The Preaching Moment

Summary Community Missioner Ed Carrette explores how Christian freedom differs from American cultural freedom, explaining that "for freedom, Christ has set us free" (Galatians 5:1) means liberation from the slavery of sin rather than simply doing whatever we want. True freedom, as demonstrated by Jesus setting his face toward Jerusalem, is the Spirit-empowered ability to love our enemies...

Summary In his sermon, Mr. Eric Moen weaves together a family story about his great-grandmother's unwavering service with three scripture readings that illuminate the Holy Spirit as our guide to truth. He reminds us that the Spirit of Truth promised by Jesus in John's Gospel continues to speak to us today, inviting us to approach life with humility and openness to God's wisdom that...

Summary Mother Suzanne examines Jesus's encounter with the Gerasene demoniac in "the land of the Gerasenes," highlighting how Jesus crosses boundaries to restore the identity of a man possessed by Legion. This Gospel story reveals how Jesus meets us in our brokenness, asks for our name, and transforms us from being captive to our own "legions" into missionaries who share G...

Summary In this sermon on John 17, Mother Suzanne explores Jesus's high priestly prayer before his crucifixion, in which he repeatedly prays, "that they may all be one." She emphasizes that Christian unity isn't about agreeing on doctrine or politics, but about participation in common faith and purpose, finding our oneness in Christ despite our differences. THE GOSPEL         ...

Summary Mother Suzanne celebrates Pentecost as the transformative moment when the Holy Spirit empowered Jesus's fearful disciples to become bold leaders of the early church. She reminds us that when we "inhale God's own breath," we too are empowered to be Christ's hands and feet in the world, carrying out His work even when we feel inadequate. THE GOSPEL                   ...

Summary Mother Suzanne reflects on Jesus's new commandment from John 13, where after washing his disciples' feet, Jesus commands them to love one another as he has loved them—through radical, self-giving service. She illustrates this through a powerful story about a formerly incarcerated man named Ryan, who revealed that Grace Church is frequently discussed with gratitude among inmates b...

Summary Mother Suzanne explores Jesus's encounter with the man who had been ill for 38 years at the pools of Bethesda, focusing on Jesus's direct question: "Do you want to be healed?" She challenges the congregation with this same question, inviting them to release what holds them captive and to receive healing through communion, where ordinary bread and wine become "heali...

Summary In his Mother's Day sermon, Bishop Hector Monterroso connects Jesus' words in John 10 about being the Good Shepherd with the unconditional love of mothers. Through personal stories of being lost as a child, Bishop Monterroso reminds us that when we are lost, Christ finds us, and when others are lost, Christ sends us to find them—reflecting the same unconditional love shown by par...

Summary Grace Community Missioner Ed Carrette explores Jesus's words from John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you," explaining that Christ's peace is not merely the absence of noise but His very presence with us—a costly gift flowing from His death, resurrection, and ascension that sustains us even in a hostile world. This divine peace, which passes all underst...

Summary Mother Suzanne reflects on Jesus' post-resurrection appearance at the Sea of Tiberius (John 21:1-19), where he prepares breakfast for the disciples and restores Peter through three questions of love that parallel Peter's three denials. This story reveals how Jesus never gives up on us despite our failures, instead redeeming our mistakes and recommissioning us for meaningful work...

Summary Mother Suzanne's Easter sermon celebrates how Mary Magdalene, the first witness to Christ's resurrection, becomes the first apostle when Jesus calls her by name at the empty tomb. This resurrection power connects directly to the five candidates being baptized on Easter Sunday, who, like Mary, have heard Jesus call their names and are now charged with sharing the good news that Ch...

Summary Mother Suzanne explores the parable of the Prodigal Son as a story of God's unabashed love and forgiveness, emphasizing that when something lost is found, heaven rejoices. She connects the father's compassionate welcome to the Eucharistic feast, inviting congregants to "come home" to God who awaits with open arms, letting go of whatever prevents them from receiving divi...

Summary In this homily, Grace Community Missioner Ed Carrette explores Jesus' metaphor of God as a mother hen gathering her brood under her wings, contrasting this image of vulnerable protection with the predatory "fox" of Herod. Through examining the difference between contracts and covenants, Ed reminds us that our relationship with God is not merely legal but all-encompassing, ca...

Summary Mother Suzanne explores the Exodus passage of Moses and the burning bush, emphasizing God's promise, "I will be with you," when we face seemingly impossible challenges. Just as God revealed His name as "I AM WHO I AM" to Moses, He remains present with us today—not as a distant judge, but as near to us as our very breath, naming us as His beloved children. THE GOSPE...

Summary Mother Suzanne explains that Lent is not about punishment but a gift that allows us to uncover our true nature by acknowledging our brokenness without shame. Through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we clear away distractions and self-absorption, enabling us to see Christ more clearly and recognize that "our temporary pain of giving something up or abstaining from something is also a...

Summary Mother Suzanne invites her congregation to reframe Lent not as a time of deprivation but as a sacred wilderness journey where God provides and protects. She emphasizes that the same Spirit that led Jesus into the wilderness after His baptism leads us too, and encourages a Lenten practice of decluttering our lives to create space for God to speak and work within us. THE GOSPEL             ...

Summary Mother Suzanne explores how Jesus's Beatitudes from Luke's "Sermon on the Plain" provide challenging yet practical instructions for disciples then and now. She illustrates how her church, Grace, embodies these teachings through their extensive food ministry that has distributed 3.75 million pounds of food to 77,000 people, partnering with local businesses and other chur...

Summary Mother Suzanne explores Jesus's Sermon on the Plain from Luke's Gospel , focusing on how the Beatitudes call us to live counter-culturally through divine reversals. Through stories of their church's blessing box and refrigerator, she illustrates how living by Jesus's teachings—giving without expectation, showing mercy, and loving enemies—makes Christians "light to...

Summary In this sermon on the Transfiguration , Mother Suzanne explores how Jesus' radiant transformation on the mountaintop offers a model for our own spiritual journeys. She shares how her parish, Grace Episcopal Church, has been transfigured through community service and how parishioners experience their own "everyday transfigurations"—moments where heaven meets earth that streng...

Summary Mother Suzanne explores Jesus's first miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee (John 2:1-11), explaining how this Epiphany story reveals Christ's glory not through dramatic displays but through transforming purification water into celebration wine. This transformation symbolizes a profound theological shift: Jesus replaces ritual purification with direct access to God, inviting...

Summary Mother Suzanne examines Jesus's inaugural sermon in Luke's Gospel, where he reads from Isaiah 61 and declares "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." She emphasizes that the same Spirit that empowered Jesus to bring good news to the poor, release to captives, sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed also empowers us to continue this mission in...

Summary Mother Suzanne delivered a sermon connecting the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the temple with Scout Sunday at Grace Episcopal Church, welcoming BSA Troop 400 and Cub Scout Pack 400. She drew parallels between Jesus' presentation according to Jewish law and the scouts' presentation to their chartering organization, emphasizing how scouting builds character, teaches valuab...

Summary Grace Community Missioner Ed Carrette reflects on Jesus' call to become "fishers of people" in Luke's Gospel, reminding us that while church attendance has declined post-COVID, our mission remains unchanged. Just as Jesus instructed Simon Peter to cast his nets into deeper waters, we too must venture beyond our comfort zones to engage with our neighbors, show compassion...

Summary Mother Suzanne explores Jesus' baptism as a profound "epiphany" where God is made manifest through His Son, emphasizing that our own baptism connects us directly to Christ's. Through baptism, we receive the certainty of divine love and proximity to God, becoming His beloved as Jesus is beloved, not through our own merit but as a transformative gift that brings us into G...

Summary Mother Suzanne explains that Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of Christ to all people, beginning with the Magi who followed a star to find the infant Jesus. Like these wise stargazers, we too are on a spiritual journey seeking the light of Christ, called not only to find that light but to carry it within us and share it with others who sit in darkness. THE GOSPEL                     ...