Matthew’s story of the baptism of Jesus has some unique quirks. For example it’s the only version that has John and Jesus having a conversation. Even though Matthew has said nothing about them being cousins – that’s Luke’s story – John clearly recognizes Jesus as someone sent from God, someone who is better equipped than … READ MORE…
Christmas Eve, 2014 St. Paul’s Cathedral San Diego, California Isaiah 9: 2-7 Luke 2: 1-14 Come Holy Spirit: Touch our minds and think with them, touch our lips and speak with them and touch our hearts and set them on fire with love for you. AMEN. I. I had another sermon written for tonight. I … READ MORE…
Alleluia, unto us a child is born. Come, let us adore him. “In the beginning was the Word”.This morning’s reading from John’s Gospel transports us to the realm of the transcendent, the mystical. It stands in contrast to the vivid, real-world story-telling of Luke, that we heard last night, with the manger and the shepherds. … READ MORE…
I had a friend once who worked very hard to make sure that all of his plans went the right way. He followed all the rules. He worked hard. He found a spouse. He had children. He saved money. He did everything he was supposed to. But one day, his world came crashing in, and … READ MORE…
Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all. New Englander poet Emily Dickinson knew the power and necessity of hope, in a land where winter seems to go on for ever. Today we face a mess of contradictions. It’s the … READ MORE…
Today is Christ the King Sunday. While Christ the King is an established part of our tradition, it is not really that old. It was begun in the early part of the 20th century and there is some debate about why it began. But in any event, it is a day we use now at … READ MORE…
Isaiah casts a vision of a better time to come, Paul exhorts us not to be weary in doing what is right, Jesus offers apocalyptic prophecies of end times and persecutions … I promise you that I didn’t choose these readings this morning: they are the gift of our lectionary. But they do have much … READ MORE…
All Saints’ Day/Year C Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18 Ephesians 1:11-23 Luke 6:20-31 Just for today I will not worry Just for today I will not be angry Just for today I will do my work honestly Just for today I will give thanks for my many blessings Just for today I will be kind to … READ MORE…
When I was seven years old, my parents took me to London to see the sights. It was a big deal: as the baby of the family I rarely got my parents to myself. Among the usual tourist attractions that we visited was the obligatory witnessing of the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. … READ MORE…
Two men went up to the Temple to pray. If we were to tell this story in our own context, who would these men be? One was a pillar of the community: a supreme court justice, or a bishop perhaps, a highly educated man who lived his life exactly as his faith directed; a good … READ MORE…