A sermon for Christmas Eve, 2011 I heard the bells on Christmas day Their old familiar carols play, And wild and sweet the words repeat Of peace on earth, good will to men. The past few years on Christmas Eve, I’ve invited you to consider some of many images and symbols of Christmas.  We’ve reflected on candles, evergreens, and even fruit!  This year as perhaps you could tell from my opening reading, I want to invite us to think about bells. We’re not actually sure how long people have been using bells, as they have evolved in both size and … Continue reading The Bells of Christmas

…Or “I put myself in JEOPARDY!” Ever since I was a teenager and a regular player of Trivial Pursuit, people have said, “Wow, you should be on Jeopardy!”  I was on the academic quiz team in high school.  Of late, I’ve played Cranium and dominated.  In bars I’ve played electronic trivia games and done VERY well, winning rounds of wings and drinks. Clearly, I know a LOT of trivia.  To me, this is not a trivial thing.  I know the exact minute The Titanic sank and which actress has been nominated for an Oscar the most times without winning.  “Useless … Continue reading I’ll take “It’s Harder than it Looks” for $2000, Alex!

A sermon for the First Sunday of Advent, Year B — Isaiah 64:1-9; Mark 13:24-37 Right on cue, as soon as Thanksgiving turkeys had been picked clean and grandmother’s good china was put away, the Christmas season began in earnest. By Thanksgiving night, pictures of friends’ newly decorated Christmas trees were filling my Facebook newsfeed. But in one of those moments that make me chuckle, perhaps a little too much, one of my wittier Episcopalian friends commented under one such friend’s photo, “Nice Advent bush!” Now many of us, myself included, have already begun decorating our homes, listening to Christmas … Continue reading With Mary, we wait

A sermon for the 17th Sunday after Pentecost/Proper 23a: Matthew 22: 1-14 There is one Blacksburg resident who has made an appearance in more of my sermons than any other.  Now, I use the term “resident” loosely, because, you see, this person was actually homeless.  His name was Teddy Henderson, but most people just called him Teddy.  In fact, it wasn’t until he died three years ago that I and many others actually knew his last name. I preached a sermon about Teddy when he died.  In another sermon, I mentioned the memorial service held in his honor at the public library, another place … Continue reading The King’s Party, the King’s Rules

A sermon for September 11, 2011 (Proper 19a: Exodus 14:19-31; Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:21-35) Chris Young arrived early at the World Trade Center that beautiful Tuesday morning in September.  He was a struggling actor earning money as an office temp, as so many struggling actors do. He had been called to a morning meeting on the 99th Floor of 1 World Trade, but it turned out his boss didn’t need him after all, so he was sent home almost the minute he arrived.  He boarded an elevator headed for the lobby at around 8:40.  The elevator was empty.  Everyone else at … Continue reading Finding Forgiveness in the Dust

Sermon for Second Sunday of Easter, Year A – I Peter 1:3-9 ; John 20:19-31 As some of you may know, it was my privilege yesterday afternoon to join a couple in holy matrimony, something both Scott and I will be doing a lot of this summer.  A moment that stood out for me during the marriage preparation for this couple was a theological one.  As I walked the couple through the service, I got to the point where the rubrics in our Prayer Book call for the couple to kneel and receive a blessing. Now, the bride in this couple is Greek Orthodox.  She interrupted … Continue reading Expectant Thomas

A Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Lent (Year A) —  John 9:1-41 I want to begin this morning doing something I almost never do – begin with a commercial.  On Tuesday evening during Holy Week, which is believe it or not, two weeks from this Tuesday, it is our tradition here at Christ Church to gather together and hear the Gospel of the Year read in its entirety.   “Why on Earth would we do that?” one might ask.  The reason is that the Gospels as we have them in our Bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, were not experienced … Continue reading The Man Born with Blind Neighbors

A sermon for Christmas Morning, Year A This morning I want to talk to you about politics. Before you brace yourself for some harangue about Republicans and Democrats, let me clarify. I want to talk about how political readings like those we hear this morning actually must have sounded to the original audience, both the Jews of the Isaiah’s time and those to whom the Gospel and epistle lessons are addressed. The people of Israel in Isaiah’s reading were in exile. They were longing for God to restore their homeland and their capital city, Jerusalem. They were in captivity by … Continue reading The Politics of Christmas