O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from thy ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of thy Word, Jesus Christ thy Son; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and […]
Sermon Topic: Sin (Disobedience)
Joy and Inspiration
Collect for the Fifth Sunday in Lent
O Almighty God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men: Grant unto thy people that they may love the thing which thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true […]
Led by the Spirit
Collect for the First Sunday in Lent
Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted of Satan; Make speed to help thy servants who are assaulted by manifold temptations; and, as thou knowest their several infirmities, let each one find thee mighty to save; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee […]
What God's "Anger" Means
Suddenly, destruction will fall upon the people. There will be howling, screaming, running with fear and confusion. There will be reports of pangs and sorrows. Faces will be as if they are burning, on fire. The land will be left desolate; destruction will be everywhere. The stars will be darkened, perhaps with the smoke of […]
Repentance: The Highway to Joy
We have just heard a gospel reading that ends with some words of one of the Old Testament prophets, Isaiah: “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and […]
Against Breaking Jesus' Law, and Heart
In a recent publication, the dean of Westminster Abbey wrote about a small 14th century carving of the Blessed Virgin Mary in what was once a lady chapel in the Abbey. While the principal image of Mary was removed at some point in history, a small boss in the ceiling of the chapel has survived […]
Babies in the River
There is an African way of speaking about getting to the root of a problem that is told as a parable. If African women, working alongside the river, see a baby in the river they send for the men of their village to dive in and save the baby, and they bring it in and […]
The Lord Shall Fight for You
Moses asked many times in the name of the Lord for Pharaoh to release the Jewish people from their slavery in Egypt. And more than once Pharaoh replied, “Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice? I do not know this Lord; neither will I let Israel go.” It took a lot of […]
Grace and Good Works: The Premises of the Christian Faith
First things first, this morning: a person cannot earn salvation. Salvation is given for free, in Christ, and received by faith. This is what we call grace. And it is grace alone that saves. First things first. This can be a startling claim. An example, in another register. The parking garage across from our building […]
Confounding Vice by Cultivating Virtue
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. [Romans 13:12] Our Director of Music, John Scott, and our assisting priest, Joel Daniels and your Curate, Michael Spurlock all profess to be Christians and they all […]
