WOE!
Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6 Proper 11/B 7/21/24 By the Rev. Karen Faye Siegfriedt “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! Says the Lord.” (Jer. 23:1) WOE is the operating word in today’s reading from the prophet Jeremiah. Woe is translated from the Hebrew word HOY ( הוֹי). This word expresses dissatisfaction, pain, grief, affliction, wretchedness, calamity, or trouble. Woe can be used as an exclamation of judgment on others or misfortune on oneself. It can be used…
Travel Light
In our text for today, we find Jesus being rejected in his hometown, resulting in the authorization of his disciples to go on to continue their work in his place.
Mustard Seeds
There is so much to love about the parables. They are so on the ground. With the Parable of the Mustard Seed Jesus seems to want us to get the idea about the kingdom of God by using the most relatable elements – like seeds. Certainly, the people listening to him two thousand years ago would have first-hand experiences with yeast and salt and pruning and planting. We modern folks might feel a bit removed from the earthiness of his…
The Demons within
Today we celebrate Pride Sunday. Our text for today asks us to examine ourselves, do the deep spiritual work of unlearning that which keeps us from loving ourselves and our neighbors as God loves us. To ensure our house is not divided.
Trinity Sunday
Today, we celebrate the feast day for Trinity Sunday and hear the beginning of the story of Nicodemus. While the Trinity remains an unknown mystery in many ways, we can connect to the befuddlement of Nicodemus as we hear the good news of God’s unyielding love for us.
Into the Unknown
In our text for today, we hear Jesus’ intersession for the disciples before his ascension. After this time, the disciples must continue their work without Jesus’ physical presence. Entering into an unknown period of waiting until the time when Jesus returns again.
Abiding Love for One Another: The Good News (and the Bad News)
Based on a sermon written by the Rev. Kay Sylvester, Rector, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Tustin CA, May 13, 2012 “This is my commandment,” Jesus tells his disciples, “that you love one another, as I have loved you,” and to “abide in my love”. “Abide” comes from the Germanic word bīdan, meaning “to remain or stay”, and connotes not simply an action, but a state of living and being. It is a stronger idea than an instruction, but a way…
God Is Love
“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1John 4) How many people here are on Facebook? Last month, there was a Facebook post that trashed the Christian religion, accusing it of being a destructive force in our country that threatens democratic rule. This particular post focused on the mean spiritedness of many Christians who…