Grace Anglican Church Gastonia, NC

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran The Blessing of the Light, Luke 2.22-40 Download When Jesus was presented at the Temple, Simeon saw him for who he truly is, the Messiah that enlightens the nations and who is the glory of Israel. What does this mean? How is Jesus fulfilling prophecy with this action of being brought by his parents to the Temple? How does it affect us today? Image: The Presentation of Jesus a...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Nazareth Confrontation, Luke 4.14-32 Download When Jesus returned to Nazareth and went to the synagogue, the others there were angered by his words. What did he say? Why did he say it? How are we to be received by God the Father? Jesus’ confrontation is an important moment in his ministry for them and for us today. Image: Jesus Unrolls the Book in the Synagogue , James Tissot...

Transformed Water, Transformed You, John 2.1-11 Download When the wine ran out at the wedding in Cana, Jesus’ mother told him about it. She then left it up to him to act, and act he did! Sometimes our prayers can only be telling Jesus what the situation is and letting him act when he will, and trusting that he will transform what we are to be ready for where we are. Image: Jesus makes wine out of...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Jesus_ Baptism Changes Everything, Luke 3.15-22, Acts 10.34-38 Download Jesus went to John to be baptized in the wilderness. In that baptism, the Father spoke and the Holy Spirit descended. This signals a change, not only in Jesus’ life, but in the life of the world. Image: Baptism of Jesus, Andrea del Verrocchio, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4....

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Pursuing the Star to the King, Matthew 2.1-12 Download What were the Magi following? Was it just an ordinary star? What were the Magi? How did the star lead them to the exact house where the Holy Family were? Father Jeremiah explores these questions in his sermon on Matthew 2:1-12 Image: Adoration of the Magi (detail) , Gentile de Fabriano, Public domain, via Wikimedia Common...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran God in the Flesh to Redeem, John 1.1-18 Download Why are St. John’s words, “He became flesh and dwelt among us,” so important to us Christians? Father Jeremiah looks at this verse and how St. John leads us to this beautiful moment in John 1. Image: Nativity, Sandro Botticelli, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Christ is Born to Forgive, Christmas Eve Download At our Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols, we heard of the promises of God to his people throughout the Old Testament. Father Jeremiah explains that Jesus is the fulfillment of God the Father’s desire to make a people for himself and that he does so through forgiveness of sins. Image: Nativity, Giotto, Public domain, via Wikimed...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Greetings, Magnifying, and Mercy, Luke 1.39-56 Download After the angel appeared to Mary, she went immediately to visit her relative Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s greeting and Mary’s response tell us a great deal about the reality of the babies in their wombs. We also learn a great deal about the God of promise that is bringing about his promises through them. Image: La Visitation,...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Joy through Repentance, Luke 3.7-20, Zephaniah 3.14-20 Download In our Gospel lesson from Luke 3, we hear of John the Baptist’s preaching to the crowds and his calling them to repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah. How does this preaching of repentance bring to the joy of the Lord? Is joy something we create in ourselves or is it something that God brings to...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Messenger of Peace that Refines, Malachi 3.1-5, Luke 3.1-6 Download Advent is a season of repentant waiting for our Lord to come. The process of repentance is one that leads to us knowing the peace and refining work of God through Jesus for us. Image: Molten Metal , picture by Pixabay, CC0. Image location: https://www.stockvault.net/photo/202116/utils/lib/utils/strings#

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Hope toward the Future from the Past for the Present, Zech 14, Luke 21.25-33 Download As we consider ‘hope’ in Advent, Father Jeremiah points out how it looks to the future while being rooted in the past that we might be sustained in the present. Advent helps us continue forward in this world knowing that God the Father will fulfill his promises. Image: Second Coming icon, pu...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Christ the King Who Forgives, John 18.33-38 Download When Jesus stood before Pilate, he confessed that his kingdom, and thus his kingship, was not from this world. What did he mean by this? Is his kingdom and kingship utterly separate from this world? Or do they overlap and interlock together, such that this world will be changed when Jesus returns? Image: Boston at English W...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Judgment and Salvation, Mark 13.14-23, Hebrews 10.31-29 Download When Jesus speaks during the Olivet Discourse about the destruction of the Temple, he was showing mercy with regard to the coming judgment of Jerusalem. He warns his disciples and those who follow them to flee when the time comes. How are we to understand this prophecy today? Is it about the future, or is it her...

Fr. John Riebe The Widow's MIGHT (Fr. John), Mark 12-.38-44 Download Father John Riebe reminds us that as Christians we are called to love God with our whole being and to love our neighbors as ourselves. This life is revealed fully through the act of the widow whose gift isn’t measured physically, but spiritually before the Lord. Image: Le denier de la veuve ( The Widow’s Mite ), James Tissot, Pub...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Holiness for the Saints and for You, Revelation 7.9-17, Ephesians 1.1-23 Download As we reflect upon the meaning of All Saints’ Day, we remember that the saints are the holy ones of God. The holiness they have though is not a holiness they create, but one that is given to them by the work of Christ. Image: Johann König, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. File Location":htt...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Walking the Path to Jesus, Mark 10.46-52 Download When Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus, we get to see something new about discipleship, but also a juxtaposition between this blind man and James and John in the previous passage. Jesus asks both, “What do you want me to do for you?” How we each answer that question gives shape to our walk with Jesus. Image: Christ Healing a Blind...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Taking Up the Cup, Mark 10.35-45 Download When James and John ask Jesus to sit at his right and left hand, he confronts them with the reality of suffering that must come before glory. What does that mean for us today? Does suffering come before glroy? Father Jeremiah considers Jesus’ words in response to James and John and the other apostles. Image: Fra Angelico, frescoes, Sa...

Fr. Harold Vandeveer Giving Up What I Can't Keep for What I Can't Lose, Mark 10.17-31 Download The Reverend Harold Vandeveer filled in this Sunday for Fr Jeremiah. What good are the things of the world, when we have eternal salvation offered to us through Jesus? How are we going to respond to this reality? Image: Christ and the Rich Young Ruler, by Heinrich Hofmann, public domain. Image Location:...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran The Blessing of Marriage and Children, Mark 10.2-16 Download When Jesus speaks of marriage and children, he sets out to correct his time’s misuse and misunderstanding of these things. Likewise today, we must hear his words and take them to heart as we approach these most holy of subjects. Image: Portrait of a Married Couple with a Child, by Peter Paul Rubens, Public domain, v...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Let the Angels Come to Defend, Revelation 12.7-12, John 1.47-51 Download We don’t often talk about angels, but they are important creatures in creation. Sunday was the Feast of Holy Michael and All Angels. Father Jeremiah reminded us about their importance and role in our lives and that they are but a pray to God the Father away from for our defense. Image: St. Michael Triump...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Being Truly Great Means Dying, Mark 9.30-37 Download Jesus’ teaching about his own pending death to the disciples connected with his teaching on who is the greatest, reminds us that only by dying to self can we discover the greatness that God the Father intends for us. Image: John Hazeland on His Deathbed , by Edvard Munch, uploaded by villarreal9, license CC BY-SA 4.0 (No ch...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Transforming Unbelief to Belief, Mark 9.14-29 Download When Jesus comes down from the mountain after his transfiguration, he and the three disciples are confronted with a scene of chaos. The other disciples are arguing with the scribes about casting out a demon and healing a boy. The father of boy explains to Jesus what is happening and confesses his own unbelief mixed into h...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Sacrificing Rules to Justify Yourself, Mark 7.1-23 Download When the Pharisees and Scribes confront Jesus about his disciples not ritually washing hands before eating, Jesus confronts them with their ability to sacrifice the rules of God with man-made traditions in order to justify themselves. In what ways do we do this today? How are we to overcome this desire? Image: The Fi...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Eternal Words and Feeding on Jesus, John 6.60-69 Download After Jesus finished his teaching on feeding on him, many of his followers began leaving him. Jesus even question his own immediate twelve disciples about what they were going to do. How does this come to us today? Why would Jesus challenge even the Twelve on following him? Are we challenged in our following of Jesus?...

Fr. Jeremiah Caughran Feeding Upon Jesus the Bread of Life, John 6.53-59 Download As Jesus continues teaching about his being the bread of life that is necessary to salvation, he goes so far as to say that his flesh is true food and his blood is true drink! What does this mean? How does it relate to communion? Where can we find Jesus that we might feed on him always? Image: Nheyob, CC BY-SA 4.0 &l...