St. John’s Park Slope

“We do not serve an aloof God—or one who merely knows our pain. We follow a compassionate Lord who stepped into our deepest grief—and can be trusted to undo it…”

Mercy feels like a burden—until you need it. Then it breaks you open and makes you merciful…

The kingdom’s way only feels upside-down because we’ve been living upside-down. In the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus isn’t flipping life on its head—he’s setting it right-side up, revealing the Good Life we were made for…

Today's reading is not a merit story. Peter isn’t seeking wisdom or asking for help—he’s exhausted, frustrated, and, frankly, annoyed. His response to Jesus’ call is passive-aggressive at best. And yet, Christ still gives him the prize. Grace strips him bare, exposing his pettiness, his self-absorption, the gap between the life he wants and the life he’s living. And in that moment—raw, humbled, un...

“We spend so much of our lives curating a version of ourselves that we think will be accepted. Even when we long to be known, muscle memory kicks in, and we hold back, fearing rejection. Similarly, the terror of the Law is that before God there’s no hiding. But the good news of the gospel is that though we are fully seen we are completely loved.”

“We Episcopalians are right to present Jesus as a revolutionary, but we often hesitate to proclaim him as the Son of God. It’s as if we’re shy about asserting the fullness of his identity—embarrassed by the thought of claiming too much. But, friends, if Jesus isn’t the living Lord, then all the mercy we cherish is still buried with him in that tomb…”

Epiphany reveals that God’s mercy must never be separated from his glory. Without his majesty, his love becomes mere sentiment. Yet in his compassion lies the power to triumph over sin, death, and all that seeks to destroy us…

The bearer of the winnowing fork has made common cause with the chaff…

The “dividing wall of hostility” has been torn down, but we’ve spent a whole lot of time trying to reassemble its fractured bricks. Still, the One who began tearing down the insider/outsider distinction can be trusted to finish the job He started…

The King sought by the Magi came not just for the chosen, the celebrated, or the deserving, but for the stranger, the outcast, and even the ungodly…

When we pray that God would plant love in us, we’re not asking for a little help from our Friend, we’re asking that God would birth love in us…

God became flesh because the body keeps the score. We need more than a new mindset or an emotional tune-up—we need the One who can make us new…

Every vice in us will be cut off—and let’s be honest, we won’t like it. We love our greed more than we realize; that’s why we cling to it. But take heart, friends: the Judge, who has already borne our judgment, prunes not to condemn but to save…

When Isaiah calls us to “prepare the way of the Lord,” we might be tempted to think we are the change agents. Yet in the very next verse, the prophet reveals that the Lord is the true change agent: “Every valley shall be exalted, every mountain and hill made low…” This means that everything matters, and, thanks be to God, the Lord’s cut-and-fill operation does not depend on us. *With thanks to Fle...

“Advent isn’t just about Christmas or the Second Coming—it’s about Christ breaking into the here and now. In a world gripped by conflict and uncertainty, we’re not called to retreat into Hallmark hope but to stand, lift our heads, and believe: our redemption is sure.”

A Lord of Lords Encore

Was Pilate a tyrant or a coward? Either way, I see myself in him. When I fear weakness, I dominate. When I fear conflict, I wash my hands clean. Both betray insecurity. True strength—the way of our King—is risky, confident, and bold…

I’m far more like the honor-seeking scribe than the self-giving widow. I’ve chased ‘long robes,’ ‘respect,’ and ‘seats of honor’ — even while pretending not to. But Jesus doesn’t praise the successful scribe; he exalts the selfless woman who gave it all.

A sermon about love two days before the national election. (But mostly it’s about Christ love because mine is so often fickle.) “Jesus’ summary of the law is the good life, but it’s not the good news. ‘All you need is love’ is my anthem until someone cuts me off or shouts their politics. But there’s One who loved even His enemies—and He loves me when I barely pull off loving my friends.”

Were the disciples angry at James and John for seeking privilege, or because they hadn’t thought of it first? I suspect the latter—and I’m no different. Even when I pretend to be last, I still want to be first. I need my heart to be healed to truly love others as myself…

This passage hits hard. Like the rich man, we often trust in money over God, leaning on the sinking sand of Mammon instead of the solid rock of Christ. The disciples, torn up, ask, “Who then can be saved?” Christ offers the only hope: “For you, it’s impossible, but not with God—for with God all things are possible.”

Though we fail to keep our word, God never fails to keep his promises…

“For the last three weeks, the disciples have been consistently clueless—seeking a Messiah on their terms, consumed with their own greatness, and hoarding the kingdom’s power for themselves. Their bumbling is our relief. Despite their faltering, Christ’s commitment never wavers.”

“The contrast couldn’t be clearer: Jesus lives to serve, while his disciples scramble to be served. But his cross isn’t just a model to follow—it’s the power that saves and heals the so-called ‘greatest.’”

''C-3PO says, 'We’re made to suffer; it’s our lot in life.' But Jesus’ call to 'take up your cross' flips the script. We don’t 'lay down our lives' in resigned despair but in resurrection hope..."