Sermons

There is an old joke about a person who dies and goes to heaven, where she is met by St. Peter, who welcomes her and gives her a tour of the place. They walk by beautiful vista after vista with happy people engaging with one another. Peter gave a commentary as they...

It has been quite a week, hasn't it? It's one of those weeks when I could not bear to turn on the TV news and could only glance at the headlines. Today's scripture readings could certainly be applied to our current state. From Jeremiah we have the prophet's warning of...

Well, I had a sermon all prepared for this morning. I was feeling pretty smug that I had finished it on Thursday, clearing my weekend.  And then about 11:30 last night I looked at the news before going to bed, and immediately realized that the sermon I had...

In today's gospel we meet two people who believe in Jesus' power to perform miracles. One is influential and wealthy, the other a social outcast living in poverty. One is male, the other female. In ordinary circumstances they would never come in contact with each...

There is probably not another story in the entire Bible that has been more misinterpreted, misread, and misused than the Genesis story of Adam, Eve, and the serpent that we heard this morning. One frequent misinterpretation of this myth is that all sin is derived from...

We've been hearing a lot about the law recently. After weeks of jury selection and testimony in the criminal trial against a former president, the verdict was returned on Thursday. Guilty on all 34 counts. Much has been made about the fact that this is the first time...

The pattern is the same every year. We celebrate Easter and God’s victory over death in the resurrection of Jesus, the son of God. Then 50 days later we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples at Pentecost. And then the next Sunday, before we launch...

Today is the auspicious coming together of many different parts of church life. It is the day of Pentecost, one of the most festive days of the church year, as we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit to Jesus' original disciples and followers. Pentecost is often...

It is one of the oddest stories in the New Testament. In the last six weeks or so the disciples, the followers of Jesus, have seen him be betrayed by one of them. They've seen Jesus arrested, tortured, and executed. They've seen their despair turn into joy at the...

When I read today's gospel a man came to mind who I have not thought about in many years. Ernest was a fellow parishioner at St. Ann's in Nashville. He was a quiet, unobtrusive man, probably in his mid-80s. He had long been a member of that congregation and played an...

Of all the technological advances in the past couple of decades the one that I love the most is probably the GPS, whether in my car or on my phone. As the men with whom I've lived would tell you, I have a notoriously bad sense of direction.. So I take great joy in...

Every year the fourth Sunday of the Easter season is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. It’s easy to see why. Three out of four of our scripture readings today have images of sheep and shepherds. The shepherd, or more accurately the good shepherd, is one of our most...

It is so wonderful to be here with you this glorious morning. So many people have worked hard to create the beauty of this service - and the three others that preceded it this week. The altar guild has been busy polishing silver, ironing linens, and preparing our...

Dear friends in Christ: On this most holy night, in which our Lord Jesus passed over from death to life, the Church invites her members, dispersed throughout the world, to gather in vigil and prayer. For this is the Passover of the Lord, in which, by hearing God’s...

"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." These are the words that Jesus said to his disciples on the last night of his life. Love one another. Jesus was a man...