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Repentance, Responsibility, and San Bernardino – An Advent Sermon on Luke 3:1-6
Repent. Prepare the way of the Lord. Make his paths straight. Valleys shall be filled. Mountains and hills shall be made low. The crooked shall be made straight. The rough ways shall be made smooth. By themselves those words have no meaning. They need context. That’s true for any word. We might be able to…
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There Will Be Signs – An Advent Sermon on Luke 21:25-36
“There will be signs,” Jesus said (from the gospel for the First Sunday of Advent, Luke 21:25-36). When I was a child one of the signs I always looked forward to was my Advent calendar. Every year about this time my sister and I were given a new Advent calendar. It was usually a beautiful…
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The Truth Does Not Belong to Us – A Sermon on John 18:33-37
“Are you the King of the Jews?” (From John 18:33-37, the gospel for Christ the King Sunday) It’s a simple question and Pilate wants a simple answer, a simple truth. Yes or no. You either are or you aren’t. Which is it? That’s the kind of question I always tried to ask when I was…
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Praying for Beirut and Paris
Dear People of God, our world has again been shaken by violence, gunfire, and explosions. Hear then the words of the psalmist who said, “For God alone my soul in silence waits; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold, so that I shall not be greatly shaken.”…
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Taking the Next First Step – An All Saints Sermon on John 11:32-44
After three and a half months on sabbatical I can say, without reservation, I like the sabbatical life. But I also want you to know that each day of the last three and a half months I’ve carried a pendant of St. Philip in my pocket and I’ve carried you in my heart and love.…
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Here is the Man – A Good Friday Sermon on John 18:1-19:42
“Here is the man.” (From the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John 18:1-19:42) Pilate has spoken a truth beyond the words we hear and beyond the man we see. Who is this man? Who do you see? To whom is Pilate referring? Yes, it is Jesus of Nazareth. He’s wearing a…
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Looking Around and Leaving Nothing Behind – A Palm Sunday Sermon on Mark 11:1-11
Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ (From the Palm Sunday gospel, Mark 11:1-11) Every time I read, hear, or say those words I…
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The Promise of Interruption – A Sermon on the Annunciation, Luke 1:26-38
We call today (March 25) the Feast of the Annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) but I wonder if it might be more accurate to call it the Feast of Interruption. Here’s what I mean by that. We don’t know what Mary was doing when the Angel Gabriel showed up. Holy scripture doesn’t tell us. I’m willing to…
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Lent with the Desert Fathers: Fasting From Words
A Word from the Desert Abba Macarius the Great said to the brothers at Scetis, when he dismissed the assembly, ‘Flee, my brothers.’ One of the old men asked him, ‘Where could we flee to beyond the desert?’ He put his finger on his lips and said, ‘Flee that,’ and he went into his cell,…
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Interrupting the Silence 