[RCL] Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12 The lessons for this second Sunday in Advent are absolutely magnificent in their belief in, understanding of and knowledge about life in the kingdom of God. What do we have here, from the Psalms, through Isaiah, Romans and Matthew? What will it be like? There…

[RCL]: Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  – Romans 15: 13 In every age when God’s people turn to sin and waywardness, human prophets…

One has to love John the Baptist! Not for his sense of fashion – although camel’s hair clothing is quite trendy. And definitely not his diet. But our fondness for John the Baptist can be rooted in the fact that he is a ‘tell it as it is preacher.’ He doesn’t fit in the box…

We encounter a strange image for the coming Messiah in our lesson today from Isaiah 11: “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” Now picture what this looks like, you’ve seen it before. A tree gets chopped down to a stump, and a…

On the twelfth of October, thirty-three trapped Chilean miners ascended to the surface of the earth. As spectacular as that event was, their exodus might never have happened were it not for the miners’ faith in action. Theirs is a story worth telling. It will deepen our appreciation of what should be a gentle season,…

Today may we consider what it means to find springtime in December.In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In many parts of the country, late fall weather can be surprising. In fact, it can seem like spring. Temperatures can be unseasonably mild and people can even walk around in their shirtsleeves or…

During Advent some clergy move Créche figures around the church as a way of telling children the story of Joseph and Mary and the shepherds and wise men moving toward the barn in Bethlehem. Imagine a priest adding to the usual mix on this second Sunday of the Advent season to illustrate today’s Gospel. This…

Note to the Reader: The following sermon includes a story with dialogue. It would be helpful to highlight the dialogue in different colors to help present the effects of the different personalities. The streets of one suburban town in northern New Jersey ooze with history. There is a stately gothic Episcopal Church on one corner…

The lessons for this second Sunday in Advent are absolutely magnificent in their belief in, understanding of and knowledge about life in the kingdom of God. What do we have here, from the Psalms, through Isaiah, Romans and Matthew? What will it be like? There will be an abundance of food and understanding and wisdom….