Sermons from 2022 (Page 3)

Easter 2022 Luke 24:1-12 Alleluia, Christ is risen!  Happy Easter! I think most of us love hearing the story of Jesus’ resurrection, of Jesus conquering death. The story of God’s love for us. But what does it mean for our day-to-day living? Does it really make a difference to us that Jesus rose from the dead? I have been reading a book entitled “Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make us Whole”, researched and written by Susan Cain. It resonates with…

5 Lent – April 3, 2022 John 12:1-8 In our gospel story today, Passover is less than a week away, and Jesus and his disciples have returned to Bethany where they are visiting in the home of their friend Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. John almost goes out of his way to remind us that this is after Jesus has raised Lazarus from the dead. He’s setting the stage for this story, right? A dinner is being given…

4 Lent – March 27, 2022 Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 Today’s gospel story is so rich and there are several directions we could go. Over the years, I’ve focused on the point of view of the younger son, I focused on the older son’s point of view and I’ve focused on the extraordinary love of the father. This year, I am focused on how we just might be a combination of both sons. Because the reality of our world is that…

1 Lent – March 6, 2022 Luke 4:1-13 So, we begin the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday…remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return….we hear these words as we are marked with ashes on our foreheads. It is done to remind us of our Creator God. It is done to remind us whose we are. And this first Sunday in Lent we hear the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Just before this passage, keep in…

The Transfiguration – February 27, 2022 Luke 9:28-43a           Today is the last Sunday in the season of Epiphany, and we are given the story of the Transfiguration. Of Jesus’ transfiguration. An amazing story that is shared in three gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke. Like Moses before him, Jesus is given an experience of God and God’s majesty. Mountaintop experiences are like an alternative reality with the palpable presence of the kingdom of God, here and now. It’s no wonder…

Absalom Jones Feast – Feb 13, 2022 John 15:12-15 Today we are celebrating the Feast of Absalom Jones. Blessed Absalom was born into slavery, taught himself to read by using the Bible as one of his resources, was permitted to attend a quaker school and he became America’s first black Priest. Ordained by Bishop White in our own Diocese. Absalom is one of many spiritual ancestors who have gone before us that we can learn so much from. He was…

5 Epiphany – February 6, 2022 Luke 5:1-11           So, with the crowds pressing in, Jesus sees fishermen washing their nets and their boats nearby on the shore, and he gets into Simon’s boat and asks him to put out a little way from the shore. This way, Jesus can comfortably teach the crowds from the boat without being smothered by them in their excitement. When he’s done teaching, he turns to Simon, and tells him, “Put out into the…

4 Epiphany – January 30, 2022 Luke 4:21-30           Today’s gospel is a continuation of last week’s story with Jesus saying, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”   And it all started off really well.  All spoke well of him and were amazed at his gracious words.  And then, the atmosphere changed dramatically. The crowd that had been adoring this hometown man, turned into an angry mob that wanted to throw him off a cliff. What happened?  Well,…

3 Epiphany – January 23, 2022 Luke 4:14-21           Our gospel ends today with the words of Jesus:  “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” Has it? Jesus seems convinced of it, at least. And to get a little Greek language insight, the verb “has been fulfilled” is in the perfect tense. Which means that the Scripture has indeed been fulfilled in its hearing and the effect of that hearing is an ongoing reality. In other words, “today”…

1 Epiphany: The Baptism of our Lord – Jan 9, 2022 Luke 3:15-17, 21-22          We just heard Luke tell us that Jesus has been baptized–and was praying—”when the heavens opened up and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”  Now, that was a “moment”. A significant, full, ripe moment. It established a relationship. It’s the season…

Epiphany – January 2, 2022 Matthew 2:1-12           Happy New Year, Happy 2022!  It’s a new calendar year, and today we are marking the Feast of the Epiphany which we are celebrating early, as it actually occurs on Thursday, January 6, the twelfth day after Christmas. Epiphany tells the story of the magi, or the wise men, traveling by the light of a bright star to see the child who has been born “King of the Jews”.  Of course, as…