November 2022

First Sunday of Advent

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(readings for today)

We should have noise makers and such – since this is New Year’s Day… We should be celebrating just as they will do in a few weeks at Times Square in New York, the Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh (where its Hogmanay, not New Year’s), or the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, which I gather is a major New Year’s hub. But that’s all in a few weeks. This week the Church celebrates the new Liturgical Year with the first Sunday of Advent. Hold the fireworks and noise makers for the other new year’s…  

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First Sunday of Advent Read More »

Thursday at Volmoed – Sermon for Thanksgiving Day

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Scripture Readings

For those who have somehow managed not to notice its approach, tomorrow is Black Friday. In South Africa, the day suddenly appeared out of nowhere, without context, a few years ago. At least, that’s the way it seemed to me, when I first became aware of it.

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Thursday at Volmoed – Sermon for Thanksgiving Day Read More »

Feast of Christ the King – Volmoed 

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(Readings for the day)

Happy feast of Christ the King – a relatively new feast in the Church. It dates back all the way to the to Pope Pius VI in 1925. It was created to make a sort of bookend for the Pentecost season – The Day of Pentecost at one end and Christ the King at the other. Because otherwise we might not notice that it was Advent next week…  

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Feast of Christ the King – Volmoed  Read More »

Sermon for the Twenty Third Sunday after Pentecost

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Scripture Readings

Perhaps it was the contrast that prompted Jesus to interrupt. He had just been considering the plight of a poor widow who had donated all she had to live on to the temple treasury and now here were some people speaking admiringly about the opulence of that Herodian temple itself. Jesus tells them it’s all going to come crashing down, and goes on to describe vividly what would happen before that.

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Sermon for the Twenty Third Sunday after Pentecost Read More »

October 2022 News

News from the Priory / /

The Brothers at Volmoed were accompanied by John de Gruchy on a day pilgrimage to nearby Genadendal, the site of the first mission station in South Africa (established by Moravians who were also a significant part of the early history of Volmoed and of the valley we are situated in). We were warmly welcomed and shown great hospitality. The site has been substantially restored in recent years. The driving force behind the restoration is Dr Isaac Balie, the first curator of the comprehensive museum, who graciously guided us on an extensive tour, sharing his encyclopaedic knowledge of the remarkable history of the place, including extraordinary verbatim quotations. We were even treated to some lovely organ music, beautifully played by the local organist of over 50 years on the fine instrument they have in the attractive church building there.

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October 2022 NewsRead More »

October 2022 News Read More »

Sermon for Nov 6 – A Special Occasion…

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(readings for Lent 1A) (It is not lent… but this sermon is for a particular occasion – so be patient…)

Some of us have spent the past few days here at Volmoed thinking about acedia, the “noonday demon,” or what is sometimes referred to as “the sin of sloth.” This morning we’ll continue that exploration a bit. So, I wanted to start today with the readings that normally bring us into Lent – the temptation of Christ in the desert. It may not be apparent yet, but I think there is a connection… 

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Sermon for Nov 6 – A Special Occasion… Read More »

Sermon for Proper 26C – Volmoed 2022

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Readings for the day

I find the reading from Isaiah irresistible right from the very start with its reference to Sodom and Gomorrah. Our collective understanding of the sin of Sodom is an interesting thing. A great many people over the years have assumed it was a sexual sin. More recently others have begun to understand it as a violation of hospitality. Three things are sure: Sodom was a really bad place – filled with really bad people. And things ended really badly for those nasty folks. 

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Sermon for Proper 26C – Volmoed 2022Read More »

Sermon for Proper 26C – Volmoed 2022 Read More »

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