Earlier Sermons
Becoming Peacemakers
September 21, 2025
Perhaps all it takes to shift from “Is there no balm in Gilead” to proclaiming that there is a balm is recognizing that we have a part to play in healing the world. That we have a part to play in bringing about peace. Not because God is absent and disinterested, but because God is alive and working in and through us.
September 21, 2025
Perhaps all it takes to shift from “Is there no balm in Gilead” to proclaiming that there is a balm is recognizing that we have a part to play in healing the world. That we have a part to play in bringing about peace. Not because God is absent and disinterested, but because God is alive and working in and through us.
Getting Lost
September 14, 2025
Sometimes getting lost isn’t our fault. And sometimes - perhaps most of the time - we can’t get ourselves unlost. At least not alone. That’s where God steps in. We worship a God whose love is so all-encompassing that God goes looking for us, even if - perhaps especially when - we don’t move a muscle.
September 14, 2025
Sometimes getting lost isn’t our fault. And sometimes - perhaps most of the time - we can’t get ourselves unlost. At least not alone. That’s where God steps in. We worship a God whose love is so all-encompassing that God goes looking for us, even if - perhaps especially when - we don’t move a muscle.
Letting God Shape Us
September 7, 2025
How many of you have started work or school in the last two weeks? What did you do to get ready for this new year? Probably a lot of planning and preparation. Do you think everything will go exactly as you planned this year?
September 7, 2025
How many of you have started work or school in the last two weeks? What did you do to get ready for this new year? Probably a lot of planning and preparation. Do you think everything will go exactly as you planned this year?
Lament
August 31, 2025
Like Jeremiah, we know it doesn’t have to be this way. That we do not need to live in a nation where the news of a school or house of worship shooting is so commonplace that it disappears from front page news in two days, without any hint of actionable response. So this morning, let us lean into lament a bit. Because as the old adage goes, we can only heal what we allow ourselves to feel.
August 31, 2025
Like Jeremiah, we know it doesn’t have to be this way. That we do not need to live in a nation where the news of a school or house of worship shooting is so commonplace that it disappears from front page news in two days, without any hint of actionable response. So this morning, let us lean into lament a bit. Because as the old adage goes, we can only heal what we allow ourselves to feel.
Healing
August 24, 2025
Healing is not just the absence of the “identified problem;” it is a restoration of those things we long for but have been lost, or were previously unattainable. Jesus doesn’t just cure, he heals.
August 24, 2025
Healing is not just the absence of the “identified problem;” it is a restoration of those things we long for but have been lost, or were previously unattainable. Jesus doesn’t just cure, he heals.
Baptism & Choosing Life
August 17, 2025
Baptisms are a celebration, but the earliest baptismal liturgies looked and sounded very similar to a funeral service. That is because they represented death to the ways of the world and rebirth into a life guided by Christ.
The words and symbols we use speak to this tenuous connection between life and death.
August 17, 2025
Baptisms are a celebration, but the earliest baptismal liturgies looked and sounded very similar to a funeral service. That is because they represented death to the ways of the world and rebirth into a life guided by Christ.
The words and symbols we use speak to this tenuous connection between life and death.
Imperfect Faith
August 10, 2025
Who is someone whose faith has shaped your own - someone whose walk with God made you want to walk closer too? In a word or short phrase, what about them inspires you? I wonder, what do you feel as you consider these role models in your faith?
August 10, 2025
Who is someone whose faith has shaped your own - someone whose walk with God made you want to walk closer too? In a word or short phrase, what about them inspires you? I wonder, what do you feel as you consider these role models in your faith?
Making the Switch from Me to We
August 3, 2025
We started thinking about creating our own Little Pantry. A place where people can take what they need, and give what they have. A place where people can come any time because it’s outside. A place where people can get some help without feeling embarrassed. So, Russ Gallo made and installed one last Saturday and it is beautiful. But the sign was delayed, so we didn’t advertise it; we didn’t really tell many people it was there. And you know what happened? By Wednesday - 4 days later - the little pantry was stuffed. And by Thursday we had a bin full of extras. People from the church and families from the camps just started bringing food. And I teared up when I saw it. Because when Russ asked what size pantry he should build I said small. Because this was something new for St John’s; I wasn’t sure how people would respond and if we would get enough donations to fill a large one. Boy did God laugh at that.
August 3, 2025
We started thinking about creating our own Little Pantry. A place where people can take what they need, and give what they have. A place where people can come any time because it’s outside. A place where people can get some help without feeling embarrassed. So, Russ Gallo made and installed one last Saturday and it is beautiful. But the sign was delayed, so we didn’t advertise it; we didn’t really tell many people it was there. And you know what happened? By Wednesday - 4 days later - the little pantry was stuffed. And by Thursday we had a bin full of extras. People from the church and families from the camps just started bringing food. And I teared up when I saw it. Because when Russ asked what size pantry he should build I said small. Because this was something new for St John’s; I wasn’t sure how people would respond and if we would get enough donations to fill a large one. Boy did God laugh at that.
Hosea & God's Unceasing Love
July 27, 2025
It’s not very often that we hear the word “whore” in church. The first time I preached this text I wondered if the reader would shy away from it. But no, he spoke with bravado, sounding out “whoredom” in a loud, low voice, each time. Needless to say, there were some nervous giggles. As both a priest and a therapist I’ve learned it can be helpful to talk about the things we tend to skirt around in polite society, so let’s talk about the book of Hosea, shall we?
July 27, 2025
It’s not very often that we hear the word “whore” in church. The first time I preached this text I wondered if the reader would shy away from it. But no, he spoke with bravado, sounding out “whoredom” in a loud, low voice, each time. Needless to say, there were some nervous giggles. As both a priest and a therapist I’ve learned it can be helpful to talk about the things we tend to skirt around in polite society, so let’s talk about the book of Hosea, shall we?
Ultimate Concerns
July 20, 2025
Don’t judge a book by its cover, or as Amos would say, don’t judge a society by its fruits. Once again, this week we have an obscure vision from the prophet Amos, using imagery and the Hebrew language to paint a very critical image of the ways God’s people have strayed from God’s commandments. In today’s vision, Amos sees a basket of summer fruit. Usually the indicator of a plentiful and successful harvest. A sign of promise, wealth, and hard work. A sign of doing the right things at the right times. What we don’t see in the English is the wordplay. Because where Amos sees fruit, God sees “the end” for the people of God. Fruit and end, two words in Hebrew that look and sound similar. But what looks like prosperity, health, and promise to the people of God looks like death and despair to God.
July 20, 2025
Don’t judge a book by its cover, or as Amos would say, don’t judge a society by its fruits. Once again, this week we have an obscure vision from the prophet Amos, using imagery and the Hebrew language to paint a very critical image of the ways God’s people have strayed from God’s commandments. In today’s vision, Amos sees a basket of summer fruit. Usually the indicator of a plentiful and successful harvest. A sign of promise, wealth, and hard work. A sign of doing the right things at the right times. What we don’t see in the English is the wordplay. Because where Amos sees fruit, God sees “the end” for the people of God. Fruit and end, two words in Hebrew that look and sound similar. But what looks like prosperity, health, and promise to the people of God looks like death and despair to God.
Sabbath as Resistance
July 13, 2025
On the seventh day God rested all from that creating and declared that day holy. God had worked for six long and hard days… but people? We had only just been created the day before. And yet, God commands humankind to rest, to honor the sabbath day and keep it holy. We don't have to earn rest, because we were made for it. When we keep the sabbath day holy, when we step off the hamster wheel of productivity and set aside time to rest in God’s goodness we are doing exactly what we were made to do. We are embracing the part of us that is made in God’s image. We are accepting the inheritance of the kingdom of God. As activist Tricia Hersey claims in her book of the same title, Rest is Resistance. Rest, true sabbath rest, stakes a bold claim that we are worthy simply because we are created in God’s image. That we belong to God before we ever belong to the capitalist empire.
July 13, 2025
On the seventh day God rested all from that creating and declared that day holy. God had worked for six long and hard days… but people? We had only just been created the day before. And yet, God commands humankind to rest, to honor the sabbath day and keep it holy. We don't have to earn rest, because we were made for it. When we keep the sabbath day holy, when we step off the hamster wheel of productivity and set aside time to rest in God’s goodness we are doing exactly what we were made to do. We are embracing the part of us that is made in God’s image. We are accepting the inheritance of the kingdom of God. As activist Tricia Hersey claims in her book of the same title, Rest is Resistance. Rest, true sabbath rest, stakes a bold claim that we are worthy simply because we are created in God’s image. That we belong to God before we ever belong to the capitalist empire.
May The Piece of God Be With You, a sermon by Maren Sugarman
July 6, 2025
Every week we say to each other, "May the peace of God be with you." But when I hear and say that phrase, I have for many decades now equated the word Peace with Piece. And here in Luke we hear of Jesus sending out 70 followers, 35 pairs of people, sending them out as lambs amidst the wolves. And what does this gospel sound like if we supplant Peace with Piece? If anyone is there who shared in Peace, your Peace will rest on that person. But if not, it will return to you. This gives me an image of people passing out pieces of God. The way we consume the host when we celebrate Communion--these are pieces of God. The piece of God that is within us.
July 6, 2025
Every week we say to each other, "May the peace of God be with you." But when I hear and say that phrase, I have for many decades now equated the word Peace with Piece. And here in Luke we hear of Jesus sending out 70 followers, 35 pairs of people, sending them out as lambs amidst the wolves. And what does this gospel sound like if we supplant Peace with Piece? If anyone is there who shared in Peace, your Peace will rest on that person. But if not, it will return to you. This gives me an image of people passing out pieces of God. The way we consume the host when we celebrate Communion--these are pieces of God. The piece of God that is within us.
Rule of Life
June 29,2025
This concept of a “Rule of Life” comes from the Latin word “regula,” which literally refers to a straight piece of wood. But many scholars also believe it was the word used to describe a trellis. That wooden structure - made from those straight pieces of wood - built to help vines to grow and flourish. The trellis provides the support that lifts the vine off the ground and allows it to grow longer than they would otherwise. It guides the vine to grow in a desired direction and provides the support needed to bear more fruit than it would be able to hold on its own. And finally, the trellis protects the vine and its fruit from predators. In the gospel of John, Jesus says “I am the vine, you are the branches, those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit.” In order to bear much fruit - in order to produce those fruits of the Spirit that we heard about this morning - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control - followers of Christ need a trellis. We need support, guidance, and protection. The “Rule of Life” seeks to do just that. To identify practices and relational rhythms that align our time and habits to our deepest desire: to abide in Jesus.
June 29,2025
This concept of a “Rule of Life” comes from the Latin word “regula,” which literally refers to a straight piece of wood. But many scholars also believe it was the word used to describe a trellis. That wooden structure - made from those straight pieces of wood - built to help vines to grow and flourish. The trellis provides the support that lifts the vine off the ground and allows it to grow longer than they would otherwise. It guides the vine to grow in a desired direction and provides the support needed to bear more fruit than it would be able to hold on its own. And finally, the trellis protects the vine and its fruit from predators. In the gospel of John, Jesus says “I am the vine, you are the branches, those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit.” In order to bear much fruit - in order to produce those fruits of the Spirit that we heard about this morning - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control - followers of Christ need a trellis. We need support, guidance, and protection. The “Rule of Life” seeks to do just that. To identify practices and relational rhythms that align our time and habits to our deepest desire: to abide in Jesus.
The Second Sunday after Pentecost, a sermon by the Rev. Abigail King
June 22, 2025
June 22, 2025
Making God Visible at Pride
June 15, 2025
It is a humbling honor to bear witness to a God who affirms the LGBQ+ community. We spoke to therapists who seek to create safe spaces for those who have been hurt by their faith communities, parents striving to make sure their kids know just how loved they are, young adults struggling to find affirming places to worship. And towards the end of the day, one of the drag queens who had been performing a few tents down stopped by our table and said “I want you all to know this is probably my favorite table at this whole event.” I said “you’re kidding,” because I honestly thought she was . . . .
June 15, 2025
It is a humbling honor to bear witness to a God who affirms the LGBQ+ community. We spoke to therapists who seek to create safe spaces for those who have been hurt by their faith communities, parents striving to make sure their kids know just how loved they are, young adults struggling to find affirming places to worship. And towards the end of the day, one of the drag queens who had been performing a few tents down stopped by our table and said “I want you all to know this is probably my favorite table at this whole event.” I said “you’re kidding,” because I honestly thought she was . . . .
Pentecost, a sermon by the Rev. Abigail King
June 8, 2025
June 8, 2025
The Most Powerful Thing God Can Do Is Change a Heart
June 1, 2025
When God changes someone’s heart, when that person says yes to following Jesus, it is a powerful thing. Because it can change not just that one person, but everyone they meet. I don’t know if any of us would be here today if God hadn’t changed Paul’s heart to spread the good news of a loving God not only to the jailer in Philippi, but to churches around the Mediterranean. When God changes a heart it’s like the giggles. Have you ever caught the giggles? What happens? They’re hard to get rid of! And they start to spread, until soon enough the whole room is giggling, whether they know why or not. That’s how God’s love spreads - it starts with one person, and if we let it, spreads and spreads and spreads.
June 1, 2025
When God changes someone’s heart, when that person says yes to following Jesus, it is a powerful thing. Because it can change not just that one person, but everyone they meet. I don’t know if any of us would be here today if God hadn’t changed Paul’s heart to spread the good news of a loving God not only to the jailer in Philippi, but to churches around the Mediterranean. When God changes a heart it’s like the giggles. Have you ever caught the giggles? What happens? They’re hard to get rid of! And they start to spread, until soon enough the whole room is giggling, whether they know why or not. That’s how God’s love spreads - it starts with one person, and if we let it, spreads and spreads and spreads.
A Different Type of Healing
May 25, 2025
When Jesus heals, he heals not only the body but the mind. He opens people up to possibilities they were unable to see before. He helps us to move our gaze from the kingdom in front of us - full of corruption, competition, and pain - to the kingdom of heaven, where all things are possible and God’s grace is freely given.
May 25, 2025
When Jesus heals, he heals not only the body but the mind. He opens people up to possibilities they were unable to see before. He helps us to move our gaze from the kingdom in front of us - full of corruption, competition, and pain - to the kingdom of heaven, where all things are possible and God’s grace is freely given.
The Power of Love
May 18, 2025
Religion and science agree that love is the way forward. But the power of love is a lesson we have to keep learning. After all, if 25 clergy singing and praying together outside of Delaney Hall can shut down business as usual for six and a half hours and instill enough fear to bring armored cars and barricades the next day, love and faith must be pretty powerful. The lines that mark who belongs in our country keep moving, becoming ever more privileged and exclusive. As Christians we are called to remember that we belong not to any particular nation or political party, but to God and one another. And as Americans, we would do well to remember our history.
May 18, 2025
Religion and science agree that love is the way forward. But the power of love is a lesson we have to keep learning. After all, if 25 clergy singing and praying together outside of Delaney Hall can shut down business as usual for six and a half hours and instill enough fear to bring armored cars and barricades the next day, love and faith must be pretty powerful. The lines that mark who belongs in our country keep moving, becoming ever more privileged and exclusive. As Christians we are called to remember that we belong not to any particular nation or political party, but to God and one another. And as Americans, we would do well to remember our history.
My Sheep Know My Voice
May 11, 2025
“My sheep hear my voice.” This week I’ve been meditating on how it is that we, Christians living 2000 years after Jesus, can not only hear Jesus’ voice, but recognize it. It is no small task. Especially in an age when anyone with a smart device can use an AI voice generator to make it sound like their favorite celebrity is “saying”…well, whatever they want.
Technology aside, there are so many voices vying for our attention. The voices that we hear often enough - the voices that we give power and influence to - get inside and start to sound like just “thoughts.”
May 11, 2025
“My sheep hear my voice.” This week I’ve been meditating on how it is that we, Christians living 2000 years after Jesus, can not only hear Jesus’ voice, but recognize it. It is no small task. Especially in an age when anyone with a smart device can use an AI voice generator to make it sound like their favorite celebrity is “saying”…well, whatever they want.
Technology aside, there are so many voices vying for our attention. The voices that we hear often enough - the voices that we give power and influence to - get inside and start to sound like just “thoughts.”
Easter as a Season of Feasting
May 4, 2025
You can tell a lot about a space by the way it is designed. So, what piece of furniture seems to be the most important in our church? In some churches the place where people speak - the podium or pulpit - is front and center. But in our church, the altar or the table is front and center. That is because the most important thing we do in worship is share the feast of the Holy Eucharist.
May 4, 2025
You can tell a lot about a space by the way it is designed. So, what piece of furniture seems to be the most important in our church? In some churches the place where people speak - the podium or pulpit - is front and center. But in our church, the altar or the table is front and center. That is because the most important thing we do in worship is share the feast of the Holy Eucharist.
Borrowed Faith
April 27, 2025
Who among us could believe if the disciples had not first seen and touched the risen Christ? These stories of people seeing, touching, interacting with Jesus have been written down in scripture so that we may come to believe. Our faith depends on the faith of those who came before us. To some extent, we all live on faith borrowed from the disciples, the apostles, from family, friends, and mentors that have shown us the way of faith by example.
April 27, 2025
Who among us could believe if the disciples had not first seen and touched the risen Christ? These stories of people seeing, touching, interacting with Jesus have been written down in scripture so that we may come to believe. Our faith depends on the faith of those who came before us. To some extent, we all live on faith borrowed from the disciples, the apostles, from family, friends, and mentors that have shown us the way of faith by example.
Holy Week 2025
Easter Sunday: Resurrection in the Garden
April 20, 2025
When Mary mistakes Jesus for the gardener, it is not a mistake at all. It is a proclamation of Jesus’ oneness with God. The one who knows how to look death in the face and create new life from it - because he has experienced it first hand. Jesus has not only experienced resurrection, he facilitates it. Author and minister Rohadi Nagassar writes that “Jesus is a gardener who cultivates life in all who come to him.” He takes the death and decay of our lives and turns it into compost, the very stuff that helps bring forth new growth. Sweeter and richer than we could ever imagine.
April 20, 2025
When Mary mistakes Jesus for the gardener, it is not a mistake at all. It is a proclamation of Jesus’ oneness with God. The one who knows how to look death in the face and create new life from it - because he has experienced it first hand. Jesus has not only experienced resurrection, he facilitates it. Author and minister Rohadi Nagassar writes that “Jesus is a gardener who cultivates life in all who come to him.” He takes the death and decay of our lives and turns it into compost, the very stuff that helps bring forth new growth. Sweeter and richer than we could ever imagine.
Easter Vigil: Speaking Hope into the Dark
April 19, 2025
I wonder what the disciples did on that first Holy Saturday. After the public humiliation and death of their friend, their teacher, their God. After Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross and placed in the tomb. After it was finished. Did they hide away from the crowds, afraid anyone would recognize them as one of those Jesus followers? Did they start making preparations to go home, wondering if the families they had left would take them back? Or, I wonder…if that first Holy Saturday looked something like our Holy Saturday.
April 19, 2025
I wonder what the disciples did on that first Holy Saturday. After the public humiliation and death of their friend, their teacher, their God. After Jesus’ body was taken down from the cross and placed in the tomb. After it was finished. Did they hide away from the crowds, afraid anyone would recognize them as one of those Jesus followers? Did they start making preparations to go home, wondering if the families they had left would take them back? Or, I wonder…if that first Holy Saturday looked something like our Holy Saturday.
Good Friday: The Peace God Offers
April 18, 2025
How did we get here? How is it that the newborn baby in the manger, who was wrapped in swaddling clothes and gifted with myrrh, who we proclaimed to be the Prince of Peace - grew up to be the man put to death on a cross, wrapped in burial linens and anointed with myrrh, all because he disturbed the peace?
April 18, 2025
How did we get here? How is it that the newborn baby in the manger, who was wrapped in swaddling clothes and gifted with myrrh, who we proclaimed to be the Prince of Peace - grew up to be the man put to death on a cross, wrapped in burial linens and anointed with myrrh, all because he disturbed the peace?
Maundy Thursday: Washing Feet and Loving One Another
April 17, 2025
“Everyone will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Seems simple, doesn’t it? And yet, if Christians have a reputation around the world…I’m not so sure it’s for our love. At least not the type of love Jesus gave. The full hearted, embodied, break down barriers and risk it all type of love
April 17, 2025
“Everyone will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Seems simple, doesn’t it? And yet, if Christians have a reputation around the world…I’m not so sure it’s for our love. At least not the type of love Jesus gave. The full hearted, embodied, break down barriers and risk it all type of love
Palm Sunday: Even the Stones Would Cry Out
April 13, 2025
If you have been to the Grand Canyon or someplace similar you’ve seen the layers showing centuries of change. If stones can see or sense the history they’ve lived through, they’ve seen a lot. And so when Jesus says that if the people were silent for his procession into Jerusalem the stones would have cried out, it signals something for us. It signals that God’s creation - even its inanimate parts - long to draw closer to God, like we do. And even the stones, who had “seen” self-proclaimed leader after leader, know that Jesus is different.
April 13, 2025
If you have been to the Grand Canyon or someplace similar you’ve seen the layers showing centuries of change. If stones can see or sense the history they’ve lived through, they’ve seen a lot. And so when Jesus says that if the people were silent for his procession into Jerusalem the stones would have cried out, it signals something for us. It signals that God’s creation - even its inanimate parts - long to draw closer to God, like we do. And even the stones, who had “seen” self-proclaimed leader after leader, know that Jesus is different.
Camp Sunday, sermon by Anthony Briggs, Executive Director of Cross Roads
April 6, 2025
Isn't it wonderful to have joy in church? And to have laughter and smiling, and things where we're goofy here in our faith community. Just being and having a lightness in community. That's what Cross Roads is.
April 6, 2025
Isn't it wonderful to have joy in church? And to have laughter and smiling, and things where we're goofy here in our faith community. Just being and having a lightness in community. That's what Cross Roads is.
The Prodigal Father
March 30, 2025
"The Prodigal Son." This is the title most often given to the parable we heard from Jesus this morning. But there’s a self-righteousness to this title. It says: look how wastefully extravagant the youngest son was. That’s the meaning of prodigal after all, wastefully extravagant. He not only asks his father for his inheritance early - a gesture that says nothing less than “I wish you were dead so I could benefit from your riches” - he spends it all in record time. In the Greek, it says he “scattered his substance.” He lost not only the money he demanded from his father, he lost himself somewhere along the way. And he has the gall to go crawling back to his father to ask for more. Not repentant, mind you, but expectant; entitled. Titling this parable “The Prodigal Son” turns it into a tale of how not to be. It makes us feel better because surely we are better than this selfish, wasteful son. But this parable really isn’t about the youngest son.
March 30, 2025
"The Prodigal Son." This is the title most often given to the parable we heard from Jesus this morning. But there’s a self-righteousness to this title. It says: look how wastefully extravagant the youngest son was. That’s the meaning of prodigal after all, wastefully extravagant. He not only asks his father for his inheritance early - a gesture that says nothing less than “I wish you were dead so I could benefit from your riches” - he spends it all in record time. In the Greek, it says he “scattered his substance.” He lost not only the money he demanded from his father, he lost himself somewhere along the way. And he has the gall to go crawling back to his father to ask for more. Not repentant, mind you, but expectant; entitled. Titling this parable “The Prodigal Son” turns it into a tale of how not to be. It makes us feel better because surely we are better than this selfish, wasteful son. But this parable really isn’t about the youngest son.
The Parable of the Fig Tree
March 23, 2025
I am convinced that Jesus taught in parables because he knew they would endure. That they would be stories that would be told across time and space. Parables are the great equalizer in Jesus’ teachings because they are for everyone. You can access a parable whether you have studied scripture or not, whether you know fancy church words or not, whether you have spent years in a pew or are exploring religion for the first time. All you need to access a parable is curiosity and patience. Because there is no right answer. No one interpretation. Parables are meant to be told and listened to time and time again. Because while the parable may not change, we do and so how we hear God speaking to us through the parable will change too.
March 23, 2025
I am convinced that Jesus taught in parables because he knew they would endure. That they would be stories that would be told across time and space. Parables are the great equalizer in Jesus’ teachings because they are for everyone. You can access a parable whether you have studied scripture or not, whether you know fancy church words or not, whether you have spent years in a pew or are exploring religion for the first time. All you need to access a parable is curiosity and patience. Because there is no right answer. No one interpretation. Parables are meant to be told and listened to time and time again. Because while the parable may not change, we do and so how we hear God speaking to us through the parable will change too.
Gathering the Village
March 16, 2025
Consider the next time you plan to take a train, bus, or subway. Would you rather spend the ride talking to a stranger or sitting in quiet solitude? As a lifelong introvert, I know which one I’d choose, hands down. So much so that last time I took a train I ran back home a block because I forgot my headphones. You know, the universal symbol that says “don’t talk to me” without having to say anything at all. But the thing is, we are comically bad at knowing what will make us feel better.
March 16, 2025
Consider the next time you plan to take a train, bus, or subway. Would you rather spend the ride talking to a stranger or sitting in quiet solitude? As a lifelong introvert, I know which one I’d choose, hands down. So much so that last time I took a train I ran back home a block because I forgot my headphones. You know, the universal symbol that says “don’t talk to me” without having to say anything at all. But the thing is, we are comically bad at knowing what will make us feel better.
The Temptation to Let the Ends Justify the Means
March 9, 2025
What if Jesus had said yes. What if Jesus had said yes to the devil in the wilderness? After all, he had not eaten for 40 days...would it have really done any harm for him to turn a stone into bread so he could eat? Would we be in a better place if Jesus had said yes to ruling all the kingdoms of the world? Would more people have believed in Jesus if he had made a spectacular show by throwing himself off the temple only to be saved by God?
March 9, 2025
What if Jesus had said yes. What if Jesus had said yes to the devil in the wilderness? After all, he had not eaten for 40 days...would it have really done any harm for him to turn a stone into bread so he could eat? Would we be in a better place if Jesus had said yes to ruling all the kingdoms of the world? Would more people have believed in Jesus if he had made a spectacular show by throwing himself off the temple only to be saved by God?
The Three Pillars of Lent
Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Ash Wednesday, the season of Lent, even mid-week prayer are all invitations to interrupt the busyness of our lives. To step off the hamster wheel of achievement and autopilot and remember our mortality. To remember that our time on this earth is limited, but it is also a God-given gift. To consider poet Mary Oliver’s question: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” We might not venture off into the wilderness by ourselves for 40 days like Jesus did. But we are invited to spend these 40 days taking a deep look inward and spending more time with God. If you’re wondering exactly how to do that, the Church has identified three pillars of Lent, inspired by our gospel reading today. Three ways to disturb business as usual so that we might live with more intention.
Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Ash Wednesday, the season of Lent, even mid-week prayer are all invitations to interrupt the busyness of our lives. To step off the hamster wheel of achievement and autopilot and remember our mortality. To remember that our time on this earth is limited, but it is also a God-given gift. To consider poet Mary Oliver’s question: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” We might not venture off into the wilderness by ourselves for 40 days like Jesus did. But we are invited to spend these 40 days taking a deep look inward and spending more time with God. If you’re wondering exactly how to do that, the Church has identified three pillars of Lent, inspired by our gospel reading today. Three ways to disturb business as usual so that we might live with more intention.
The Transformation of Sharing Our True Selves
March 2, 2025
This week I heard Rev. Anne Russ, author of the Doubting Believer blog, talk about the story of the Transfiguration in a new way. She said that Jesus probably sensed a change was going to come on that mountaintop, and yet he only brought Peter, John, and James with him. I wonder, why might Jesus have only brought three friends with him to the top of that mountain? Maybe, Jesus only brought these three friends up to the mountaintop with him because they were the people he trusted the most. The ones he knew would see his true, transfigured, sparkly and vulnerable self and even if they didn’t understand, he knew they wouldn’t judge him.
March 2, 2025
This week I heard Rev. Anne Russ, author of the Doubting Believer blog, talk about the story of the Transfiguration in a new way. She said that Jesus probably sensed a change was going to come on that mountaintop, and yet he only brought Peter, John, and James with him. I wonder, why might Jesus have only brought three friends with him to the top of that mountain? Maybe, Jesus only brought these three friends up to the mountaintop with him because they were the people he trusted the most. The ones he knew would see his true, transfigured, sparkly and vulnerable self and even if they didn’t understand, he knew they wouldn’t judge him.
Stephen Ministry, sermon by Deirdre Comey
February 23, 205
All Christians have the responsibility to care for those in need. This care can be expressed in many ways, such as giving someone a ride, running errands, prepare meals, watching a child or pet or shoveling a driveway. Stephen Ministry can be seen as an organized and informed type of care. Dr. Ho, the founder of Stephen Ministry, stated anytime you express Jesus' love in a way that meets people's needs, you are providing Christian care.
February 23, 205
All Christians have the responsibility to care for those in need. This care can be expressed in many ways, such as giving someone a ride, running errands, prepare meals, watching a child or pet or shoveling a driveway. Stephen Ministry can be seen as an organized and informed type of care. Dr. Ho, the founder of Stephen Ministry, stated anytime you express Jesus' love in a way that meets people's needs, you are providing Christian care.
Being Rooted
February 16, 2025
What does it mean to be rooted? It is all too easy to feel blown about by the wind, or current events, or the ever changing weather forecast. To get caught up in to-do lists, calendars, and deadlines. But this morning, we heard two separate scriptures - Jeremiah and the Psalm - proclaim blessing on trees planted near flowing water. Rooted in a place where the sustenance they consistently receive allows them to grow bright green leaves and produce fruit no matter the conditions.
February 16, 2025
What does it mean to be rooted? It is all too easy to feel blown about by the wind, or current events, or the ever changing weather forecast. To get caught up in to-do lists, calendars, and deadlines. But this morning, we heard two separate scriptures - Jeremiah and the Psalm - proclaim blessing on trees planted near flowing water. Rooted in a place where the sustenance they consistently receive allows them to grow bright green leaves and produce fruit no matter the conditions.
If You Say So
February 9, 2025
“If you say so.” These words are the skeptic’s yes. As if the speaker is reserving the right to say “I told you so” when things don’t work out. Words meant to convey that I don’t agree here, but you’re the one in power, so I guess we’ll do it your way. And yet, when we hear these words spoken to Jesus, they take on another quality. Because for all the resignation behind the words “If you say so,” there is also a semblance of hope. Hope that perhaps, where we have struggled, God will persevere. Where we have failed, God will succeed.
February 9, 2025
“If you say so.” These words are the skeptic’s yes. As if the speaker is reserving the right to say “I told you so” when things don’t work out. Words meant to convey that I don’t agree here, but you’re the one in power, so I guess we’ll do it your way. And yet, when we hear these words spoken to Jesus, they take on another quality. Because for all the resignation behind the words “If you say so,” there is also a semblance of hope. Hope that perhaps, where we have struggled, God will persevere. Where we have failed, God will succeed.
Waiting (Children's Sermon)
February 2, 2025
All around the world, Episcopalians repeat Simeon’s song during Compline, the final prayer service of the day. For a long time I thought singing this song was simply a way to close out the day thanking God for sending us Jesus. But this week, I realized it’s also an invitation at the end of each day to pause and consider where we’ve seen evidence of God’s handiwork in our lives. After all, the baby Jesus was not what Simeon or Anna had expected to find at the end of all their waiting. Maybe, we too are seeing glimpses of God at work in our lives, beginning to fulfill our prayers and our longing in unexpected ways.
February 2, 2025
All around the world, Episcopalians repeat Simeon’s song during Compline, the final prayer service of the day. For a long time I thought singing this song was simply a way to close out the day thanking God for sending us Jesus. But this week, I realized it’s also an invitation at the end of each day to pause and consider where we’ve seen evidence of God’s handiwork in our lives. After all, the baby Jesus was not what Simeon or Anna had expected to find at the end of all their waiting. Maybe, we too are seeing glimpses of God at work in our lives, beginning to fulfill our prayers and our longing in unexpected ways.
Another World is Possible
January 26, 2025
This week I gathered with a handful of other clergy from across the Northeast to reflect on what it means to be spiritual leaders. Talk about divine timing. Early on in the retreat, they asked us the big question. “Why?” “Why are you a spiritual leader?” There were as many answers to this question as there were people in the room, but the first answer a colleague shared has remained with me this week. Her answer? “Because another world is possible.” Siblings in Christ, I don’t presume to know why you have chosen to gather here at St John’s Episcopal Church in Montclair, New Jersey, this morning, or any other time. But I hope and pray that when you leave these doors, you do so knowing that another world is possible, and it depends on us.
January 26, 2025
This week I gathered with a handful of other clergy from across the Northeast to reflect on what it means to be spiritual leaders. Talk about divine timing. Early on in the retreat, they asked us the big question. “Why?” “Why are you a spiritual leader?” There were as many answers to this question as there were people in the room, but the first answer a colleague shared has remained with me this week. Her answer? “Because another world is possible.” Siblings in Christ, I don’t presume to know why you have chosen to gather here at St John’s Episcopal Church in Montclair, New Jersey, this morning, or any other time. But I hope and pray that when you leave these doors, you do so knowing that another world is possible, and it depends on us.
The Wedding at Cana and the Birmingham Campaign of 1963
January 19, 2025
There are a lot of predictions for what the year 2025 will bring. I won’t claim to know which are true and which are not. But I do believe, as Mary and all the faithful people in Birmingham in 1963 did, that how we start matters, and how we start will give us the tools we need to continue on the journey. We can become part of the change we want to see - we can become part of Jesus’ miraculous legacy - when we bring the truth to God in prayer and follow where he leads. The journey won’t be easy, but it will be worth celebrating. (Listen below.)
January 19, 2025
There are a lot of predictions for what the year 2025 will bring. I won’t claim to know which are true and which are not. But I do believe, as Mary and all the faithful people in Birmingham in 1963 did, that how we start matters, and how we start will give us the tools we need to continue on the journey. We can become part of the change we want to see - we can become part of Jesus’ miraculous legacy - when we bring the truth to God in prayer and follow where he leads. The journey won’t be easy, but it will be worth celebrating. (Listen below.)
What We Stand For at Baptism
January 12, 2025
In a world where it is easier to stand against something, at baptism we boldly proclaim who and what we stand for. In a society where the individual is prized and praised, at baptism we acknowledge that we need God’s help and we promise to support one another in our walk of faith. In a world that seems to accept that tragedies happen with increasing frequency, at baptism we vow to strive to make a difference and make a change. Baptism was and is a radical act. (Listen to the sermon below.)
January 12, 2025
In a world where it is easier to stand against something, at baptism we boldly proclaim who and what we stand for. In a society where the individual is prized and praised, at baptism we acknowledge that we need God’s help and we promise to support one another in our walk of faith. In a world that seems to accept that tragedies happen with increasing frequency, at baptism we vow to strive to make a difference and make a change. Baptism was and is a radical act. (Listen to the sermon below.)
The Magi and House Blessings (Children's Sermon)
January 5, 2025
One of my favorite traditions around Epiphany is when people bless their houses. It is a reminder that while the wise men traveled a long way to encounter Jesus, it all started in their homeland by paying close attention to the things they did every day. Our journey with God often starts the same way - we don’t have to travel very far at all. We can welcome Christ into our homes and our lives every day by doing what we're called to do and paying close attention. (Listen below.)
January 5, 2025
One of my favorite traditions around Epiphany is when people bless their houses. It is a reminder that while the wise men traveled a long way to encounter Jesus, it all started in their homeland by paying close attention to the things they did every day. Our journey with God often starts the same way - we don’t have to travel very far at all. We can welcome Christ into our homes and our lives every day by doing what we're called to do and paying close attention. (Listen below.)
Light in the Darkness
December 29, 2024
In the church we have this repeated metaphor of light and dark. But we do a serious and harmful disservice if we assume that darkness is the absence of God, and light is the presence of God. In fact, as the Rev Dr Wil Gafney says, light and dark are not a binary at all. Instead, darkness is a space of holy creativity and generativity. It is where God does new and out-of-this-world things. Darkness is where light is conceived and from which it is born. (Listen below.)
December 29, 2024
In the church we have this repeated metaphor of light and dark. But we do a serious and harmful disservice if we assume that darkness is the absence of God, and light is the presence of God. In fact, as the Rev Dr Wil Gafney says, light and dark are not a binary at all. Instead, darkness is a space of holy creativity and generativity. It is where God does new and out-of-this-world things. Darkness is where light is conceived and from which it is born. (Listen below.)
Christmas Greeting
December 24-25, 2024
In the midst of all of our humanness, God shows up. Even when it feels like there is no room at the inn, or no room in our hearts, God shows up. Each and every time. There’s nothing we have to do to make it happen - we already have everything we need. (Listen below.)
December 24-25, 2024
In the midst of all of our humanness, God shows up. Even when it feels like there is no room at the inn, or no room in our hearts, God shows up. Each and every time. There’s nothing we have to do to make it happen - we already have everything we need. (Listen below.)
Mary's Ancestors
December 22, 2024
In this season of Advent we prepare for God to do a new and miraculous thing. To come to earth in human form. To walk, and talk, and live among us. To choose to become vulnerable as a newborn baby in order to show us true love. As much as the story of Christmas is about God doing a new thing, it is also about God building on all that God has done before. It is about God’s love story to humankind, recalling the times that God showed up in unexpected places, through unexpected people, to draw us ever closer. Take the story of Mary. A young, unassuming woman who stands on the shoulders of the women who came before her. (Listen to the sermon below.)
December 22, 2024
In this season of Advent we prepare for God to do a new and miraculous thing. To come to earth in human form. To walk, and talk, and live among us. To choose to become vulnerable as a newborn baby in order to show us true love. As much as the story of Christmas is about God doing a new thing, it is also about God building on all that God has done before. It is about God’s love story to humankind, recalling the times that God showed up in unexpected places, through unexpected people, to draw us ever closer. Take the story of Mary. A young, unassuming woman who stands on the shoulders of the women who came before her. (Listen to the sermon below.)
Preparing for Joy
December 15, 2024
I'm convinced that joy is a spiritual practice, that joy is essential to experiencing life at its fullest, to living as God always intended us to live. Researcher Matthew Kuan Johnson says that when we experience joy, we become more fully ourselves. In the early days, advent was really taught and seen as a penitential season where we prepare for the coming of Christ by confessing our sins. But the church also realized that we need to prepare our hearts for the joy of Christmas, too. We need to prepare for joy because all too often we experience what Brené Brown calls foreboding joy. For instead of leaning into joy, we wait for that other shoe to drop. We brace ourselves for the moment that it'll all unravel. But at Christians, we know that there is true joy to be had, a joy that we do not need to protect ourselves from or brace ourselves for, a joy that becomes apparent in the disarming arrival of God as human flesh on Christmas. (Listen to the sermon below.)
December 15, 2024
I'm convinced that joy is a spiritual practice, that joy is essential to experiencing life at its fullest, to living as God always intended us to live. Researcher Matthew Kuan Johnson says that when we experience joy, we become more fully ourselves. In the early days, advent was really taught and seen as a penitential season where we prepare for the coming of Christ by confessing our sins. But the church also realized that we need to prepare our hearts for the joy of Christmas, too. We need to prepare for joy because all too often we experience what Brené Brown calls foreboding joy. For instead of leaning into joy, we wait for that other shoe to drop. We brace ourselves for the moment that it'll all unravel. But at Christians, we know that there is true joy to be had, a joy that we do not need to protect ourselves from or brace ourselves for, a joy that becomes apparent in the disarming arrival of God as human flesh on Christmas. (Listen to the sermon below.)