This Week’s Sermon
Pursued By Grace: The God Who Will Not Let Us Go
1 Samuel 16:1-13 16The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” 2Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.” 4Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse … Read more
E Pluribus Unum: Reflecting the Image of the Creator
Isaiah 58:9b-14 9Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, 10if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light … Read more
Thy Will Be Done
Good morning, St. Matthew. We gather on this morning in Itasca on the unceded tribal lands of the Kickapoo, Peoria, Ka-skas-kia, Potawatomi, Mya-a-mia, HoChunk, Winnebago and O-che-thi Sakowin nations, acknowledging the hard past and praying our way into a better future.And so we pray. Lord, we keep looking for the rule book, for the set … Read more
But We Promised
2 Kings 5:1-145Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favour with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. 2Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl … Read more
Blessing of the Garden
Good morning, St. Matthew! We gather on this morning in Itasca on the unceded tribal lands of the Kickapoo, Peoria, Ka-skas-kia, Potawatomi, Mya-a-mia, HoChunk, Winnebago and O-che-thi Sakowin nations, acknowledging that hard past and praying our way into a better future.And so we pray. Holy Loving Lord – we don’t often know where our choices … Read more
Lay It Down, So You Can Pick It Up
Acts 9:36-43 36Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. 37At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. 38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, … Read more
Valentine Musings
Recently we were talking at worship about Valentine’s Day. I have found that in many Roman Catholic churches, they take the opportunity to encourage those who are married by reminding them that their vows were made within the beloved community of the church. That the church pledges to come alongside them, as they seek to … Read more
The Lingering Question
His not quite pickled, not quite unbelieving litre beer glass shaped voice Snaked up out of the depths Striking with a flat headed thump Leaving a mark that is not quite a wound But has become a scar A touchstone pock in the flesh of my faith. … Read more
