Podcast appearances and mentions of Emmanuel Episcopal Church

In this powerful conversation with Rev. Elizabeth Riley, we discuss what it means to get raw and real in our prayers, something Elizabeth has become well known for on TicTok where she Rage Prays for all to see. We discuss why religion appealed to Elizabeth from a young age and how she sees her place advocating for marginalized communities through her work in the church. Working with Elizabeth's prayers has helped me to open up and reconnect to my spirituality. I hope you might find the same and gain some direction for where to find social justice in the spiritual community. In this episode, we cover: The importance of community in one's healing What kinds of communities to seek out and how to find them Why messy prayer is the best prayer How toxic positivity is weaponized against women How to fit prayer into your day Ways to pray authentically Tips for healing the impacts of trauma with prayer Rev. Elizabeth Ashman Riley is an Episcopal priest serving in the Diocese of Olympia, WA. The former rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Mercer Island, she was called as their first female rector at the age of thirty. An Alaska native, Riley was ordained through the Diocese of Alaska as a deacon in 2012 and as a priest in 2013. She received her bachelor's degree from St. Mary's College of California, and her Master of Divinity from Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley. Rage Prayers is her first book. It's based on her “rage praying” videos on TikTok, where she has more than 60,000 followers. Find @therevriley on TikTok, Instagram, and Threads, -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

Listen to Bishop Doyle's sermon for the Rev. Carl S. Shannon, Jr., held at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Houston, TX More at www.texasbishop.com

Former organist and choirmaster James O'Donnell led the music for many historic, royal occasions at London's Westminster Abbey. Since leaving his prestigious position at Westminster in 2022, he has moved across the pond to teach at Yale University. We ask him about his upcoming performance in Baltimore, where he is set to perform at Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Sunday, April 21, 2024.Email us at midday@wypr.org, tweet us: @MiddayWYPR, or call us at 410-662-8780.

Order of Naucratius Redux. Our first time bringing back a previous guest, Rev. Christian Baron from Episode 06 on Saint Andrew's Day in 2021. He is joined by Rev. Sarah Smith from Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Together they will talk about the Order of Naucartius and their ministry of gathering hunters and fishers who share their harvests with those who are hungry. Christian and Sarah are joined by Triple S co-hosts, Jennifer Baskerille-Burrows and Jerusalem Greer. 

I shared this homily today at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Orlando, on this 24th Sunday after Pentecost. Maybe the best clue to the inner meaning of this parable of the lamps and the oil can be found in just two words. The parable tells us that when the bridegroom arrived, “those who were ready went … Continue reading "Attentive Living In Christ: The Parable Of The Ten Bridesmaids" The post Attentive Living In Christ: The Parable Of The Ten Bridesmaids appeared first on From Silence+Something To Say And To Do.

Listen to Bishop Doyle's sermon, "We Believe in God Almighty" preached at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Houston, TX.  More at www.texasbishop.com

“For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”  Romans 8:2We are in a sermon series on Romans during the summer at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Orlando. I have had the joy of filling in for the Rector, Jonathan Turtle while he … Continue reading "In Christ: The Truth And Way Of My Being" The post In Christ: The Truth And Way Of My Being appeared first on From Silence+Something To Say And To Do.

It was a gift of grace to preach on the Feast of The Ascension. I am grateful to be serving Fr. Jonathan Turtle, Rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, as a Retired Associate  in the parish. I preach occasionally  and hope to share my heart with all of you.  Here is a short video clip. The … Continue reading "The Ascension Of Jesus: Everywhere Present And Filling All Things" The post The Ascension Of Jesus: Everywhere Present And Filling All Things appeared first on From Silence+Something To Say And To Do.

Service Bulletin and Copyright information is available for download at https://www.emmanuelrockford.org/bulletin/

This is my homily from the Second Sunday of Advent at  Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Orlando, Florida at the 8:00 am service. I enjoy the quiet contemplative atmosphere of the first Eucharist of the day as it gives me a reflective approach to offering my engagement with the Gospel reading.  I have returned to Emmanuel for … Continue reading "The Spiritual Wisdom of Advent II: John The Baptist" The post The Spiritual Wisdom of Advent II: John The Baptist appeared first on From Silence+Something To Say And To Do.

In this episode, Bishop Wright has a conversation with Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, an Episcopalian in the diocese and member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Athens, GA. They discuss being a person of faith as a public servant, how Georgia has responded to the pandemic of COVID-19, and the new voting legislation passed in Georgia just recently and the impact it will have on elections to come.Brian Kemp is a husband, father, businessman, and public servant. On November 6, 2018, he was elected as Georgia's 83rd Governor.

It was a joy to be Celebrant and Preacher on Easter Day as the Interim Rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Orlando Florida. Here is my homily based on John 20:1-18.  May you always find the courage each day to say “yes” to the Present Risenness of Jesus, welcoming him each day with joy. Here … Continue reading "The Open Door of Present Risenness" The post The Open Door of Present Risenness appeared first on From Silence+Something To Say And To Do.

When the pandemic started, we paused on the episodes we recorded during last year's Rooted in Jesus Conference. With Forma21 in the rearview, we thought it was time to pull these out of the folder and get them to the people. Though some contexts will have certainly changed, there is still much to learn from these conversations with incredible leaders across the Episcopal Church. In this episode, our hosts have a conversation with 2 Campus Ministers about Campus Ministry, what serving their students looks like, what the identity of a campus ministry looks like, and so much more great conversation.The Rev. Clayton Harrington serves as the Campus Missioner for the Episcopal Center at the University of Georgia and as the Associate Rector for Youth and Young Adult Ministries for Emmanuel Episcopal Church located in Athens, Ga. Samantha Clare serves as the Director of Christian Formation at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Previously, she served as the Campus Minister of The University of Arkansas. 

November 26, 2020. In her sermon for Thanksgiving, Pastor Meagan preaches that love and gratitude are choices we make that can be extremely challenging at times, but we can trust that God is with us in the struggle. Reading: Luke 6:27-36 *** Transcript *** I remember first being introduced to the E.E. Cummings poem "i thank You God" as a musical arrangement for a cappella choir many years ago, and I remember feeling my breath catch as I realized while we rehearsed the piece that the second half of these profound words were a complete sentence, a question: "how should tasting touching hearing seeingbreathing any — lifted from the noof all nothing — human merely beingdoubt unimaginable You?" How should any human experiencing the wonder of creation doubt the God who created it? I repeated these words so many times in my head and out loud, each time feeling a deeper sense of groundedness in my own being and all its senses, connectedness with the world around me, that I am tasting touching hearing seeing breathing — and with the God who created it all. This whole poem is such a deep invitation to life and to "yes" as Cummings says. In this year, perhaps more than others, as we have encountered so many challenges and changes, so many "nos" — to being in person and going to movies and museums and traveling and holiday traditions in school buildings and offices. This year, as both of our congregations experience transitions and all of us are navigating almost constant adaptation, we are in desperate need of life. And yes. In this time when we are separated from so much, we need to be reminded of the deep connections that, in spite of it all, never fail to persist. We know this year that experiencing these connections, feeling the gratitude that comes from knowing our place in creation, sometimes just happens — and sometimes requires a conscious and intentional choice. At times gratitude is not just an emotion we feel when things are easy, but a decision for yes when things are at their most difficult. Our gospel today doesn't talk specifically about gratitude, but it does speak to the challenges that we as humans face sometimes. Loving someone who loves us, being good to those who are good to us, Jesus says, is often easy to do. It doesn't take a lot of effort or thought, just as feeling grateful when things are going well comes without our trying. It becomes much more difficult and complicated to love when the other person does not love us. It is especially hard when we are challenged to love someone when we must also maintain boundaries and distance to keep ourselves and our families safe when there's been abuse and violence. Many of us have discovered in these months around the election that it can be hard to love when we have fundamental disagreements on issues that feel so important. We humans, Jesus knows, can be tempted to offer love easily to those who are doing so with us, and withhold it from those who are not offering us the love we think we need. Love, as Jesus describes it, is not merely an easy feeling that flows without effort, but a choice that we make every day to allow the God of love to love through us. And gratitude, like love, is a choice we make — one that can be extremely challenging at times. In this season of so much loss, it can be hard to recognize what we have and the gifts we are receiving, even in the midst of the grief. The really good news is that when we humans struggle, we can trust that God is with us in the struggle. We can trust, as Jesus affirms, that we were created for love — we were created by a God of love after all — and as Cummings says, we have a God who lifts us from the no of all nothing and fills our senses with the creative love of God until we are ready to embrace the yes with hearts full of gratitude. Thanks be to God. *** Keywords *** 2020, Christ Lutheran Church, Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Webster Groves, sermon, podcast, transcript, YouTube, video, Luke 6:27-36, E.E. Cummings, i thank You God, COVID-19, coronavirus, pandemic

Bob Greiner serves as a Deacon at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Boston, and works as an administrator at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, where he spoke with me about his faith journey through several denominations, on receiving his call to ministry at an age when most people are retired, and how he feels connected to God through service. (Originally aired 5/19/2019)

This hour-long radio broadcast includes Easter messages and music from Bryce Feighner, Pastor, Green Street United Methodist Church; Linnea Stifler, Priest, Emmanuel Episcopal Church; and, Kim Metzer, Pastor, Hope United Methodist Church.

Greetings from the makeshift Sermons That Work podcasting studio! You’re getting this inaugural message for the Sermons That Work podcast a bit earlier than we anticipated – but it is worth it for us to share an extraordinary piece of written pastoral care from one of our regular writers, the Rev. Whitney Rice of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Webster Groves, Diocese of Missouri. We hope the beauty of the prose, the acknowledgement of our present difficulties, and most importantly, the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection will be as helpful and hopeful for you as it has been for us.

It's Thursday, and time for theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck to join us with another of her weekly reviews of the region's thespian offerings. Today, she tells us about the musical play The Moment Was Now, a production of the Cultural Worker Ensemble that debuted in Baltimore last September and that is getting a reprise production at the Emmanual Episcopal Church through Sunday, March 8. A political fantasy set in post-Civil War Baltimore during a fateful turn in American history, The Moment Was Now imagines an 1869 meeting between civil rights champion Frederick Douglass and a high-powered group of Baltimore-based leaders of progressive social movements of the day -- all of whom actually knew one another. At this fictional meeting are women's voting rights evangelist Susan B. Anthony, black union organizer Isaac Myers, African American teacher and abolitionist Frances Harper, and white labor organizer William Sylvis. The Moment Was Now was conceived and produced by Maryland-based labor leader and playwright Gene Bruskin, in collaboration with director Darryl! LC Moch (who also plays Isaac Myers); musical director Glenn Pearson; and assistant musical director Chester Burke, Jr. The cast of The Cultural Worker Ensemble includes LeCount R. Holmes, Jr. (Frederick Douglass), Jenna Rose Stein (Susan B. Anthony), Ari Jacobson (William Sylvis), and Julia Nixon (Frances Harper). The Moment Was Now continues at Emmanuel Episcopal Church through Sunday March 8. For more information click here.

Once again, I found joy and synergy with God in the gift of preaching at Emmanuel Episcopal Church today.  I am so honored to serve their very fine Rector and my friend, Fr. David Bumstead. So grateful. The focus of my sermon from the Gospel lesson for today, was receiving the grace to “answer the … Continue reading "Epiphany 3: Finding The Grace To Answer The Call" The post Epiphany 3: Finding The Grace To Answer The Call appeared first on From Silence+Something To Say.

Gather with campus ministries and Reverend Barbara Seward, of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, for the first campus worship service of the semester with an emphasis on Love God. Love Neighbor. (think foreigner). Rev. Barbara Seward is a native of Virginia who joined the community of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in August 2019. She has a daughter, grandson and a miniature....

Emmanuel Episcopal Church from Bel Air MD with great hoilday program

Guest Preacher: The Very Reverend David S. Bumsted, rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Audubon Park and Co-Host of the Sacristy Podcast.

Have you ever cried out, Lord, Increase my faith?  WHAT AM I ASKING FOR? Faith is confidence grounded in reality, not a wild, desperate leap. Jesus agrees we need faith. However, he does not support our assumption that a greater quantity of faith will help us. The disciples do not need more faith. They need … Continue reading "Increase Our Faith: The Gift Already Within You! A Sermon At Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Orlando, FL." The post Increase Our Faith: The Gift Already Within You! A Sermon At Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Orlando, FL. appeared first on From Silence+Something To Say.

Today was the second of two supply Sundays  at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Orlando, on behalf of their well loved and gifted Rector,  Fr. David Bumstead+.  I find great joy in these opportunities to express my ministry and to support local parishes from time to time.  It is deeply meaningful.  The Parable of the Good Samaritan … Continue reading "Sermon July 14th – The One Who Showed Compassion" The post Sermon July 14th – The One Who Showed Compassion appeared first on From Silence+Something To Say.

We welcome our former Seminarian (2014 and 2015) the Rev. Grace Pratt back to preach today. Grace was the Assistant Rector at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church in Alexandria from 2015-2017 and is currently taking a break from full time ministry to care for her family. She serves as a supply priest in the area and mostly preaches at Emmanuel Episcopal Church where she worships with her family. Grace is very excited to have a chance to come back and preach at St. George’s this summer!

It was an honor to preach at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Orlando today for Fr. David Bumstead, their wonderful Rector and my friend.  My theme for the sermon was taken from The Gospel lesson for Proper 9, on the 4th Sunday after Pentecost, Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20.  ….cure the sick who are there, and say to … Continue reading "Sermon July 7: The Reign of God Has Come Near To You" The post Sermon July 7: The Reign of God Has Come Near To You appeared first on From Silence+Something To Say.

We welcome our former Seminarian (2014 and 2015) the Rev. Grace Pratt back to preach today. Grace was the Assistant Rector at Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church in Alexandria from 2015-2017 and is currently taking a break from full time ministry to care for her family. She serves as a supply priest in the area and mostly preaches at Emmanuel Episcopal Church where she worships with her family. Grace is very excited to have a chance to come back and preach at St. George’s this summer!

Bob Greiner serves as a Deacon at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Boston, and works as an administrator at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, where he spoke with me about his faith journey through several denominations, on receiving his call to ministry at an age when most people are retired, and how he feels connected to God through service.

I had the gift of preaching yesterday at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Orlando on behalf of their fine Rector, Fr. David Bumsted+. Deeply grateful for his ministry. The Parable of the Prodigal Sons, also called The Parable of the Father’s Love, offers tantalizing opportunities to connect the parable to our daily lives, to our families, … Continue reading "“We Have Heard The Fact, Let Us Seek The Mystery”" The post “We Have Heard The Fact, Let Us Seek The Mystery” appeared first on From Silence+Something To Say.

It was a great joy to preach this sermon at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Orlando today. I am deeply grateful to Fr. David Bumstead, Rector, for his kind invitation.  May this “Joy Sunday” message bring you flourishing hope and encouragement. With you on the Journey, Rob+ The post Advent 3 Sermon: Joy Changes Everything appeared first on From Silence+Something To Say.

Brad Sullivan Proper 25, Year B October 28, 2018 Emmanuel, Houston Mark 10:46-52 Isaiah 2:2-4 Out of Anger, Hatred, and Killing, “Let There Be Light” “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep…Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1-3) Bartimaeus, a man who was blind called to Jesus to have mercy on him, and when Jesus asked what he wanted, he said, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said, “Go; your faith has made you well,” and immediately Bartimaeus could see. Where there had been a formless void and darkness for Bartimaeus, Jesus spoke, and there was light. It is no stretch to draw a connection between the light at the beginning of creation and the restoration of sight for Bartimaeus, because there was so much more going on with Bartimaeus than one man getting to see again. The same voice that said, “Let there be light,” said to Bartimaeus, “Go; your faith has made you well.” God was once again bringing light into the darkness. You might think that God would get tired of saying “let there be light” over and over again in the midst of our darkness, but it seems that in God’s love, God never tires of bringing light into the formless void of our darkness. Anger, hatred, killing. “Let there be light,” God says. “Let there be light.” The healing of Bartimaeus was a sign, a reminder that God is always taking the darkness of the world upon himself and bringing light and healing to this broken world. I’m guessing that most people who witnessed Bartimaeus’ healing didn’t think to themselves, “Oh, God is restoring light into the void and darkness of humanity’s sin.” Most probably just thought, “Cool, Barty can see again,” but restoration and healing of creation is what was really going on in the healing of Bartimaeus, and the really cool thing about Bartimaeus is, he got to be a part of Jesus healing and restoring creation. He got to be a part of Jesus’ light casting out darkness. Now, Bartimaeus didn’t do anything great. All he did was ask Jesus for help, but because he did, Jesus got to show that the light of God has not left the world in darkness, but rather God’s light is always with us in this world casting out darkness for those who wish to see. We are here worshipping in a Jewish Synagogue because after Hurricane Harvey flooded our church, the Rabbi and people of Temple Sinai offered their sacred space for us to worship in on Sundays. They were the light in our darkness, and as with Bartimaeus, there was and is now something so much bigger going on than a small Christian community getting a place to gather for worship. In our communities coming together, God is working to heal his world. In our communities sharing Temple Sinai’s house of worship, God is casting out the darkness of anger, hatred, and killing. Now, there was no anger, hatred, and killing between Emmanuel and Temple Sinai, but as we saw yesterday in Pittsburg, there is still plenty of anger and hatred towards and killing of the people of Israel. People at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg were gathered yesterday for a Shabbat service, for Sabbath rest and peace, and a man walked in and killed 11 people simply because he hated wanted to kill Jews. The darkness of anti-Semitism, that anger, hatred, and killing is tragically still with us. So, when I say we are a part of something so much bigger than ourselves by gathering here for worship at Temple Sinai, I mean we are a part of God casting out the darkness of anti-Semitism, of anger, hatred, and violence of all kinds. By being here, we are a part of God’s continuing story of taking the formless void and darkness of humanity’s anger, hatred, and violence, and saying to that darkness, “Let there be light.” Now, like Bartimaeus, we haven’t done anything. All the work was done by a Jewish rabbi and her congregation saying, “Come, worship, let our house be your house.” All we did was say, “yes please, thank you,” and God said, “Let there be light.” That is the story we are a part of by being here. That is the story we get to tell because we are here. We get to be a part of and tell the story of God healing creation. I hope we don’t miss that. I hope we don’t take this time gathering for worship in this sacred and holy place and simply think, “cool, we got a place to worship.” There is so much more going on here than just having a place to gather on Sundays. Jesus said his followers would be kicked out of the synagogues, and yet here we are. Peace and wholeness in creation is being restored. In Isaiah 2:2-4, we here a vision of peace, of peace in Jerusalem and peace in the world. In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:2-4) That is the story we get to be a part of by worshipping here on Sundays, by accepting Temple Sinai’s offer for light in our darkness. People need to hear this story. It’s a story worth telling because it is part of a story that is so much bigger than we. Like Bartimaeus’ story was so much bigger than just him receiving his sight, our being here is part of God’s story of constantly saying, “Let there be light,” to the formless void and darkness of humanity’s anger, hatred, and killing. In the wake of 11 deaths at Tree of Life Synagogue, tell this story. Tell the story of Emmanuel at Sinai, the story of this congregation opening up their hearts to us, the story of God saying, “Let there be light.”

Brad Sullivan Proper 25, Year B October 28, 2018 Emmanuel, Houston Mark 10:46-52 Isaiah 2:2-4 Out of Anger, Hatred, and Killing, “Let There Be Light” “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep…Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1-3) Bartimaeus, a man who was blind called to Jesus to have mercy on him, and when Jesus asked what he wanted, he said, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said, “Go; your faith has made you well,” and immediately Bartimaeus could see. Where there had been a formless void and darkness for Bartimaeus, Jesus spoke, and there was light. It is no stretch to draw a connection between the light at the beginning of creation and the restoration of sight for Bartimaeus, because there was so much more going on with Bartimaeus than one man getting to see again. The same voice that said, “Let there be light,” said to Bartimaeus, “Go; your faith has made you well.” God was once again bringing light into the darkness. You might think that God would get tired of saying “let there be light” over and over again in the midst of our darkness, but it seems that in God’s love, God never tires of bringing light into the formless void of our darkness. Anger, hatred, killing. “Let there be light,” God says. “Let there be light.” The healing of Bartimaeus was a sign, a reminder that God is always taking the darkness of the world upon himself and bringing light and healing to this broken world. I’m guessing that most people who witnessed Bartimaeus’ healing didn’t think to themselves, “Oh, God is restoring light into the void and darkness of humanity’s sin.” Most probably just thought, “Cool, Barty can see again,” but restoration and healing of creation is what was really going on in the healing of Bartimaeus, and the really cool thing about Bartimaeus is, he got to be a part of Jesus healing and restoring creation. He got to be a part of Jesus’ light casting out darkness. Now, Bartimaeus didn’t do anything great. All he did was ask Jesus for help, but because he did, Jesus got to show that the light of God has not left the world in darkness, but rather God’s light is always with us in this world casting out darkness for those who wish to see. We are here worshipping in a Jewish Synagogue because after Hurricane Harvey flooded our church, the Rabbi and people of Temple Sinai offered their sacred space for us to worship in on Sundays. They were the light in our darkness, and as with Bartimaeus, there was and is now something so much bigger going on than a small Christian community getting a place to gather for worship. In our communities coming together, God is working to heal his world. In our communities sharing Temple Sinai’s house of worship, God is casting out the darkness of anger, hatred, and killing. Now, there was no anger, hatred, and killing between Emmanuel and Temple Sinai, but as we saw yesterday in Pittsburg, there is still plenty of anger and hatred towards and killing of the people of Israel. People at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg were gathered yesterday for a Shabbat service, for Sabbath rest and peace, and a man walked in and killed 11 people simply because he hated wanted to kill Jews. The darkness of anti-Semitism, that anger, hatred, and killing is tragically still with us. So, when I say we are a part of something so much bigger than ourselves by gathering here for worship at Temple Sinai, I mean we are a part of God casting out the darkness of anti-Semitism, of anger, hatred, and violence of all kinds. By being here, we are a part of God’s continuing story of taking the formless void and darkness of humanity’s anger, hatred, and violence, and saying to that darkness, “Let there be light.” Now, like Bartimaeus, we haven’t done anything. All the work was done by a Jewish rabbi and her congregation saying, “Come, worship, let our house be your house.” All we did was say, “yes please, thank you,” and God said, “Let there be light.” That is the story we are a part of by being here. That is the story we get to tell because we are here. We get to be a part of and tell the story of God healing creation. I hope we don’t miss that. I hope we don’t take this time gathering for worship in this sacred and holy place and simply think, “cool, we got a place to worship.” There is so much more going on here than just having a place to gather on Sundays. Jesus said his followers would be kicked out of the synagogues, and yet here we are. Peace and wholeness in creation is being restored. In Isaiah 2:2-4, we here a vision of peace, of peace in Jerusalem and peace in the world. In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it. Many peoples shall come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:2-4) That is the story we get to be a part of by worshipping here on Sundays, by accepting Temple Sinai’s offer for light in our darkness. People need to hear this story. It’s a story worth telling because it is part of a story that is so much bigger than we. Like Bartimaeus’ story was so much bigger than just him receiving his sight, our being here is part of God’s story of constantly saying, “Let there be light,” to the formless void and darkness of humanity’s anger, hatred, and killing. In the wake of 11 deaths at Tree of Life Synagogue, tell this story. Tell the story of Emmanuel at Sinai, the story of this congregation opening up their hearts to us, the story of God saying, “Let there be light.”

In this episode I interview Father Freaking Tom Dahlman! He's the priest at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Shawnee, OK, and a huge fan boy of N.T. Wright. Tom opens up to us about how he came to faith, began to deconstruct that faith only later to reconstruct his faith, finally finding a home in the Episcopal church. Here's the Book recommendations mentioned in the podcast by Tom, be sure to check them out: After Virtue: By Alasdair MacIntyre Supposed by Hope: By NT Wright Buried My heart at Wounded Knee: By Dee Brown Foundations of Scientific Revolutions: By Thomas S. Kuhn  Book Of Common Prayer --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/misfits-theology/support

Brad Sullivan Proper 16, Year A August 27, 2017 Emmanuel, Houston Exodus 12:1-14 Romans 13:8-14 Matthew 18:15-20 Our Pre-Harvey Lives Are Dead and In the Tomb Last Friday, I was volunteering over at FamilyPoint Resources, a little ways down Memorial from here. Family Point has after school programs for children in this area along with other services for children and families. With school not yet in session last week, FamilyPoint opened up to have some hang out time for the neighborhood kids, and I was there to help with that. I spent a little bit of time on the soccer field, but mostly built LEGOs with a group kids. It’s great getting to see what they come up with and how excited they are to show off their creations. There was the occasional dispute over, ‘that piece is mine,’ but mostly we just built together and admired each others’ creations. Afterwards, I was talking with the executive director, Stephanie Hruzek, about Family Point and the needs of the neighborhood. They need folks to come help with after school, of course, and they’re also assembling teams to help muck out houses. All are welcome to join in those efforts, by the way. One thing that was so heartening and wonderful in Stephanie’s and my conversation was the seeming role reversal of families that Family Point is used to serving, coming out to help serve others, be it through mucking houses, helping at Family Point, or just helping out a neighbor in any way they need. The humanity that she has seen in the wake of Hurricane Harvey has far surpassed the damage done. Fear of the other and fear of the unknown seem to be down right now, and our shared humanity is coming to the fore. Stephanie shared her joy at this recognition of, this living into our shared humanity, and our hope and prayer is that this seeking out and reaching out for the other continues. Reaching out for one another and recognizing our shared humanity feels like pre-Harvey burdens have been lifted off our shoulders, burdens we were not even all that aware of: burdens of fearing others or ignoring others. Amidst these burdens which we often carry, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) Jesus’ yoke is his teaching, his way. As much as our religion has at times tried to make Jesus’ way difficult and heavy, the way of Jesus, the teachings of Jesus are easy, and light. The way of Jesus takes other burdens off our shoulders and lightens our loads as we walk this life together. Helping others with our post-Harvey, newfound common humanity has felt lighter than before. This is the way and the teaching of Jesus. Post-Harvey, we’ve been walking in the way of love, and we’ve been less encumbered by the burden of fearing the other, less encumbered by the burden of ignoring the other, less encumbered by the burden of enmity towards the other. Friends and family who have had estrangement growing over differing political and religious beliefs have found that such differences don’t matter in the wake of Harvey. Our petty differences and even our important differences do keep us…different, but they don’t need to divide us. If we need to be divided, God will sort that out later on. In all seriousness, Jesus taught on several occasions that any sorting out of the people, any dividing of humanity that needs to happen will be done by God at the end of the ages. In the mean time, Jesus taught that we are to live with each other, sometimes to put up with each other, but above all to love each other and to live out our common humanity. Paul told the church in Rome to “owe no one anything except to love one another.” The burden of fear keeps us from loving one another, and there are few heavier burdens than fear - except perhaps a desire for vengeance. Before Paul wrote to owe no one anything except to love one another, Paul wrote, “Repay no one evil for evil…never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God…” (Romans 12:17-19) Desire for vengeance may seem justified, but it is a heavy burden, and Jesus’ yoke, his teaching, seeks to lighten that burden. “If another member of the church sins against you,” Jesus taught, “go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Ok, so if we’re being honest, going up to the person who has hurt you and going to them with your heart in your hand letting them know that they hurt you is not an easy task. Doing so requires courage and vulnerability. You might just get hurt again. Going to someone and seeking reconciliation, however, is so much easier and lighter than carrying around the burden of hurt forever. The weight of carrying that pain around is hard and heavy, carrying the accompanying fear and mistrust takes are hearts of flesh and turns them into hearts of stone, weighing us down even further. We trust less and less and fear more and more, when we don’t seek reconciliation, and then we end up with our pre-Harvey burdens of fearing the other, ignoring the other, and holding enmity for the other. Seeking reconciliation is a far easier and lighter burden than the burden of carrying fear, mistrust, and enmity. Even if you can’t be reconciled, Jesus taught that you still don’t carry the enmity around. You drop it. You let it go. If you can’ t be reconciled, then let that person be to you as a gentile and a tax collector. On the one hand, you’re considering that person to be outside of your life, apart from you. On the other hand, what grudge would you hold against someone who is not a part of you? Let the grudge go, let the person go, and wipe the slate clean. It would be up to the other person at that point to rebuild the relationship. At the same time, gentiles and tax collectors were a part of Jesus’ and the early church’s mission field, so there is a writing off and a starting over in Jesus’ teaching about when reconciliation doesn’t occur. Death and resurrection. Such is the way of Jesus. Such is his easy yoke and his light burden. Our shared humanity, seeking out the other without fear, forgiving and actively seeking reconciliation: these are ways of Jesus that we absolutely need in our post-Harvey lives, and what we need in our post-Harvey life as Emmanuel. We need each other. We always did, but pre-Harvey, we felt secure enough in other things not to realize our need for each other quite so acutely. Our pre-Harvey lives are dead and in the tomb. Our post-Harvey lives and post-Harvey life as Emmanuel is emerging from the tomb. Post-Harvey, we have been woken from sleep, and we realize just how much we need each other. More than a building, more than programs, we need each other. Emmanuel Episcopal Church & School is a new creation by water and the Word. We need to stay joined together, and we need to discover new ways to join together as well. In our post-Harvey, resurrected life, we need to keep reaching out into our community. We are a church, a people, without a building right now, and this is a challenge for us, and it is also a wonderful opportunity to live into our common humanity. Without our building to gather in and serve from, we get to gather and serve in other people’s buildings. We get to gather and serve in other people’s homes. We get to join with our neighbors as they gather and serve us. With prayer and reconciliation, we get to continue in this resurrected life, sharing in our common humanity as a new creation by water and the Word, following in the easy way and light burden of Jesus.

Brad Sullivan Proper 16, Year A August 27, 2017 Emmanuel, Houston Exodus 12:1-14 Romans 13:8-14 Matthew 18:15-20 Our Pre-Harvey Lives Are Dead and In the Tomb Last Friday, I was volunteering over at FamilyPoint Resources, a little ways down Memorial from here. Family Point has after school programs for children in this area along with other services for children and families. With school not yet in session last week, FamilyPoint opened up to have some hang out time for the neighborhood kids, and I was there to help with that. I spent a little bit of time on the soccer field, but mostly built LEGOs with a group kids. It’s great getting to see what they come up with and how excited they are to show off their creations. There was the occasional dispute over, ‘that piece is mine,’ but mostly we just built together and admired each others’ creations. Afterwards, I was talking with the executive director, Stephanie Hruzek, about Family Point and the needs of the neighborhood. They need folks to come help with after school, of course, and they’re also assembling teams to help muck out houses. All are welcome to join in those efforts, by the way. One thing that was so heartening and wonderful in Stephanie’s and my conversation was the seeming role reversal of families that Family Point is used to serving, coming out to help serve others, be it through mucking houses, helping at Family Point, or just helping out a neighbor in any way they need. The humanity that she has seen in the wake of Hurricane Harvey has far surpassed the damage done. Fear of the other and fear of the unknown seem to be down right now, and our shared humanity is coming to the fore. Stephanie shared her joy at this recognition of, this living into our shared humanity, and our hope and prayer is that this seeking out and reaching out for the other continues. Reaching out for one another and recognizing our shared humanity feels like pre-Harvey burdens have been lifted off our shoulders, burdens we were not even all that aware of: burdens of fearing others or ignoring others. Amidst these burdens which we often carry, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) Jesus’ yoke is his teaching, his way. As much as our religion has at times tried to make Jesus’ way difficult and heavy, the way of Jesus, the teachings of Jesus are easy, and light. The way of Jesus takes other burdens off our shoulders and lightens our loads as we walk this life together. Helping others with our post-Harvey, newfound common humanity has felt lighter than before. This is the way and the teaching of Jesus. Post-Harvey, we’ve been walking in the way of love, and we’ve been less encumbered by the burden of fearing the other, less encumbered by the burden of ignoring the other, less encumbered by the burden of enmity towards the other. Friends and family who have had estrangement growing over differing political and religious beliefs have found that such differences don’t matter in the wake of Harvey. Our petty differences and even our important differences do keep us…different, but they don’t need to divide us. If we need to be divided, God will sort that out later on. In all seriousness, Jesus taught on several occasions that any sorting out of the people, any dividing of humanity that needs to happen will be done by God at the end of the ages. In the mean time, Jesus taught that we are to live with each other, sometimes to put up with each other, but above all to love each other and to live out our common humanity. Paul told the church in Rome to “owe no one anything except to love one another.” The burden of fear keeps us from loving one another, and there are few heavier burdens than fear - except perhaps a desire for vengeance. Before Paul wrote to owe no one anything except to love one another, Paul wrote, “Repay no one evil for evil…never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God…” (Romans 12:17-19) Desire for vengeance may seem justified, but it is a heavy burden, and Jesus’ yoke, his teaching, seeks to lighten that burden. “If another member of the church sins against you,” Jesus taught, “go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.” Ok, so if we’re being honest, going up to the person who has hurt you and going to them with your heart in your hand letting them know that they hurt you is not an easy task. Doing so requires courage and vulnerability. You might just get hurt again. Going to someone and seeking reconciliation, however, is so much easier and lighter than carrying around the burden of hurt forever. The weight of carrying that pain around is hard and heavy, carrying the accompanying fear and mistrust takes are hearts of flesh and turns them into hearts of stone, weighing us down even further. We trust less and less and fear more and more, when we don’t seek reconciliation, and then we end up with our pre-Harvey burdens of fearing the other, ignoring the other, and holding enmity for the other. Seeking reconciliation is a far easier and lighter burden than the burden of carrying fear, mistrust, and enmity. Even if you can’t be reconciled, Jesus taught that you still don’t carry the enmity around. You drop it. You let it go. If you can’ t be reconciled, then let that person be to you as a gentile and a tax collector. On the one hand, you’re considering that person to be outside of your life, apart from you. On the other hand, what grudge would you hold against someone who is not a part of you? Let the grudge go, let the person go, and wipe the slate clean. It would be up to the other person at that point to rebuild the relationship. At the same time, gentiles and tax collectors were a part of Jesus’ and the early church’s mission field, so there is a writing off and a starting over in Jesus’ teaching about when reconciliation doesn’t occur. Death and resurrection. Such is the way of Jesus. Such is his easy yoke and his light burden. Our shared humanity, seeking out the other without fear, forgiving and actively seeking reconciliation: these are ways of Jesus that we absolutely need in our post-Harvey lives, and what we need in our post-Harvey life as Emmanuel. We need each other. We always did, but pre-Harvey, we felt secure enough in other things not to realize our need for each other quite so acutely. Our pre-Harvey lives are dead and in the tomb. Our post-Harvey lives and post-Harvey life as Emmanuel is emerging from the tomb. Post-Harvey, we have been woken from sleep, and we realize just how much we need each other. More than a building, more than programs, we need each other. Emmanuel Episcopal Church & School is a new creation by water and the Word. We need to stay joined together, and we need to discover new ways to join together as well. In our post-Harvey, resurrected life, we need to keep reaching out into our community. We are a church, a people, without a building right now, and this is a challenge for us, and it is also a wonderful opportunity to live into our common humanity. Without our building to gather in and serve from, we get to gather and serve in other people’s buildings. We get to gather and serve in other people’s homes. We get to join with our neighbors as they gather and serve us. With prayer and reconciliation, we get to continue in this resurrected life, sharing in our common humanity as a new creation by water and the Word, following in the easy way and light burden of Jesus.

Sermon preached on John 14 at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Houston, Texas.