Proclaim by Word and Example

This sermon was preached for Ascension Sunday, May 21 at St. Mark's, East Longmeadow. The texts for this sermon were: Acts 1:6-14,  John 17:1-11 and  Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36. A couple of months ago, when my son had only just a few words, I was out walking around our cul-de-sac with him. It had just rained and he was stopping to stomp in the big puddles along the curbs of our road. Little blue rain-boots and pure joy. I pulled out my phone to capture the moment, intending to send a video to his grandparents, but then he looked up and said with all the authority of a toddler, “Phone, there,” and pointed to my pocket. Saying as best as he knew how, put your phone away, Mama. Be present here with me. Then he dragged me over to stomp around in the puddle, too. Sneakers be damned. Today we mark the ascension of Christ into heaven, the moment when Jesus concluded his post-resurrection ministry on earth and rose up to be with God. After commissioning the disciples to be his witness...

This sermon was preached for Sunday, May 14 at St. Mark's, East Longmeadow. The texts for this sermon were: Acts 17:22-31 ,  John 14:15-21, and  Psalm 66:7-1 The other day I was talking with one of the folks at the Cathedral’s Drop-In Center for the unhoused community in Springfield. He was telling me all about how degrading the medical system is for addicts, how doctors never believe him and no one treats him like a human being. I listened and nodded, unfortunately unsurprised by his experience. But then he shrugged and said, “The Bible says it all happens the way it’s supposed to.” It took everything for me not to blurt out, “No! No, it doesn’t!” What I said instead was something lame like, “I seem to recall the Bible being full of voices crying out to God, this is NOT the way it’s supposed to be.”  What I really wanted him to know was this, this, what you just told me, this is not the way it is supposed to be at all . Neglect, contempt, despair - that is not what ...

This sermon was preached for the fifth Sunday in Easter, May 7, 2023 for St. Mark's, East Longmeadow. The texts for this sermon were: Acts 7:55-60,  John 14:1-14, and  Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16. Today's Gospel passage is a common funeral sermon because it's the words Jesus leaves with his disciples at the Last Supper before his crucifixion, words he knows will be what will carry his friends through what is to come, his death, their grief, the shock of the resurrection. Jesus wants his followers to know that they already have all they need for the journey ahead. You know the way, he reassures the disciples.  I will say, taken out of context, Jesus’ statement, “No one comes to the Father except through me” lands as uncomfortably exclusive. Certainly those words have been used to exclude: “No one…except.” Yet Jesus clearly intends for this whole passage to be reassuring, not threatening. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Don’t worry that you don’t know the way, you already...