sermons – Page 22 – Reviving Creation

sermons

Photo © Robert A. Jonas

Do you remember?

“Remember!  Do you remember?” That’s what I imagine they were saying to each other, this group of men and women gathered in the upper room of a house somewhere in Jerusalem.  It was a night not so different from tonight: an evening at or near Passover, the Jewish festival that cele

Altar of resistance

The showdown has begun. On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered the holy city of Jerusalem.  The next day, as we heard in tonight’s reading, he entered its holy place – and caused a commotion.  He walks into the temple and drives out those who are buying and selling.  He overturns the tables o

Can these bones live?

Today we reach the turning point in Jesus’ ministry.  Raising Lazarus is the crowning miracle or sign that reveals Jesus as the giver of life and that also precipitates his death.  The raising of Lazarus provokes a meeting of the Sanhedrin, the official Jewish court, which reaches the decision that Jesus must be killed

Refusing to Live by Bread Alone

I'd like us to take a few minutes to imagine that we're the director of a movie. Let's say you've got a camera crew with you and you're flying in a small plane through clear blue skies. Peering out the window, you can see miles of desert laid out far below you, an endless tumble of barren hills

Transfiguration: Christ’s and Ours

It is wonderful to be with you again. To those of you whom I haven’t yet met: I served for 8 years as Priest Associate at All Saints until my family and I began packing up last June for a move to western Massachusetts, where I now serve at Grace Church in Amherst. This is my fir

The Baptism of Our Lord

As the cycle of the church year turns, we’ve now entered Epiphany, the season when we consider the ways that God reveals God’s self to the world through Jesus’ life and ministry. You can think of Epiphany as the season of full disclosure – divine disclosure. Epiphany begins on January 6 with

Increase Our Faith!

My first word to you must be thank you. Thank you for giving me the privilege of serving at your altar and preaching from your pulpit. Thank you for welcoming me so warmly as your new Priest Associate. I am delighted to be here and looking forward to discovering the many wa

We have seen strange things today

“We have seen strange things today” [Luke 5:26].  No kidding.  The story we’ve just heard is strange from start to finish.  It begins with a paralyzed man – along with his bed, for heaven’s sake – being lowered to Jesus through a hole in the roof.  It ends with the man being able to stand up and walk, his sins…

We have seen strange things today

Do you want to see something strange?  Just take a look at the group of us gathered here today.  You and I were paralyzed once – maybe not in body, but definitely in mind and spirit.  One way or another we were trapped by addiction, powerless, immobilized, and stuck, overwhelmed by our obsession.