2:23-24; Lamentations 3:21-33 or Psalm 30;2 Corinthians 8:7-15; Mark 5:21-43 Note: During the 2024 Season after Pentecost, Sermons That Work will use Track 2 readings for sermons and Bible studies. Please consult our archives for many additional Track 1 resources from prior years. Think for a moment of someone in […]
At #CSW68: “From NYC to Chicago”
By Lori Petrie, Diocese of Chicago (Province V) It is the second week of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women’s 68th session (CSW68). Several of the members of the Presiding Bishop’s delegation are participating virtually now, so we are separate in distance, but not in spirit. Everyone here is working so hard […]
God Is Light, Easter 2 (B) – April 7, 2024
[RCL] Acts 4:32-35, Psalm 133, 1 John 1:1-2:2, John 20:19-31 God is light and in God, there is no darkness at all. When we walk in the light that is God, we have fellowship with one another. How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! Amen. On this first Sunday […]