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A Family Like Mine: Biblical Stories of Love, Loss, and Longing
https://bookstore.upperroom.org/Products/1921/a-family-like-mine.aspxWhom Shall I Fear: Urgent Questions for Christians in an Age of Violence
https://www.amazon.com/Whom-Shall-Fear-Questions-Christians/dp/0835819671-
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Tag Archives: Jesus
Jerusalem, Jerusalem
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” The chicks scatter, competing instead of complementing one another, straining to grow despite one … Continue reading
Posted in lectionary reflection, sermon preparation
Tagged foxes and hens, holy city, Jerusalem, Jesus, Luke 13:31-35, peace
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Ash Wednesday
There is, on occasion, a disconnect between our words and our actions. We smile through gritted teeth as we make polite conversation with someone we do not like. We have profound and prolonged conversations about liberty and justice as we … Continue reading
Posted in homily, sermon
Tagged 12-17, 16-21, 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10, Ash Wednesday, fast, hope, hypocrisy, Isaiah 58:1-12, Jesus, Joel 2:1-2, Matthew 6:1-6, Psalm 51
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Year C Epiphany 4: Early reflections on Luke 4:21-30
Once upon a time, a boy was born, and he grew up in a regular-sized town, and the people who knew people knew him – the teachers and the coaches and the librarians, the grocers and the beat cops, his … Continue reading
Little ones
Last week, while some were celebrating “Gun Appreciation Day,” a six-year-old girl in Cleveland found her father’s gun, and she shot herself to death. (http://www.19actionnews.com/story/20631205/6-year-old-dead-after-severe-head-trauma) Later in the week, a four-year-old boy in Akron died in similar circumstances. (http://www.19actionnews.com/story/20678028/4-year-olds-death-ruled-a-homicide) In … Continue reading
Posted in other words
Tagged Akron, children, Cleveland, gun control, gun violence, Jesus, Luke 17:1-2
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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 Church of the Epiphany Euclid OH, Epiphany, Episcopal Church, God, Herod, Jesus, justice, light, magi, peace, prophecy
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The naming of cats, children, and wonderful counsellors
Recently a parishioner handed me a list she had come across of fifty names for Jesus given to him in scripture – fifty shades of great, perhaps? There were some wonderful titles, but I don’t think that in the whole … Continue reading
Posted in holy days, other words
Tagged circumcision, fifty shades, Holy Name, Jesus, Mary, Messiah, naming, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, parenting, T.S. Eliot, Wonderful Counsellor
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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 anger, baby, Blue Christmas, Christmas, Christmas Eve, God, Jesus, joy, pageant
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Unexpected gifts: Saint Nicholas
A homily for Trinity Cathedral, Cleveland’s Evensong celebration of the Feast of Nicholas, Bishop of Myra As a child, I heard the story of Jesus welcoming the children and he was the antidote to unfriendly adults, the ones who frowned … Continue reading
Posted in homily
Tagged Advent, children, Christmas, Jesus, legends, parents, Saint Nicholas, Trinity Cathedral Cleveland, unexpected gifts
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Year B: All Saints
I want to talk today about baptism, and our participation in our baptismal covenant. Baptism is and has always been an important stage in the Christian journey: it was one of the two sacraments commanded and enacted by Jesus himself, … Continue reading
Posted in sermon
Tagged All Saints, baptism, baptismal covenant, community, godparents, Hallowe'en, Hurricane Sandy, Jesus, Lazarus
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