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A Family Like Mine: Biblical Stories of Love, Loss, and Longing
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Author Archives: Rosalind C Hughes
Contempt and condemnation
There’s a deep irony to this parable, that whenever we read it, we are tempted, aren’t we, to mutter, “Thank God I’m not like that Pharisee!” … Continue reading
Posted in homily, lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged Amy-Jill Levine, contempt, gospel, Jesus, Luke 18:9-14, Pharisees, Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, racism, stereotyping, year c proper 25
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Persistence (a sermon)
You’ve heard it said that prayer is not about changing God, but about changing us. That, I think, is what this parable and these teachings are about. God is not slow to love every piece and person of creation; so let’s pray persistently and consistently and robustly and resiliently until we are changed into God’s likeness, and enabled and equipped and encouraged to act in God’s image and will, and in solidarity with those crying out to God for the justice that is mercy. Continue reading
Posted in homily, lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5, Graham Greene, justice, Luke 18:1-8, persistence, prayer, Year C Proper 24
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The little flower
The salvation of the world is not in our hands, but the promise of prayer is. And while the peace of God passes our understanding, it is at hand. It is found in the smallest act of love, a little flower growing between the cracks of a fractured and fractious world, persistent in its beauty, brave in its beauty, and unstoppable in its reach toward the sun. Continue reading
Posted in holy days, homily, sermon
Tagged Judith, little flower, little flower of Jesus, prayer, Therese de Lisieux
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Prayer for a BANI world
BANI, a framework developed by Jamais Cascio, stands for Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible.
For people of faith, there is one reliable place to turn when human understanding no longer works. Hence this prayer for a BANI world. Continue reading
Posted in current events, prayer
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Jealousy vs joy
Jealousy is the thief of joy. It keeps the elder brother from the family reunion. It prevents the citizen from celebrating the rescue of the refugee, the wealthy from celebrating Jesus’ announcement of good news for the poor and the meek. It resents the love of God for its rival, and leads to the casting of golden calves to spite them all. It clouds the vision of the scribes so that they do not even recognize the Word of God when he is standing right in front of them, telling stories from heaven. Continue reading
Posted in current events, homily, lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged conversion of Saul, jealousy, Jesus, joy, lost sheep, Luke 15:1-10, parable, Year C Proper 19
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Foundering
As though created in mid-air and surprised, the lamb fell without foothold down the cliff and into the stream where we, speechless, sandwiches halfway to open mouths watched it pick up and shake itself back to life , quiet waters … Continue reading
Truisms
Hatred shared is never hatred halved. The blood of an enemy will not cure anaemia of conscience. Suffer the little children never meant to sacrifice them. The mortality of another will never lessen our own. The immortality of another will … Continue reading
Posted in current events, gun violence, poetry
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To count them
A meditation on verses from Psalm 139
Labour
In which we breathe in solidarity with the breathless. In which we groan in harmonic relationship with the suffering. In which we dream in creative union with the author of life’s manifesto: decrying death, deploring despotism, denouncing the cynicism of … Continue reading
Sabbath rest
It is Jesus who initiates the interaction with the weighed-down woman. It is he who chooses her healing, her liberation, before she has even a chance to ask for it. He is continuing his call, living into and living out the promises of our life-giving, liberating, loving God, whose first gift was life and all that sustains it, and perhaps whose second was sabbath: rest, relief, jubilee joy. Continue reading
Posted in homily, lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged healing, Hebrews 12:25, Jesus, Luke 13:10-17, sabbath, Year C Proper 16
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over the water 