Texts: Matthew 2:1-12, Luke 2:41-52 This past Monday was the Feast of the Epiphany, beginning our Epiphanytide season. The term Epiphany comes from the Greek word for “manifestation” or “appearing,” as we see in the subtitle of the Feast: “the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.” The feast began in Egypt in the 2nd century…
Text: Matthew 2:13-23: The Holy Family’s Flight to and Return from Egypt Since today is the 12th day of Christmas, I have one last chance to say, “Merry Christmas” from the pulpit! Other than the two weeks surrounding Easter, there is no other time of the Church year as liturgically packed as Christmastide. We had…
A Guest Homily by the Rev. Zachary Nash
Texts: John 1:1f, Luke 2:1ff, Hebrews 1:1ff, and Hymn #28 Merry Christmas! Now, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be always acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. Again, I say, Merry Christmas! I say this every year, but Christmas is absolutely my favorite…
Texts: Philippians 4:4ff, John 1:19ff The fourth week in Advent always feels a bit rushed. For starters, it’s often a short week, as it ends with Christmas, regardless of whether Christmas is the day after the 4th Sunday in Advent, or whether it’s a whole week later. Second, since our local custom is to have…
As you have no doubt noticed, today we are vested a bit differently: we are in rose. This only happens twice a year here at All Saints, and never in many other congregations! Both in Advent and in Lent, we mix a little joyful white into our penitential violet right around the halfway point for…
If I had to pick a single favorite prayer in the Book of Common Prayer, today’s Collect would certainly be a top contender. This Collect was composed by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer for the first Book of Common Prayer in 1549 and sums up a chief concern of the Reformers: the supreme authority of the Bible…
When I was growing up, my father was in the Navy, so we moved around every three or four years. He was raised Episcopalian, but my mother was raised Roman Catholic. Each duty station, my folks would check out both options, looking for a parish in either tradition where the priest preached Christ. So, I…
Texts: James 1:16ff, Matthew 6:25ff, Isaiah 12 Harvest festivals are an almost universal aspect of human culture. In the Old Testament, all three of the “Pilgrim Feasts,” the three most important of the Levitical Holy Days are related to the Harvest. Passover includes the offering and celebration of the First Fruits. Pentecost or Weeks is…
Text: Jeremiah 23:5-8 & John 6:5-14. One of the more noticeable differences between the older one-year lectionary and the more modern three-year lectionary is the transition between Epiphanytide and Lent. In the newer calendar, Epiphanytide lasts three weeks longer, and we jump right from Epiphanytide to Ash Wednesday. In the older calendar, like we use…