Every third Saturday of the month (like last week), when our monthly service of healing rolls around, I have to admit that I am reminded of a story that I once heard. I’m going to relay that story now, and I promise, I will tie it to today’s readings. The storyteller says: My father and I entered a huge building, crowded with people. He didn’t use a cane, but he really needed to, so he
Sermons
Who will you serve? I don’t know if you were uneasy when I asked that or you let it slip over you quickly enough not to notice how much it runs against our culture. So let me ask it again: Who will you serve? Our culture – our humanity – tends to prize freedom. Accomplishment. Autonomy. Self-determination. The list could continue for a few minutes as we list other things that we value.
We are in the second Sunday of a series of four Hebrew Bible readings from the book of Job. So I thought today it might be good for you to understand the concept of the book of Job. First of all, the date of the original composition of the book cannot be determined, although many scholars place it in the late sixth or fifth century BCE. The book is arguably monotheistic in nature, pointing
On the Feast of Michael and All Angels, also known as Michaelmas, we give thanks for the many ways in which God’s loving care watches over us, both directly and indirectly, and we are reminded that the richness and variety of God’s creation far exceeds our knowledge of it. The Holy Scriptures often speak of creatures other than humans who worship God in heaven. They act as God’s messengers
This week, the theme that courses through our readings is healing. God heals in many ways and through diverse peoples. There is no one healing path or modality; there is no particular religious or medical tradition that has a monopoly on divine healing. God heals not only through prayer, but also through penicillin; through medication and meditation; through chanting and chemo. Wherever healing