Sermons from November 2020
Hope in the Darkness
Welcome to Advent – today is the first Sunday of the church’s year. And welcome to the first paradox of the year. Today’s key word as we lit our Advent wreath was “Hope” yet the hope in these readings seems hidden in a description of human difficulty. I have mentioned before that my brother, an Anglican priest, faithfully sent out a Christmas letter each year in which he talked about normal things like the achievements of his children, but always…
Feed them with Justice
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 Matthew 25:31-46 We are all familiar with this gospel story of the end time when the sheep and the goats will be separated, but less familiar I think with the Old Testament reading. You will remember that Ezekiel was a contemporary of Jeremiah’s who prophesied the fall of Jerusalem, and then was exiled into Babylon when it happened. Ezekiel was unusual in that he was given to visions, in addition to hearing the word of the Lord…
80lbs of silver
Matthew 25:14-30 As the church year comes to an end, our readings have taken a turn towards the end of time with warnings to be on our guard, to be ready, to be prepared. This morning’s parable is one of these stories, warning us of what will happen if we get it wrong. I expect that you have heard this story of the talents before – it’s a favorite of Sunday School teachers because it seems to have such a…
Rolling with Change
“Rolling With Change” –Mike Eggleston at St Benedict’s Episcopal Church with Amos 5.18-24, Wisdom of Solomon 6.12-16, I Thessalonians 4.13-18, Matthew 25.1-13 I chose to write this sermon last Monday, the day before election day. I did that because it was possible that I might have no coherent words to say after the election. Like Job’s friends, it was possible that we could all be sitting seven days in the dust grieving in silence. The other reason I wrote before…
Saints, Heretics and Misfits
Revelation 7:9-17 1 John 3:1-3 Matthew 5:1-12 Good morning saints of God! Today, All Saints Day, is the day that we remember those who have gone before us in the reign if God – those who have formed us and made us who we are – those who have taught us and those who have shown us how to follow Jesus. And the astonishing thing is that, in the mystical communion of saints, although they are physically gone from us…