Tag Archives: God

Year C Epiphany 1: For us, and for our salvation

After Christmas, after Epiphany, we come to the baptism of Jesus. In a way, this story is the culmination and confirmation of everything that has happened up to now. An angel announced his conception. Faithful even before he was born, … Continue reading

Posted in sermon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Epiphany

Epiphany: A lightbulb moment. A parish church. A cake, a tradition. People going down to a snowy river in Russia to renew their baptismal promises in the freezing waters. The other Christmas. Magi, wise men, kings; gold, frankincense, myrrh; Herod … Continue reading

Posted in sermon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Holy Innocents

The hard historical evidence for the massacre of the innocents of Bethlehem may be sketchy, thank God, yet the meme pervades our culture, from Moses to Jesus; even though we can barely comprehend the idea, we admit it to our … Continue reading

Posted in meditation, poetry | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Blue Christmas homily

I remember one Christmas Eve years ago, when I was a Sunday School teacher trying to wrangle small children dressed as shepherds and herd animals dressed as small children and deal with both kings and wise guys and try not … Continue reading

Posted in homily, sermon, story | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hannah’s hope

I could say a lot about Hannah. I feel as though I almost know her, I have almost met her, across a crowd, just out of reach. I recognize her, the tilt of her head, her hair obscuring her face. … Continue reading

Posted in lectionary reflection, sermon preparation | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Packing bags

I try to summon a spirit of tenderness to the task: praying for the woman who wanted toothpaste (I had none); wondering who will want the pet food – who still has room in a hungry life for a heartfelt … Continue reading

Posted in meditation, prayer | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Year B Proper 22: Little children

A sermon for my first Sunday at Church of the Epiphany, Euclid, Ohio – October 7, 2012 I think that, with your indulgence, I’ll save talking about Jesus’ take on divorce and remarriage for when we have got to know … Continue reading

Posted in sermon | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

William Tyndale and the passionate vocation

A homily for the Thursday morning Eucharist at Bexley Hall Episcopal Seminary, October 4, 2012 William Tyndale was a man with a passion, a man with a mission, with a calling so strong it drove him crazy. How else to … Continue reading

Posted in homily | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

God-parenting

Many years ago, when my first daughter was a baby, I heard a sermon which took parents to task regarding their Christian responsibilities to their children. There were various points, and a story. The story involved the preacher’s own infant … Continue reading

Posted in other words | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Year B Proper 18: the cynical God?

On Saturday night, I suggested that Jesus was sounding a bit cynical last week, you know, about the whole hypocrisy thing over the whole handwashing thing, and the whole dirty defiled human heart thing … This week, he could be … Continue reading

Posted in lectionary reflection, sermon preparation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment