Interrupting the Silence

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  • Blessings, Woes, And A Level Place – A Sermon On Luke 6:17-26

    One of the things I struggle with is my sense of privilege, power, and position. I don’t miss a meal unless I choose to. I can pay my bills on time and still have a little money left over at the end of the month. Every now and then someone will get upset with or…

  • It’s Not About The Fish – A Sermon On Luke 5:1-11

    For as long as I can remember, whenever I’ve come to today’s gospel (Luke 5:1-11) my focus has always been on the great catch of fish – two boatloads of fish. That’s a lot of fish – so many fish the nets were beginning to break, so many fish the boats began to sink.  Simon…

  • Keeping Our Appointment With Life – A Sermon On Luke 2:22-40

    “Shut up. Suit up. Show up.” Those six words are the daily mantra of a psychologist named James Hollis. He says them to himself as he rides the elevator down to his car each morning. (Hollis, Living Between Worlds, 132) With the first he’s telling himself “to stop whining and complaining” (Ibid.). It’s his recognition…

  • It’s A Question Of Consistency – A Sermon On Luke 4:14-21

    One of the things I’ve always tried to be with you is consistent. I want who you get on Sunday to be who you get on Monday, Tuesday, the day after, and the one after that. I want what you see in and hear from me to be consistent with the gospel week after week.…

  • What’s Your Water To Wine Story? – A Sermon On John 2:1-11

    So what do you make of today’s gospel (John 2:1-11)?  Did Jesus really turn water into wine? If so, how did he do that? And what do we have to do to get a refill? I think those are the kind of questions we often bring to stories like this. But I wonder if they…

  • Becoming All Flame – A Sermon On Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

    Today is the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus. But I’m more interested in your baptism. If you don’t remember it, that’s okay. You can still tell a story about your baptism. And if you haven’t yet been baptized in the Church, that’s okay too. You can still tell a story about your baptism. I’m…

  • All They Could Do Was Follow The Star – An Epiphany Sermon On Matthew 2:1-12

    I’m going to begin by telling you about some epiphanies I’ve had. I offer them not so much to tell you about myself but as an invitation for you to connect to the epiphanies in your life. They may be a little different from what you are used to when you think of an epiphany.…

  • Spoiler Alert: Christmas Happens In The Real World – A Sermon On Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23

    I think today’s gospel (Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23) should have come with a spoiler alert. So here it is. Are you ready?  Spoiler Alert: Christmas happens in the real world; not in the candlelight of a silent night, and not away in a manger.  Here’s why I say that: Today’s gospel spoils whatever sentimental or romantic…

  • God’s First Sacrament – A Christmas Sermon On John 1:1-18

    “And the Word became flesh and lived among us.” That’s the Christmas story St. John tells in today’s gospel (John 1:1-18) and it’s very different from the one we heard from St. Luke on Christmas Eve (Luke 2:1-20). One is not better than the other. They’re just different and we need both.  Luke tells us…