Category: Sermons

The podcast can be found here.

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In the year 1547, Henry VIII died and his young son Edward VI ascended the throne. Even though Henry had broken with the Roman Church several years before, the Church of England continued to use the Latin Rites for services, but a few years after Edward’s reign began, in 1549, the First Book of Common Prayer was introduced. Since that time – about 468 years – we as Anglicans / Episcopalians have been “reading to God.” It is said that our ability to worship is extremely hampered as our eyesight begins to fail, although, with faithful attendance over the years, most Episcopalians know the various Rites by heart.

What has this got to do with today’s message? Well, I’m simply laying the ground work for “reading” a lengthy passage to you. Why? Because we often speak about the Incarnation, that is, God becoming man in the person of Jesus, but it is not an easy concept for anyone to grasp. To a degree, we understand the “How?” of the process: God, through the Holy Spirit, came to the Blessed Virgin Mary and she conceived a Son, the very Son of God; but the “Why?” behind the Incarnation is even more of a mystery. And so – this is where the lengthy passage comes in – the year is 1996 and the setting is L’Arche Daybreak, a community for people with mental disabilities. The author would die suddenly in September of that year. He writes:

“After caring for Adam for a few months, I was no longer afraid of him. Waking him up in the morning, giving him a bath and brushing his teeth, shaving his beard and feeding him breakfast had created such a bond between us-a bond beyond words and visible signs of recognition-that I started to miss him when we couldn’t be together. My time with him had become a time of prayer, silence, and quiet intimacy. Adam had become a true peacemaker for me, a man who loved and trusted me even when I made the water for his bath too hot or too cold, cut him with the razor, or gave him the wrong type of clothes to wear.

“His epileptic seizures no longer scared me either. They simply caused me to slow down, forget about other obligations, and stay with him, covering him with heavy blankets to keep him warm. His difficult and very slow walk no longer irritated me but gave me an opportunity to stand behind him, put my arms around his waist, and speak encouraging words as he took one careful step after the other. His spilling a glass full of orange juice or dropping his spoon with food on the floor no longer made me panic but simply made me clean up. Knowing Adam became a privilege for me. Who can be as close to another human being as I could be to Adam? Who can spend a few hours each day with a man who gives you all his confidence and trust? Isn’t that what joy is?

“And Michael, Adam’s brother: what a gift his friendship became! He became the only one in the community who calls me “Father Henri.” Every time he says that, there is a smile on his face, suggesting that he really should be a Father too! With his halting, stuttering voice, he keeps saying, pointing to the large stole around my neck, “I . . . want . . . that. . . too . . . Father.” When Michael is sad because his brother is sick, or because he has many seizures himself, or because someone he loves is leaving, he comes to me, puts his arms around me, and lets his tears flow freely. Then after a while he grabs me by the shoulder, looks at me, and with a big smile breaking through his tears he says. “You are… a … funny… Father!” When we pray together, he often points to his heart and says: “I feel… it… here… here in my heart.” But as we hold hands, there is that immense joy that emerges from our shared sorrow.”

Speaking of the Incarnation, Martin Luther wrote, “The mystery of the humanity of Christ, that He sunk Himself into our flesh, is beyond all human understanding.” So how are we then to catch even a glimpse of it from this passage?

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

The Word.. God.. became flesh – Jesus – and walked among us. Billy Graham said in a sermon, “I’ve seen the effects of the wind, but I’ve never seen the wind. There’s a mystery to it.” We can see the wheat as it blows in the field, we can watch the flag flutter, but that unseen force is invisible to us. In a similar manner, we cannot understand that Unseen Force which is God. We can’t sit and watch as He works for the fulfillment of His purposes or know the workings of His mind – it is a mystery. As the Lord says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” and that mystery is no less evident than when it comes to the Incarnation. Yet, like the wind – we can’t see it, but we can see the effects – we may not be able to understand the Incarnation, but we can see its effects. Like a drop of red dye in glass of clean water, it begins to seep in and permeate everything. It changes things from the inside out and the outside in.

Henri Nouwen was a Catholic Priest. He authored over forty books, not a one of which would be a waste of your time, and his writings are revered by both Catholics and Protestants alike. A Christian Century magazine article noted that “Both mainline Protestant and Catholic clergy named Nouwen as the author they most often read, other than the Bible, in their work as pastors. Notables as respected and diverse as UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, U.S. Senators and TV’s Fred Rogers (“Mister Roger’s Neighborhood”) have publicly acknowledged the considerable influence that Nouwen’s writings have had on them personally.” He falls in the list of great theologians – particularly of spirituality – of the 20th century. He taught at some of the most prestigious universities: Harvard, Yale, Notre Dame, and he was sought after all over the world for speaking engagements, retreats and spiritual direction.

About ten years before his death, he moved to the L’Arche Daybreak community where he lived in very sparse quarters and everyday he cared for Adam, his brother Michael, and many other severely mentally challenged individuals. Those were his words that I shared with you about the two boys. This great theologian, Fr. Henri – sought after all over the world – set it all aside, humbled himself, and cared for those that the world cared nothing about.

The Incarnation of our Lord Jesus is a mystery, the effects are not. The Incarnation is God – the Creator of heaven and Earth – setting it all aside, humbling himself, and helping us with our daily lives. Nourishing us, clothing us, helping us to walk, and even missing us when we are not there. The Incarnation allows us to look at what we understand, and even don’t understand, of the plan God has for our lives and say to Him, “I . . . want . . . that. . . too . . . Father.” When we are most alone and He speaks so softly to us, we can say with Michael, “I feel… it… here… here in my heart.” And even when things go remarkably wrong he helps us to smile and declare, “You are… a … funny… Father!” The Incarnation is a mystery, but it is God becoming man so that he might wrap his arms around you and hold you to Himself.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes: “God is not ashamed of the lowliness of human beings. God marches right in. He chooses people as his instruments and performs his wonders where one would least expect them. God is near to lowliness; he loves the lost, the neglected, the unseemly, the excluded, the weak and broken.” The Incarnation is God marching into this world and loving his creation… loving us.

Let us pray – This is an Advent prayer from Fr. Henri Nouwen: Lord Jesus, Master of both the light and the darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas. We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day. We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us. We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom. We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence. We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light. To you we say, “Come Lord Jesus!” Amen.

The podcast can be found here.

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True story: In the mid-1970s a particular young man was so broke that he had to sell his beloved dog for $25, his wife’s jewelry, and lived in a bus depot for awhile because he could not afford rent. One day he goes to a sporting event and was inspired to write a movie script. He went home and in three days produced his first draft. To his surprise, the movie studios loved it and began bidding for it. The first bid was $35,000. Not bad for a fella with $106 in the bank. The bidding kept going and eventually reached $325,000, the highest amount ever offered for a movie script. However, the fella turned down the offer, because he had placed one condition on the sell of the script: he was to play the leading man; never mind the fact that the studio bosses were already trying to get Robert Redford, James Caan, or Burt Reynolds for the lead. He said, “I knew that if I took the money I’d regret it for the rest of my life. And the picture was about taking that golden shot when you finally get it.” He held out and the studio finally gave in. The young man was paid $35,000 dollars for his script and was allowed to star in the movie. The studio didn’t have much hope in the show doing well, so it fell into low budget production. When it hit the movie theaters, they all knew that Rocky was going to be a winner, including the author of the script and the lead actor, Sylvester Stallone.
That movie won three Oscars including best movie in 1976 (Stallone showed up in a rented tux without a tie, because the tie he was wearing broke during his cab ride to the awards ceremony). To date, the Rocky franchise has earned over $1 billion. Stallone’s net worth is a bit more than that $106, it is now somewhere in the neighborhood of $400 million.

What does this have to do with Andrew who we celebrate today? “As Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him.” The same is said about James and John when Jesus said to them, “Follow me.” “Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.” I am always fascinated by that, “immediately they” left what they had and followed Jesus. Immediately. And I have to ask, “Why?” I think we see a glimpse of the answer in that story of Stallone.

Stallone knew who he was and what he had… at least what he believed he had. He also knew what he wanted for his life. Something he had been pursuing for many years and when he finally saw it, what he had been wanting and working for, he grabbed hold and no amount of money would sway him from it. Although he was chasing after worldly goals, it would seem that Andrew and the others also possessed that same characteristic when it came to following the things of God. They seem to be those who said, “For now, I will fish, but when I see that which my heart is longing for, I will grab ahold and no amount of money or security will sway me.” They had this idea for what they wanted in their lives, and this idea could only be fulfilled in God; and when God walked past and said, “Follow me,” these fishermen cast everything else aside and followed him.

In a similar manner, Jesus says to each of us, “Follow me,” and like those first disciples, we are to respond immediately. That does not necessarily mean casting your life aside, but for each of us, it does mean faithfully following him where he has called us, whether that be at home caring for children, at work, in leisure enjoying creation, wherever. We are called to be faithful disciples, fully engaged in our life with him, following where he leads, and prepared to renounce any other offer that attempts to lure us away.

The podcast can be found here.

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You’ve probably heard the one about the kindergarten teacher who was observing her class during their art period. She would walk around and comment on each child’s drawing, but occasionally had to ask what it was going to be. As she came to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.

The girl replied, “I’m drawing God.”

The teacher paused and said, “But no one knows what God looks like.”

Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing the girl replied, “They will in a minute.”

It is one of those remarkable questions though: what does God look like? We know that Abraham saw him as one of three men who visited him – two of which turned out to be angels. We know that when Moses was up on the mountain, he wanted to see God, but was only allowed to see his back. We know that Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord as the Lord departed from Jerusalem. We know that Elijah heard him in a whisper. And we know that Jesus said, if you have seen me, you have seen the Father. There is, however, one other characteristic of God that you may have never considered.

In the third chapter of Joshua, we read about the Israelites crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land, and the crossing began with twelve priest carrying the Ark – think Indiana Jones – walking into the Jordan River. As soon as their feet touched the water, the river stopped flowing and backed up several miles away so that the people could cross on dry land. The scripture tells us that these priest stood in the center of the dry river bed as all of Israel crossed. How many crossed? That number is hugely debated—anywhere from 100,000 up to 3.5 million. Whatever the case, even if it was only 100,000, it would have taken awhile for that many men, women, and children to cross, along with all their possessions and livestock, all the while, the twelve priest are standing there, holding the Ark.

Now the Ark itself is also described, in scripture. God gave very specific instructions on how it was to be constructed: wood, gold, etc. Given the materials and size, it is estimated that the Ark would have weighed 300 to 400 pounds. Add in the two stone tablets that God gave to Moses with the ten commandments written on them and you’ve got a rather significant load, even for twelve men. So, if someone crossing the dried up river turned to one of these twelve and asked, “So, what’s God like?” They very well may have responded, “He’s heavy!”

That is a humorous answer, but it is much closer to the truth than you would think. Heavy or weightiness in Hebrew is the word kabod. Kabod is also the same word for glory. He’s heavy. He’s glorious. And for the Israelites, where did this heaviness of God, this glory of God reside?

Back in the book of Exodus, God gave the instructions for building the Ark. The lid of the Ark was to have two cherubim of gold constructed, one on each end, with their faces facing down and their wings outstretched toward one another. It was the lid of the Ark, but it had a special name: the mercy seat. And of this mercy seat, God said to Moses, “There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the covenant, I will deliver to you all my commands for the Israelites.” (Exodus 25:22) The Prophet Isaiah wrote, “And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord, saying: ‘O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, you are God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.’” (Isaiah 37:15-16) The presence of the Creator of the heaven and earth, the kabod of God, the heaviness, the glory of God rested upon the lid of the Ark, the mercy seat and from there God gave his law and was present to the people.

So what does this kabod, the heaviness of God have to do with today’s parable?

The master gave one slave five talents; the other, two; and the last, one. What do you think of when you think of a “talent”? We often translate it to mean a talent is a gift, a skill, something we can use for working in the Kingdom of God, but perhaps there is an even deeper meaning.

In the context of the parable, I have often considered a talent to be like a coin, maybe a silver dollar, but talent does not refer to a unit of money, it refers to a unit of weight, particularly that of precious medals, like gold and silver, and it weighed about fifty pounds. So when the master gave the first slave five talents, you should read that as, “The master gave the first slave two hundred and fifty pounds of gold.” The second, a hundred pounds and the third fifty. Biblical scholars have suggested that Jesus’ audience would not have focused so much on the gold as they would have the kabod, the weight of all that gold and in considering that kabod, they would have been immediately reminded of the mercy seat, where the kabod of God resided. With that understanding, the parable is not necessarily about God giving a gift or skill; instead, it is about God giving a part of himself – his mercy, his glory, his love… his Spirit.

Consider this: God gives a man a talent for playing the violin. He is actually very good at it, and could do a lot of good work in the Kingdom of God with this talent, playing in the church on Sunday, teaching others how to play, helping kids discover outlets other than roaming the streets, etc., but then one day the man decides he doesn’t want to play the violin anymore, so he wraps it in some cloth and buries it in a field. On the day the man dies and goes to heaven, God says, “Tell me about the violin.” The man replies, “You know, I got tired of playing, so I gave it up.” According to the parable that Jesus told, God would then say to the man, “You wicked and lazy slave! Take his violin and give it to someone who will play it like it was a Stradivarius, and then take this man and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” Now, far be it from me to question the judgments of God, but doesn’t that seem a bit severe for not wanting to play the violin? But then consider this: God gives a man a talent. God gives the man a part of his kabod, his presence, his glory, his love, his mercy, his Spirit. God gives the man a part of Himself. However, the man looks at this gift with complete indifference, he looks at the presence of God within himself, and says, “Eh!”, then he casts it in a hole and buries it. This man dies and comes before God and God says to him, “Tell me about the part of me that I gave to you.” And the man says, “I didn’t think much of it, so I buried it. Here… here it is,” and he hands God back that part of His Spirit, covered in dirt and decay. Far be it from me to tell God what to do, but that man has earned the outer darkness, the weeping, and the gnashing of teeth.

David prays in Psalm 51:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.

It is this Holy Spirit of God that is the real “talent” which is given to each of us and from it all else proceeds. Yes, we have God given talents, skills, and gifts that we are to use for the increase of the Kingdom of God and for His greater glory, but His Holy Spirit, his kabod, His self is what he has given to us, and we are not to squander it. We are to be bold and to use it, to share it: his love, mercy, glory, grace, and in doing so, that same love, mercy, glory, and grace—as with the servants who received the five talents and the two—will be increased in us. What did Jesus say in Luke’s Gospel? “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” (Luke 6:37-38)

Be bold in the giving of this presence of God that is within you. With St. Paul, pour yourself out like a drink offering, holding nothing back, and its God’s promise that it will return to you. He will anoint your head with oil and your cup will run over. His goodness and mercy will be with you all the days of your life. And you will dwell in His house forever.

Let us pray: God, our Father, You have promised to remain forever with those who do what is just and right. Help us to live in Your presence. The loving plan of Your Wisdom was made known when Jesus, your Son, became man like us. We want to obey His commandment of love and bring Your peace and joy to others. Keep before us the wisdom and love You have made known in Your Son. Help us, through the presence of your Holy Spirit, to be like Him in word and deed. Amen

 

The Podcast can be found here.

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An old tale from the Middle East – with many variations – speaks of a merchant from Baghdad who sent his servant to the market one day. Before long the servant came back, white and trembling with fear. In great anxiety, he said to his master, “Down in the market I was jostled by a woman in the crowd, and when I turned around, I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture. Master, please lend me your horse, for I must hasten away to avoid her! I will ride to Samarra and there I will hide. Death will not find me there.” Wanting to be helpful, the merchant lent him his horse and the servant galloped away in great haste. Later the merchant went down to the marketplace and saw Death standing in the crowd. He went over to her and asked, “Why did you frighten my servant this morning? Why did you make a threatening gesture?”

“That was not a threatening gesture,” Death said. “It was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for I have an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.”

Whether in Samarra or Baghdad or Enid, that “appointment” is not one we like to consider, and before you go thinking you will be leaving today completely depressed, I’ll let you know that we’re not going to be talking about that appointment itself, but the time leading up to it. That would be today and more specifically, this very moment, for this is all that is guaranteed.

The parable of the ten virgins or bridesmaids that Jesus told has the point where all ten girls become tired and fall asleep. They all wake up when the cry comes that the bridegroom is on his way. Some are ready to leave for the celebration, while others don’t have enough oil for their lamps to help them find the way.

This sleep that overtakes them can be understood in different ways. Perhaps the most evident are death and the second coming of Jesus. It can be either of those, but the point of the parable is the condition of the individual before they fall asleep.

Falling asleep is natural, but watching someone fall asleep who is trying to stay awake is quite comical (just watch the congregation today and you may witness it). It begins with the eyes struggling to remain open and progresses to the head bob, as they keep waking themselves up. It ends with their chin resting against their chest and drool running down their shirt. If this happens in public, they wake up looking rather sheepish and wondering if they were snoring, but no harm was done. Compare that with falling asleep while you’re driving. I remember driving along as a teenager and waking up with my front bumper edging up underneath the rear bumper of a semi. I was awake very quickly with my heart pounding furiously. I also remember driving along late one night, desperately wanting to get home. I should have pulled over long before. The person I was with looked over and asked, “Are you awake?” My response: “I am now!”

I’ve fallen asleep watching a movie, woken up, and the worst thing I had to do was hit the rewind, but falling asleep driving, puts you in a state of sheer panic.

If we say that the ten virgins falling asleep is a way of speaking about our death or the second coming of Jesus, then the five who were prepared are like those who fall asleep and wake up innocently and peacefully, while the five who were unprepared are like those who fall asleep while driving, waking in a dead panic, unprepared.

I believe that most would like to find themselves in the first group of the wise, those who are prepared; however, even though most desire this, there are many who fail to achieve due to one particular lie of the devil.

Three apprentice devils coming to this earth to finish their apprenticeship. They were talking to Satan about their plans to tempt and to stop humankind from coming to God. The first said, “I will tell them that there is no God.” Satan said, “That will not deceive many, for they know that there is a God.” The second said, “I will tell them that there is no hell.” Satan answered, “You will deceive no one that way; they know even now that there is a hell for sin.” The third said, “I will tell them that there is no hurry, you can continue like what you want.” “Go,” said Satan, “and you will stop many from turning to God.”

Many hear that lie – you’ve got time… you can think about this later… there are many days left in your life to consider the things of God – many hear that lie and when the end arrives, they are in a panic, and they find themselves outside, knocking on the door to be allowed entry into the celebration.

But I do not think you would be here today if you were not seeking to be prepared for your last, but the meaning of the parable does not speak only about the end of our days. It also speaks of how we can be unprepared in our daily lives, and this type of unpreparedness crushes our ability to live each day in peace and it arrives through the death of hope.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet begins his monologue:
“To be, or not to be? That is the question.”

He is asking whether it is better to be alive or to die. Is it better to keep up the day to day struggle of his life or take his chances on the next, for to him, dying is only sleeping, but then he begins to question:

“To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there’s the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.”

Who’s to say, he asks himself. Perhaps death is worse. We just don’t know; therefore, we struggle for long days in this life and continue to toil along. What he is describing is a life without hope. Hope in the promises of God. It is a life that does not find rest in God. It is a life of panic and a furious running about in search of anything to fill the void within that only God can satisfy with his peace.

When we are robbed of that hope, we are unprepared for now. We become restless and panic. We listen to the world and those around us and hear the death they speak and we become infected with it and they rob us of our hope, or perhaps a better way to put it is to say they take our hope, because, so often, we just give it to them. In doing so, we allow despair and death to enter our lives, where God would have us joyful and alive. What remains is a panic that ask those same questions Hamlet asked: is this all there is? The answer is a resounding, “No!” Yes, there will be trials and there will be difficulties, but in the words of our Bishop, “The world does not have the final say.” Therefore, be prepared each day, give yourself permission to enter into the celebration, and the peace and joy of the Lord. For Jesus says, “I will never turn away anyone who comes to me.”

When I struggle with this, I remember what Mother Teresa is reported to have written on a wall in her room. Forgive me if I’ve shared it with you before:

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.  Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.  Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.

That is the inner workings of a soul that is preparing for the last day and the soul of one who is also prepared to live this day. It is a soul that has acquired that unquenchable hope. That refuses to give it away or to be robbed of it.

You are a gift from God and the life he has given you is also a gift. Live it in the peace and hope that he gives to you and on whatever day he chooses to call you home, you will be prepared and you will enter into the eternal celebration.

The words of David in Psalm 34 speak of this hope. I’ll close with them. Let us pray:
I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him, and be radiant;
so your faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord,
and was saved from every trouble.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him.
O fear the Lord, you his holy ones,
for those who fear him have no want.
The young lions suffer want and hunger,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Amen

The podcast can be found here.

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Boudreaux was sitting in the City Bar in Maurice, Louisiana, one Saturday night, and had several beers under his belt. After a while, he looked at the guy sitting next to him, and asked him, “Hey, you wanna hear a good Aggie joke, you?”

The big guy replied, “Let me tell you something. I’m an oil field roughneck, I weigh 270 pounds, and I don’t like Cajuns. My buddy here is a pro football player, weighs 300 pounds, and he doesn’t like Cajuns either. His friend on his other side is a professional wrestler, weighs 320 pounds, always has a chip on his shoulder, and he likes Cajuns even less than we do, and we are all three proud Aggies. Do you really want to tell us an Aggie joke?”

Boudreaux, all 150 pounds of Cajun attitude, told him, “Mais, I guess not. After all I don’t want have to explain it three times!” Continue reading “Sermon: Proper 25 RCL A – “Inspired by Love””

The podcast can be found here.

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A businesswoman was driving home from a convention in New Mexico when she saw an elderly Navajo woman walking on the side of the road.

As the trip was a long and quiet one, she stopped the car and asked the Navajo woman if she would like a ride.

With a silent nod of thanks, the woman got into the car.

Resuming the journey, the businesswoman tried to make a bit of small talk with the Navajo woman, but the old lady just sat silently, looking intently at everything she saw, studying every little detail. Finally, she noticed a brown bag on the seat next to the businesswoman.

“What’s in the bag?” asked the Navajo woman.

The businesswoman looked down at the brown bag and said, “It’s a bottle of Scotch. I got it for my husband.”

The Navajo woman was silent for another moment or two. Then speaking with the quiet wisdom of an elder, she said: “Good trade…” Continue reading “Sermon: Proper 24 RCL A – “Bad Trade””

The podcast can be found here.

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Image: The arrest of Thomas Cranmer

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On January 28, 1547 Henry the Eighth, by the Grace of God, King of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith and of the Church of England and also of Ireland in Earth Supreme Head died. And when he died, all hell broke loose. Continue reading “Sermon: Oxford Martyrs”

The podcast can be found here.  (I got the date wrong in the recording.  It is the sermon preached on Oct. 15.)

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We have all experienced times of forgetfulness. Take your glasses off, set them down, and a few minutes later you can’t remember where you left them.  Walk into a room and forget what you were doing.  Suddenly you can’t remember your oldest friends name. Things like that.  At other times, certain memories just seem to drop out.  For example, do you have a collection of keys, maybe in a jar or in a drawer, that you have no idea what they go to? And the frustrating bit is that you can’t throw them away, because as soon as you do, you’ll discover that it’s going to cost $150 to drill the lock on the safety deposit box.  Then there are phone numbers. I have this horrible habit of writing phone numbers down on post-it notes. Trouble is, I don’t put a name with them, so I sit staring at it trying to remember who it belongs to.  Forgetfulness is universal. It’s a bit like Neville Longbottom – in Harry Potter – getting a Remembrall from his Grams.  It’s a little glass ball that changes colors when you forget something. Neville’s changed color, but as he said, “I can’t remember what I’ve forgotten.”

Then there are times when something that happened years ago that you had completely forgotten, suddenly surfaces.  Sometimes the reason for your remembering makes sense, you smell a certain perfume and recognize it as the perfume your first girlfriend wore.  Other times the connection is not so linear: you see a commercial on TV for toilet paper and you suddenly think of the first time you were sent to the principal’s office. Continue reading “Sermon: Proper 23 RCL A – “Invitations””