Sermon, 3rd Sunday in Advent, 2025
During Advent, we are considering our preparations for Christ’s coming. We think about His First Advent, and then we ask how we are to prepare for His Second. This morning we discuss the role of the Church in our preparation, and particularly, the role of the ministers of the Church. God grant them the grace to effectively preach the True Word of God. God grant grace to the people of God to receive the Word with true affection, hearing and doing what is duly preached. Propers Manuscript Sermon Archive
Sermon, 2nd Sunday of Advent, Dec. 7, 2025, Bible Sunday
Today is Bible Sunday. The Season of Advent is a time in which we are reminded to prepare for the coming of Christ, and, in particular, the Church reminds us this day to effectively use the Word of God, the Bible, as a means of preparation. If we desire to think and act like Christ, the Word Incarnate, then we must shape ourselves according to The Word Written. Propers Manuscript Sermon Archive
Sermon, 1st Sunday of Advent, 2025
The first Sunday of Advent gives us a preview of the second coming of Christ. Christ entry into Jerusalem before Passion week shows us the entry of a king who is setting things to right. The corrupt leaders are shamed, and the people flock to their righteous ruler. Of course, we know that Christ first came as redeemer to lay His life down for His flock, but He will return again to judge the world. Are you ready for His coming? Are you spending the time you have been given in service to the kingdom? This is the most important thing. The night is far spent. The day is at…
Sermon, Sunday Next Before Advent, 2025
“Stir up the wills of thy faithful people.” So we pray in today’s collect. But to what purpose are we to be stirred-up? We see in today’s lessons that we are to turn our focus outward. We are to see the shepherdless people all around us and be stirred to compassion and then go out into the wilderness of our communities and gather in the outcasts. Let us not dwell upon what we lack, but rather let us simply obey our Lord Jesus Christ. All things are His. He will provide bread for His people in the wilderness. Propers Manuscript Sermon Archive
Sermon, 22nd Sunday after Trinity, 2025
The gospel lesson for this week is the parable of the unforgiving servant. We note that the king in the parable was merciful and forgave, and that he is an image of God for us. We serve a God, “whose property is always to have mercy.” God loves us and will always forgive those who come to Him in repentance. We also see in the epistle lesson this morning from the first chapter of Philippians, that the Apostle Paul cares deeply for the believers in Philippi, just as they have loved him through their prayers and support. These examples challenge us as members of the Body of Christ: Do we…
Sermon, 21st Sunday after Trinity, 2025
We can mean many things when we use the word, “believe”. It can mean an intellectual assent, which is merely an acknowledgment or agreement that has no real impact upon us. It can mean that we take action regarding a conviction, that we actually do something. It can also mean that we have experienced a particular thing or event and thus have no doubts about its truth. In this last case, there is a confidence, a peace, which accompanies belief. In our lives, we will certainly face many personal battles on all kinds of levels. The epistle lesson provides for us disciplines and “spiritual armor” for us to use in…
Sunday Morning Worship celebrating the Feast of All Saints, Nov. 2, 2025
During today’s worship, we are reminded of the great cloud of witnesses, those who have finished their lives in persevering in, and contending for, the faith. We are reminded that their being has not ended, but they are gathered round the throne of God worshiping Him with their entire souls, and in doing so, they find joy and everlasting triumph. Finally, we are reminded that in our worship, we ascend into heaven and join with them around the Throne of God and of The Lamb and the Sevenfold Spirit of God. Let this reality be with us every time we gather for worship! Propers Manuscript Sermon Archive
Sermon, 19th Sunday after Trinity, 2025
Those who are outside of the Body of Christ, necessarily measure all things in relationship to themselves. However once we are brought into the church through baptism, the reference point for all of our actions, words, and thoughts, becomes Christ. From this point on, we are challenged to conform our lives more and more to Jesus. This journey of Transformation into the image of Christ lasts through our entire life. Christ is our beginning, middle, and end. Propers Manuscript Sermon Archive
Sermon, 18th Sunday after Trinity, 2025
As Christians, we are not only tempted to sin through our weaknesses, but we are also tempted to doubt our faith when confronted by skeptics. This morning we look at how Jesus was able to withstand such attacks and pray for grace that, like our Lord Christ, we would be able to withstand challenges to our faith as well. Propers Manuscript Sermon Archive
Homily for the Feast of St. Luke, 2025
In Colossians 4, St. Paul refers to, “Luke the beloved physician.” From this, the church has traditionally held that St. Luke was a doctor, skilled in treating ailments of the body. But Luke was also the author of the Gospel that bears his name and of the Acts of the Apostles, and he was also a companion of St. Paul in his missionary activities. From this we understand that he sought to heal souls as well. In this feast day, we are reminded that we are created as a union of both body and soul. Our ultimate healing is in Christ who heals our souls and promises that, in the life…