Abiding in the Love that Prunes Away Violence

This is a concluding reflection for the class “Throwing Branches into the Fire: Confronting Anti-Judaism in John and Anti-Semitism in Church” (John 9:1-7, 38-41), part of the Lenten series “Beholding the Lamb, Being Held by the Shepherd: Exploring the Question of Suffering in the Gospel of John” taught at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church on Sunday […]

Asking the Question with Julian of Norwich and the Buddha

This is a concluding reflection for the class “Asking the Question” (John 9:1-7, 38-41), part of the Lenten series “Beholding the Lamb, Being Held by the Shepherd: Exploring the Question of Suffering in the Gospel of John” taught at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church on Sunday February 12, 2012. “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his […]

From Bashful to Bold

This is a draft of a paper to be presented at the Engaging Particularities Conference (“Engaging Particularities X: New Directions in Comparative Theology, Theology of Religions, Interreligious Dialogue, and Missiology”) at Boston College on April 1, 2012. Rabbi Norman Lamm, the current president of Yeshiva University in New York, tells of a time when he […]

The Secret Chord: Leonard Cohen and the Ketuvim

Several years ago, I wrote a paper comparing the lyrics of Leonard Cohen with the Ketuvim (the portion of the Jewish Bible including the Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, 1 and 2 Chronicles). Cohen’s passing has moved me to revisit my “old ideas” about one of my […]

Evangelizing in God’s First Language

Listen to sermon here: Evangelizing in God’s First Language Readings for the Third Sunday after Epiphany (Year B) Jonah 3:1-5, 10 Psalm 62:6-14 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 Mark 1:14-20 This sermon was preached at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in Berkeley CA on January 22, 2012. “For God alone my soul in silence waits; truly, my hope […]

God’s Resolution to Us

Readings for the First Sunday after Christmas Isaiah 61:10-62:3 Psalm 147 Galatians 3:23-25. 4:4-7 John 1:1-18 This sermon was preached at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in Berkeley CA on January 1, 2012. (Watch a vlog of this sermon here) Happy New Year! This morning is the first morning of 2012. And I can’t think of […]

Mansions for Emmanuel

Readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 Romans 16:25-27 Luke 1:26-38 The Collect: Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation, that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity […]

Ember Letter: Advent 2011

Dear Right Reverend J. Jon Bruno, Warm Advent greetings to you at this season of thanksgiving and expectation. I have come to treasure these opportunities to reflect on the last quarter as I write my ember letters to you. On this December Ember, I have been thinking about Thomas Merton, whose feast day was a […]

God Speaks in the Language of Resurrection

Ten years after 9/11 and on the 70th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, it is appropriate to reflect with the Archbishop Rowan Williams on war and peace. In Writing in the Dust: After September 11, Williams invites his readers to sit with their emotions and inclinations (no matter how disturbing) in what he calls […]

Our Thanksgiving to God and Christ’s Thanksgiving for Us

Readings for Thanksgiving Day Deuteronomy 8:7-18 Psalm 65 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 Luke 17:11-19 This sermon was preached at St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in Berkeley CA on Thanksgiving November 24, 2011. You shall eat your fill and bless the LORD your God for the good land that he has given you. As a freshman at Westmont […]