St. Paul's Episcopal Church - Kingsport, TN

Proper 26: 21st Sunday after Pentecost Celebrant: L. Gordon Brewer, Deacon

Proper 25: 20th Sunday after Pentecost Katelyn Printz helps us to see the Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector in Luke 18 differently than many of us have often been taught. The Pharisee is often seen as a caricature of spiritual ostentation, a symbol of how elitism can manifest in an utter lack of humility. To view the story this way, though, is to deny the Pharisee any semblance of humanity...

Father Johnny Tuttle leads us in contemplation of the story of Jacob, soon to be called Israel, wresting with God. Wrestling, struggling, with God would be central to how the Israelites understood their relationship with God, and that struggling continues to help us to understand our own faith journeys and the life of the Church today. For many of us, there are chapters in our lives when we strugg...

Our Deacon Rev. Chris Harpster leads us on a contemplation of the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man, inviting us to contemplate the story from different perspectives than what might at first seem obvious. It is a passage that proves quite challenging, offering a seemingly brutal lesson on how one arrives in Hades contrasted with the reception of the poor into the company of Abraham with no grace...

As we continue journeying through the parables of Jesus, our expectations continue to be subverted. In today's message on the Parable of the Shrewd Manager, Father Johnny Tuttle helps us parse the often difficult to follow passage and see how nothing in the story is as we would expect it to be. Rather than the economic justice of restitution we would expect, we find Jesus presenting the seemingly...

Father Johnny Tuttle invites us to look with fresh eyes at the parables of the lost sheep and lost coin, as well as the famed parable of the Prodigal Son, which was not part of the day's assigned reading. Rather than simple rhetorical devices, when Jesus asks who would not behave as the shepherd or the woman in the two parables, he is drawing attention to how absurd their behavior is. In either si...

Katelyn Printz helps us grapple with the difficult instructions of Jesus  to "hate" your family in order to be a Disciple. By studying the underlying Greek and the context of the passage, though, we find that this instruction carries on a trend of inverting expectations for all kinds of relationships by recentering around Christ. Through this lens, we find that Jesus is leading us to separate...

Sermon by Father Johnny Tuttle [Description Forthcoming]

Father Johnny leads us in a contemplation of the Sabbath and what it truly means for a day to be reserved for rest. In today's constantly connected world, it is all to easy for every moment to become dedicated to productivity. In fleeting moments of rest, exhaustion and mental chaos fill the spaces were restoration should be. By reflecting on the Sabbath tradition, we find that it is inextricable...

Katelyn Printz reminds us to slow down in our busy schedules and pay attention to the world around us. Life is full of God's gifts, and it is important for us to be mindful and present in each moment, taking the time to process the blessings that often go unseen and unappreciated. By doing this, we begin to see all of creation as a gift to be cherished and shared, not to be hoarded, and in doing s...

Father Johnny leads ups on a contemplation of Jesus' Parable of the Foolish Rich Man. Jesus uses humor and absurdity in the parable to demonstrate the tragedy of a person's life if they devote all their time and attention to gaining and hoarding wealth. Loneliness takes over that person until their life and their belongings are their only companions, and life can be take away at any time. Thus, it...

Dr. Alison Barton leads us through the familiar story of the Good Samaritan, or as she would have it, the Intentionally Perceptive Samaritan. This story is often presented as a lofty ministerial goal which can be weaponized into a guilt trip. However, Dr. Barton illustrates that the good performed by the Samaritan results directly from him drawing near to the beaten man, opening himself up to the...

Through his reflection on the past weeks mission efforts with the EYG, Father Johnny helps us to better understand the instructions Jesus gave his Disciples as they went out into the surrounding community. Jesus does not send them with instructions to coerse or convert. The Disciples are not to go door to door engaging in debates and arguments to get others to ascent to their message. Rather, they...

Today, we reflect on Jesus' passage with his followers through Samaria on his way to Jerusalem. When the Disciples offer to call down fire to destroy the city, they are referring back to Elijah doing the same to the Samarians in the Old Testament. However, Father Johnny helps us to understand that Jesus' response in light of Elijah's actions later in the Old Testament story. By doing so, Jesus dis...

As we contemplate the story of the Gerasene Demoniac, Deacon Chris invites us to assess how the possessed man is treated by those around him. We find that rather and compassion and concern, the man's family, friends, and neighbors reacted with fear, only worsening the possessed's suffering. Today, fear continues to be the catalyst for suffering by rooting out compassion and love. 

Katelyn Printz invites us to understand that Jesus was the ideal teacher in every way, not just in how he conveyed information but also in how he knew to respect the limitations of the Disciples. Jesus knew that his Disciples, and by extension us as part of the Church today, are not able to grapple with the deepest truths he has to offer all at one time. Our brains just can't handle it, but in his...

On this Pentecost Sunday, Father Johnny takes us through the story of the arrival of God's Advocate in the Gospel of John. The ultimate lesson of Jesus' teaching was not to reach some correct destination. Rather, the sending of the Advocate indicates that the ministry of Jesus is about establishing a way of life, embodied by Jesus as The Way, for disciples to follow, and the Advocate is the contin...

Deacon Chris invites us to consider on this In-between Sunday how Jesus' call to his disciples and the Church today is one of unity of purpose and community, even when we disagree and dislike some of those with whom we are called to be unified. This unity is not an idle call but rather a call to action for justice and reconciliation, particularly given the tragedies that continue to befall us toda...

Dr. Allison Barton leads us in contemplation of the story of the invalid by the pool of Beth-zetha in John's Gospel. By healing the man, Jesus turns his entire existence on its head, just as Jesus continues to do for the Church today. 

As we reflect on the Holy Spirit's guidance to Peter to embrace Gentile believers, Father Johnny reminds us of the drastic paradigm shift this represented. The crisis of identity felt by the Church in Jerusalem is reflective of the same crises the Church faces today as we engage with new perspectives, identities, and lived experiences in our communities. 

Father Johnny invites us to reflect on the ministry and raising of Tabitha/Dorkas, who ministered to widows, both Greek and Hebrew, with great compassion and patience and whose love was able to transcend the social boundaries that often led to inequality between the two groups. 

Father Johnny invites us to consider how relationships are healed after someone has failed the trust of another by tracing the journey of Simon-Peter from his betrayal in the garden to his reconciliation with Jesus on the shore.