Anthony F.M. Clavier
Sermons and Bible Studies
One Plus One Plus One Equals One, Trinity Sunday (B) – 2012
We live in an age of conflict. It was probably always so, but we hear about things instantly nowadays and even find ourselves watching the most dreadful scenes while we blissfully consume a frozen dinner. Our nation seems locked in battle between contending parties and groups, and division and tension have wracked even our church. […]
Jesus, Not Always Meek and Mild, Lent 3 (B) – 2012
Security is very important to most of us. There are things in our lives, some which seem very large, some perhaps insignificant, without which we feel totally adrift. It may be our home or family, or something little, like an old pair of slippers. Most of us love our parishes and churches. If our family […]
And Is It True?, Christmas Day (I) – 2011
And is it true? The choices of lessons for Christmas Day approach that question in two ways. St. Luke tells us the story, a story we’ve heard year by year. Because we are so familiar with the tale, its truth may not engage us anymore. Yes, it’s a beautiful story. A young girl gives birth […]
It Is A Hard Job…, Proper 17 (A) – 2011
It is a hard job being religious. Perhaps we feel this the more when we compare our lives with those of the saints. Of course we have our excuses. The world was less complicated in their days. People had time to pray seven times a day, like the psalmist. We move from that excuse to […]
The Apostles Wanted and Needed…, Easter 7 (A) – 2011
The apostles wanted and needed safety. They asked Jesus whether this would not be a good time to restore David’s Kingdom, a moment in the history of Israel when the nation seemed in retrospect to be secure. Jesus’ reply must have increased their insecurity. The women and men who met with Jesus before his Ascension […]
Ever Since the Bottom Fell…, Ash Wednesday – 2011
Ever since the bottom fell out of the sackcloth and ashes business, we’ve not known what to do about Lent. “What do I give up?” seems to be the primary question, an inversion of Jesus’ call for us to give. Lent isn’t a time to slim or to save money by not buying chocolate or […]
At This Time of the Year…, Advent 4 (A) – 2010
At this time of the year, expectation is very nearly overcome by exhaustion. Whether that expectation is Christmas dinner and a pile of ill-afforded presents, or the Coming of the Son of Man, the lead up now seems interminable, like an overlong engagement, and the pressure to do the right thing by the right people […]
If John the Baptist Came Striding…, Nativity of St. John the Baptist – 2010
If John the Baptist came striding down the aisle today, we might recoil in horror and ask the ushers to remove him. Yet the unkempt man we encounter as an adult was once a child, wrapped like Jesus would be, in baby clothes rather than camel skin. What he became looks like the sort of […]
There’s Nothing More Exciting…, Palm Sunday (C) – 2010
Thereâs nothing more exciting than a spectacular parade. Television spectaculars, like the Oscars are something of a modern equivalent. We watch excitedly as new stars are born and see them surrounded by the press and adoring followers. We love heroes. We love following their lives and marvel when they buy big homes and jet around […]
Embracing the Mission, Feast of the Epiphany – 2010
The plot is familiar. It could well be a contemporary tale. We meet a grasping dictator, determined to hang on to power at all costs, paranoid and bloodthirsty. We meet determined seekers after truth, who although without “power” in the normal sense, are possessed with faith and adventure to seek and to find. We meet […]
No, This Isn’t a Sermon about Tithing…, Proper 27 (B) – 2009
No, this isnât a sermon about tithing, so you may take your hands off your wallets. Our television screens bombard us with offers of deals. No doubt your spam contains similar offers. From time to time we read about elderly people who have been duped out of their funds by unscrupulous people offering deals. There […]
At Least Jesus Took…, Proper 19 (B) – 2009
At least Jesus took poor Peter to one side! There are few things worse than being shamed in public. Yet the story of this stinging rebuke somehow leaked out. Indeed there is a school of thought that attributes much of Mark’s gospel to the words and memories of St. Peter. Perhaps in this account we […]
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