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Category Archives: homily
Woe to you who are self-satisfied
Be the blessing that will bring us closer to the kingdom of God that Mary and Hannah sang of. Do the good in this moment, at this time and in this place, that will let others know the enduring love of God, who feeds us on bread and wine. Listen, heed the warnings that Jesus offers to those who think that they are untouched by the needs of others. Love God, love your neighbour, change their world, change our world. Continue reading
Posted in holy days, homily, lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged All Saints, All Souls, baptism, fulcrum, Jesus, Magnificat, SNAP, solidarity
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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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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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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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Division
A sermon for the tenth Sunday after Pentecost, August 17, 2025 You have heard it said (perhaps you have said it yourself) that we are living in the most divided era of our common and shared country, world, creation, since … Continue reading
Posted in homily, sermon
Tagged beach glass, division, fire, God, Jeremiah 23:23-29, Jesus, Luke 12:49-56, Year C Pentecost Proper 15
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Love one another?
A sermon for the fifth Sunday of Easter in 2025. Love is not a light undertaking. Love will break your heart. Love will ask you to move mountains. Love will require that you sacrifice your most closely held prejudices, melt … Continue reading
Posted in homily, sermon
Tagged Acts 11, Easter 5 Year C, Jesus, love, love one another, new commandment, Peter, Revelation
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Unbegrudging Jesus
Then Jesus showed up. Just as the light was dawning, just as the sun was rising behind them, the shore becoming shadowy and obscured by the smoke of his charcoal fire, so that they could barely make him out, but there he was. … still providing for them, still tending to them and feeding them, his lambs. Continue reading
Posted in homily, lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged Ananias, conversion, Easter 3, Jesus, Paul, reconciliation, repentance, Saul, Simon Peter
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Forgiving and retaining
Forgiveness tells the truth; Jesus still carries the marks of the nails in his hands and his feet, and the soldiers and the scoffers cannot enter the space of peace while they are still carrying their hammers. Continue reading
Posted in homily, lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged doubt, Easter 2, forgiveness, Jesus, John 20:19-31, reconciliation, Thomas
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over the water 