The Rev. Canon Cathy Dempesy-Sims In our opening collect today we hear these words: O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature I can think of no better time than right now to be reminded of the gift of human nature, and of our baptismal promise to respect…
Beloved, tonight we gather in the deep hush of winter, in the glow of candles and the warmth of familiar carols, to hear again the story that has shaped our lives more than we know. It is late—on purpose. Christmas Eve invites us into the hours when the world is quiet enough for wonder to…
There is a line in our call to worship this morning that feels especially tender as we approach Christmas: “Today we acknowledge our pain and the pain we have caused others.” Beloved, Advent does not ask us to hide our wounds. Advent invites us to bring them into the light. And today, as we light…
Advent is a season that invites us to awaken our spiritual senses—to look again, listen again, hope again. And today, as we light the third candle, we name that awakening as joy. Not the thin, fragile joy that depends on everything going right, but the deep, steady joy that rises from God’s presence breaking into…
There’s a line we spoke together this morning that has been echoing in my heart: “The Light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.” Advent begins right there—in the tension between the shadows we know too well and the promise that God’s light is stubborn, persistent, unextinguishable. And today, as we…
Advent is a time for the human heart to wait, while trusting God’s eternal time. That phrase from our call to worship and the lighting of the Advent candle captures the tension of this season perfectly. We live in a world that prizes instant answers, quick fixes, and immediate gratification. Yet Advent invites us to…
Today’s readings bring us to the end of the church year—Christ the King Sunday (or the Reign of Christ, for those of you who don’t like the king terminology)—and they invite us into a paradox: thanksgiving in the midst of judgment, hope in the midst of suffering, praise in the shadow of the cross. They…
There’s a holy tension in today’s readings – between the world as it is and the world as it shall be. Isaiah gives us a vision of new creation, where weeping is no more, where children live long lives, where peace reigns even among predators. And then Luke gives us a vision of destruction –…
Today’s readings offer a rich and layered invitation—to trust in restoration, to walk humbly, to endure faithfully, and to receive mercy. They speak to seasons of drought and abundance, to moments of defeat and triumph, and to the quiet transformation that happens when we stop performing and start praying. Let’s begin with the prophet Joel….
There’s a quiet power in today’s readings—a thread of divine persistence, of holy instruction, of covenant not carved in stone but written on the heart. These texts speak to a people longing for renewal, for justice, for a Word that doesn’t fade with time or crumble under pressure. And they speak to us, too—those of…
There’s a thread running through today’s readings—a thread of endurance, of presence, of faithfulness in the midst of uncertainty. Whether it’s the exiles in Babylon, the psalmist praising through trials, Paul writing from prison, or a Samaritan leper returning to give thanks—each story invites us to ask: What does it mean to be faithful where…
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, on the Feast of Saint Michael and All Angels—Michaelmas—we gather to remember the unseen messengers of God, the mighty ones who do God’s bidding, and the mysterious ways heaven touches earth. The lectionary gives us a rich tapestry: Jacob’s dream…
