As we approach the end of the Church year and prepare for the liturgical season of Advent, our scriptures become very apocalyptic—speaking of the future. Today’s lessons certainly fall into…
According to an ancient legend, if you could find “the touchstone” on the Coast of the Black Sea, and hold it in your hand, everything you touched would turn to…
The Great Vigil of Easter is my very favorite service of the Christian calendar. We go from the darkness, death, sorrow, and gloom of Good Friday and find ourselves, literally…
The Cross struck fear in the hearts of the world. It was Rome's means of controlling the people. According to Roman custom, the penalty of crucifixion was always preceded…
Have you ever wondered where the designation Maundy Thursday comes from? I mean, what does “Maundy” mean anyway? Well, it comes from an ancient Latin anthem traditionally sung at the…
Throughout Lent we’ve been traveling with Jesus as he makes his way to Jerusalem, listening to his teaching and witnessing his miracles. While our reading from Luke doesn’t give us…
The story of the Prodigal Son is so familiar that it is like the email forward that lands in our inbox for the hundredth time, yet we love it every…
After a terrible disaster strikes, such as a hurricane or earthquake or tsunami, people often ask, in their pain and anguish, “Why did God allow this to happen?” or “Why…
Jesus has been baptized, and the Holy Spirit has descended upon him, symbolized by the dove. God has declared Jesus as “beloved.” And, he has been transformed before three of…
Recently I read about a television show called “How It’s Made,” which walks viewers through the way items we use every day are created and constructed. From padlocks to pencils…
I am going to tell you two stories that illustrate practical application of today’s scripture passages. I’ve shared them a few years ago. Before becoming an Episcopalian, back in the…
Psychiatrist Robert Coles tells a story about a poor black woman in New Orleans who sells her body almost every night to wealthy old men in order to take care…
(Jesus) said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.’ And Simon answered, ‘Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at…
Experiences over the years of growing from childhood to adulthood cause us to face some unpleasant facts. For example, the birth of a baby brother or sister teaches us that…
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives…
This past Sunday was the Feast Day and beginning of the Season of Epiphany, at which time we celebrated how the glory of Christ is revealed and manifested to the…
Anticipation and expectation—two energies that drive us forward to awaited or predicted events. We often anticipate events or perhaps times in our lives when a certain feat is accomplished or…