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
The Winter Visitation, Advent 4 (C) – 2009
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 of pregnant Mary’s visit to her elderly relative Elizabeth, who is herself pregnant with John […]
According to the Gospels…, Proper 7 (A) – 2008
According to the gospels, a big part of the ministry of Jesus was that he refused to be scandalized. First, he refused to be scandalized by garden variety sinners. Indeed, he was often seen in company with them: prostitutes, who sold their bodies, for example; or tax collectors who ripped people off. He knew full […]
The Bible Is Full of Beginnings…, Epiphany 3 (A) – 2008
The Bible is full of beginnings; not only the universal one, when God speaks into existence the components of a magnificent cosmos, but other beginnings as well. Thus the human race begins with Adam and Eve, and begins again after the flood with Noah and his family. In old age, Abraham answers the invitation of […]
There Are Two Senses…, Proper 17 (C) – 2007
There are two senses of the word “pride.” Sometimes “pride” refers to the self-respect and strength needed to sustain a group in the face of hardship. Thus we have the slogan used in one area of a small Midwestern city: “Pride in the South Side.” Pride of this kind can be acceptable, even necessary. Another […]
In the Story of the Good Samaritan…, Proper 10 (C) – 2007
In the story of the Good Samaritan that we just heard, where do the different characters end up? The robbers have done their foul deed and have walked off stage with whatever they stole from the traveler they attacked. The priest and the Levite have each continued on the way to Jericho after overlooking the […]
Today May We Consider, Lent 2 (C) – 2007
Today may we consider how sometimes the best prayer to God is a groan, a lamentation, or the voice of grief. In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Maybe you have had this experience. You attend a visitation at a funeral home, and the place is crowded. People are gathered in small […]
Today We Are Invited…, Ash Wednesday – 2007
Today we are invited to swim against the tide. Let us consider that invitation. In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. A man was recalling his grandmother’s recipe collection. Some, he remembered, were in well-used cookbooks, and some were on index cards. But he recalled the oldest recipes in her vast collection […]
The Song of Divine Triumph, Advent 4 (C) – 2006
This morning may we reflect with open hearts on the words we just heard from the song of triumph. In the name of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As Jack Kornfield recounts in the book “How, Then, Shall We Live?” it is the custom in one African tribe that when a woman decides to […]
In Recent Years…, All Saints’ Day (B) – 2006
In recent years Halloween seems to have needed defending against those who regard it as terrible. Certainly there can be excess at Halloween, but in itself the holiday is worthwhile. It can even teach us something of importance. Halloween is October 31, and All Saints’ is November 1, though many congregations celebrate All Saints’ on […]
What Do Today’s Business Leaders…, Proper 20 (B) – 2006
What do today’s business leaders and the child that Jesus picks up have in common? Let’s consider this question, in the name of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. An interesting book entitled âDeep Change: Discovering the Leader Withinâ was written by Robert E. Quinn, who teaches organizational behavior and human resource development at […]
One of My Favorite…, Proper 11 (B) – 2006
One of my favorite Old Testament stories is about Naaman, the Syrian army commander. Naaman is a very important guy. I picture him dressed in an impressive uniform, riding in a big chariot, and surrounded by his officers and staff. What happens is that Naaman contracts leprosy. His skin is a mess — big, ugly […]
Maybe You Saw the Movie…, Proper 8 (B) – 2006
Maybe you saw the movie “The Godfather, Part II.” In that film, the Mafia godfather, Don Corleone, goes to Rome to negotiate a business deal with the Vatican. He is not interested simply in business; he wants to gain respectability. There in Rome he meets with Cardinal Lamberto, who asks if he would like to […]
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