With You I Am Well Pleased – A Sermon On Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
The question is never, “Do I get a yes? Am I the son or daughter of God, the Beloved, with whom God is well pleased?” That’s a given, the gift of God. It’s the insistence of God in each of our lives....
View ArticleWater Does Not Turn Into Wine – A Sermon On John 2:1-11
I don’t know if Jesus literally and physically turned water into wine. But then I don’t think that’s the point of today’s gospel. I don’t think this gospel is ultimately about turning water into wine....
View ArticleWhere And With Whom Will You Stand? – A Sermon On Luke 4:14-21
How far will I go for this gospel I claim to love and follow? What am I willing to do and what am I not? I struggle and wrestle with these questions every day. Because here’s what I see in the world...
View ArticleThe One Thing We All Have In Common – A Sermon On Luke 4:21-30
The people in the synagogue were looking forward to some hometown privilege. They see themselves as special and they are ticked off when they realize that Jesus won’t play to their presumed privilege...
View ArticleDesire Beyond Desire – A Sermon On Luke 5:1-11
On the surface it would be easy to hear today’s story (Luke 5:1-11) as one in which Jesus fulfills the desires of Peter and the others; the desire to catch fish, the desire to be successful, the desire...
View ArticleThe Beautiful Risk – A Wedding Sermon
Those are not demands we make on each other. They are gifts we offer each other. And with a true gift there is no holding back. It’s all or nothing. If there is a measure of your marriage, it is love,...
View ArticleLife Before Death – An Ash Wednesday Sermon
Maybe Lent and the gospel of Jesus are not primarily about being good, a program for changing from a bad person to a good person, so we can get a future reward. I’ve got nothing against being a good...
View ArticleLife Is Promise And Risk – A Sermon On Luke 4:1-13
The promise and risk of life come to us asking for a response. Jesus had decisions to make. And so do we. We make decisions everyday of our life; decisions and choices about what to do, who we want to...
View ArticleOpening To Life – A Sermon On Luke 13:31-35
The Second Sunday in Lent – Luke 13:31-35 When was the last time you went to bed thankful and amazed by what the day had given you, something you had not planned or foreseen? Maybe it was a...
View ArticleThe Burning Bush: What If? – A Sermon On Exodus 3:1-15
The burning bush story is one of call and response. Something is being called for in the name of God. And I can’t help but believe that call and response is also the story of our lives. Something is...
View ArticleWithout A Why – A Sermon On John 12:1-8
"The rose has no why; it blossoms because it blossoms. It pays no attention to itself, nor does it ask whether anyone sees it." What if we were to live like the rose, without a why? What if we...
View ArticleWhat Really Matters? – A Sermon On John 12:1-11 For Monday In Holy Week
Monday in Holy Week – John 12:1-11 Adaptation of original photograph by José Carlos Casimiro from Maia, Portugal – Contemplando o Douro | Contemplating the Douro river, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons...
View ArticleA Weak and Troubled Soul – A Sermon On John 12:20-36 For Tuesday In Holy Week
When has your soul has been troubled? What troubles your soul today? What’s it like for you to recognize and feel your own weakness? Are you scared, embarrassed, ashamed? Do you feel inadequate,...
View ArticleJudas, More Than A Betrayer? – A Sermon On John 13:21-32 For Wednesday In...
Wednesday in Holy Week – John 13:21-32 What comes to mind when you hear the name Judas? For most of us, I suspect, the first thing we think of is betrayal. Judas is the one who betrayed Jesus. Judas...
View ArticleThis Is Our Night – A Sermon On John 13:1-17, 31-35 For Maundy Thursday
Maundy Thursday – John 13:1-17, 31-35 “You will never wash my feet,” Peter says to Jesus. What’s that about? What’s going on with Peter? I don’t know but I have a guess. I think it’s about more than...
View ArticleAligning Our Lives – A Sermon On John 18:1-19:42 For Good Friday
We tend to let the cross and Jesus’ death overshadow not only this day, but the entirety of our faith, as if it is the thing and the only thing. But what if it’s just one more thing, one among many? I...
View ArticleSitting In Opposition – A Sermon On Matthew 27:57-66 For Holy Saturday
Holy Saturday – Matthew 27:57-66 I am always struck by the contrast between this day, Holy Saturday, and the rest of Holy Week. The crowds, shouting, and turmoil of Good Friday have given way to...
View ArticleA Promise, A Hope, And A Call – A Sermon On Luke 24:1-12 For Easter Sunday
This is your resurrection. This is your Easter. This is your feast day. And that is true for every one of us here. Regardless of who you are, what you’ve done or not done, what has or has not happened...
View ArticleSermons For Holy Week and Easter Sunday (2019)
A collection of sermons preached at St. Philip's Episcopal Church, Uvalde, Texas, for Holy Week and Easter Sunday 2019.
View ArticleGiving Existence To More Life – A Sermon On John 21:1-19
Jesus’ resurrection is a call insisting you and I give existence to more life, whether for ourselves or another. We are the ones to continue the story of resurrection. We are the ones to give concrete...
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