March 1994 We are in the middle of Lent. Like many practices in the Church, the observance of Lent has seen its changes over the years. Originally intended as a period of preparation of candidates for Baptism, Lent evolved into a highly structured observance for the whole membership of the Church. The Anglican Church has … [Read more…]
Our Gospel Reading this morning is the story of Nicodemus. It’s from the Gospel of John, and the last time I checked, they were pretty sure that it was written in what is now Turkey. It’s very Greek in its thinking, and I always like that. They think John was written “as a teaching story” … [Read more…]
March 2020 Sometimes one just has to bite the bullet. For years we’ve been debating the pros and cons of going to an electronic newsletter. We’d chew on it for a while in the office and at vestry. Then we’d put it away and continue what we were doing. But outside forces are pushing us … [Read more…]
Our 1st Reading this morning comes from the Book of Sirach. Now, if you learned your Books of the Bible, longer than perhaps 25 years ago, you’re probably wondering, “Where did Sirach come from?” Sirach comes from the Apocrypha. The Apocrypha is a collection of O. T. writings, that for various reasons, were not included … [Read more…]
February 2004 Dear God, I had to send Bridget to you today. I took her to the vet to see if something could be done about her arthritis. X-rays showed that she did not have arthritis but very advanced bone cancer. The vet said that she was in a lot of pain. She never let … [Read more…]
It seems like every time I go in for my semi-annual physical, my doctor goes over my lab results and says, “Your sodium is a little high. You need to cut back on your salt intake.” Then I usually get a gentle lecture about not salting my meat, and reading labels to find reduced salt … [Read more…]
February 2020 A haunting dilemma. A group of us took a weekend in New York City before Christmas. We saw the Christmas Show at Radio City, visited Rockefeller Plaza, Times Square, Saint Mary the Virgin, Grand Central, and all of those other wonderful Midtown Manhattan “must sees.” Someone suggested that we visit the 9/11 Memorial. … [Read more…]
Well, our readings today really move us away from our Epiphany story, don’t they? No more Magi. No more shepherds. No more star. No more Herod. No more dashing from place to place. But it’s still Epiphany, with its theme of “manifestation”, or “showing forth.” So, now our readings turn to passages like this morning’s … [Read more…]
January 2000 Following are a few of my well-intended New Year’s Resolutions. I don’t promise to keep any of them, but at least you know I’m thinking about them: I’ll clean and straighten my desk to keep Merle happy. I’ll mention Jesus more in my homilies to keep Gertrude happy. I’ll start services on time … [Read more…]