September with Celidonius: Walk and See (Jn 9:1)

“Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” – Mary Oliver Καὶ παράγων εἶδεν ἄνθρωπον τυφλὸν ἐκ γενετῆς (Kai paragon eiden anthropon tuphlon ek genetes) “And walking along he saw a man blind from birth…” (9:1) This verse begins with the most common New Testament conjunction “kai,” used more than 9,000 […]

Receiving the Kiss of Kenosis

Readings for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 16 Year B Track 1) 1 Kings 8: 1, 6, 10-11, 22-30, 41-43 Psalm 84 Philippians 2:1-11 (in place of Ephesians 6:10-20) John 6:56-59 This sermon was preached at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Crockett CA on August 23, 2015. Over the last couple weeks, I’ve had the privilege of […]

Jonathan Myrick Daniels and the High Priestly Wisdom of Self-Giving Love

Readings for the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 15 Year B Track 2) Proverbs 9:1-6 Psalm 34:9-14 Ephesians 5:15-20 John 6:51-58 This sermon was preached at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity in San Rafael CA on August 16, 2015. Last month, after presenting a paper at an academic conference in St. Louis, I took a mini-retreat to a Trappist monastery […]

Grace that Saves a Kvetch like MEYG (and Me)

Readings for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 14 Year B Track 2) 1 Kings 19:4-8 Psalm 34:1-8 Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2 John 6:35, 41-51 This sermon was preached at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity in San Rafael CA on August 9, 2015. Each year, over the last three years, the Marin Episcopal Youth Group (MEYG) has teamed […]

Grace that Saves a Kvetch Like Me (and MEYG)

Readings for the Tenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 13 Year B Track 2) Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15 Psalm 78:23-29 Ephesians 4:1-16 John 6:24-35 This sermon was preached at Christ Episcopal Church in Sausalito CA on August 2, 2015. Each year, over the last three years, the Marin Episcopal Youth Group has teamed up with the Jewish youth at Congregation […]

Lament and What the Lectionary Leaves Out

Readings for the Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 11 Year B) 2 Samuel 7:1-14a Psalm 89:20-37 Ephesians 2:11-22 Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 This sermon was preached at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in San Rafael CA on July 19, 2015. I have been to several Episcopal parishes in this diocese (and beyond) and St. Paul’s San Rafael has one unique characteristic that […]

Christ’s Non-Judgmental Ministry of Presence

Readings for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 8 Year B) 2 Samuel 1, 17-27 Psalm 130 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 Mark 5:21-43 This sermon was preached at Grace Episcopal Church in Martinez CA on June 28, 2015. About a decade ago, I worked as an interfaith chaplain at the San Francisco General Hospital, mostly ministering to patients in the […]

Waking Up Christ Inside Out

Readings for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 7 Year B) Job 38:1-11 Psalm 107:1-3, 23 -32 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 Mark 4:35-41 This sermon was preached at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Crockett CA on June 21, 2015. A couple days ago I watched a fantastic animated film called Inside Out, which creatively portrays the emotional life of […]

Trusting in the Slow Work of God

Readings for the Third Sunday of Pentecost (Proper 6 Year B) 1 Samuel 15:34 – 16:13 Psalm 20 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, (11-13), 14-17 Mark 4:26-34 This sermon was preached at Grace Episcopal Church in Martinez CA on June 14, 2015. Six years ago, I preached my first sermon in an Episcopal church on today’s Gospel parables about […]

A Caldera of Grace

Readings for the Second Sunday of Pentecost (Proper 5 Year B Track 1): 1 Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11:14-15) Psalm 138 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 Mark 3:20-35 This sermon was preached at Grace Episcopal Church in Martinez CA on June 7, 2015. Thousands of years before Moses received the Torah from Mt. Sinai, there was a massive explosion about […]