24 Pentecost, Proper 27 – November 12, 2023 Matthew 25:1-13          This parable reminds me of dragonflies. I know that sounds odd, but are you aware of the life of a dragonfly? It may surprise you to know that dragonflies spend most of their lives underwater. Before they are born as the adult dragonflies we […]

All Saints’ Sunday – November 5, 2023 Matthew 5:1-12          Today we are celebrating All Saints’ Sunday.  All Saints Day is actually part of what we call a Triduum.  Triduum meaning a three-day observance.  We have All Hallows Eve (otherwise known as Halloween), All Saints Day, followed by All Souls Day.  This year that was […]

22 Pentecost, Proper 25 – October 29, 2023 Matthew 22:34-46          The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing was a large group of English Quakers that would come to be called Shakers. They were called Shakers because of their distinctive movement during worship. And the Shakers are also known for their style of […]

21 Pentecost, Proper 24 – October 22, 2023 Matthew 22:15-22          So this morning, we are hearing about some of the Pharisees and Herodians plotting to entrap Jesus. They first use flattery and then ask him a question designed to make him look bad. The Pharisees of Jesus’s day saw the tribute tax as a […]

20 Pentecost, Proper 23 – October 15, 2023 Matthew 22:1-14          So, this morning we hear another uncomfortable parable from Jesus. And I needed to remind myself that parables were designed to make us uncomfortable. If we read them and find ourselves unprovoked, then we aren’t really seeing them.  Jesus was no teller of cozy […]

18 Pentecost, Proper 21 – October 1, 2023 Matthew 21:23-32          Let me start by giving you some context for our story this morning: Jesus has just spent the weekend entering Jerusalem on a stolen donkey, receiving the adoration of the crowds, cursing a fig tree, and slinging a whip around the temple to cleanse […]

17 Pentecost, Proper 20 – September 24, 2023 Matthew 20:1-16          Be honest. When you heard our gospel reading just now, did your heart leap for joy? Were you excited when you heard that the workers who’d toiled and slaved all day long in the hot sun were going to get the same day’s wages […]

16 Pentecost, Proper 19 – September 17, 2023 Matthew 18:21-35           “How many times do I need to forgive my brother or sister?” That’s the question which prompts the parable of the unmerciful servant that we hear today. This passage follows on last week’s reading, which Jesus concluded by assuring us that wherever two or […]

15 Pentecost, Proper 18 – September 10, 2023 Matthew 18:15-20          “We need to talk.”  How do you feel when someone says these four words to you?  “We need to talk”.  What happens in your body when you hear them? Most of the time, if another person approaches us with those words, they’re not saying […]

14 Pentecost, Proper 17 – September 3, 2023 Matthew 16:21-28 Last Sunday we heard Jesus saying to Peter, you’re “the rock on which I will build my church” and this Sunday he’s calling Peter “a stumbling block.” That’s not just great word play – from cornerstone to stumbling block – but such a reversal of […]