Sermons

As we get closer to the general election, it is more and more common to hear someone suggesting that because Candidate X once thought this, and now says that, he or she isn’t being honest! Changing one’s mind may be thought to be a sign of insincerity or weakness. Imagine God changing God’s mind! The…

Born in 1496, John Colet was an English priest on the cusp of the English Reformation, the son of the Lord Mayor of London. He took an M.A. degree at Oxford before traveling to Italy to study canon and civil law, patristics, and Greek. He belonged to a group at Oxford known as the Platonic…

These days the idea of “centering” ourselves—our spiritual life, our prayer, the way we live our lives—has become a popular concern. People join helpful groups and learn to meditate; they learn to remove from their consciousness everything that is not helpful to the ultimate goal of touching at least the edges of the eternal. People…

The 13th chapter of Luke’s Gospel includes two texts offered for today’s Gospel: the account of The Bent Over Woman and at the close of the chapter, the dialog where Jesus engages the question of the number to be saved. “Strive to enter by the narrow door.” Binding these are images of the Kingdom of…

A favorite prayer for “birthday blessings,” in churches where people’s birthdays are publicly celebrated, begins: “O God, our times are in your hand…” (Prayer #50, BCP p.380) Isaiah would recognize the phrase, and being a daring and confrontational prophet, he would no doubt ask if we lived, not just on our birthdays, but every day…

Many times, when we read a contemporary book, we pass right over the short quotation many writers include in the very beginning to sum up the meaning or theme of their book. However, one contemporary novel has a great opening quotation that’s impossible to ignore: “Any Christian who is not a hero is a pig.”…

One of the most moving parts of the vocational life of a priest is the sacred privilege and honor of listening to the cares, joys, and concerns in people’s lives. Nothing can compare to the extremes that a priest experiences in performing this sacred act of listening: tremendous highs and the lowest of lows. It…

This very night your life is being demanded of you. (Luke 12:20) A perceptive parishioner once posed this question: “What would you do differently,” she asked her Bible study group, “if you knew you were going to live forever?” Although she posed the question in a light-hearted moment, her query went to the heart of…

The Old Testament story of Abraham’s bargaining with God reminds us vividly that, early on, people of faith believed that the Creator is merciful and that God responds to the requests of people who are longing for mercy on behalf of others. Abraham is not asking God’s favor for himself; he wants to save the…

The Gospel of Jesus the Christ calls us into doing some radical living, if we are truly listening. The Gospel calls us right into the middle of life—true life that brings the Kingdom of God down to all of us, so that we all can celebrate God’s goodness and concern for us all. Yes, statements…

First, a short instruction, and then, a short story. The instruction may not be necessary for many of you, but for those who may not be familiar with the Myers Briggs Personal Style Inventory, a brief explanation of what this “Inventory” is all about would probably be helpful. The Myers Briggs “Inventory” is a way…

“May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters.” These words, written by St. Paul to the Christians in Galatia, come coursing down the centuries this morning, a benediction on us from this man of God. And then, being the teacher that he is, Paul gives us some instruction,…