Nothing Changes Except Everything
Nothing changed. God had broken into our world with sound and beauty. Light and hope pierced the dark of gloom and nothing changed. The prophets of old had spoken of it; “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” The people who sat in darkness waited and hoped and prayed and longed for Light to dawn. But…
And now it’s Christmas
This has been an unusual and, in many ways, difficult year. And now it’s Christmas. Last Christmas I was given the gift of a pedicure. I’d never had one before and was very nervous about it. But I put on my big girl pants and went downtown, and surprise! It was not too painful and I liked the way my toes looked afterwards. So I’ve been back. Last time I was there I overhead another customer asking her hygienist whether…
Unlawful holy living
Along with most other mainstream churches, Episcopalians use a three year cycle of Bible Readings for Sunday mornings. This year our main focus will be the gospel of Matthew. Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus is the more familiar one. In today’s reading from Matthew we heard about Jesus’ father, Joseph, and one of the dreams which prompted him to take some unexpected and daring steps. But before I talk about that, I want to make some more general…
Wellsprings
Sometimes we think that the Gay Rights movement started with the riot at Stonewall Inn or that the Civil Rights movement began the day Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus, but of course they didn’t. They started long, long before those iconic moments. They are the moments around which something that had been building coalesced. Something that had been building in people’s hearts and minds for years. When a new social movement breaks out and…
Is He Quite Safe?
There’s a passage in the first book in the Narnia series, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe when the children are startled to discover that Aslan is a lion. It goes like this: “Is he — quite safe?” Susan asks. “I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.” “That you will, dearie, and no mistake,” replies Mrs. Beaver, “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else silly.”…
The Glory of Christ
Fr. Barry’s sermon is available here: Glory of Christ
Hineni – I’m Ready My Lord
Luke 21:5-19 Lord give us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference. You want it Darker – Leonard Cohen This has been a difficult and emotional week. Many of the people who voted for Donald Trump as our next President did so for good reasons, perhaps because they wanted change, or because they are lifelong Republicans and couldn’t imagine voting for a Democrat.…
All Saints
Today we celebrate All Saints. The church I grew up in was All Saints so this was always a special day with lots of processions and incense. I think it’s still my favorite festival of the year, because unlike the major feasts which celebrate Christ, this one celebrates us. It’s our day. We often think of saints as people in icons and stained glass; people who did amazing things; in many cases people that today we would treat with therapy…
Zacchaeus meets Jesus
This is what I remember from Sunday School: Zacchaeus was a very little man and a very little man was he, He climbed up into the sycamore tree for the Savior he wanted to see, And when the Savior came that way he looked up into the tree, And said, “Zacchaeus, now you just come down for I’m coming to your house for tea.” This is such a great story of the little chief tax-collector’s encounter with Jesus and it has such…
Transformative Grace
Luke 18:9-14 In our Thursday discussion about the life and work of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, someone said something that I hear quite often around these parts. I agree with it and yet it also makes me uncomfortable. They said, “Being a Christian isn’t what you believe, it’s how you live.” “Being a Christian isn’t what you believe, it’s how you live.” Today’s parable helps me understand why it makes me uncomfortable. Most of the faults of the Pharisees came from over-striving…