Sermons

“The child's father and mother marveled at what was said of him” (Luke 2:33). Today, our message is about wonder. Christ is born. The shepherds, magi, and heavenly host all gather around and wonder. You can only imagine what they felt. The shepherds had spent their lives in the fields. They lived a hard life, but a slow life. They’d each spent hours to themselves with nothing to distract them but the clouds in the sky, the bleating of sheep, and the rustling of the trees. You

At the peak of winter, in the dead of night, in cold, darkness, poverty, rejection, and vulnerability, God was born in a manger. What do we make of the manger? We could spend our whole life pondering it, and it would be a life worthwhile. Of all the places for God to be born…a manger? The world had so much to boast of. The Romans had carved out an empire. They had gold, silk, and luxuries beyond imagining. Yet, God was born in a manger Of all the glories of that time, what do

“In the center and around the throne were four living beings…Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty…’ Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne…the elders fall down and worship...and they lay their crowns before the throne and say, ‘You are worthy, O Lord our God’” (Rev. 4:6-11). What can we say, just two days before Christmas? We’ve all been waiting, preparing,

It is common in parish life to be weighed down or scandalized by the sins of others. At times, our eyes our opened to the struggles of our brethren and that realization can be overwhelming. So what can we do? In our transient society, where one can uproot as easily as blinking an eye, the temptation is to run. However, there is no response so destructive as this. In the parish, we are in the fold, together with all of our Lord’s sheep. The sheep bicker and stumble, but how mu

I. A chance for adventure and fame! April 24, 1848, Sir John Franklin and his crew boarded their ships and sailed off to the artic. They were cheered on with shouting and waving, utterly confident that they would be the first men to navigate the Northwest Passage. But how did they prepare? Each ship carried a 12-day supply of coal for a likely 2 to 3 year voyage. A minor overlook. Instead of extra coal, the ships made room for fine china, wine goblets, sterling silver, a 1,20

I. “Rejoice…shout in triumph…your king is coming” (Zechariah 9:9) and “there will be…distress of nations, with perplexity…men’s hearts failing for fear” (Luke 21:25). Of all teachings, the Coming of Christ can be one of the most confusing. On the one hand, the scriptures tell us to rejoice. Jesus is the incarnation of joy, goodness and peace, after all. We should wait for Him like a bride on her wedding day. On the other hand, the scriptures warn us, God’s coming is dreadful.