Sermons

Readings for the day

This morning we meet Martha and Mary – two sisters who turn up in various Gospel stories along with their brother Lazarus. Or do they… Luke tells us only about Mary and Martha, the brother is unknown to Luke. And Luke doesn’t mention the name of the town… Some scholars think it could be Bethany, home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in John’s Gospel, but others are certain that it cannot possibly be Bethany. So, we cannot be sure if these are the same Martha and Mary we meet in John’s Gospel.

Sermon for Proper 11CRead More »

Readings for this Sunday

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 PentecostRead More »

(Readings for the feast)

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 PaulRead More »

(readings for the feast)

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 AscensionRead More »

( Readings for Easter 5C)

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 EasterRead More »

(Readings for this Sunday)

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 EasterRead More »

Scripture Readings

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 »

Readings for today

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 EasterRead More »