A young man decided to plant a church in a southern suburb of Seattle. The neighborhood was marked by lower income and lower educational attainment than the suburbs to the north. His plan was simple: gather, share, explore. Gathered around a table, around a hearth, his small band of friends and neighborhood acquaintances shared their…

As it says in today’s reading from Hebrews: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Have you ever noticed that so many of the words Christianity uses are little words? Little words packed with big meanings. Words like God, Christ, love, sin, and the word for today:…

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…

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Thus begins the beautiful tribute to our ancestors in faith, found in the eleventh chapter of the Letter to the Hebrews. Our Epistle lesson today includes only a part of that chapter, but it would be worth getting out your…

In the gospel text from St. Luke, Jesus is quoted, saying, “Don’t be afraid. I will give you the Kingdom. Use your stuff so that you have permanent benefit from it. You will be happy if you are ready for my return.” Or, to paraphrase it in the simplest way, don’t be afraid, enjoy your…