Christ Episcopal Church

November 23, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. For some, this is a day called Christ the King Sunday, but as I say every year, that is not a title he would have ever claimed.  As we heard in the Gospel, it was a title given to him by the oppressors who crucified him.  No, Jesus would not be happy with this King business I believe, Jesus is Lord is enough, and was for centuries for his followers, as Christ the King wasn't even a thing until 1925.  So, not Christ the King…but it is Advent. And we have practiced the original seven week Advent here at Christ Church since 2016, and as then, it seems so appropriate now, because Advent is about a people walking in darkness, but not a people without hope. The people are in crisis.  Many live in fear.  The country is divided against itself.  People don't know which way to turn, how to take the next step, what to do, because the leaders have failed them.  Certainly, this sounds like it is a time of darkness, and even very familiar – but I am not talking about the events in this country, at least not yet. I am talking about the passage in Jeremiah we heard this morning.  If you were in doubt about whether Advent, from a lectionary point of view, is seven weeks long, just look again at our reading today from Jeremiah and the Canticle. Jeremiah begins with a stern warning from God for those in power that because they have abused their people, because they have not care for their flock, they will meet with God's wrath.  Jeremiah had been speaking about the failure of leaders in the time of the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 587 bce.  And the passage ends with a very Advent-y verse “The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch…” God clearly was not happy with the shepherds who failed their sheep. One of the things that our faith, our scriptures, make abundantly clear, is the importance of shepherds.  And being a shepherd is about never forgetting that the focus of your work must always be on the welfare of the sheep. This is true, not only for those who watch over flocks, but for all kinds of leadership positions – from President to parent, from CEOs to church leaders.  We don't have to have lived in the Ancient Near East to understand what can happen when shepherds fail in their work.   We have borne witness to this in our lifetimes. Today, we can certainly understand what it must have felt like back in the days of Jeremiah to be a people divided, scattered, fearful of our leaders, and not sure what tomorrow will bring.  Our own nation's leaders have not only failed to be good shepherds, it is far worse than that.  They have actually turned on the sheep.  Our country – once a beacon of freedom and democracy to the world – has entered into the dark shadows of oligarchy and systemic oppression. The President has put masked troops in the street shooting tear gas and pepper balls into crowds of citizens, and callously throwing people, including clergy, onto the pavement – arresting them for the crime of free speech.  He is responsible for the execution of over 80 people without due process of law through drone strikes on boats in international waters.  He has had thousands detained, including zip tying children (let that sink in), again without due process of law, and even deported many of them to foreign prisons notorious for their human rights abuses.  He has dismissed the concern of over a thousand female victims of a child sex predator to protect his own hide, calling their abuse a hoax.  And his government has stolen affordable access to healthcare for the poor to give money in tax breaks to the rich and powerful. And while some may feel this is less important – it goes to his misogyny and eroding of the freedom of the press – the silencing of those who courageously try to protect the flock from predators.  He told one woman reporter who dared ask him a question, “Quiet Piggy!”  Then he held a meeting at the White House with Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, known for his brutality, including the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a US citizen, by having him chopped up while still alive.  When the President was asked about meeting with him by another reporter (also a woman) he called her “insubordinate.”  Insubordinate – as though he is a king who cannot be questioned.  And to another who asked directly about the murder of Khashoggi, he said “A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen.”  Things happen?  Sure, a guy walks into a bathroom and things like a bone saw just kinda happen to him. Seriously.  You can't make this stuff up.  These are dark days we find ourselves walking in, to be sure. And it could make anyone feel like just pulling the covers over their heads and praying that things will change.  That perhaps new leaders will emerge and make everything better in some distant future.  But, that would be like reading only parts of this passage from Jeremiah – the beginning condemnation of the current leaders in the first two verses, and the promise of a new leader in the final verses, when what we need most to pay attention to today is everything in between. Because if we focus only on the current predicament, and the hope of new leadership, we miss what God intends for us, and it is something so very needed now. After condemning the current leaders, God then says “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock, and…I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing.”  God declares “I will raise up shepherds…”  Well, guess where God gets those new shepherds?  From right within the flock!  God intends to call from among the sheep new shepherds. As one commentator noted, “While [Jeremiah] opens with judgment and closes with a promise of a future leader who will save and protect the people, the larger book of Jeremiah does not let us — the people — off the hook as we wait.” So, both sheep and shepherds have responsibilities to the full flock.  Everyone has a role to play, especially when we talk about our lives in Christ.  Some are called to a dedicated shepherd role.  Bishops are the shepherds for a diocese and Deacons assist in that work.  Priests are the shepherds for a parish or other type of faith community.  But what about the laity, the sheep?  Well, that's what we hear about in the Song of Zachariah, the canticle, or for Latin nerds, the Benedictus, chanted so beautifully this morning by our choir.  Zachariah, after the miraculous birth of his son John by his wife Elizabeth, had a lot to say.  Now, you can understand why when we remember what the angel Gabriel did to him before this.  See, back about nine months earlier, Zach was a priest, and it was his turn to serve in the temple.  This was not an every week thing.  There were a lot of them, and so maybe this was his one shot a year.  So, he's back there doing his priestly work, burning some incense, as you do, when the angel Gabe pops in to tell him “Hey Zach!  You and Liz are gonna have a baby!  You will call him John, and he will be a great prophet, who will proclaim the coming of the Lord.” Now, Zach was a bit skeptical, after all, he and Liz were getting on in years.  So, he says “Seriously?  How is that gonna happen?  My wife and I are already on Medicare for crying out loud.”  Gabe was not pleased.  “I am Gabriel – the best messenger God has!  I came all this way to give you this awesome news and you doubt me?”  Knowing priests love to talk, he made Zach mute until the baby was born.  Which tells you that if an angel appears, even in flames like the movie Dogma, keep your doubts to yourself. So, as we know now, Liz did get pregnant.  Her cousin Mary, the mother of Jesus, came to visit her, etc.  Fast forward to today's passage, and that baby was just born.  Zach's mouth was opened, and he wasn't holding back.  He told all that had gathered to celebrate this birth what this miracle child would do.  He told them that salvation was coming for all of them, and that John would be called a prophet, and prepare the way for the coming of Christ.  That's a lot right there for this newborn.  But there's more.  John's prophetic witness would shine light “…on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” This prophet John, through his witness in the world, would give light where there is darkness, and guide others toward peace.  John would be a great prophet of God in a time of deep darkness.  He was also an example to us all, most especially now. John, a sheep of God's flock, was made for such a time as he lived.  And you know what? So are you.  So is every single one of you. It is in times such as when John was born, such as what we are experiencing now, that light is needed most within the shadows of despair, longing, fear, and hate.  And that is when God raises up prophets to carry the light of hope and love into a world of darkness and discord.  While it is true that some will do this in particular calls to ordained life – all of us are called to be John – to be the prophets that guide others to the way of peace.  And if you think about it, there is a shepherding quality to prophet work, right? If you are guiding others, you are a shepherd.  And in the church, as all are part of the priesthood of all believers, so each of you is called to be both sheep and shepherd.  That is our life as a part of the flock of God, most especially when the flock – the people of God, and the creation in which we dwell – are in danger, are being hurt, are living in fear.  Folks, is it clear that we are in Advent – both in the church and in the world.  And God is looking for prophets, for shepherds, to listen, to lead, and to love.  Forget looking to someone else to do it – look in the mirror instead. Because God is calling you – here, now. In Advent most of all, we know that in the darkest of times, the light will always come.  But it is up to each of us, following where the Holy Spirit leads, to be that light too – to be Christ's light shining in the world.  And one way we do that is by what we will do here today.  Later in this service, each of you will bring forward food for the those in need and your pledge cards – a commitment to stewardship of this place, out of which we bring the gospel message of hope to a world in need, and in which we are given restoration for our souls as we do this prophetic work of being shepherds in the world.  The food, for both humans and animals, is our commitment to caring for the folk of God. The pledges are a commitment to be the prophet our Creator needs today, and proclaim from the highest hills, and the lowest valleys, that God loves everyone – no exceptions.  They are a pledge to be the shepherd of a people who are lost, alone, or living in fear. They are a step in the longer journey of our life, and in the long history of shepherds and prophets of God. Long ago, God, through the prophet Jeremiah, lamented those called to be shepherds who failed their flock, who failed in God's mission and call for them, and declared that other shepherds would be raised up instead.  And they were to the hope of all creation. Long ago, John was born with a call to prepare the way for the One who would bring light into the world.  Today, we are the ones that God has raised up – born in baptism – not to prepare the way, but to be the way – to guide others, by the light of Christ shining in us and through us, into the path of peace. To be both the sheep of God's pasture, and the shepherd of others.  These are dark and dangerous times, and this will not be easy work.  And, so I want to leave you with these words of a 13th century woman who heard her own call to be a shepherd.  She cast aside all she knew and left the wealthy life of her noble birth to follow Christ.  She was Clare of Assisi, who started the monastic order known as the Poor Clares.  On her deathbed, St. Clare offered this blessing – words that still ring out through the centuries, serving as a reminder that we never do this work alone.  Christ is always our partner in our call.  And so I offer them now to you to take into your heart as you leave here today to be the shepherds, the prophets, who light the way and guide others into the path of peace, the ones God calls for the sake of the world: “Live without fear: your Creator has made you whole, always walks with you, and loves you as a mother. So, follow the good road in peace, and may God's blessing remain with you always.” Amen. For the audio, click below, or subscribe to our iTunes Sermon Podcast by clicking here (also available on Audible): Sermon Podcast https://christchurchepiscopal.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Rec-001-Sermon-November_23_2025.m4a   The Rev. Diana L. Wilcox             Christ Church in Bloomfield & Glen Ridge November 23, 2025 Advent 2 (7 Week Advent) – Year C Texts 1st Reading – Jeremiah 23:1-6 Canticle 16 2nd Reading – Colossians 1:11-20 Gospel – Luke 23:33-43   The post “Live Without Fear” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

The Feast of All Saints – November 2, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. Today we celebrate the Feast of All Saints, when we remember those who have gone before us.  Some may think that sainthood is for a select few, or just for those in what we call… The post “Frogs, Unicorns, T-Rexs, & Saints” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

October 26, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. Today is our last Sunday of the Creation Season.  While we include a prayer for creation every Sunday, over the past month, we have been creation centered – focusing all our intercessions on behalf of the earth, the animals, and the… The post “Stewardship Is Hope” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

October 5, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. Before I get to the sermon, let us just take a moment to celebrate the momentous news our church, which is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion, got yesterday.  The new Archbishop of Canterbury was announced.  Now, before we go further,… The post “Messengers of Hope” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

September 28, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. Lordy – what a gospel for our time.  It practically preaches itself – but don't get too excited… you are not that lucky. Now, you may have thought when the gospel first opened that you were getting a repeat of last… The post “Keep On Shining” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

September 21, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. This week, while noodling the texts for today in my head and preparing to write my sermon, I saw something on Facebook Marketplace that I had been looking for, and at a great price too.  When I got to the woman's… The post “Be Ernie” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

September 14, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. This has been a most difficult week, and not because there is no joy in Metville – as Mets fans watch our team self-destruct.  If only that was the most difficult news this week.  Sadly, it is not. Once again, violence… The post “Whistling In The Dark” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

September 7, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. It is so good to be back here with all of you.  I loved being on vacation, but this is wonderful to return to.  One part of my vacation had me in Maine for a day or two.  I had the… The post “The Potter, Philemon, & You” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

August 10, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. We are in vacation season – yea!!!  And I will be heading out on mine tomorrow.  I will miss you, but these seasons of rest and renewal are important for all of us to take, and I hope each of you… The post “Getting To The Promised Land” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

July 27, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard. Amen. One of the things I often say about some passages of scripture is that they are so familiar to us, we have lost all of its meaning.  We have stopped really listening or reading it, but immediately jump to what we… The post “Let It Be Coming” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

July 20, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. Any Brady Bunch fans feel like saying “Martha, Martha, Martha?”   Yeah…okay – that reference is really to Marsha, but still.  Now, this gospel, for a lot of folks, has been on the top 10 list of annoying scripture readings – right… The post “Dragons & Monasteries” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

July 6, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. I don't know about you, but I found it an odd juxtaposition we faced on Friday, July 4th.  On the very day that we celebrate courage in the face of tyranny, the President signed an act of Congress so inhumane, harmful… The post “We Have Not Yet Begun To Fight!” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

June 29, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard. Amen. “Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone: Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be made… The post “Hope Is A Song In A Weary Throat” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

June 8, 2025 – The Feast of Pentecost: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. Welcome to our Mass on the Grass…with Brass! What a joy it is to be out worshiping with all of you here in the midst of God's beautiful creation.  When we started this annual outdoor service… The post “Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

June 1, 2025: “Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen Indeed.  Alleluia! It's the final Sunday of Easter today, so just because, let's do that again – Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen Indeed.  Alleluia! That never gets old to me, and hopefully not for you too. Next Sunday, during our “Mass… The post “The Most Powerful Force” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

May 25, 2025: Alleluia! Christ is risen!  Yes, we are still in Eastertide.  And, it is also Memorial Day Weekend in our country. A time when we remember those who gave the last full measure for the freedoms we hold dear.  And in today's scriptures, we hear two passages that have a lot to say… The post “Hurricane's Approachin'!” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

May 11, 2025: Alleluia! Christ is risen!  Welcome to Good Shepherd Sunday, always the fourth Sunday of Easter, when we hear the gospel message of Jesus as our shepherd, whose voice we hear and whom we follow.   It is also Mother's Day in the secular world. I hope to get lots of licks and meows… The post “God Loves All Of Us, And Evil Will Not Prevail!” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

May 4, 2025: Alleluia!  Christ is risen! Now, you'll know I am a bit of a geek; and, as this is a special day for Star Wars fans, I suppose I should begin by saying: May the 4th be with you! You know, you can always tell when an Episcopalian is watching a Star Wars… The post “E Pluribus Unum” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

April 27, 2025: Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Happy Easter!  Now, for all of you that thought Easter was last Sunday…today is Easter…too, or 2. Easter is not just a single day on the calendar.  We are still celebrating Easter and we are in Eastertide until the day of Pentecost, this year falling on June 8th. … The post “Sede Vacante” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

Easter Sunday – April 20, 2025: The Lord is risen!  He is risen indeed! Alleluia! And “Χριστός Ανέστη!” “Αληθώς Ανέστη” “Καλό Πάσχα!” “Christ is Risen!” “Truly [he is] risen!”  “Happy Easter!” to all our Eastern Orthodox sisters and brothers in Christ, who today are also celebrating Easter Sunday.  This doesn't happen all the time, that we… The post “Remember” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

April 13, 2025 – Palm Sunday: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. Somehow, I feel like this Palm Sunday feels more real than ever before.  But before we get to that, I need to remind everyone that it is in fact Palm Sunday. We shouldn't be reading the passion gospel… The post “First They Came For Jesus” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

March 23, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. Today The Episcopal Church does a thing.  We usually go right along with the Revised Common Lectionary – the assigned readings for a Sunday followed by Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, and a whole lot of others, and also the Roman Catholic Church… The post “Time To Get Your Hands Dirty” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

February 23, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”  Seriously Jesus?  I mean, seriously?  Have you SEEN what is going on here in the US?  Sometimes I can imagine… The post “Love Is The Ultimate Resistance” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

February 2, 2025 – Candlemas: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. “Two turtledoves, and a ground hog who sees his shadow.” What, not right?  Well, at any rate, Merry Christmas everyone!  And you thought all that was over weeks ago when those crazy wild guys from the East showed up. … The post “A Light For All The World” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

January 26, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. Heard any good sermons this past week…or at least a snippet of one?  I have no doubt that most, if not all, of you did.  And today, we heard the beginning of another one, though we only got the opening sentence… The post “Preach!” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

January 19, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. Eleven years ago this very day, on January 19th 2014, I stood in this pulpit for the very first time as your Rector.  Neither you all, nor I, could never have known what was to be when we first began to… The post “The Time Is Always Ripe To Do Right” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

January 12, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. Hello everyone!  I sure missed being among you these past two Sundays.  I especially missed being able to welcome those strangers from the East who came to offer gifts to the child Jesus.  But, now we move away from Jesus as… The post “A Bond Of Love” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

December 15, 2024: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. Okay, here's the thing…the gospel you just heard isn't the one prescribed for this Sunday.  The church would have us hear another passage about John the baptizer, and never hear the annunciation of Mary (except if you come to Lessons &… The post “Choose, Go On With It, Wherever It May Lead You!” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

December 8, 2024: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard. Amen. Well, we have made the annual Advent turn.  You know, the turn our gospel just took for us.  Today, we are not hearing about the second Advent, but the first.  After weeks of his return, we are heading into weeks of… The post “Is Advent Possible For You?” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

December 1, 2024: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard. Amen. Welcome back from the great Thanksgiving feast-a-thon!  I hope yours was as wonderful as mine was – filled with good food, good friends, and a rainy parade. In the gospel (cheery again, right) Jesus says “There will be signs in the… The post “Stand Up And Raise Your Heads!” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

November 24, 2024: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard. Amen. This Sunday we enter into a week of thanksgiving to God for all of life.  We gather with family and friends, and laugh, cry, cheer for our favorite teams, and argue over some thing or another.     Perhaps though, you are… The post “Now Thank We All Our God” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

November 17, 2024: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard. Amen. Well, that's a cheery gospel, isn't it?  If you ever doubted if the church's lectionary was in Advent in this time, this text ought to be perfectly clear about that, because Advent always begins with the second coming of Christ –… The post “Lift Every Voice And Sing!” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

November 3, 2024 – The Feast of All Saints – May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. As I have said before, I just love that phrase from our collect of the day today: “ineffable joys.”  Ineffable, which means “too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.”  I… The post “Souls To The Polls!” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

October 27, 2024: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. The lesson we heard from the letter to the Hebrews started with “The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office.”  Nice, right?  As you might guess, this priest isn't planning on preaching… The post “Disturbance In The Darkness” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

September 29, 2024: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. In our first reading, from the book of Esther, we got to hear a small part of this incredible woman's story.  For the life of me, I cannot understand why our lectionary, the readings chosen for each week, and used by… The post “For Just Such A Time As This” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. Gosh it is so good to be back here with all of you!  While I really enjoyed my vacation, and needed it so very much, I missed you'all!  I missed the choir too!  And it is so awesome to be returning on Choir Appreciation… The post “The GOAT” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

August 18, 2024: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. One phrase we often hear, particularly in political punditry or business consulting, is that of “splitting the baby.” Have you'all heard that?  Now, why on earth would anyone talk about doing such a gruesome thing?  Well, glad you asked… because it… The post “Dream A Little Dream” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

August 11, 2024: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. Somehow I wish we were hearing more about Jesus calming the storm rather than being bread, given the weather lately.  Lordy.  We offer our prayers to all those who have been affected by Hurricane Debby and all the other crazy storms… The post “Going For The Gold” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

July 21, 2024: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” This is what we just heard Jesus say in our gospel reading from Mark. “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” Now,… The post “The Webs We Weave” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

July 14, 2024: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. I don't know how many of you got a chance to watch the movie Barbie when it was out, or streamed it online, but if you did, then you know it wasn't about a doll – not really.  It was a… The post “Transporting The Ark Out Of Kendom” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

July 7, 2024: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. Well, it is really good to be back from General Convention and here in this pulpit again.  I missed you'all! Gee – did I miss anything?  Did anything happen these past few weeks– you know, in the country, in our church? … The post “Don't Look Back!” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

June 16, 2024 – LGBTQ+ Sunday: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. For the past three weeks, I have been trying to live into our State nickname – you know, The Garden State.  As you know, I live up in Sussex County, where there are farms, cows, sheep, and horses. … The post “Vergogna & Compost” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

June 9, 2024: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. I love our Mass on the Grass…With Brass!  Of course this year, we are missing “the grass.”  Still, we do this each year, not only because we can be surrounded by the beauty of God's creation, but because when we move… The post “Temporary Insanity” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

June 2, 2024: May God's words be spoken.  May God's words be heard.  Amen. Like many of you, I was glued to the television taking in the monumental news this week of a former President of the United States being convicted of 34 felony crimes by the people of the State of New York.  Of… The post “Jesus Is My Influencer” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

May God's words be spoken.  May God's words be heard.  Amen. The Feast of Pentecost doesn't get the same attention as Easter or Christmas.  We don't hold big family gatherings (though for some, that may be a good thing).  It isn't a typical day for exchanging gifts or sending Pentecost cards proclaiming a windy day… The post “Spirit In The Sky?” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

May 5, 2024: Alleluia, Christ is Risen!  The Lord is risen indeed.  Alleluia!  Amen. Some of you know that I received my Master of Divinity from the seminary of Drew University, a Methodist institution.  I am very proud of that, as the classes were filled with people from many denominations, cultures, languages, races, and theological… The post “Sing A New Song” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

April 28, 2024: Alleluia, Christ is Risen!  The Lord is risen indeed.  Alleluia!  Amen. While it happens more often than we realize, how strange it is to hear two places in one of our scripture readings that feature so heavily in our news cycle today: Jerusalem and Gaza.  Stranger still is what takes place. In… The post “Eunuchs & Evangelists” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

April 21, 2024: Alleluia, Christ is Risen!  The Lord is risen indeed.  Alleluia!  Amen. It is Good Shepherd Sunday, which always is the fourth Sunday of Easter.  Of course, the obvious clues to this are Psalm 23 and the passage from the Gospel of John.  Many, even those who have never been to church, know the… The post “Shepherds Through The Valleys” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

Easter Sunday – March 31, 2024: Alleluia, Christ is Risen!  He is risen indeed.  Alleluia!  Amen. Well, that's a really strange ending to this gospel's resurrection narrative!  Is it any wonder why later scribes added a tweak or two to the ending?  Just look at that last part, where it says that Mary Magdalene, Mary… The post “The Beginning Of The Good News” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

Good Friday-March 29, 2024: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. Jesus says before he gives up his spirit “It is finished.” “It is finished.” God became incarnate, became human in Jesus through Mary his mother.  Jesus breathed in the air with us, felt the warmth of human touch, tasted the… The post “Let The Whole World See And Know” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

Palm Sunday – March 24, 2024: “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”  Amen. Just a reminder, as I say every year, this should be only Palm Sunday.  The passion should not be read here – on Palm Sunday where it really doesn't belong.  Some say that we have always… The post “Now Is Not The Time” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.