Charles Hoffacker
The Rev. Charles Hoffacker lives in Greenbelt, Maryland, with his wife, Helena Mirtova. He is the author of A Matter of Life and Death: Preaching at Funerals from Cowley Publications. Many of his sermons appear on sermonwriter.com.
Sermons and Bible Studies
Do What Young Jesus Did: Listen and Ask Questions, Christmas 2 – January 4, 2026
[RCL] Jeremiah 31:7-14; Psalm 84 or 84:1-8; Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-19a; Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23a or Luke 2:14-52 or Matthew 2:1-12 It happens sometimes, even to responsible parents: The mother assumes the child is with the father; the father assumes the child is with the mother. When they compare notes, there is calling in every direction, searching in […]
When You Give a Banquet, Proper 17 (C) – 2025
[RCL] Jeremiah 2:4-13; Psalm 81:1, 10-16; Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16; Luke 14:1, 7-14 As their big event reaches its conclusion, the host and hostess look weary. It is not the tired contentedness that follows putting on an enjoyable event, but something different, a feeling of sadness. The turnout was great from their personal A-list of relatives, […]
By Faith, Proper 15 (C) – 2025
[RCL] Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:1-2, 8-18; Hebrews 11:29-12:2; Luke 12:49-56 A great many people would agree that, nowadays, the world looks sad and in decline. Precious few news stories situate members of the human race in a positive light. Circumstances look bad in many places. People of diverse and even conflicting perspectives share at least […]
Jesus’ Mission Statement, Epiphany 3 (C) – 2025
[RCL] Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a; Luke 4:14-21 Today’s gospel presents us with Jesus’ first act of public ministry, described for us in Luke’s gospel. Following his river baptism and his long wilderness fast and temptation, Jesus returns to his home country, Galilee. Reports about him have been spreading through the […]
The Winter Visitation, Advent 4 (C) – 2024
[RCL] Micah 5:2-5a; Canticle 15 (or 3) or Psalm 80:1-7; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45, (46-55) In the beautiful month of May, in the springtime of the year, the church keeps a feast known as the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The gospel reading on that occasion is the one we just heard, the story […]
The Sound of It Sprouting, Proper 28 (B) – 2024
[RCL] Daniel 12:1-3; Psalm 16; Hebrews 10:11-14, (15-18), 19-25; Mark 13:1-8 It’s been said that people today experience three kinds of suffering. The first kind belongs to our human condition. The flesh is heir to deprivations such as illness, death, and grief. The second kind of suffering results from bad decisions people make. We bring […]
May Your Heart Live for Ever!, Easter 5 (B) – 2024
[RCL] Acts 8:26-40; Psalm 22:24-30; 1 John 4:7-21; John 15:1-8 The psalm selection for today, a portion of Psalm 22, can catch us by surprise. Psalm 22 is famously associated with Holy Week. Jesus, suspended from the cross, close to death, quotes its opening words: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And […]
Talking to the Salt, Epiphany 5 (A) – 2023
[RCL] Isaiah 50:1-9a, (9b-12); Psalm 112:1-9, (10); 1 Corinthians 2:1-12, (13-16); Matthew 5:13-20 The celebrated Chilean poet Pablo Neruda wrote many odes. An ode, you will recall, is a poem that addresses its subject in an exalted fashion. Thus, we have poems by Keats such as “Ode to a Nightingale” and “Ode on a Grecian […]
Johnny Appleseed Christianity, Epiphany 1 (A) – 2023
[RCL] Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 3:13-17 The Epiphany Season is a time in the church year when we focus on many epiphanies, shinings forth of the glory of Christ, among them his manifestation to Gentiles as an infant, the time at Cana when he supplied wine for a wedding, and his mountaintop […]
An Alternative Consciousness, Proper 10 (C) – 2022
[RCL] Amos 7:7-17; Psalm 82; Colossians 1:1-14; Luke 10:25-37 Flashing through the Bible and beyond is a lightning bolt known as prophetic ministry. What prophetic ministry does, according to Bible scholar Walter Brueggemann, is generate “a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture around us.” This is not a […]
Time, Easter 5 (C) – 2022
[RCL] Acts 11:1-18; Psalm 148; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35 Our services for the Easter Season this year feature readings from the Revelation to John, the last book of the Bible and perhaps the most mysterious. Much of the drama in Revelation is centered around the throne of God and the Lamb, or as it is […]
Jesus’ Mission Statement, Epiphany 3 (C) – 2022
[RCL] Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a; Luke 4:14-21 Today’s gospel presents us with Jesus’ first act of public ministry, described for us in Luke’s gospel. Following his river baptism and his long wilderness fast and temptation, Jesus returns to his home country, Galilee. Reports about him have been spreading through the […]
Don’t forget to subscribe to the Sermons That Work podcast to hear this sermon and more on your favorite podcasting app! Recordings are released the Thursday before each liturgical date.
Receive Free Weekly Sermons That Work Resources!
