All Saints Sunday, November 1, 2020 Penelope Bridges Coming Out of the Great Ordeal In any normal year we privileged North Americans would have a hard time identifying with those who have come out of the great ordeal. This year I think we might have some idea. The apocalyptic imagery of the Revelation to John … READ MORE…
St. Francis Day, October 4, 2020 Penelope Bridges The Easy Yoke of Love “Come to me, all who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” This is the promise that Jesus makes to the disciples of John the Baptist, after John has been arrested. They are carrying a heavy … READ MORE…
The Rev. Canon Jeff Martinhauk Proper 21A, September 27, 2020 St. Paul’s Cathedral, San Diego Matt 21:23-32; Phil 2:1-13 As our passage today opens, a lot of time has passed since last week’s readings. Jesus has made his way to Jerusalem and is in the temple for a second day after a very full news cycle on the first day. His … READ MORE…
Penelope Bridges In the name of the holy Trinity, one God. If you happened to view my weekly video on Thursday, you will have some idea of where we are in the story of Jonah when we pick it up in today’s reading. But in case you haven’t yet seen the video, allow me to … READ MORE…
Two paragraphs from Matthew’s Gospel, set side by side for us today. One, a teaching about what defiles a person, the other a story about Jesus meeting an indigenous woman on the road. Why are we hearing both of these stories today? And why did Matthew put them together? At morning prayer on weekdays we … READ MORE…
In our lesson from the Hebrew scriptures today, Elijah is tired. He has performed mighty and spectacular acts to show that the God of Israel is a living God. He has thrown down the altars of competing gods. He has killed 450 prophets of the god Baal. The signs Elijah has demonstrated have been excessive: … READ MORE…
In the name of the holy Trinity, one God. When I was a child in Ireland in the 60’s, my mother had a credit account at the butcher’s, the baker’s, the pharmacy, and the grocer’s. Each shop was small and specialized, and didn’t offer a wide array of choices. The advent of supermarkets changed our … READ MORE…
We are given two very different Pentecost stories today. The story in Acts 2, with the crowds and the flames and the multiple languages and the accusations of drunkenness, is the familiar one. And with good reason: what a great story it makes! Noise, color, drama: all the elements that make the Bible fun. But … READ MORE…
Have you heard the one about the extraterrestrial visitor who landed in one of our cities? They saw the shopping malls crowded and the churches empty and reported back to the mother ship that the shopping malls housed the object of worship for our species. Well, today both the malls and the churches are empty, … READ MORE…
Alleluia. Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia! Is there any text more comforting than the 23rd Psalm? The certainty of that first verse never fails to encourage me: the Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not be in want. I want the kind of faith that can say that and believe it … READ MORE…