Our reading from the Acts of the Apostles today gives us an interesting glimpse into the lives of the earliest Christians. In this story, they were fresh from having witnessed the Ascension of Jesus Christ. His last words to them were: …you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you…

If we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. To pluck their lives from death and to feed them in time of famine. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we…

A usually irate parishioner is said to have tackled the rector after church one Sunday morning. “I’m so glad you preached a historical sermon,” she said. The rector, shocked by this unusual praise beamed thanks. The parishioner continued, “Yes, because I am sick and tired of hearing about love all the time.” It really must…

Consider a nurseryman. He propagates and raises ground covers. His hands work steadily, day in and day out, creating and co-creating new life for the world. He sits at a bench to do his work. In the still, humid heat of the summer he puts his bench out of doors in a particular spot where,…

Today is “Good Shepherd Sunday.” Many of us associate this day with a particular painting, often rendered in stained glass, the familiar one with the rich, dark tones. It features Jesus as the gentle shepherd, carrying home a wayward sheep. Many children who grow up in the church carry this image of the Christ who…

One of the most interesting and unique phenomena in American politics in recent decades was the emergence of Jesse Ventura – the maverick, independent, former Governor of Minnesota. What made Ventura truly unique, of course, was his former occupation as a professional wrestler. Jesse “The Body” Ventura used his massive frame to slam other wrestlers…