November 20, 2022Penelope Bridges Today’s Gospel is startling – we are catapulted from pre-Thanksgiving to Good Friday, as we see Jesus on the cross, nailed there by an authoritarian regime that ruled by violence, lined up beside two criminals who, like his own disciples, didn’t understand the nature of his authority and who were baffled … READ MORE…
All Saints Sunday, November 6 2022Penelope Bridges When I lived in Virginia I used to attend a chamber music camp in the lovely town of Lexington, spending a week on the campus of Washington & Lee University. Lexington’s history is intertwined with the history of this country, as you might guess from the fact that … READ MORE…
10/23/2022The Rev. Richard Hogue Jr. This Lukan gospel passage is often taken for granted; I think. It seems so easy on the surface, “don’t be a self-righteous jerk” is the basic message we often walk away with, and that’s not a bad message to receive and live. But like any story where we may know … READ MORE…
10/22/22Rev. Richard Hogue In a little while, Bishop Susan will examine you, Pete and Michael, outlining the order ofministry on which you are embarking: As a deacon in the Church, you are to study the Holy Scriptures, to seek nourishment from them, and to model your life upon them. You are to make Christ and … READ MORE…
October 16, 2022Penelope Bridges Last week in her sermon Maya talked about different views of faith: about the difference between an intellectual belief and an attitude of trust. Today’s Scripture reinforces the notion that our faith is not about intellectual propositions that can be proved or argued: it is about a relationship, about opening our … READ MORE…
October 9, 2022Maya Little-Saña Scripture: Luke 17:11-19On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves … READ MORE…
October 2, 2022Penelope Bridges Today we celebrate St. Francis of Assisi, who has been called the most admired and least imitated of the saints. Francis was not a priest, but a modestly educated lay person who started a revolution against the grandeur and power of the Roman Catholic church. He dramatically rejected the luxurious lifestyle … READ MORE…
Luke’s gospel is notorious for its hard hitting and sometimes stymying parables, and we get another one today. This is one of the most confusing parables, and it’s been argued over and over again what it could possibly mean. While all those arguments are worthwhile, mostly because the archetypes for the various characters are somewhat … READ MORE…
September 11, 2022Penelope Bridges Jeremiah has a word for us today. He describes a hot wind, a wind of destruction, a metaphor for the coming national disaster of conquest by the Babylonian Empire. He sees a reversal of creation: the earth waste and void, light extinguished, the comforting stability of the mountains shaken, creatures and … READ MORE…
August 21, 2022Penelope Bridges Jesus is in the middle of his sermon at Sabbath services, and he looks up and notices someone on the edge of the congregation. By now, we have spent enough time with Luke’s Gospel not to be surprised by this. The way Luke tells it, Jesus has a knack for noticing … READ MORE…