Visions: Sermon for the Feast of Sts. Peter & Paul

The Feast of Sts. Peter & Paul is June 29. At my parish (named for St. Paul) we translate that feast to the nearest Sunday and celebrate as one of our two patronal occasions (the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, January 25, being the other). Thus, on July 1, 2007, [...]

Summertime and the livin’ isn’t easy!

Summertime, and the livin’ is easy …..
So says the song written by George and Ira Gershwin, but I have to admit that I have found summertime to be anything but “easy”!
Around church we have (as I am currently writing) a whole passel of kids running around Avalanche Ranch taking a wild ride with Jesus.  The [...]

Sermon for Proper 7C: How do we recognize Prophets?

The Lessons for Proper 7, Year C, Revised Common Lectionary: 1 Kings 19:1-15a, Psalm 42 and 43, Galatians 3:23-39, St. Luke 8:26-39
How do we recognize Prophets?
In our readings from Scripture today, we have situations in which it was quite easy to recognize God’s messenger … Elijah, the Prophet of the God of Israel, [...]

Sermon: There’s a Crack in Everything (for St. John’s Day)

At our late service on Sunday, June 24, 2007, the local lodge of Free and Accepted Masons will be joining the congregation. Masons do this once a year in many locations. On what the church calls “The Nativity of St. John the Baptist,” which Masons call “St. John’s Day,” they gather as a [...]

Such a Small Thing ….

This is a virus which causes that malady called “the common cold”. There are about 200 varieties of these things. They range in size from 20 to 250 nanometers. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.
Such a small thing … but one of these little bugs grabbed hold of me [...]

The Multiverse

About 18 months ago I was writing another blog, which I have since abandoned.  In December of 2005 I wrote the following post on that blog:

The Multiverse
Last month, I read a physics book, Schrodinger’s Rabbits: Entering The Many Worlds Of Quantum by Colin Bruce. This month, I am making my way through Brian Greene’s The [...]

Ecclesiastical Pica – PS

An online dictionary adds to the definition of “pica” ….

“pathological craving for substance unfit for food” (such as chalk), 1563, from M.L. pica “magpie,” probably translating Gk. kissa, kitta “magpie, jay,” also “false appetite.” The connecting notion may be the birds’ indiscriminate feeding.

In fact, the bird’s scientific taxonomy is “pica pica”.
Magpies are considered thieves. [...]

Ecclesiastical Pica

I always thought “pica” was the name for a particular size of typeface and, in fact, it is that. But it is also the name for a pathological craving to eat nonfoods.
Learned this today because I googled the words “dog eats grass.” Why would I do that? Well … because my dog [...]

Sunday Morning Youth Sports

Jennifer McKenzie, blogger of The Reverend Mother, has written a great reflection decrying the scheduling of youth sports activities on Sunday mornings. It was picked up and repeated at The Episcopal Cafe. I encourage you to read it.
I offered the following response at both locations.
Right On! Jennifer, this is a battle I’ve [...]

Sermon for RCL Proper 6C: “Faith AND Works … a Both-And”

Focusing on Galatians 2:15-21 and Luke 7:36-8:3
Since Martin Luther started the Reformation, a debate has raged in Christendom about whether we are saved by faith or saved by works….. This debate was sparked, in part, by the theology of St. Paul written in such letters as the one we hear today. In this [...]