Preaching among the Palms

The Christmas season celebrates the birth of Christ, about which we know a great deal from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Obviously we also know a lot about Jesus's mature ministry and mission. But we know almost nothing about the childhood of Jesus--except what we read in today's passage from Luke, which describes the twelve-year-old Jesus teaching in the temple to the surprise and dism...

The church has for centuries commemorated the Holy Innocents, those unnumbered boys under the age of two who were slaughtered by Herod in the vicinity of Bethlehem in a failed attempt at murdering the newborn Christ. How can we understand this terrible evil and how it nevertheless fulfilled prophecy, as the Gospel of Matthew teaches? Fr. Jeff tries to account for the light of Christmas and the dar...

The Prologue to the Gospel of St. John is profound and mysterious, but it has a pastoral message that we need to hear at Christmas. Fr. Jeff grapples with some translation issues and explains how the light of Christ shines today, not just at the Incarnation, and he shows why the Incarnation is especially important to Anglo-Catholic piety.

Everyone knows the Christmas story—or at least everyone thinks they do. The angels who announce the birth of Christ to the shepherds in the vicinity of Bethlehem say they have "good news" for the whole world. But most people don't know what "good news" really means. Fr. Jeff explains the historical background of "good news," which reveals an even deeper level of m...

Fr. Grady explains the promise and proclamation of the advent season. The prophets have pointed the way toward Christ, and today's reading from Isaiah sets the stage for his virgin birth.

John the Baptist is a major figure in the Advent season, but we don't think about his unique role in history often enough. Fr. Jeff encourages us to emulate his example of pointing the way to Jesus.

John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance and promised that Christ would baptize believers with the Holy Spirit. What is this baptism and how is it possible today? Canon Lester ministers the Word this Sunday.

Today's baffling Gospel likens the Son of Man to a burglar and speaks of disappearing people and the judgment of the world in the days of Noah. Fr. Jeff situates this passage in the whole lectionary sequence for the first Sunday of Advent and argues that this passage is less about the "when" of Jesus's coming and more about how we are to be ready for it, especially at this season...

Fr. Grady breaks down the kingship of Christ, showing how in him the promises of God proclaimed through the prophets come to fulfillment. The kingship of Christ is most clearly seen on the cross, where Jesus once again refuses the temptation of any shortcut to glory but makes it possible for us to freely choose salvation in him.

After a long journey Jesus arrives at the temple in Jerusalem. He praises the generosity of the widow who gives two copper coins to the treasury and foretells the destruction of the temple. Fr. Jeff applies the lessons of this passage from Luke's Gospel to the church today.

The scribes have been questioning Jesus, and now the Sadducees take a turn. Quoting from Moses, they maintain that there is no resurrection of the dead. Jesus puts forward his own unique interpretation of Moses and offers an enigmatic teaching on the resurrection. Fr. Jeff tries to explain how the sons of the resurrection cannot die, do not marry, and are equal to the angels.

In the Revelation to St. John the apostle has a vision of the saints in heavenly glory. Who are the saints? And where do they come from? Two questions posed by the elder St. John encounters; we explore the answers.

Jesus heals ten lepers, but only one turns back to glorify God and thank Jesus. Fr. Jeff argues that this is a story of discipleship: that often enough in the spiritual life the way forward is to go back, back to our Savior and Lord in gratitude and readiness to serve. The church is the place where this can happen, but we need to do a better job helping our own members not be just members but real...

The disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith. Rather than give them a straightforward answer, he gives two enigmatic replies, one implying that even a tiny amount of faith can work wonders, the other implying that we can never have enough faith. So which is it? Fr. Jeff tries to give an answer.

What is Saint Michael doing in heaven when he wages war against the dragon whom John calls the devil and satan? How are we to understand what the angels are doing on the other side of our human perspective on reality? Fr. Jeff preaches on the angels and how Jesus makes it possible for us to live with them wherever he has opened the gate of heaven on earth.

Fr. Jeff preaches on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Jesus uses the Greek word krisis when he says "now is the judgment of this world." Certainly our culture feels like it is in a crisis moment. Now is the time to walk with Christ that we may become like Christ.

In Luke's Gospel Jesus says that we cannot be his disciple without hating our families. Fr. Jeff explains the paradoxical meaning of this "hard saying" of our Savior.

Jesus tells two parables in today's Gospel reading: one about attending a banquet and one about hosting a banquet. Fr. Jeff shares his thoughts about our Lord's teaching.

Today's passage from Hebrews refers to God as "a consuming fire." Fr. Jeff explains this dramatic imagery in terms of two mountains: Mount Sinai and Mount Zion. Our God is the God of both mountains; He is to be approached in both trepidation and hopeful confidence.

Hebrews informs us that faith is " the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Fr. Jeff shows how these two things are true of the faith of our ancestors, most especially that of Abraham, through whom all nations are blessed.

Jesus pays a visit to the home of Martha and Mary; Fr. Jeff explains what is so controversial about their interaction.

Today's passage from the Gospel of Luke contains our Lord's teaching on the two great commandments: love of God and love of neighbor. Fr. Jeff relates this teaching to the famous parable of the Good Samaritan.

Jesus sends out 70 apostles to go ahead of him on the road to Jerusalem. Fr. Jeff describes the significance of this number and the mission that these apostles have been given.

Jesus begins his journey to Jerusalem and says that anyone who looks back or to either side while plowing is not fit to follow him on the way. Fr. Jeff accounts for what this means and how it applies to our own lives.

Fr. Jeff reminds us on the feast of Corpus Christi that the body of Christ is both given to us in the eucharistic feast and that we just are the body of Christ. Because Jesus rose bodily from the dead, we encounter him today just the same way his disciples did: by touching him in the bread and wine and greeting one another in the passing of the peace.