These writings are designed for preaching on the Sundays that correlate to the scripture listed in the Lectionary of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. As of Advent 2010, these are no longer the texts selected for use in most Episcopal Churches. But mine does.
Each sermon links to the scripture that influence it.
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Peace On Earth
(A sermon for Matthew 1:18-25 Presented at Christ Christ, Bordentown, NJ, December 21, 2025)
I begin today’s sermon with a quote from Oswald Chambers and his book, “My Utmost for His Highest” __in which he says, “Every time you venture out in the life of faith, you will find something in your common-sense circumstances that flatly contradicts your faith.” As you can imagine, the faith he is referencing to is our faith in God.
But when we venture out in our lives _ we also put faith in our family and neighbors, our schools and churches, our government and business leaders. We put faith in the weather report. We put faith in that we’re hearing the truth _and that everything will stay orderly.
And when things stay orderly, we love God.
And then life happens.
Life happens and there is disorder. Things don’t go as planned. We stub our toes, or have a spat with our significant other, and at the worst for humankind…there is war and devastation. There is disease, famine and starvation. There is loneliness and heartbreak.
And then we question our faith in a God that allows our lives to be disorderly (and uncertain) during our short time on earth. We question our faith because common sense tells us it would be better that these bad things didn’t happen. But when we ask why God is not making everything orderly and perfect, we are not seeking faith.
We are seeking certainty. And one could argue that faith and certainty are polar opposites.
Faith requires us to think beyond what we know to be certain and our want for complete order and perfection. Having faith, particularly in God, is first _ that He exists. That He exists as a father, a son and holy spirit _ that He created us to seek salvation and that someday we would see him face-to-face. God created us to have faith in Him.
In turn, for our faithfulness, God gives us the gift of loving, not perfection. To prove this, God made two things happen that go beyond our notions of common-sense certainty.
One _ he made life happen _ literally. A young virgin woman became the mother of the incarnated Son of the trinity, or as he is commonly known … Jesus Christ.
Second, He created angels and directed them to communicate to us. Specifically, in this case, for the angels to communicate to Mary, for her to understand that she would be with child by the Holy Spirit _and not just any child _ but the Son of Man,
AND
for the angels to communicate to Joseph with instruction to care for this child that was not conceived by him or another man, but instead _conceived by the Holy Spirit.
Given that there was not a precedent for such an Annunciation, Mary and Joseph couldn’t rely on looking this up on the internet _or go to the library or bookstore _ to look this up. So how could they live with a situation that surely went beyond their common- sense certainty?
They did it_ by letting it go. They let go of their certainty, and in turn, God was able to give us a gift _ a personal sign of what and who to place our faith in.
God gave us the gift of Jesus. But Mary and Joseph, by parenting God’s gift _ gave us the model for having faith. Their example shows us that faith in God results in great gifts.
As we all know _ faith is not easy. It requires our hearts, our souls, and our minds to work together toward a commitment _ to not only loving God _ but to love our neighbor as ourselves. Both require us, at times, to let go of what we believe to be certain.
Sure _ people do some heinous things to each other _ things that are hard to forgive _ that make it hard to love and have faith in each other. But when you can _ and any chance you can _ _ let it go.
Let go of your certainty on how you think everyone should behave. Let go of your needless judgements and grudges > Let go of the resentments that build up walls >Let go _ of your hardened heart.
How many of you _want to have _ peace on earth? This message is everywhere this time of year. It’s on Christmas cards, tree ornaments, it is in songs, on T-shirts, ugly sweaters. So, I’m sure everyone wants it. But what are we willing to do to have it?
God gave us the gift to have peace on earth. God gave us the gift of Jesus Christ so we would follow his commandments _ to love God and our neighbors, to have faith in both_ and to let go of whatever it is in our lives, that is preventing us from doing so.
God’s gift of peace requires us to give it to others.
For this Christmas season, my hope for us is that we can all welcome that gift into our lives, to have faith like Mary and Joseph, to think beyond our common-sense certainties, and to truly give the gift of peace.
May the peace of the Lord be with you always.
Amen.
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Who’s The Biggest Sinner?
(A sermon for Luke 15:1-10 Presented at Christ Christ, Bordentown, NJ, Sept. 13-14, 2025)
The parables that we heard today from Luke Chapter 15, Verses 1 through 10, are the “prequels” to the more famous parable in Verse 11_The parable of the Prodigal Son in which the return of the self-serving son is celebrated by his father_ which disgusts his brother who had a lived a more righteous life. That parable probably hits closer to our hearts because it relates to our feelings of ranking in our families, and relationships with our siblings. Hence for some, the Prodigal Son parable invokes a sense of unfairness.
But reading the two “prequel” parables today, without reading the prodigal son, can still elicit a sense of unfairness. Sure, we can understand the joy of finding the lost sheep or the lost coin, or any regular thing that we lost. But these are not regular lost things that Jesus is discussing. The coin and sheep are metaphors for a sinner.
Call it what you want, a coin, a sheep. It can still be annoying to hear that someone who we think has been less righteous, and more of a sinner, is more celebrated than us when they are found. Right? “We paid our dues.” “No one gave us a get-out-of-jail-free-card.” “We sacrificed, struggled and toiled.” “We don’t see angels reacting with joy over all we did.”
I think the main problem is people don’t want to see sinners getting the upper hand. We also want to believe that sinning is something that someone else does or does a lot more of than ourselves.
Digger deeper, some people are bothered by being labelled as a “sinner”. In those cases, some people turn to denial …, “Uh-uh, not me. I never sin.” Or we change our vernacular … “I transgressed, which is really the same thing” _ in hopes that it is less of a bitter pill to swallow.
It can make it easier to accept the label of “sinner” if we think someone else sinned more than us.
So, if we’re thinking in any of these ways, we miss the point of today’s parables.
For one, Jesus is not saying it is better to sin rampantly and without abandon. Nor is Jesus saying that He prefers those that sin, over those who don’t.
He’s also not suggesting that sin exists only in a few people.
What he is suggesting is that it’s not a competition.
Now, competition is a natural thing. Born with free will and intellect, we become innovative, and innovation creates competition. Competition creates status, a pecking order, an hierarchy … someone in your mind who is better than you in some way, or someone who you think you are better than, in some way. Not kept in check, competition can become unhealthy.
Being competitive can lead to being bothered by the word _ sin. Because at some point in time, someone probably told us that_ they didn’t sin. That means they are saying, they are better than you. And in our competitive minds, that cannot stand. And you’re right, that cannot stand. Because the only person who has not sinned is …? (Anyone?)
That’s right, Jesus. And Jesus _ is _ God. And are any of us better than God?
No. So, everybody sins.
So, if we agree that everyone sins _ and that we are all on an even playing field _ consider that each of us at some point in time (and it doesn’t matter how many times) are the subjects of today’s parables. Each of us is the lost coin. Each of us is the lost sheep.
And every time we repent, there is a party in heaven.
But there’s one last problem. If there’s a party in my honor, shouldn’t I be there? That sounds reasonable. But trust me, there will be an invitation at some point.
In the meantime, God’s love commits us here. And to love means not competing in the game of judging who is the bigger sinner. Because some days, you are the shepherd. Some days you are the sheep.
Some days, things taste perfectly for you. Some days taste bitter when a sinner, a lost sheep is having a perfect day, and on those days _ don’t muddle about it. Talk to God about it.
Tell Him why this is annoying you and pray for guidance to lead you away from unhealthy competition.
Our Book of Common Prayer has a prayer for many occasions. The one for loving our enemies may suffice when this happens.
It reads, “O God, the Father of all, whose Son commanded us to love our enemies: Lead them and us from prejudice to truth: deliver them and us from hatred, cruelty, and revenge; and in your good time enable us all to stand reconciled before you, through Jesus Christ our Lord.“
So you see, all equal. No competition. All loved.
Amen.
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Take A Giant Step with God
(A sermon for Luke 9:51-62 Presented at Christ Christ, Bordentown, NJ, June 28-29, 2025)
Dealing with change is an unusual thing, wouldn’t you say? We can voluntarily change some things. Other times, change occurs without our consent. In both cases, we can have either a happy or not-happy emotional reaction to the change.
For example, you voluntarily buy a lottery ticket. You win by chance a billion dollars. You can now live comfortably but also you choose to spend a lot on luxury items. Add in a few bad investment choices, and before you know it, those winnings disappear. More bills are due than you can pay, and you have to declare bankruptcy and are forced to live in a van down by the river. Like I said, some changes you choose, some you don’t. Some make you happy, some don’t.
So we’re always in a situation of change, and we’re always trying to control change. For the most part, the changes we experience generally center around rules…rules of order, and how some rules disappear, and new ones emerge.
When we get married or add children, we’re merging someone else’s rules with our own. When the weather rains out a day on the beach, nature’s rules collide with our own. Or when someone ghosts you or gives you the silent treatment, there’s now a bunch of unknown rules.
Whatever the circumstances, it’s not as if we have a problem with change in of itself, it’s what it’s changing to is the concern. What will the new rules be and can I abide by them?
Thus when new rules are presented, we sometimes dig our heels in and resist, and sometimes we have faith and trust that the outcome will be in our favor.
Today’s Gospel gives us two tales that demonstrate reactions to new rules.
The first is the Samarian village that won’t receive Jesus. They perceive that Jesus is just using Samaria as a rest stop on his way to Jerusalem. The Samaritans’ rift with Jerusalem goes back centuries, and their religious practices and beliefs, though similar to those of the Jews, were different in some important respects. They did not recognize any writings of the prophets, and their expectation is that the future messiah will restore the faith on Mount Gerizim, not Jerusalem.
Despite Jesus’ efforts to spend time with the Samaritans, and provide them with the new rules of His teachings, they dig their heels in. But as we know, this is only temporary and Jesus will return to them for future conversion.
And then you have James and John (the sons of thunder, who want to in a categorical fashion rain down fire on the Samaritans). Jesus teaches them that in their partnership with Him, they will need to put their feelings of ill will aside and show compassion in the face of those rejecting him.
In the other tale, Jesus encounters three folks who want to follow his rules. But they have other rules they want to follow too. And now He contends specifically with their expectations of merging their old rules with Jesus’ new rules.
The first person is told by Jesus that if you follow Him, you cannot always expect the choice to align with your earthly desires of comfort.
The second person who wants to bury his father and provide a customary funeral is given a choice. Be a disciple of God, or stay with the spiritually dead that don’t follow the new rules.
The third person tells Jesus, “I’ll be back after I finish a few things at home”. Jesus responds there is no going back.
All five examples, particularly the last three, portray Jesus as almost aloof. “You want to follow me, great. If not, suit yourself.” But his reactions instead point to a level of discipleship that is more than just simply following. It’s a commitment to Jesus’ new rules. And each person as a disciple, is left to discover within themselves what is causing them to resist.
Jesus as a leader was pointing to a Way. When we think more about Jesus’ notion of discipleship, it wasn’t to dismiss the importance of these other matters that we have _ but to show that one Way can be what matters the most _ and to give into that notion, and let the grace of God into your life. It will seem costly giving up your old rules. But the more you accept God into your life, to be there all day and every day, you will begin to recognize that it didn’t cost as much as what you gained in return.
As disciples and humans, when it comes to following Jesus, we at times will still dig our heels in and resist, and other times have complete faith and trust in God’s Way.
But during times of resistance, think about following Jesus like playing the lottery. It takes the simple task of buying the ticket and taking a giant step of faith. The difference is that every ticket is the winning ticket. And as long as you remain steadfast, diligent, and wise, you’ll get to enjoy those winnings for the rest of your life.
Amen.
and now for a song that inspired this sermon …
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Jesus Is Always There
(A sermon for John 14:23-29 Presented at Christ Christ, Bordentown, NJ, May 24-25, 2025)
A few chapters prior to today’s Gospel, Jesus during the Last Supper tells his apostles that he’s leaving them. It is sad news for them being told that “Where I’m going, you cannot come.” I imagine this had to hurt. It had to hurt having their friend and teacher who they loved, say essentially _ “Good-bye.”
Now, unless you’re hoping for it, no one likes being told, “Good-bye”. And we don’t like the feeling of losing someone we love. It feels like_ abandonment … like being adrift on a river that’s not going your way.
The apostles wrestle with this news from Jesus, and appeal and negotiate. They cannot comprehend the situation they are living through. They can only feel the abandonment. They can only feel the hurt.
Then a few chapters later_today’s Gospel_is a continuation of the conversation, and it turns to words of faith and love.
(Gospel & Sermon begin at 6:05) Firstly, Jesus conveys patience, he says, “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you”
Then He conveys peace by saying, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.”
Then He offers an other worldly gift, “I do not give to you as the world gives.”
Moreover, He says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
Because even though He is going away, He assures them, “I’m coming to you”.
So even though this sounds confusing _ he just said he was leaving them, now he’s saying he’s coming to them _ this is a message of joy. And this message of joy isn’t just in the Gospel this week. It’s in every part of today’s lectionary readings. You’ll find it in Psalm 67, and the lines from Joel, Acts, and Revelation. And today’s Collect stands out saying: “O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding”.
It can be difficult to travel from confusing thoughts of abandonment to feelings of joy. It can surpass our understanding of how we can get from one point to another. But we can, and we do.
In 2017, I experienced the death of a coworker and friend, who was older than me, and always had time to chat and provide me with the odd pearl of wisdom about work, such as “you know, they’re not paying you extra to be aggravated”. His passing left a hole at my job that never got filled.
When I attended his funeral, I didn’t know what to expect. The church, St. Matthews in Maple Glen, was packed full of people that I did not know. A small number were family members but mostly it was people who knew Dave, and from the eulogies and conversations I overheard, his passing left a hole with them too. As I drove home afterwards, I cried the entire time, feeling left alone, and confused by my own visceral reaction.
But over time, my confusing thoughts of abandonment began to sort themselves out. I eventually came to a place of joy, from realizing how lucky I was to have known him, lucky to hear how others felt the same, and astonished by how many people he touched, and how many more stories there were to tell that I will never hear.
And even though my friend is gone, I often imagine how he would apply his acerbic wit and pithiness to my current list of grievances. So in a sense, his presence is still with me. But just in another form.
The apostles struggled similarly in trying to make sense of Jesus’_ “in one way I leave you, in another way I come to you”. They would soon understand that Jesus’ presence was possible in many forms. Therefore, He was never gone in the first place. He had never abandoned them. Nor would He.
For me, I feel like today’s sermon is the third part of a dark trilogy. My last sermon was about torture. The sermon before that was about disbelief, and this one is about abandonment. However, all three were about God’s never ending, and constant presence even when there is doubt, pain, and fear.
Thus, we are never as alone as it may seem at times. On some days you may feel like you’re adrift on a river that’s not going your way. On other days you’ll recognize that all of this, this human life, surpasses our understanding, and ___everything is going to be OK.
Hopefully though on most days, you feel the presence of God, and Jesus, and the Holy Spirit working through you, with you, and for you.
Because it is. All the time.
Amen.
And here’s some music that inspired this sermon …
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Jesus & His 40 Day Fast
(A sermon for Luke 4:1-13 Presented at Christ Christ, Bordentown, NJ, March 8-9, 2025)
So Jesus is led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness where He fasts for forty days and endures Satan’s temptations. Upon his return, Luke tells us that Satan tempts Jesus three more times. One, for Jesus to turn a stone into bread. Two, for Jesus to believe that Satan has the ability to grant him authority over everything. And three, for Jesus to jump off a cliff for nothing bad will happen as a result.
Essentially these three temptations were all encouraging Jesus to act sinfully and turn away from God.
This is Satan’s chance to hit Jesus one more time while he was perhaps at his weakest human point _40 days of fasting.
(Gospel & Sermon begin at 23:25)
But what happened during those 40 days? Scripture didn’t give us the details of what Satan did, but it seemed tortuous. Perhaps what happened is kept from us for a reason. Perhaps what Satan did was too gruesome to be printed. Or, perhaps so petty that it wasn’t worth giving it attention. Knowing what we believe about Satan and their hate for us _ probably a bit of both.
Whatever it was, Jesus endured forty days of torture while fasting.
I’d like to think I would have the fortitude to survive such a test. But it’s doubtful. I don’t like fasting; I like eating. If I don’t eat, I’m cranky and I’m not clear-headed. And that’s after just one day.
I would find it difficult if I was trying to steady my thoughts in a retreat alone in the wilderness _ in concert with the Holy Spirit _ and during that entire time having to endure the nagging poking and prodding of some demon.
I imagine that Satan would present to me an oasis where the air smelled of my favorite foods with the promise that I could lead a perfect, painless life. All of that and more! if I turn away from God and look to Satan as the ultimate authority.
But Satan’s authority is a lie and there is no perfect life. I preached this a few weeks ago. Christianity _ believing in God and Jesus Christ _does not make our lives perfect. But neither will Satan_ or anyone _ or anything else you choose to idolize.
It’s easy to believe then that the details of those 40 days are kept from us because the specific incidents don’t really matter. We don’t need to focus on the sordid details of Satan’s antics because in the end, they amount to nothing but a pack of lies.
What we need to focus on, when we think about those 40 days, is that Jesus showed us that triumphing over evil _ for us _ is possible. This demonstration is another example of how Jesus is the new covenant between God and man.
God through Jesus shows us as that:
We can endure.
We can forgo sin.
We don’t need to show-off, and greedily consume more power and attention.
We can rely on the assistance of angels.
We can be confident in overcoming temptation.
But there’s also something else God shows us in this example. And that is we don’t need to fixate on the darkness in our lives _and get caught up in every inconvenience or complaint we have about the world. We can turn away from hate and turn towards love.
Thus when we turn to love _ we can act in love, whether we’re feeling love or not.
When we act in love, we are able to turn our attention to our fellow men and women who are in tragic situations…. Whether it’s those whose homes are decimated due to a natural disaster or warfare, or whether it’s because addiction or crime has consumed their lives, or whether someone is just sick, scared, cold or alone.
We can turn our attention toward them, and at the least, pray for them that they have patience under their sufferings.
Pray that they may have a happy issue out of their affliction. And pray for ourselves that we can be a cup of strength for them.
By enduring those 40 days, Jesus showed us that we can act in love in spite of enduring hunger or torture. He wasn’t just showing us that our fasting was to go without food. He was showing us that our fasting is to go without hate and instead live with kindness and compassion.
If you really think about it, it’s a lot easier to go without hate for 40 days than it is to go without food for 40 days. You need food to keep you alive. You don’t need hate to keep you alive.
Hate is not why we were given life. We’re given life to turn to love and act in love.
Amen.
Wired For Faith 
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