Last Sunday of Advent, Penelope Bridges One of the most shadowy figures in Scripture is Joseph, husband of Mary and guardian of the child Jesus. Matthew’s two stories of Joseph’s dreams, one before Jesus was born and one when he was told to take the baby to Egypt, are the only times Joseph is given … READ MORE…
Rev. Cn. Richard Hogue Jr. Today we begin a year long journey through the Gospel of Matthew in a three-year cycle of gospel readings, called the lectionary, that we share with a variety of Christians. Matthew’s gospel is the most Jewish of the four, observing Jewish practice, referencing Hebrew scriptures, their interpretation, and in structure. … READ MORE…
Penelope Bridges Did today’s Gospel come as a surprise? We don’t usually hear about the crucifixion until Holy Week, but here we are in November, the last Sunday of the lectionary year, and we are thrust into the darkness and tragedy of Good Friday. Why is that? Because today we celebrate the feast of Christ … READ MORE…
Penelope Bridges As we begin our extended observance of Advent, we are approaching the end of our year with the Gospel of Luke. One of the themes of Advent is “last things”: death and resurrection, judgment and grace, heaven and hell; so it’s quite fitting that today we hear about a confrontation focused on the … READ MORE…
Rev. Michael Kilpatrick A prayer, Blessed, praised, worshiped, and adored be Jesus Christ on his throne of Glory and in the hearts of his most faithful people. amen Good Morning, and a blessed All Saints’ Sunday! All Saints Day is a day we remember all our loved ones who have passed into the greater life. … READ MORE…
Rev. Cn. Richard Hogue Jr. May the words of my lips on the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, my Lord, my rock. Please be seated. So, I felt compelled to talk about the gospel through the lens of prayer this morning. “Jesus told his disciples a parable about their need to … READ MORE…
The Very Rev. Penny Bridges Happy St. Francis Day! Here’s the one thing you need to know about Francis of Assisi: Francis was a leader of Christian resistance. Francis lived in the 12th century, in a small city in what we now call Italy. The Roman Catholic Church dominated the western world, a huge, imperial … READ MORE…
Rev. Cn. Richard Hogue Jr. With how crazy the world is right now and how messed up so many things seem, I wanted to take the lens of hope and Jesus’s hope for today’s readings. And I’ll start with Jeremiah. I know that the text from Jeremiah had a lot of crazy names. Thank you, … READ MORE…
The Very Rev. Penelope Bridges The Hebrew prophets have been pretty hard on us all summer, and Jeremiah continues the gloomy trend today. He describes a hot wind, a wind of destruction, a metaphor for the pending national disaster of conquest by the Babylonian Empire. Jeremiah sees a reversal of creation: the earth waste and … READ MORE…
Penelope Bridges All our Scripture readings today have something to say about what has worth and what doesn’t. The prophet Jeremiah is appalled at the way his people have thrown away their close relationship with God, for the sake of pursuing idols that are no better than a cracked water vessel. They have changed their … READ MORE…