St. Paul & St. Andrew's Sermon and Prayercast

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace but a sword." - Matthew 10:34 That saying of Jesus has got to be among his most controversial. Really, Jesus? Aren't you our Prince of Peace, who departed from your disciples with the words, "Peace, I leave with you, my peace I give to you."? And didn't you chastise Peter, saying, "Those who live by the sword, die by the sword? But Jesus was never one to shy away from controversy, and even conflict. At ...

As Lazarus emerged from the tomb, Jesus told the crowd, "Unbind him, and set him free." - John 11:44 If it has meaning, resurrection is always a collective experience. We are all involved in the process of moving beyond the fear of death, and the denial of death, even the worship of death, into God's powerful way of loving and living. We see this in the story of Ezekiel in the valley, this story that has been accompanying our experience of Lent this year. Ezekiel prophesies to the dry bones...

Friends, You may have caught on that John chapter 4, the story of the encounter of Jesus with a Samaritan woman at a well, is a favorite of mine, since I reference it nearly every Communion Sunday. The truth is, I come to that story to drink, rather than preach. I need the idea that Jesus offers us living, spring-fed spiritual water, rather than the stagnant water of a well. I come to Jesus to be refreshed and inspired. I come because, in the middle of a dry spell, I need something that will ...

Dear Friends, This Sunday, we’ll gather at the threshold of Transfiguration, a moment in the church year that invites us to look up and around, to notice what’s shining. We’re invited to remember that the holy happens here, too, even in our messed up, hurting world. We, as followers of Christ, work hard to stay alert to what is breaking in our world. And there is so much. But faith also calls us to remain open to the radiant and even strange ways that God shows up a...

“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" - Micah 6:8 Friends, These days, I find myself asking the question often, “How are we to be in times like these? " And surely I’m not alone in asking this. This week’s lectionary brings us to a passage in Micah that maybe some of you know well. I take heart in Micah’s words, because I imagine the peoples’ questions that prompted s...

"Immediately, they left their nets and followed Jesus" - Matthew 4:20 Friends, Those words from the gospels are so familiar. Jesus gathers disciples, and they 'follow' him. This week, I would love to consider a different understanding of the word we translate follow. The Greek word ἀκολουθέω (akoloutheo) can mean 'to follow' -- but a different, and maybe better translation, would be simply: 'to come with, or to accompany.' Why do I care? As I think about my own walk with Jesus, what I believe...

He said to them, "Come and see.” — John 1:39 Friends, In this week’s gospel text, Jesus encounters a couple of strangers. They’ve been hearing the chatter—about Jesus, about who people think he is—and they’re curious. Noticing that curiosity, Jesus extends a simple invitation: “Come and see.” He doesn’t tell them what they’re supposed to think or believe. He doesn’t try to persuade or control. Come and see, he says. It’s as if he’s whispering, I trust you—and you can trust yourselves. This i...

Dear Friends, I hope you’ll join us for worship this Sunday as we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord, a day centered on water, grace, and belovedness. We'll have the joy of baptizing AJ Palma Gil and Nora Howse, welcoming them into the family of faith and surrounding them with our prayers, promises, and love. As we witness their baptisms, we’ll share in the sacrament that reminds us who we are and whose we are. It'll be a special, hope-filled morning, grounding us again in God’s love that m...