As many of you no doubt know, last week this parish was very privileged to host a delegation from our Sister Parish in Guatemala, San Andres Itzapa.  Basilia, Lucia and their translator Ellen even honored the Wednesday evening Canterbury service with their presence and made us a wonderful and hearty Guatemalan dish for dinner.  During the sermon time of that worship service I invited Basilia and Lucia to share their thoughts and reflections on some of the texts we have heard this morning – texts about “The Good Shepherd.” I will be the first to admit that I was motivated … Continue reading Good Shepherd Sunday

Easter 2A A Sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter John 20:19-31 Just north of Pittsburgh PA in a little crossroads just off the interstate near Ellwood City lies the Monastery of the Transfiguration.  A small community of nuns from the Romanian Orthodox Church live there and are very hospitable to those who come by, even unannounced. It was less than an hour from where I went to seminary, so regular groups of seminarians would drive up, often unannounced, and raid the gift shop, buying icons and incense, and visit the amazing chapel and gaze upon the icon that wept … Continue reading Honest Thomas

A sermon for Good FridayJohn 18:1 – 19:42   We have become so accustomed to them, we hardly notice them.  There are plain ones and jeweled ones, simple ones and elaborate ones.  Some have been passed down for generations.  Others are given as gifts.  They are ubiquitous, and yet, there are many who don’t know the whole story behind these little crosses we wear. I remember hearing one preacher remark how odd it would seem for people from the time of Jesus to see us wearing them as jewelry, carrying them in procession, making them out of gold.  It would … Continue reading The Agony of Why

A sermon for Passion Sunday, Year A Matthew 26:36-27:66 Could you not stay awake with me? What tone do you think Jesus used when he spoke these words to the disciples?  How might an actor bring life and emotion to these words? Was he angry? Was he discouraged and disappointed? Was he fearful and lonely? Despite their best efforts, the disciples, even this early in the story of the last hours of Jesus’ life, are already deserting him.  They cannot even manage to keep awake, to pray, to protect him. I imagine all of these emotions must have surged through … Continue reading Keep Awake!

A sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year AJohn 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 coming Tuesday, it is our tradition here at Christ Church to gather together and hear the Gospel of the Year read in its entirety. This year, of course, we will hear Matthew read in its entirety in one sitting – well we might have an intermission.  Why on earth would you do that, you might ask.  … Continue reading The Man Born with Blind Neighbors

A sermon for The Second Sunday of Lent, Year A John 3:1-17; Genesis 12:1-4a Forty-one years ago, on St. Helena Island, lying just off the coast of South Carolina, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was holding a staff retreat.  It was held at a Quaker retreat center that had originally been of the first schools for freed slaves.  The members of the SCLC who had gathered for the retreat were not there to bask in the summery weather.  Instead they were facing a critical crossroads in their mission. Leading this retreat was Martin Luther King, Jr., their founder and president.  … Continue reading The Changing Face of Change

A sermon for the Second Sunday after the Epiphany, Year AJohn 1:29-42 Epiphany is the season of light.  Now, somewhere out there one of you is thinking, “Wait, didn’t he say Advent was the season of light.  And didn’t he say something similar about Christmas?” You are right to accuse me of some measure of redundancy and repetition, because, at least in my imagination, all three seasons emphasize light.  In Advent, the light is growing.  Along with our growing sense of anticipation and expectation, we light candles in the darkness, one more each week.  At Christmas we celebrate the light … Continue reading John the Baptizer, John the Pointer

A sermon on the Eve of Christmas, Year ALuke 2:1-14 Christmas has come.  No need to wait any longer.  Christmas is here. For those of you old enough to reflect back, I would dare say that if you thought back there would be at least one or two Christmases that are most memorable.  Perhaps it was the last one you celebrated with someone you loved.  Perhaps it just seemed to that the Ghost of Christmas Present visited your home with brighter candles and your hearts were lighter. Down through the centuries there have been particularly memorable Christmases as well.  Indeed … Continue reading Light and Hope

A sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year AMatthew 1:18-25 In the gospel lesson this morning we are given a rare gift – a glimpse inside the thoughts and intentions of Joseph, Mary’s husband.  From what we can tell from the text, Joseph was a law-abiding citizen, willing to follow the customs and directions of both the religious and civil authorities.  But the text tells us specifically that Joseph was a righteous man. What would a righteous man do when he discovered that the woman to whom he was betrothed was pregnant with another man’s child?  Joseph refuses to … Continue reading Joseph’s Heritage is Joseph’s Destiny

A sermon for the Second Sunday of Advent, Year AIsaiah 11:1-10; Matthew 3:1-12 The light is growing.  The Second candle in our advent wreath has been lit.  As the light grows brighter, so should our sense of expectation.  With Mary we are expecting.  The fullness of time is almost here.  Her days and ours are almost complete.  Soon, a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us.  But not yet… This season of advent is filled with growing light, opened calendars, preparation.  Prepare the way, O Zion, your Christ is drawing near.  The readings for … Continue reading Critics and Energizers