Proper 27: November 8, 2020

Texts: First Reading Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 Psalm 78:1-7 Second Reading 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Gospel Matthew 25:1-13 Manuscript: We were supposed to be back together, in-person today. I know some of y’all are disappointed we are not, just as I know some of you would have been with us on Zoom today either way. I know, months ago, I promised […]

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May 17, 2020 – In Front of the Areopagus

  Texts: Acts 17:22-31, Psalm 66:8-20, 1 Peter 3:13-22, John 14:15-21   Manuscript I hope the labels I put on the background picture this week have been helpful. Each week I try to find something that is at least tangentially related to the scripture readings and is also free for us to use. This week’s picture, for those who can’t […]

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All Saints’ Day: November 1, 2020

Texts: Revelation 7:9-17 Psalm 34:1-10, 22 1 John 3:1-3 Matthew 5:1-12 Manuscript: It is a rare day that the lectionary brings us the Revelation of John. Revelation is a strange book. It is one scholars often struggle with—as one example, John Calvin wrote a commentary on every other book of the New Testament, and Zwingli, another […]

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Proper 25: October 25, 2020

Texts: Deuteronomy 34:1-12 Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Matthew 22:34-46 Manuscript: About eight months ago, I stepped behind this pulpit for the first time to talk about the Hebrews around Mt. Sinai, watching as Moses climbed the mountain and stepped into a cloud to meet with God. We talked about not knowing the path, not […]

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Proper 24: October 18, 2020

Texts: Exodus 33:12-23 Psalm 99:1-9 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Matthew 22:15-22 Manuscript: One of the disadvantages of standing here, in the year 2020…and I will try to keep my focus on just this one, because I do not think there are many I need to name. I am, after all, still talking to a camera, at least […]

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Proper 22: October 4, 2020

Texts: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 Psalm 19:1-14 Philippians 3:4b-14 Matthew 21:33-46 Manuscript: Last week we read verses 23 through 32. Jesus is teaching in the Temple when the chief priests and elders interrupt him to ask “By what authority are you doing these things and who gave you this authority?” Jesus answers with a question: “Did […]

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Proper 21: September 27, 2020

Texts: Exodus 17:1-7 Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16 Philippians 2:1-13 Matthew 21:23-32 Manuscript: I have been thinking a lot about Harry Potter this week. Before I go further, I guess I should give warning about some minor spoilers to the overall series and more significant spoilers to the fifth book and movie, but really, the book was published […]

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Proper 20: September 20, 2020

Texts: Exodus 16:2-15 Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 Philippians 1:21-30 Matthew 20:1-16 Manuscript: One of the small (very small) silver linings of the past few months is that, due to the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, UVA gets another year as the reigning national champion. I said it was a small thing. I grew up […]

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Proper 19: September 13, 2020

Texts: Exodus 14:19-31 Exodus 15:1b-11, 20-21 Romans 14:1-12 Matthew 18:21-35 Manuscript: I do not know how many of you watch police procedurals on TV—if we were in person, I might ask you to raise your hands, and I briefly considered testing out Zoom’s poll feature to ask, but it really is not that important. You […]

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