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Category Archives: homily
Easter 2023: it’s (still) a love story
It isn’t like any love story we could conjure up, because it is true, a true story: Jesus lived among us, the Son of God was crucified, descended to the dead, and on the third day rose again, and he could not wait to greet his beloved disciples on the road, could not wait to see their shining, astonished faces; he could not wait to love them back. Continue reading
Posted in holy days, homily, lectionary reflection, sermon, story
Tagged Easter, Jesus, love story, Resurrection
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Good Friday
The cross is a mirror. It shows us what we are not, as well as what we are; the embodiment of God, the epitome of humanity: images mundane and immortal in one body.The cross is a mirror. The cross is a mirror. The hammer falls and innocent flesh … Continue reading
Posted in holy days, homily, poetry, prayer
Tagged Good Friday, gun violence, Holy Week, Lent, mercy, the Cross
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Saint Non
When David was born, and heaven and earth conspired to keep him and his mother safe from predatory evil, the earth split open once again, in sympathy with her birth pangs, and the rock on which she leaned melted like wax to take the imprint of her hand. Dewi was born into deep mercy. Continue reading
Bread, bridge, stones
A sermon for the first Sunday of Lent There’s a fable by Edwin Friedman called, “The Bridge”.[i] In it, a man on a mission is interrupted by a stranger on a bridge, who asks him to hold the end of … Continue reading
Posted in homily, lectionary reflection, sermon, story
Tagged Matthew 4:1-11, Year A Lent 1
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Ash Wednesday
Lent is a time, if nowhen else is, not to perform piety, but to practice humility; not to perform beneficence, but to practice generosity; not to perform mourning but to practice grief, for all that is done that should have been left undone; for all that should have been done that has been left undone; with tears and trembling, and the sure and certain knowledge that God, who is compassion and mercy, sees us. Continue reading
Posted in holy days, homily, sermon
Tagged Ash Wednesday, ashes, dust, God, Lent, Matthew 6:1-6 16-12, mercy, repentance
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Salt, light, love
A sermon delivered at the Solemn Sung Eucharist service of Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland, Ohio. The propers are for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany _______________ You are the salt of the earth; … You are the light of the world. … Continue reading
Holy Name
His name means saviour, and it has been his name since before his journey into his humanity began. The eighth day marks a new beginning, after the work of creation, after the sabbath rest, the rest of time begins on the eighth day, along with all that is to follow. But he has been our saviour since before time, and will be forever. Continue reading
Posted in holy days, homily, lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged atonement, Holy Name, Jesus, salvation, saviour
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A perfect angel
That was when the angel first realized that they might just have made a smidgen of an error, a bit of a mistake.
“Not that way,” the angel cried into the increasingly empty night. “You’re supposed to run towards Bethlehem! A baby has been born this night and, oh, what have I done?” Continue reading
On the longest night
We are not alone. This is what our Communion means: we are here for ourselves, but also with and for one another; and Christ is here with and for us.
We are not alone. Joseph, our ancestor, dreamer and dutiful carer, bearer of the burdens of humanity and holiness, watches our dreams, and remembers, and reminds us, that the angels are attending us, too.
We are not alone. God is with us. May it be enough. Continue reading
Posted in advent meditations, homily
Tagged grief, hope, Incarnation, Jesus, Joseph, longest night, solstice
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God’s gift
We do not get to choose whether or not God loves us. Whether we feel worthy or wormy, God loves us, and we cannot make it otherwise. Continue reading
Posted in advent meditations, homily, sermon
Tagged Christmas, gift, Isaiah 7:10-16, Joseph, love, Matthew 1:18-25, Year A Advent 4
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over the water 