Saint Paul’s Sermons

In a few short verses in his Gospel, Luke describes Jesus' weeping over Jerusalem, cleansing the temple, and teaching in the temple daily (Luke 19:41-48). We learn much about the man Jesus from this passage, his human grief over the city of Jerusalem, his bold attack on the moneychangers and merchants defiling the temple, and his heart for the people as he teaches.

Jesus told the familiar parable about the "prodigal" or wastrel son, Lk 15:11-32, was aimed at the value of lost sinners to God and God's willingness to show them mercy, so it relates to us, too. Both the younger son, who squandered his inheritance, and the elder son, who was unloving, unforgiving, and rude to his father, failed to honor their loving and generous father. Just as we s...

In chapter 20 of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus teaches us that unless our righteousness is more righteous than that of the Pharisees and scribes, we can’t see the kingdom of heaven. What is Jesus talking about? Does he really want us to be more ostentatious, more public, more hypocritical in our righteousness, observing every little man made commandment of the law? No, Jesus is making a point to contras...

Jesus taught us to be merciful. How many times a day are we instead harsh or judgmental?

The parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin Jesus taught show us the God does not give up on us, that God is eager to seek the lost, and that God is the God of second chances.

As Christians we are called to live our neighbor as ourselves. In humility we recognize we too sin and need to repent. Thanks be to God we have Jesus, which had no need to repent, as our advocate with the Father. To love our neighbor is not to affirm everything our neighbor says or does.

Pride is the cardinal sin, putting ourselves in the place of God. We see it in the “pride” of people who celebrate sin and repudiate what God declares. The Book of Common Prayer includes prayers that turn is away from our pride.

The Ascension of the Lord Jesus is important as his Resurrection because his Ascension completes the work begun with the Incarnation. Jesus returns to the Father, and in a sense, the Father brings him home restoring the unity of the trinity. We are also praying for our mothers on this day in appreciation for their loving service. "Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep...

Archbishop Thomas Cranmer was a visionary walking a difficult path to bring Reformed Christianity to England. Henry VIII if anything remained Roman Catholic while making himself head of the English church, but his appointed Archbishop of Canterbury was solidly and biblically reformed. In developing the prayer book, Cranmer skillfully achieved several goals: 1. Unify all worship and practice into o...

This “Rogation Sunday” encourages to bring our needs and desires to the Father. The god who loves his children.

When Jesus told the disciples they would all fall away, ‘not me, Peter said. But fall away he did. That Jesus restored Peter gives hope to us, too.

During the upper room discourse Jesus tells his followers in a little while they won’t see him, then he says in a little while they will see him. He’s predicting his death followed by his rising again. Understandably they’re baffled. Jesus goes on to assure them of their future joy, the joy in him we who believe can share.

The Resurrection of Jesus is the key, pivotal fact upon which our faith and assurance rest. As Paul said, if Jesus isn't raised, our faith is false and foolish, and we have no hope. How reasonable is it to believe in Jesus's resurrection from the dead? It's the only reasonable conclusion to draw from the eyewitness evidenced other undisputed facts. an

The Easter message of God's grace challenges us to internalize our faith, to respond to it, and to work on our faith growing closer to the risen Savior. God's grace, God's undeserved favor, is most fully revealed by Jesus's on the cross. The Risen Lord calls on us to live in faith.

Congregational reading of the Passion of the Lord according to Saint Matthew.

Jesus commands us as his followers to live one another. That is how the world knows we belong to him. In the church this means to avoid back biting or gossip.

This Fourth Sunday in Lent is known by four names under various Christian traditions and practice. Rose Sunday, Laetare Sunday, Refreshment Sunday, and Mothering Sunday. Father Andrew comments on each and the significance of them in our traditions and for our lives.

Did Jesus make a deal with the devil? That’s what some of his critics said when they witnessed a miracle in which he drove a demon out of a man who was mute. Jesus didn’t let that stand. He pointed out to them. Their claim was nonsense, since Satan, as a limited created, being, had no power to perform miracles. And why would he help? Jesus destroy his own minions anyway? But in that same passage,...

God is loving and quick to forgive, but sincere repentance, turning from sinful decisions and actions, is our part. See Psalm 51 for an example of repentance from the heart

Jesus was the great teacher, and he loved to teach with simple stories people could understand: the parables. The parable of the sower, which is in all three of the synoptic gospels, challenges us. Are we the good soil, the good dirt, the ones with open hearts to the gospel who will bear fruit?

The Gospel parable of the vineyard owner demonstrates that God's ways are not our ways, that God's will and purpose do not depend on our personal sense of fairness. But this is good because we know for sure that God is good and always does good for those who love him, though we may not see it that way at the moment!

The baptism of Jesus is a crucial event in the inauguration of his earthly ministry, and a moment that reveals his deity, the participation of all three persons of the Trinity, and especially his purpose in coming to the Earth. In the account in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus tells John the Baptist to with the baptism of repentance, even though Jesus has no need to repent. He does it, so that all righteo...

"Be still and know that I am God," says Psalm 46:10. Daily we need to have a mind for the Lord, to seek Him and come closer to Him.

Christmas is a wonderful time of peace and joy and the celebration of the coming to earth of our savior, Jesus Christ. It’s also a good time to give. Thanks.

During Advent we read the first part of chapter 1 of John's Gospel at every service, reminding us that Jesus was the enteral word of God, divine, with God from the beginning, and that he came to earth in human flesh for us! It's a miracle and hard for us to grasp how it could have happened, but we rejoice that it did. But the big question is why, why did God do that? And the answer is that...