Category Archives: Sermons

“Baptized into the curious life of following Christ”

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1st Sunday after the Epiphany (Matthew 3:13-17)  01/09/2011

The celebration of the Baptism of our LORD

“Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him…” (Matt 3:17) Throughout the week I have been imagining John standing at the edge of the Jordan River, watching Jesus approach the crowd that surrounded John as he baptized them in the River. (As he watched Jesus approaching,) John must have thought, “now the real baptizing will begin,” but instead Jesus asks John to baptize him. John is surprised…what a curious request; the Messiah would like John to baptize him? As I considered how John must have felt in that moment, I thought of the curious events of life that we encounter and I was reminded of the classic children’s book written by E.B. White, Charlotte’s Web. White’s classic story of the “terrific” little pig Wilbur is full of curiosities. First, Wilbur was born the runt of a very large litter and his future did not look to be very long until he was saved by the protests of a young girl named Fern. Wilbur’s life was spared, but only to be sold to Farmer Zuckerman so the little pig could be fattened up and sold for Christmas dinner. Once again, Wilbur’s life was saved, but this time by an ingenious (or perhaps miraculous) spider named Charlotte. And so the story continues – every time the plot appears to be headed in the expected direction of “normal” life on the farm (and to the detriment of poor Wilbur) we are surprised to discover that the story has taken a curious turn in a new direction…a direction that causes everyone to wonder what could possibly be going on? Continue reading →

“Passing through the threshold of Christmas – our lives are forever changed”

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1st Sunday after Christmas (Gal 3:23-25; 4:4-7)  12/26/2010

Throughout the past several weeks my daughter has been going through the college selection process…and we have shared this journey with her. As many of you can confirm, this process can be a time of joy and anxiety in one’s life, both for the young person going through the process and for those offering their love and guidance. The life changing events that accompany the beginning of one’s college years are not limited to this experience alone. For young adults the experiences of moving out of your parents’ home, joining the ranks of the working world or the military, or starting a family all have their life changing effects. And as we grow older, we continue to pass through significant thresholds of life – particular points along the journey through life where, due to some experience or due to someone we encounter, we are forever changed. Continue reading →

“Are you ready to receive the unexpected Gift?”

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Christmas Eve (Luke 2:1-20)  12/24/2010

Merry Christmas. We now have just a few short hours until Santa makes the rounds through Central CT…and I know this because I checked the official NORAD Santa Claus tracker just prior to coming to the church. At this point of the evening, Santa is hard at work delivering his load of goodies and he has long completed his final check of who has been naughty and who has been nice (I hope we all have managed to get on the “Nice” list this year). Santa’s list of gifts is famous for its complete and unfailing accuracy. And like Santa, each of us has our list of gifts and we likely carefully check their accuracy – maybe not using the “naughty” and “nice” criteria, but certainly each using our own method. Continue reading →

“Keep awake with the heart of a child and prepare to hear God’s Word”

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Advent 1A (Matthew 24:36-44)  11/28/2010

“On Christmas Eve, many years ago, I lay quietly in my bed. I did not rustle the sheets. I breathed slowly and silently. I was listening for a sound…”[i] These words are the opening sentences of The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. The Polar Express is a classic Christmas tale of a young boy’s adventures on a Christmas Eve train ride to the North Pole and his exploration of understanding the spirit and joy of Christmas. This story was a Christmas season favorite when my kids were young and we would read the book several times each year. The book remains one of my favorites: each page is beautifully illustrated, the story is full of adventure and excitement, and the boy’s Christmas present (a bell from one of Santa’s reindeer) stands out as a symbol with great meaning because only those who believe can hear the “sweet sounds” that come from the ringing of the bell. As I think back to reading the story over and over to my children, I do remember that the boy’s parents could not hear the bell and I am reminded of Jesus’ words to his disciples as written in a passage from Matthew’s Gospel account. Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 18:3-4) Continue reading →

“Redeemed through Christ, be strengthened in your Advent pilgrimage”

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Proper 29C  (Col 1:11-20 and Luke 23:33-43)  11/21/2010

This morning we gather on the last Sunday of the church year. And as the church year comes to an end, we hear what we might call the end of the story of Christ’s public ministry – his imminent death on the cross. But like many things that come to an end, whether the church year or the public ministry of Christ, the “end” often does not mark the final word to be said but merely serves to point toward a new beginning. This last Sunday of the church year is celebrated on our calendar as the day of Christ the King. As the story of Jesus comes to a close, we remember that Christ came into the world, a world that was and is broken and fallen and in need of help. A world that is yearning for all that Christ has to offer (a world waiting for the gifts of the Only Son of God), but a world that abandons Jesus all the same. And if our abandonment was the end of the story we would surely be the worse for it, but Christ is King; Christ is the Victor over sin and over death itself, and Christ is our King and Savior. Today we come to the end and stop for a moment to reflect on the saving work of Christ because through Christ we are forgiven and redeemed. But what does that mean to us as we live out our lives…that we are “forgiven and redeemed?” Continue reading →

“Not Experts of God, but Children of God”

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Proper 28C (Luke 21:5-19)  11/14/2010

“Jesus said, ‘As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.’ They asked him, ‘Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?’” (Lk 21:6-7) We should not be surprised that Jesus does not provide a direct answer to his followers, but instead describes a list of events that nearly every generation since the 1st century can understand…and all too well identify as their own. Today we live in a world of post 9/11 warnings and updates of terrorist activities throughout the world. These events are not new to world history, but how they manifest themselves today is certainly new to us. There is a feeling of uncertainty that is tangible and as we draw to the end of the year, the days remaining on the calendar are running out. And when time runs out, we come face-to-face with the tough questions. Are we good enough? Have we forgiven enough? Have we loved enough? These are questions that we carry with us each and every day, but as we approach the end of the year the many questions of our lives stand squarely in front of us…and we want to break through the uncertainty that surrounds us. Like Jesus’ disciples, we find ourselves asking, what will be the signs to point us through the time of unknowing. What should we know and what can we do to be prepared. Continue reading →

“Sharing Zacchaeus’ question: who do I want to be?”

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Proper 26C (Luke 19:1-10)  10/31/2010

The cold weather has returned, many houses are surrounded with cobwebs and scary decorations, and the wonderful Pipescreams concert was held this past Friday: all reminders that tonight is Halloween. Preparing for Halloween prompts us to consider the all important question – what costume should I wear; or in other words, what or who should I transform myself in to for one night of fun? Many years ago when my son was in the first grade he had great difficulty in deciding on his costume. Having exhausted all hope that his parents would be of any help to him, he decided to visit our neighbor across the street. Seeking guidance for the perfect costume, he asked our neighbor what his favorite costume was when he was a young boy – Batman was the answer he received. After thinking a bit about that idea, he asked, “well, what other costumes did you wear?” Batman, that was the only answer…when our neighbor was a young boy he was Batman for 5 or 6 years in a row. Unfortunately, his answer did not prove very useful in helping my son determine his final costume choice. Who should I transform myself to become – he was still faced with a big dilemma.

This morning, we hear that Zacchaeus was also faced with a big dilemma in his life. Continue reading →

“The gift of Faith – renewed and rekindled by our actions”

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Proper 22C (2 Tim 1:1-14 and Luke 17:5-10)  10/03/2010

John Westerhoff, an Episcopal priest and theologian, shared his understanding of faith development in his book, Will Our Children Have Faith? Westerhoff opens his book by stating, “It is a truism that Christian faith and education are inevitable companions. Wherever living faith exists, there is a community endeavoring to know, understand, live and witness to that faith.”[i] Throughout the remainder of Westerhoff’s book, he clearly explains that his definition of education is not limited to the classroom. The companionship of faith and education is most profoundly experienced as we learn in the fullness of our journey through life. Last Sunday morning at our forum, the St. John’s J2A pilgrims shared highlights from their trip to Scotland and those in attendance heard their profound experiences – experiences that will shape and inform their journey through life. Throughout the forum, each pilgrim came forward and shared some concerns they had before the trip (the potential difficulty of living without electronic gadgets, the discomfort of living on a vegetarian diet, and the unease of traveling with people that you barely know); and they also shared their understanding of life after the trip (garden grown vegetables are not so bad, traveling without electronic gadgets fosters conversation and friendship, and the beauty of the Scottish landscape revealed to them the presence of the holy). The pilgrimage was a profound experience for those who made the trip, but as members of this community, as people who witness the pilgrims’ journey, we encounter the holy and we are profoundly changed as well. Profoundly changed in our understanding of life and profoundly changed in our understanding of faith. The gift of faith, freely given to us from God, but a gift that is ours to grow through our discovery; our determination; our wonder of the holy. Our faith must be “rekindled” as the author of Paul’s letter to Timothy tells us this morning. Continue reading →

“Shrewdly seeking God’s grace”

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Proper 20C (Luke 16:1-13)  09-19-2010

A few years ago when my family and I moved from the Chicago area to the suburbs of Washington, DC, we quickly realized that the traffic was going to give us an opportunity to practice our patience and we also realized that an early start on the morning commute would be a necessity. Because the traffic was also unpredictable, an early start often meant an early arrival at the seminary, so I became a regular at the Student Lounge. Like many of the commuter students who frequented this convenient gathering place, I became familiar with the bad coffee, the uncomfortable furniture and the dismal gray walls. And because we were quite certain that the traffic was not going to end any time soon, we decided that we should make some changes to the lounge so our time there was more pleasant. A few pillows on the furniture and some good scrubbing on the coffee machines made a big difference, but those dismal gray walls were still very depressing. We thought a cheerful yellow paint would make a great difference on everyone’s attitude. We assumed that painting the lounge would require someone’s permission, so we asked several school officials for the name of the person in charge of the lounge. In every case the answer was the same: I don’t know who is in charge of the lounge. After an unsuccessful search for the person in charge, we finally decided to do the only reasonable thing: we bought some paint and woke up early one morning to quietly paint the lounge before anyone discovered our plan. With paint and brushes in hand, we prepared the room, covered the furniture and were only minutes from starting when the Manager of the book store came in to the lounge and told us that one of the school officials had heard we might be painting and she wanted to see us in her office right away. With only minutes to creatively save our plan, we quickly painted the smallest wall in the lounge. With a bad feeling about our future, we headed up the hill to explain our secret painting project.

The property manager in our Gospel lesson had a bad feeling about his future as well – called to the master’s house to give an accounting of his actions. Continue reading →

“Challenging ourselves to follow Christ beyond the boundaries of our world”

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Proper 18C (Luke 14:25-33)  09-05-2010

When my family and I moved from the Chicago area to Alexandria, VA, we searched for the familiar among the unfamiliar of our new surroundings to soften the transition. As we thought about our new home, we realized that Alexandria is the home of T.C. Williams High School, which was familiar to us from the movie “Remember the Titans.” The movie was released approximately 10 years ago and is a popular sports movie about a high school football team. The story deals with the racial integration of the team and the challenges faced by the coaches and the young players. The players and coaches face the difficult road of coming together as a team, both on the field and off, yet they must live among the pressures associated with the society of Alexandria, VA in 1971…a society with the cultural norms that had yet to fully embrace the idea of racial integration.

This morning in our Gospel lesson we hear of the large crowds following Jesus as he slowly makes his way toward Jerusalem. The large crowds prove the popularity that Jesus has attained, making him as popular and as well known as a modern day sports figure of our time. And as is often the cause with famous people, the people have made some assumptions about Jesus and have formed their own opinions of him and what their life should be like as one of his followers. However, Jesus takes some time to address the large crowd and tell them his understanding of what their lives have in store for them: “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” (Lk 14:26) Continue reading →