Sermons – Page 257 – The Episcopal Church

When the Moment of Crisis Comes, Advent 4 (A) – 2001

The simple truth is this: none of us avoids a crisis. All of us have trouble in the course of our lives. Someone may appear to be always on top of the world, but this observation may only show that we do not know that person well. Take a man who is successful in business,…

Read More When the Moment of Crisis Comes, Advent 4 (A) – 2001
For God’s People, God’s Holy Way Is a Choice, Advent 3 (A) – 2001

A highway shall be there,and it shall be called theHoly Way;the unclean shall not travel on it,but it shall be for God’speople;no traveler, not even fools, shallgo astray.(Isaiah 35:8-10) The earlier verses (5-6) of this beautiful chapter in Isaiah are much more familiar than the few lines quoted above. The opening of blind eyes and…

Read More For God’s People, God’s Holy Way Is a Choice, Advent 3 (A) – 2001
During Advent, Some Clergy…, Advent 2 (A) – 2001

During Advent some clergy move Créche figures around the church as a way of telling children the story of Joseph and Mary and the shepherds and wise men moving toward the barn in Bethlehem. Imagine a priest adding to the usual mix on this second Sunday of the Advent season to illustrate today’s Gospel. This…

Read More During Advent, Some Clergy…, Advent 2 (A) – 2001
Waiting and Wonder, Advent 1 (A) – 2001

[RCL]: Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44 Today we find ourselves on the opening day of Advent. Let’s take a look at the patterns of life that this season offers us. In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Looking around the church, we may well see the traditional signs of…

Read More Waiting and Wonder, Advent 1 (A) – 2001
It Isn’t Usually Such…, Christ the King (C) – 2001

It isn’t usually such a great idea to begin a sermon with a question, but today’s celebration of the feast of Christ the King really begs us to do just that. The question is, what picture in our mind does the word “king” evoke? How do we really picture Christ as King? It is a…

Read More It Isn’t Usually Such…, Christ the King (C) – 2001
But Be Doers Of the Word…, Thanksgiving Day (C) – 2001

But be doers of the word, not merely hearers who deceive themselves (Jas. 1:22) But strive first for the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you as well (Matt.6:33) The two verses from Scripture appointed for Thanksgiving in the Episcopal Church’s lectionary are at first glance not very…

Read More But Be Doers Of the Word…, Thanksgiving Day (C) – 2001
Let’s Get Our Priorities Straight, Proper 28 (C) – 2001

“Let’s get our priorities straight!” seems to be the message of this morning’s readings from Scripture. With the liturgical year coming to a close, the church turns its attention to the “End Times,” thus framing the Christian year with apocalyptic images. The challenge to Christians is how to incorporate the sense of urgency contained in…

Read More Let’s Get Our Priorities Straight, Proper 28 (C) – 2001
Whose Wife Will…, Proper 27 (C) – 2001

“Whose wife will the woman be?” Isn’t that a great question? The Sadducees were the oldest and most conservative of the major religious groups of Jesus’ day. One of their big disagreements with the Pharisees and other groups was over the fairly new notion that there would be a personal resurrection after death. The Sadducees…

Read More Whose Wife Will…, Proper 27 (C) – 2001
As We Approach Two Months…, All Saints’ Day (C) – 2001

Note: This sermon is written with the intention that the entire passage from Luke (6:20-36) will be read as the Gospel lesson for the day. As we approach two months since the attacks on our nation that began September 11 we are still sorting out what has changed in America, and what will need to….

Read More As We Approach Two Months…, All Saints’ Day (C) – 2001
A Reflection on Attitude, Proper 25 (C) – 2001

The parable in today’s Gospel (Luke 18:9-14) sheds some light on our attitude in offering prayers to God. The Pharisee, a righteous man in the eyes of the community, and a tax collector, a self-confessed wicked and sinful man, go to the Temple to offer their prayers to God. We learn a lot about these…

Read More A Reflection on Attitude, Proper 25 (C) – 2001