A Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year C (Luke 15:1-32) This morning we have heard a very familiar story, one of the stories that many people would name if they were asked to name one of Jesus’ parables … Continue reading The Two Lost Sons
A Sermon for the Third Sunday of Lent, Year C (Exodus 3:1-15; I Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-9) It is a weekly ritual at Rutgers for a group of us (students, faculty, and local clergy) to sit down over lunch and look at the lectionary passages appointed for the coming Sunday. We always have a good discussion. We call it “Lectionary Lunch”. For local clergy, it is a chance to get a jump start on sermon preparation. For students it is a weekly opportunity for lively discussion over a good meal. This past week, however, was Spring Break, and when I … Continue reading Death Stings
A Sermon for the Second Sunday of Lent, Year C (Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Luke 13:31-35) In an age of streaming video services and on-demand movies, one experience of my childhood seems to have been lost – waiting all year for … Continue reading The Legacy of Blessing
A Sermon for the Sixth Sunday after The Epiphany (Jeremiah 17:5-10; Psalm 1; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20; Luke 6:17-26) Here in this season after the Epiphany, we are still talkingabout light. We COULD, if we wanted to, even sing “WeThree Kings” … Continue reading Blessed are the Table-turners
A Sermon for the Fifth Sunday After the Epiphany (Isaiah 6:1-13; Luke 5:1-11) They cast their nets in Galilee, Just off the hills of brown; Such happy, simple fisherfolk, Before the Lord came down, Contented, peaceful fishermen, Before they ever … Continue reading Called to Challenge the System
A Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year C (Luke 1:26-38) A Rutgers’ student recently asked me why we use blue candles and vestments in our chapel during Advent instead of the traditional purple and pink. First, I explained … Continue reading Making Room for God
A Sermon for the First Sunday of Advent, Year C (Jeremiah 33:14-16; Luke 21:25-36) And just like that, it’s Advent! I hope you’ve gotten all your Advent cards in the mail! As we all know, Advent is the season of preparation before Christmas. The four Sundays of Advent are signified by the four candles in the wreath, and the days of Advent are often marked off with the traditional Advent calendar. In the more liturgical traditions, however, Advent is not simply a countdown to Christmas. Advent is about exactly what the name suggests – an arrival, a coming to. The … Continue reading The Prophetic Hope of Advent
A Sermon for the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, Year B (Ephesians 2:11-22) It has already been one month since I joined fellow deputies, both clergy and lay, and the bishops of General Convention along the steamy banks of the Ohio River in Louisville, KY. Now, in the past, as you may know, these conventions have featured some infamous “fights” among Episcopalians; perhaps most notably, the ordination of women to the priesthood, a new prayer book (in 1979, the same one that’s in our pews today), and the full inclusion of LGBTQ individuals in the life and ministry of the Church. … Continue reading A Tale of Two Christs
A Sermon for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year B (Acts 10:44-48; 1 John 5:1-6; John 15:9-17) In this season of Easter, we hear many of the stories of Jesus after his resurrection, of his appearing to the disciples, of … Continue reading Unexpected Sisters and Brothers
A Sermon for the Third Sunday in Lent, Year B (John 2:13-22) We hear today an incident in the life and ministry of Jesus that occurs in all four Gospels, an incident known as the Cleansing of the Temple. That … Continue reading Jesus Clears the Room
Life is a journey, not a guided tour 