The Gospel of the Second Chance The parable of the fig tree in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 13:1-9) has been called “The Gospel of the Second Chance.” In the midst of failure, sin, blindness, and neglect, we often fail to maintain our selves and our souls in a way that will produce the fruit we […]
The Point of No Return In this week’s gospel lesson (Luke 13:31-35) Jesus is warned about his coming fate, which is becoming apparent to those following his ministry. And Jesus responds in a way that makes it clear he is past the point of no return. This term, “point of no return,” came into […]
Welcome to a Holy Lent We begin our services this Sunday with the Great Litany, as do many other Episcopal congregations—it has become a tradition to recite or sing this prayer on the first Sunday in Lent. While a form of this prayer was used as early as the fifth century in Rome, this litany, […]
Being Transfigured On the Last Sunday after the Epiphany each year we read an account of Jesus being transfigured on the mountaintop. This year is Luke’s version. As we prepare to enter the holy season of Lent, might we dare to ask Jesus to transfigure us? How do you need to be transfigured? Are […]
The World Turned Upside Down This week’s gospel reading (Luke 6:27-38) is a continuation of Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, which we began reading last Sunday. Jesus challenges us to go against the grain. Last week was blessings to the have-nots and woes to the haves; this week it is love your enemy and turn […]
Thursdays, March 7 — April 25 Making Sense of the Christian Faith Our Lenten group study for adults will focus on the questions we have about God in the world. Using the book Making Sense of the Christian Faith by David Lose, we will explore our core beliefs. The study employs the four primary sources […]
Seeking This week’s gospel reading (Luke 6:17-26) comes from the Sermon on the Plain. Jesus is in the middle of a crowd of seekers who have come from far and wide. We can assume that they had heard stories about this remarkable man and came looking for his wisdom and healing touch. What are you […]
Whose Side Are You On? Our gospel this Sunday tells Luke’s version of Jesus’ calling of the first disciples. (Luke 5:1-11) To mark this story, we will sing one of the most popular hymns in the American Spanish language tradition: Pescador de Hombres (Fishers of Men). The hymn’s repeated refrain says, O Lord, with your […]
Whose Side Are You On? This week’s story from the Gospel of Luke (4:21-30) is a painful one. It deals with our desire to believe that Jesus is on our side in important matters. The people in the synagogue in Nazareth expect that Jesus will favor them in his ministry. It never occurs to them that he will […]
Present: Rev. Samuel Smith, Rector; Matt Fillio, Senior Warden; Jorja Marsden, Junior Warden; John Davies, Treasurer; Sebastian Bonner, Clerk; Diane Dillon, Diana French, Chris Johnson, Tom Skakel The meeting, held in the church, began with a prayer led by Father Sam, followed by a brief general discussion of stewardship. Diane Dillon agreed to be […]