Monthly Archives: January, 2012
Sermon Notes- March 25, 2012
5th Sunday in Lent- Year B Jeremiah 31:31-34 Psalm 51:1-12 Hebrews 5:5-10 John 12:20-33 This week is an interesting collection of texts. Jeremiah and the New Covenant. Psalm 51-reminder of Ash Wednesday, and the idea of a new heart from Jeremiah linked together. The Letter to the Hebrews and Jesus the Great High Priest. The …
Marcella of Rome (325-410)
This morning in Common Prayer, I was introduced to a 4th century follower of Jesus. Her story is compelling and worth contemplating today: Marcella had an enviable life as the daughter of a prominent Roman family who married a wealthy man. But less than a year after her wedding, her husband died. She was given …
Blessed…
Today in Common Prayer, the first scripture reading was Genesis 22:1-18, the story of the Binding of Isaac. The last verses of that passage are always a reminder- 15 The LORD’s messenger called out to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I give my word as the LORD that because you did this and didn’t …
Thomas Aquinas
Today, on Roman Catholic and Anglican calendars, the remembrance of Thomas Aquinas is the order of the day. He was a 13th century theologian that has had more affect on modern theology than any other you might name. He made the work of Aristotle available to the Christian faith in a way that no other …
Rainy Day Thoughts
It has been raining this morning in Western North Carolina. As I spent some time with Common Prayer, these things popped out from the devotion: The responsory- Restore our fortunes, Lord : like a wash in the rainy season. A quote- Twelfth-century mystic Hildegard of Bingen wrote, “Rivers of living water are to be poured …
Practice resurrection
One of my favorite authors is Wendell Berry. Today in Common Prayer, they included one of his poems as a response to the scriptures. It is profound in its simplicity: As soon as the generals and the politicos can predict the motion of your mind, lose it. Leave it as a sign to mark the …