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Tag Archives: Jesus
Schrödinger’s wedding
Until its surface tension breaks upon the steward’s tongue – dissipating sweetness, sweat of vineyard labourers, honey of the sun-ripened harvest – it is neither water nor wine; until the jars are filled to overflowing, until a drop is spilled, … Continue reading
What heals history?
We enter this new year, and this new season after Christmas, with some trepidation, don’t we? We are haunted by the shadows of the past, concerned for the present, warned by the violence that greeted the new year in New Orleans and Nevada and far beyond; our hopes and fears for the future year clash and mingle in the air like smoke.
And yet this is the Feast-day, the celebration of the Epiphany, the manifestation of God’s incarnation to the nations, to us. The bright promise that God is with us, even us. Continue reading
Posted in current events, holy days, lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged Epiphany, Herod, Incarnation, insurrection, Jesus, love, Matthew 2:1-12, The Revelation of the Magi
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A departing
The legends and myths of the kings and the Magi, drawn from faithful, imaginative engagement with the biblical text, resonate with us as a church as we draw together to seek the same saving grace: God with us, Emmanuel; a holy Communion in Christ. The legends reflect our life together as a church, as people, whose paths converge and cross and diverge on the journey toward Christ. We will mark one such departure this morning. After twelve years together, we will remain always united in our experience of God in Christ and in this gathering at the manger and the table and the cross; and yet we will leave by different roads. Continue reading
Posted in holy days, lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged Communion, Epiphany, grief, Jesus, leaving, light, love, magi, Matthew 2:1-12, parish, Revelation of the Magi
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A Christmas Message
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was the cry of a newborn infant, swaddled in cloth and laid in a feeding trough. … Christmas. It’s a … Continue reading
Posted in holy days, homily, sermon
Tagged Christmas, Incarnation, Jesus, John 1:1-14
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Emmanuel
I misremembered the title of the children’s story that I cited in the middle of this reflection: I think it still works. In the Advent to Christmas stories we find a lot of fear, and a balancing dose of faith. … Continue reading
Posted in advent meditations, homily, lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged Advent, Christmas, Emmanuel, God, grief, Incarnation, Jesus, love, picture books
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Bearing Jesus
Mary, full of grace, sang not only for herself, the Almighty has done great things for me, but also for the proud spirits in need of disruption, and the poor spirits in need of nurture and nutrition; her song is not hers alone, but it belongs to us all.
Her call is not hers alone, to bear Christ into the world, to bring to light the joy of God’s mercy and love, which is our salvation. … Continue reading
Posted in advent meditations, homily, lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged Advent 4, Elizabeth, Incarnation, Jesus, Luke 1:39-56, Luke 1:46-55, Magnificat, Mary
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(Un)Documented
But, Luke shows us, what we document, what we record, whom we remember is a choice. It is a choice that reflects what we consider to be important. Luke recognizes the culture of a world that requires context, but he also sees where God is at work in the wilderness, in the oddball person of faith standing in a river of prayer. He pivots quickly from the traditional seats of power because he sees, too, the one making a way out of rocks and rifts and building bridges where none seemed possible. Because Luke has seen Christ coming, and he knows that all manner of heaven is about to break loose. Continue reading
Posted in advent meditations, lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged Advent, faith, Jesus, John the Baptist, Luke 3, Year C Advent 2
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Advent: out of time
Advent is an odd season, a disruption of the calendar. We look forward to the birth of Christ which happened millennia ago in our history. We look back through the apocalyptic scriptures which told generation after generation that they were living through the end of the world. Time is out of joint, and we are unsettled by it. But it is in this break, through this fracture, that the light of Christ shines, through clouds and glory … Continue reading
Posted in advent meditations, lectionary reflection, sermon, story
Tagged 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13, apocalypse, Jesus, Luke 21:25-36, Year C Advent 1
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Christ the King (or, the king is not the thing)
One of my favourite biblical reflections on kingship and humanity is Jotham’s parable from the book of Judges:
The trees decided to anoint themselves a king. First, they asked the olive tree: Come be our king! But the olive tree did not want to give up its vocation to produce oil for anointing, to honour and to heal, in order to govern other trees. So they asked the fig tree. But it would not give up its vocation to feed people and animals, birds, and all with its sweet goodness, so it declined. So, too, the vine, when asked, said why would I give up wine-making in order to govern other trees? Finally, they asked the bramble. The bramble, said, if you can find shelter under me, fine, go ahead; but if you are pricked by my thorns and shut out or caught up in my briars, it will be the worse for you. Continue reading
Posted in holy days, homily, lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged Christ the King, Jesus, John 18:33-37, Judges 9:7-15, neo-nazis, parable of the trees, Pilate
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All that we had to live on
The world is sorely in need of good news, and I encourage you, not only this week, but in the weeks and months and years to come to continue to check in with and hang out with and care for those who feel as though they have given all that they had to live on, and have no hope left. For those who feel as though they have given all that they had to live on, and have been devoured by the systems of this world.
Because we have more than enough to live on. We have the hope that is in Jesus, the comfort of Emmanuel, knowing that God is with us whether we are on top of the world or lying wrapped up in the tomb. We have mercy, and we have one another. Continue reading
over the water 