A sermon preached by Br Luc, OHC
We meet again this morning to celebrate the Resurrection and to be fed by our loving Lord through Word and Sacrament. With suffering and injustice sorrounding us, at times on an overwhelming scale, it is easy to feel helpless and powerless.
…Fourth Sunday after Pentecost Read More »
Yesterday the Church observed the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. These are two interesting figures in Church history because they are so flawed… Peter, faithful disciple, denies he knows Jesus… not once, but three times. And Paul, also known as Saul, was one of the most enthusiastic persecutors of the Church – throwing folks in jail and worse, for being followers of Jesus.
These two are among the most flawed and destructive folks in the early Church. So, it makes sense that they share a feast day… but why are they honored at all, let alone with a major feast?
…Feast of saints Peter and Paul Read More »
For freedom Christ has set us free. What a remarkable thing for the apostle Paul to say. I wonder what he meant by it.
Monastic formation is a formation into freedom. What do we mean when we say that?
Keep these questions in mind as we continue …
…Sermon for the Third Sunday after Pentecost Read More »
I want to begin by acknowledging that this week is the sixtieth anniversary of the consecration of the “new” Coventry Cathedral. The “old” cathedral was destroyed by Nazi bombs in the Second World War. Nails reclaimed from the ashes have been formed into crosses – one of which hangs on the wall of this very church. It is a profound story of death and resurrection and of the power of the Holy Spirit to help us rise from the ashes. And so, it is extraordinarily relevant to this Ascencion Day – which completes the story of Jesus’ Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension, and the sending of the Holy Spirit to us. Hold that in mind as we consider this feast…
Feast of the Ascension Read More »
For much of Eastertide we hear stories of things that happened in the time between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension – which really makes sense as we are between those two events… But the Gospel for today relates more to Holy Week, rather than in the events after Easter. It is the scripture that gives us the name Maundy Thursday... So why are we hearing it now?
…Fifth Sunday after Easter Read More »
What to make of this reading from John’s Gospel… Jesus is wandering about the Temple in Jerusalem and seems to be causing a bit of a stir. “Tell us plainly if you are Messiah” the Jews want to know. And Jesus gives a not terribly helpful answer: “I have told you.”
There are a number of details that almost escape notice – but let’s take a few moments to notice them.
…Sermon for the 4th Sunday after Easter Read More »
I am intrigued by the resonances I find between two of the readings our Sunday lectionary invites us to consider this morning. Both the passage from Acts and that from the Gospel of John tell us stories of significant encounters with Jesus by men who would later have an important role in establishing the early Church.
In Acts, Saul who would become the apostle Paul is initially set on persecuting followers of Jesus, and goes to considerable lengths in his determination to do so. In John’s Gospel, the apostle Peter is floundering about, seemingly at a loss as to what to do after his denial of Jesus before the crucifixion. Both Saul and Peter are with others when Jesus meets them, but Jesus seems to be confronting each of them individually, as if those with them fade into the background for the moment.
Both encounters have extraordinary aspects, a light from heaven in one, a strange catch of fish in the other. I’m not sure what to make of these aspects, but I suspect they might somehow find echoes in our own lives of extraordinary experiences we perhaps have had of God, experiences that are difficult for us to put into words without seeming to diminish their significance for ourselves, a significance that is no less real for being usually less dramatic.
…Thursday at Volmoed – Sermon for the Third Sunday of EasterRead More »
Thursday at Volmoed – Sermon for the Third Sunday of Easter Read More »
I’m not sure Thomas gets a particularly fair deal in history. For two millennia he has been, more or less, the poster child for doubt: Doubting Thomas – an archetype that has entered the mainstream psyche. All generations will call Mary blessed… and apparently all generations will call Thomas doubting… I’m thinking Thomas needs a better public relations plan…
…Second Sunday after Easter Read More »
At first reading this passage from John’s Gospel seems innocuous enough… Mary, Martha, and Lazarus all having a nice meal with Jesus in the week leading up to Passover. It has a sort of warm holiday feel to it, like when families get together before Christmas… But it is not a happy holiday tableau. Jesus is now under a death sentence and that sentence is about to be implemented.
…Sermon for the 5th Sunday in Lent Read More »
In the way that the Church keeps track of time, this is the second Sunday of Lent – Year C. And from today’s Gospel passage, it’s tempting to suspect that the very best material made it into Year A, while the pretty good stuff was placed in Year B, and here we are with the grade C material… At first glance this is not the most engaging section of Luke, nor does it seem to offer much for Lent. But what if we give a second glance…
…Second Sunday in Lent – Year C Read More »
