Category Archives: sermon

Year A Proper 15: send her away

Posted on August 13, 2014 by Rosalind C Hughes

Matthew 15:21-28: the Syrophoenician/Canaanite/canine woman. Some problems for the preacher. What’s in a name? You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. You old dog. Sly old dog. Dirty old dog. Dogged. Hot dog. Dog eat dog. Why keep a … Continue reading →

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Year A Proper 14: baby steps / beyond the boat

Posted on August 10, 2014 by Rosalind C Hughes

Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught Peter. Have you ever seen a young child learning to walk for the first time? It spends a long time standing still, holding onto the furniture, until it is sure that its … Continue reading →

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Ye of little faith

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Rosalind C Hughes

It feels less like walking on water than drowning in mid-air; the perfume of your presence is too heady to bear. I make myself thin to slip from your embrace; breathe once more the comfortable air of an ordinary, little faith.

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Year A Proper 13: broken pieces

Posted on August 3, 2014 by Rosalind C Hughes

My father was three years old when war broke out in 1939. The following year, decreased food imports because of submarine activity led to the rationing of meat and other food items in Britain. As the war continued, more foods … Continue reading →

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Leftovers

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Rosalind C Hughes

One made bread pudding. Another, croutons for soup. One mashed them in milk for the tomorrow baby’s breakfast. The important  thing was, they got to keep the crumbs; no more maggots in the manna; they got to bring it home, … Continue reading →

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The patient God

Posted on July 21, 2014 by Rosalind C Hughes

This Sunday, we read the pinnacle of Paul’s poetry: I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation can separate … Continue reading →

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Early week wordplay

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Rosalind C Hughes

Let tares grow, let tears flow; there is no justice without tearing our selves apart; Until life’s ending, we are left tending weeds tenderly as the wheat field. alternatively Let tares grow, let tears flow; there is no judgement without … Continue reading →

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Year A Proper 10: seed for sowing and bread for eating

Posted on July 13, 2014 by Rosalind C Hughes

Frederick Buechner says that parables are like jokes: if you have to have it explained, it’s just not worth it.* In some ways, this parable says the same thing about itself. The last line of Jesus’ explanation is that those … Continue reading →

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Wormfood

Posted on July 10, 2014 by Rosalind C Hughes

Whilst musing over this Sunday’s parable (the sower and the different soils), I hit upon the Dummies.com article, “How to Improve Soil Quality for Healthy Plant Growth,” by Sven Wombwell. Sven suggests that “Worms really are a gardener’s best friends. … Continue reading →

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Crossover

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Rosalind C Hughes

A crossover from today’s Bible Challenge blog, just because Leftovers: Readings for today were Isaiah 7-9, I Thessalonians 5, Psalm 28, OR Judith 15 The day of my graduation from seminary was supposed to be the Rapture (according to the … Continue reading →

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