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Tag Archives: joy
Jealousy vs joy
Jealousy is the thief of joy. It keeps the elder brother from the family reunion. It prevents the citizen from celebrating the rescue of the refugee, the wealthy from celebrating Jesus’ announcement of good news for the poor and the meek. It resents the love of God for its rival, and leads to the casting of golden calves to spite them all. It clouds the vision of the scribes so that they do not even recognize the Word of God when he is standing right in front of them, telling stories from heaven. Continue reading
Posted in current events, homily, lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged conversion of Saul, jealousy, Jesus, joy, lost sheep, Luke 15:1-10, parable, Year C Proper 19
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Perspective
Writing the annual report like teaching a child to draw perspective, moulding a year into blocks, trying to keep to scale but death is slippery and shows between the lines; grief will not hold its shape. Joy alone stays along … Continue reading
Posted in poetry, story
Tagged annual meeting, annual report, church, grief, joy, writing
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As God is my promise
What would the world be if we all acted as Elizabeth? How would it be if we were to greet everyone as Mary, the God-bearer, since we know that everyone who passes before us bears the image of God? Continue reading
Posted in advent meditations, lectionary reflection, sermon
Tagged Advent 4, Elizabeth, Euclid, God-bearer, immigration, joy, Mary, refugees, the visitation
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Advent joy
I was blessed to hear our deacon-in-training preach this morning, so instead of a sermon for Advent 2, I am sharing the reflection from the closing Eucharist of yesterday’s Advent Quiet Day at St Peter’s Episcopal Church, Lakewood, Ohio. The … Continue reading
Posted in advent meditations, lectionary reflection, meditation
Tagged Advent, joy, Matthew 3:12, RS Thomas, WH Auden, Year A Advent 2
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Year A Proper 23: come to the feast
There have been two weddings in this church in the past ten days, and three within three months. Each was its own blend of nervousness, family friendship, family friction, love, hope, and joy. Each of them was noticeable, in the … Continue reading
Posted in sermon
Tagged Communion, Isaiah 25:1-9, joy, matthew 22:1-14, parable, Philippians 4:1-9, the wedding feast
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When is a door not a door?
Jesus is posing his listeners a riddle when he talks of himself in the language of the sheep pen. We only get part of the passage today; we don’t hear Jesus, today, call himself the Good Shepherd. That comes immediately … Continue reading
Posted in sermon
Tagged Boko Haram, Cleveland, gate, I am, Jesus, joy, kidnapping, Michelle Knight, Mother's Day, Nigeria, Pharisees, sheep, shepherd, thieves and bandits
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To forgive is divine
the first in a short series on forgiveness. I’m really interested to hear your own stories, insights and opinions “To forgive is divine,” so they say. In some ways, it’s simple. Why forgive? we might ask, and we can enumerate … Continue reading
Posted in story
Tagged anger, Christianity, forgiveness, God, Jesus, John 6, joy, resentment
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Good Friday
This, too, is the day that the Lord has made; shall we, then, be glad in it?
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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