The Old Testament reading in the Daily Office this week (7 Epiphany, Year A) is the Book of Ruth.1 An appropriate text as we head into Lent, Naomi and Ruth experience the vicissitudes of life, from grief and widowhood, migration and isolation, to friendship, loyalty, and love. If you are looking for more resources on the Book of Ruth you will find at the menu above my brief commentary on the Book of Ruth, essays […]
Anglican
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It happens to be assigned for Morning Prayer today, but is truly a psalm for Today. Psa. 123 A Song of Ascents.1 To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!2 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, until he has mercy upon […]
What does Jesus really mean when he says “whoever is not against us is for us”? This concept comes up in the Gospel reading for this past Sunday, Mark 9:38-40 (Proper 21, Yr. B), and in the parallel in Luke 9:49-50. (Matt. 12:30 and Luke 11:23 have a similar, yet different phrase in a different context, “he who is not with me is against me.” We will return to that.) In Mark and Luke the […]
Proper 18 (23) (September 9, 2018) First reading and Psalm Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 Psalm 125 Second reading James 2:1-10, (11-13), 14-17 Gospel Mark 7:24-37 7:27 He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” It is good to be back with […]
Proper 7 (12) (June 24, 2018) Alternate First reading and Psalm Job 38:1-11 Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32 Second reading 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 Gospel Mark 4:35-41 4:39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. … 41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the […]
The following was my Easter sermon delivered at St. B’s in 2017. Jeremiah 31:1-6 Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 Colossians 3:1-4 John 20:1-18 1Cor. 15:3 For I shared with you the most important truth that I had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. Over the last twenty years I have attended a […]
And it is our Epistle for today, 1 October 2017, Proper 21, Year A.The fuller quote for Phil. 2:1-13 is an excellent reminder that while we are to be “of the same mind” with one another, we are all called to “let the same mind be in [us] that was in Christ Jesus.” Originally posted: Wednesday, 13 September 2017 Morning Prayer Readings: Psalm 119:49-72; 1 Kings 17:1-24; Phil. 2:1-11; Matt. 2:1-12 Philippians 2 begins, 1 If then there is […]
Last week was the third season finale of the series Grantchester. Having watched an enjoyed all three seasons to date, I wanted to share my critique of the show. A few preliminary comments are relevant. First, I deeply enjoy this genre, the British period mystery. Now, I have been a fan of Dorothy L. Sayers and her mysteries almost since I could read and GK Chesterton’s Father Brown (the original stories, not the recent TV show) […]
In the human life a lot can happen in nine months. This past year I was the interim rector of St. Bartholomew’s in Nashville for exactly nine months and preached almost every Sunday. I have posted few of those sermons here, but I have compiled them all into one PDF for any who might be interested. You can still hear the audio versions on the St. B’s website. Download “Gestation.” May the words of my […]
In the southeast Episcopalians call Sewanee, TN the “holy mountain.” Home of the University of the South it is a beautiful mountain top with gorgeous views, woods, and trails. I was able to take the last three days on a retreat, mostly just a chance to recharge and prepare for a couple of retreats I will be leading in May. The highlight for me was being able to hike a few miles every day with […]