Pleasure, Possessions, & Pride

Readings for the First Sunday in Lent (Year A) Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 Psalm 32 Romans 5:12-19 Matthew 4:1-11 This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church Eureka on Sunday March 1, 2020. Our Christian tradition teaches us to be wary of our relationship to pleasure and possessions and pride. Although these are not evil in and […]

Sermon on the Mount: Three Key Spiritual Disciplines

Readings for Ash Wednesday Isaiah 58:1-12 Psalm 103:8-14 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 Matthew 6:1-6,16-21 This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church Eureka on Sunday February 26, 2020. The Gospel reading for Ash Wednesday is a portion of the Sermon on the Mount, a sermon that I preached on just a few Sundays ago and described as […]

Sermon on the Mount: Attitudes that Help Us Be Salt and Light

Readings for the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany (Year A) Isaiah 58:1-12 Psalm 112:1-10 1 Corinthians 2:1-12, [13-16] Matthew 5:13-20 This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church Eureka on Sunday February 9, 2020. This Sunday and next Sunday we will be hearing portions of what is considered by many to be the most significant and influential […]

Better is One Day: Christ Church Eureka Rector’s Report on 2019

Readings for the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord (Candlemas) Malachi 3:1-4 Hebrews 2:14-18 Luke 2:22-40 Psalm 84 This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church in Eureka CA on February 2, 2020 (Groundhog’s Day / 02 02 2020) “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a […]

Celebrating Past Clergy of Christ Church Eureka

Readings for the Third Sunday after Epiphany (Year A) Isaiah 9:1-4 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 Matthew 4:12-23 Psalm 27:1, 5-13 This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church Eureka on Sunday January 26, 2020. Today, we are celebrating the past clergy of this 150-year-old church. If you take a look at the last pages of your bulletin, […]

Behold the Lamb of God

Readings for the Second Sunday after Epiphany (Year A) Isaiah 49:1-7 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 John 1:29-42 Psalm 40:1-12 This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church Eureka on Sunday January 19, 2020. Listen to sermon here. This last Saturday was the six-year anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood, which took place at St. John’s Pro- […]

The Most Important Gift of the Magi

Readings for the Feast of the Epiphany (Year A) Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalm 72:1-7,10-14 Ephesians 3:1-12 Matthew 2:1-12 This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church Eureka on Sunday January 5, 2020. Today is the twelfth day of Christmas and we are celebrating this day not with twelve drummers drumming but rather with King’s Cake, crowns, the […]

Protected: Homily for Patricia Margaret Toy

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Prayer Reflection on 2019 for 2020

This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church in Eureka CA at the Christmas Lessons and Carols service on the First Sunday after Christmas, December 29, 2019. On the first Sunday after Christmas, I like us to prepare for the new calendar year by reflecting prayerfully on what we have learned and explored over the […]

Everlasting Glory in our Paper Flesh

Readings for the Feast of the Christ Mass (Selection III) Isaiah 52:7-10 Hebrews 1:1-4,(5-12) John 1:1-14 Psalm 98 This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church Eureka on Wednesday December 25, 2019. Out of all the Gospel readings assigned for the Christmas feast, my favorite has got to be the prologue to the Gospel of John, […]