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A Family Like Mine: Biblical Stories of Love, Loss, and Longing
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Author Archives: Rosalind C Hughes
A messiah for the rest of us
A reflection on the coming Sunday’s gospel, John’s question, which is perennially ours; Jesus’ answer, which is ours, too While John took on kings and their consorts, Jesus consorted with the lowly and the leprous. While John baptized gods, Jesus … Continue reading
Posted in lectionary reflection, poetry, prayer, sermon preparation
Tagged Jesus, John the Baptist, Matthew 11:2-11, Year A Advent 3
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Christ, the king we need
At the end, as at the beginning of his ministry, Jesus was subjected to the taunts and contempt of the tempter. The voices that surrounded him invited him to abdicate his position as one of us, Emmanuel, God with us; … Continue reading
Posted in holy days, lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged Christ the King, kindness, way of the cross
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A crown of thorns
They twisted together a crown with which to anoint his brow. They thought to make a mockery,but had the pliant green twigs not yielded of their own accord, their obeisance and homage to their king, then their hands would have held only dust rubbed into the … Continue reading
Posted in holy days, lectionary reflection, poetry, prayer, sermon preparation
Tagged Christ the King, crown of thorns
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Remembrance
It was a Sunday morning, full of cake and coffee hour, children silenced for a moment by sugar, if not by the lingering spirit of prayer; I remembered there was something I needed to ask. He was standing … Continue reading
All Saints 2022
All Saints’ Sunday 2022; Luke 6:20-31 _____________ According to Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, Laurentius (St Lawrence) was the “principal of the deacons” serving in Rome in the middle years of the third century, when yet another round of persecutions of … Continue reading
Posted in current events, holy days, sermon, story
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Come, let us argue it out
A sermon for October 30, nine days before the US midterm elections. The readings are for Year C Proper 26, Track 2, and include Isaiah 1:10-18 and Luke 19:1-10, the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus. ______________________________ What does repentance look … Continue reading
Posted in current events, lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged gun violence, Isaiah 1:10-18, Jesus, Luke 19:1-10, repentance, salvation, Zacchaeus
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The cost of mercy
Raw thoughts on the parable of the good Samaritan, heard at Morning Prayer Mercy does not come cheap at two denarii, a night’s unpaid delay, the physical labour of lifting a grown man onto a donkey, walking with bags of … Continue reading
Posted in lectionary reflection, poetry, prayer
Tagged Daily Office, Good Samartian, Luke 10:29-37, mercy, morning prayer
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Morning prayer
A rainbow in my rearview mirror; ahead, the bridge is stalled to let an ambulance fly over, chasing life. A rainbow in my rearview mirror; the electronic highway sign describes an untold story in make, model, missing, before reverting to travel time for the morning commute. A rainbow … Continue reading
Posted in poetry, prayer
Tagged Daily Office, Luke 9:51-62, morning prayer, rainbow, vocation
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Nevertheless, God persisted
To persist in prayer, at its foundation, is to persist in our relationship with that God. It is not to lose hope that God’s will will be done, not to turn away to other, more immediate but more corruptible resolutions. This call to persistence is the call of the prophets, to do justice, to love mercy, to walk humbly beside God, deep in conversation, or indeed in a conversational silence, knowing that our faith is not misplaced. Continue reading
Who am I to judge?
The judge of the parable had no regard for anyone, but the God who will pass judgement upon me so loved the world as to become Emmanuel, God with us, to suffer under our unjust judgement, and to die. The God who will, I pray, have mercy upon me hears the cries of the widows to whom I turn a cloth ear, and continues to importune me with opportunities for penitence. Continue reading
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