Readings for the Third Sunday in Lent (Year C) This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church in Eureka CA on March 20, 2022. There is a strong temptation among Christians and religious people in general to engage in a very insidious way of thinking that is called ‘blaming the victim.’ It is essentially blaming the victims […]

Readings for the First Sunday in Lent (Year C) This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church in Eureka CA on March 6, 2022. The forty days of Lent have begun, even though today (Sunday) is not counted as one of those days. Remember Sundays are still feast days throughout the season of Lent, so if you’ve […]

Readings for Ash Wednesday Joel 2:1-2, 12 – 17 Psalm 103 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 This homily was preached at Christ Episcopal Church in Eureka CA on Ash Wednesday, March 2, 2022. On Ash Wednesday, we recognize our mortality and finitude, our utter dependance on God for every single breath we breathe. As the author of […]

Readings for the Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C) This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church in Eureka CA on February 20, 2022. Last Sunday, we heard the opening words of the Sermon on the Plain, a sermon that Jesus preached after staying up all night in prayer and after calling his twelve disciples, on […]

Readings for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C) This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church in Eureka CA on February 13, 2022 Because I think we’re overdue for a cheesy joke, I have a question: What happens to maple trees on Valentine’s Day? They get sappy! During this weekend of fun distractions like the […]

Readings for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (Year C) This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church in Eureka CA on February 6, 2022 A Methodist pastor spent decades searching for some artwork that had been spiritually formative for her as a child growing up in Tahlequah Oklahoma. Every couple years, she would do a Google […]

“Before I Formed You in the Womb…” Readings for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany (Year C) Jeremiah 1:4-101 Corinthians 13:1-13Luke 4:21-30Psalm 71:1-6 This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church Eureka on Sunday January 30, 2022. One of my friends and colleagues the Rev. Chris Yaw wrote a book titled “Jesus was an Episcopalian (and You Can Be […]

Feeling God’s Pleasure and Rebuilding the Ruins Readings for the Third Sunday after Epiphany Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-101 Corinthians 12:12-31aLuke 4:14-21Psalm 19 This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church Eureka on Sunday January 23, 2022. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O LORD. May we bring […]

Water Blushing into Wine Readings for the Second Sunday after Epiphany Isaiah 62:1-51 Corinthians 12:1-11John 2:1-11Psalm 36:5-10 This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church Eureka on Sunday January 16, 2022. Once every three years, our lectionary reminds us of the three manifestations of God associated with the Feast of the Epiphany, which we celebrated ten days ago […]

A reflection on St. Thomas the Apostle inspired by the oil painting of Fr. George Leonard Shultz (1896 – 1971). This same reflection was published in the Times-Standard on Saturday January 8, 2022 as “St. Thomas: the doubter or the believer?“ At first glance, Fr. George Shultz’s portrayal of St. Thomas seems to reinforce the popular understanding of […]