Acts 2:1-21 Psalm 104:25-35, 37 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 John 7:37-39 Gracious God, take our minds and think through them; take our hands and work through them; take our hearts and set them on fire. Amen. The world is full of chaos, and violence, and hate right now. It’s nowhere near the first time it has been so, nor unfortunately will it be…
St. James' Episcopal Church – Mt. Airy, Maryland
Sermons on 2020 (Page 3)
Acts 1:6-14 Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 John 17:1-11 Today I want to focus on our reading from Acts which narrates Jesus’ ascension into heaven, 40 days after his resurrection. Ascension Day was last Thursday, 40 days after Easter, and as always on this 7th and last Sunday of Eastertide, we hear the story of Jesus’ final leave-taking from the…
Acts 17:22-31 Psalm 66:7-18 1 Peter 3:13-22 John 14:15-21 Frankly at first glance today’s Gospel passage can be a bit mystifying, with its allusions to the coming of the Advocate, Jesus leaving but still somehow being present, and a mystical indwelling between the disciples, Jesus, and the Father. And the reason it’s hard to paint a full picture with just these seven…
Acts 7:55-60 Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 1 Peter 2:2-10 John 14:1-14 We began the weekly lectionary Bible study last Thursday and I was reminded of just how much I love exploring and wondering about scripture together in a group. We focused on today’s Gospel, and it was interesting to see the different parts of today’s reading that drew people in: from the admonition…
Acts 2:42-47 Psalm 23 1 Peter 2:19-25 John 10:1-10 There are 28 chapters in the Book of Acts, and they are our record of the formation of the church after Jesus’s death & resurrection. For just over 2 years, and ending in January, the Vestry read through the Book of Acts one chapter at a time for our scripture reflection at the…
Acts 2:14a, 36-41 Psalm 116:1-3, 10-17 1 Peter 1:17-23 Luke 24:13-35 Last week was a hard week. It wasn’t a bad week – there were some lovely highs – but it was a hard week. Too many folks I know are grieving. There’s still so much uncertainty about what comes next. And, all week I dreaded having to preach on today’s Gospel.…
Acts 2:14a, 22-32 Psalm 16 1 Peter 1:3-9 John 20:19-31 Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! The story of the apostle Thomas reaching out to touch the wounds of the risen Christ has inspired many gorgeous, haunting, and thoughtful paintings throughout history. It is such a vivid story, it is no wonder. But out of all of them,…
Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! Wow, what an odd and surprising Holy Week this has been. I have grieved not being able to come together with you for these sacred days. But I also found beauty in the simplicity of worshiping at home – not unlike the earliest of Christians would have. And, it’s given me a…
“Living in the Shadow of the Cross” The Right Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton Sermon given at the Cathedral of the Incarnation, Baltimore, MD March 22, 2020 – 11:00 am Lent 4, Year A The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul:…
In the name of God Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I have never preached a sermon or homily quite like this – or in a time quite like this either. The more I talk with people the clearer it is becoming that we are finding ourselves in a time unlike any other in recent memory or history. It’s a scary time. Last…