Sermons

“Then I heard every creaturein heaven and on earthand under the earth and in the sea,and all that is in them, singing,‘To the one seated on the throneand to the Lambbe blessing and honor and glory and mightforever and ever!’”Alleluia! Christ is risen!Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia! This short passage from Revelationthat Alex read todayis […]

Alleluia! Christ is risen!Chris is risen indeed! Alleluia! Grace to you and peacefrom him who is and who was and who is to come,and from the seven spiritswho are before his throne,and from Jesus Christ,the faithful witness,the firstborn of the dead,and the ruler of the kings of the earth.That’s how John begins his revelation,on which

Alleluia! Christ is risen!Chris is risen indeed! Alleluia! Early on the first day of the week,while it was still dark,Mary Magdalene came to the tomband saw that the stonehad been removed from the tomb.She’s heartbroken.She, her people, her friends,live under the heelof a global super power.They’ve been waiting for the Messiah,God’s chosen and anointed one.They’re

On Ash Wednesday,I said that by the end of Lentyou’d probably be tired of hearingthe lyrics from“Following” by the musical groupOrdinary Time.We’re almost done with it,though none of you has said anything.Week by week I’ve prayed“There’s a hook in this mealTo receive is to follow.”Almost every weekI’ve wanted to point to the altar.But it seemed

If you want to hear my sermonon the crucifixion,come to St. Alban’s on Fridayat noon or 6.As the hinge of The Sunday of the Passion:Palm Sundayswings us like a cabinet doorfrom Lent’s reflection on baptismand Jesus’ arrival in the empty tombinto the week of Passionwhere we walk the way of the CrossI think it’s good

By the fifth Sunday in Lent,the season is starting to drag on.If we’ve given ourselves overto the wisdom of the churchwe may be of two very strong feelings.Isn’t this over yet?And it’s almost Easter!The gospel passage on this Sunday —regardless of the year —is with us. Some years we hear the story being given awayas

The message of God’s graceisn’t just foolishness,like the message of the cross.It’s offensive to those of uswho consider ourselves righteous –righteous in any sphere.Jesus spends much of Chapter 14 of Luketalking about table fellowship.Chapter 15, where we start today,has Jesus showing full acceptance and loveof tax collectors and sinnersas he eats with them.The righteous –the

Who sinned:This man, or his parents?That’s not the question presented to Jesus today,but it’s in the same vein.Galileans and Jerusalemiteshave both suffered as Jesus is speaking.There’s an undercurrentthat the Galilean bumpkinsaren’t as good at following Godas their cousinswho have much quicker,easier access to the temple. But when Jesus is asked about them,he reminds the crowds

As Paul writes to the Philippians,he’s been imprisoned.A lot of peoplehave a lot of complaints about Paul.I understand them.I especially understand themin the kind of textualist fundamentalismthat pervades American and Western culturewhere we only want to look at the words on the pageand not who wrote them,when they wrote themor what they were writing about.This

After his baptism, Jesus,full of the Holy Spirit,returned from the Jordanand was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,where for forty dayshe was tempted by the devil.Jesus has been fastingfor forty dayswhen we get these three specific temptations.The devil,the one waging waragainst the goodness of God’s creation,appeals to Jesus’ humanityon more than one level.He attacks