Category Archives: sermon

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

Posted in lectionary reflection, poetry, preparing for Sunday with poetry | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

To count them

A meditation on verses from Psalm 139

Posted in lectionary reflection, poetry, prayer, preparing for Sunday with poetry, sermon preparation | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fire

Storm that breaks the sealon the dome that holds the watersof the heavens apart from watersthat brooded life into creation Storm that breaks the heateven as fire is splitting the sky,falling to the ground wrappedin quenching rain Mirrored against the … Continue reading

Posted in lectionary reflection, poetry, prayer, preparing for Sunday with poetry | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Teach us to pray

The story that Jesus tells suggests that we are in this together; that while one person is begging for bread, the one who is secure, safe and comfortable and tucked up in bed with their well-fed children, is the one who is called upon to answer, “and in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” Continue reading

Posted in current events, lectionary reflection, sermon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Bread

Bread

Who, in the night,
would give their neighbour stones
and say, “Here, make bread.” Continue reading

Posted in current events, lectionary reflection, poetry, prayer, preparing for Sunday with poetry, sermon | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Who is my neighbour?

Unseen in the shadow of the story, a young cub of the mountain watching the value of love lavished like oil, profligate pity; following at a distance to see if kindness was really worth the weight of stolen gold

Posted in lectionary reflection, poetry, preparing for Sunday with poetry, sermon preparation, story | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Not as the world

When he says, “My peace I give to you,” Jesus is not describing a passive peace. It is the peace not of the grave, where Jesus himself was restless, but of living waters, rolling down like justice, roaring like a vision, aflame with mercy. It is the profound and urgent love that fanned the waters of creation and produced life. Continue reading

Posted in holy days, sermon | Leave a comment

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 , , , , , , , | Leave a comment