St. Mary’s Episcopal Church

Wow! What a fantastical story! We have a man who lives in the tombs and is possessed by a legion of demons who seize control of him causing people to chain and shackle him up. But he breaks free and runs off into the wild. And when Jesus commands the spirits to come out of the man there’s this whole conversation with the spirits begging Jesus to let them go into some pigs. And Jesus gives them per...

If there is one essential message in this Pentecost story, it is that we are not as different from one another as we think we are. We are not the stranger we assume we are. We are not the foreigners we fear we are. Our needs are not so different from the needs of others. We are more alike than we are different. Listen to or read Bishop Akiyama’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”

In this time frame, which was probably only a couple of hours, Jesus washes the Disciples’ feet, and then has a really long speech, although it was interrupted a few times by the Disciple’s questions. And then there is a long prayer at the end of the long speech. The whole thing takes five chapters, which is almost one quarter of the entire Gospel. It indicates the importance that John placed on t...

Our second reading today comes from the Book of Revelation, which is the last book in the Bible. But before we talk about the reading from Revelation, we need to go back to Genesis, the first book of the Bible. We go all the way back to the beginning, in the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth. Do you recognize that phrase, heavens and earth? We heard it in Revelation today.

In our collect for today we pray: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him… But how can we be sure? There are lots of different people and things calling for our attention. How can we know that we’re hearing Jesus? How can we recognize his voice? God created us in and out of love and for love. And God’s call to us is love. The frequency of God’s call is goodness and mercy, compassion and...

In the Incarnation, God is saying I want to be there right where you are. I have these dreams for you, but if we don’t make them, I will still love you. I’m still going to be with you. I will still care for you, and we’re going to work together on this. I hope I can lift you up, I hope we can get there, but if not I will come right where you are. Listen to or read Bingham’s entire sermon by clicki...

Today, Jesus continues with more of his countercultural pronouncements of how to live in kinship with God, one another, and creation. Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who abuse you. What? These are the exact opposites of what we’ve been taught to do, right? Or at least what society tells us, what society values. Turn the other check?

At this point in Jesus’ ministry, word has really begun to spread, and people are coming from all over, Luke tells us it was a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. Everybody, Jews and Gentiles from all around were coming to see and hear and, if they were lucky, touch or be touched by this amazing new teacher. Listen to or read Ryan’s entire sermon b...

In today’s readings we hear about Peter and from Paul, two of the giants of early Christianity. Contemporaries, they became followers of Jesus very differently, though they reportedly met the same end, martyred by Nero in Rome. At the time Jesus began his ministry Peter was a fisherman who apparently fished with his brother Andrew and their partners James and John. Based on the fact he was sometim...

These three seasons are all about the Incarnation. In Advent we are preparing for the coming of Christ, at Christmas we are celebrating the birth of Christ, and in Epiphany, people are having their epiphanies. They are realizing that in the person of Jesus, there is something happening. He is more than just a regular person. The thing that they are experiencing is the fullness of God dwelling with...

While this section of scripture from the prophet Isaiah was probably well-known to his listeners, what comes next, Jesus’ mic-drop moment, is what would have utterly shocked and amazed those in the synagogue. Listen to or read Ryan’s full sermon by clicking “Read More.”

The third thing that Paul argues, and I think this is the most important one because it will lead us to that message of love. Paul says that every single gift we have has been given to us for the common good. These gifts we have been given are not just for us to enjoy for ourselves. You may take pleasure in the gift, but they are given to us for the other, for the community, for something bigger t...

Our first reading today comes from the book of Isaiah. In it Isaiah tells the people that they are precious in the sight of the Lord. They are loved by God. But He speaks these words to a people who feel anything but that. For generations, things have not been going their way. The dream of a united kingdom had fallen apart within months of Solomon’s death. There were constants wars back and forth....

In today’s Gospel story we heard the story of the Magi, or the Three Kings or Three Wisemen. We know very little about these three Magi, and I mean very little. The Church of England commissioned a report about twenty years ago, and it concluded we know so little about them that we don’t even know if there were three of them. We don’t know if they were kings. We don’t know if they were wise. We do...

God wanted to shine a light in the midst of the darkness that we experience. And there is a lot of darkness in this world from the global level down to the personal level, and everything in between. God wanted to make sure that in the midst of all this darkness there would be a light.

Christmas in a Minor Key The Rev. Bingham Powell

What a great story we have in today’s gospel on the last Sunday of Advent. We are close, SO close to Christmas, but we’re not quite there yet, just a bit more time, just a bit more waiting. Time for us to hear and wonder about two pregnant women, a young woman, Mary, and a much older woman, Elizabeth. Yes, today’s sermon is all about two pregnant, singing women. Listen to or read Ryan’s entire ser...

“You don’t need to become a vegetarian lion, but start doing things to make the world a little bit safer in whatever spheres you live in. Try to make the world a little kinder in whatever spheres you live in. Try to make the world a little more loving in whatever spheres you live in.” Listen to or read Bingham’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”

What brings you joy? Is there a hobby you like to do, maybe baking or cooking or eating? Perhaps watching movies or TV shows, listening to music or making music? What brings you joy? Time with family and friends? Getting presents? Giving presents? Decorating the house for the holidays? What brings you joy? Listen to or read Bingham’s entire sermon on joy by clicking “Read More.”

Happy Advent! Today is the First Sunday of Advent, the first Sunday in the new church year. The word advent means coming. During the season of Advent we prepare for the coming of The One. Who is The One? Is it Santa Claus? No. That’s a different kind of advent. Santa Claus is coming to town, but that is not the advent we are talking about. The One we are preparing for is Jesus, the Christ. Listen...

Pontius Pilate was the Roman Procurator of Palestine during the reign of Tiberius. Though he commanded a Roman legion of 4500 soldiers, his was not a plush assignment. Saddled with governing one of the frontier provinces of the Roman Empire he spent most of his time in Caesarea Maritime where the weather was reasonably decent and where he was able to have minimal contact with the stubbornly unruly...

the psalmist reminds us that our hearts WILL be glad. Our spirits WILL rejoice and our bodies SHALL rest in hope. Yes please. That’s what I’m looking for today and always. Listen to or read Ryan’s entire sermon by clicking “Read More.”

When everything around us seems so overwhelming and we cannot do anything to change it, when it seems that there is fear and hatred spilling out everywhere, and powers and principalities are winning the day, Jesus says keep trying. Keep giving. Keep serving. Keep loving. Keep caring. Keep working toward the dream that God has for a world in which injustices end

Do God's Work Together The Rev. Bingham Powell

Listen to Bingham's full sermon by clicking "Read More."