Rotten Apple Seeds

Here is today’s sermon, June 21, 2021. It is based on Matthew 10: 24-39, the Hard Sayings of Jesus. In it I discuss our tendency to scapegoat others and how our congregations rises above this tendency.

Here is today’s sermon, June 14, 2026, Proper 6, Year A. It is based on Matthew 9:35-10:23, the Sending of the 12 Apostles. In it I note that our mission field is much different from theirs; we are called to a re-evangelization of hose who have been disillusioned or harmed by the Church. This called for considerable pastoral sensitivity and loving presence.

Here is today’s sermon, June 7, 2026, 5 Pentecost, Year A. It is based on Genesis 12: 1-9, the Call of Abraham. In it I discuss how the blood of Abel crying out to God from the ground has meted out on our history of conquest and colonialism. I explain that the grant of land to the Hebrews is an opportunity for reconciliation and peacemaking in our world.

Sermon for May 31, 2026, Trinity Sunday, Year A. Here is today’s sermon, which is on the Trinity. In it I compare the persons of the Trinity to the many versions of the person we marry.

Here is today’s sermon, May 24, 2026, Pentecost, Year A. It is based on the Pentecost readings, Acts 2:1-21. In it I explain that the foundation of the Church, established on Pentecost, is the experience of forgiven sinners sharing forgiveness with others.

Here is today’s sermon, May 17, 2026, VII Easter, year A. It is based on John 17:1-11. In it, I preach on the glory of God. Divine glory is not based on power or strength; it is beauty which is evocative, transformative, and draws us to each other.

Here is today’s sermon, May 10, 2026, VI Easter, Year A. It is based on Acts 17: 22- 31, “To an Unknown God”. In it, I draw the difference between living in a pagan and providential universe. I encourage the congregation to harken to the sense of the restlessness as the voice of the Spirit.

Here is today’s sermon, May 3, 206, V Easter, Year A. It is based on John 14: 1-14, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”. In it I discuss how we read the gospel of John against itself. We find the term, “My Father’s House”, in the cleansing of the Temple in John 2. From this we learn how death purifies our love by making us unselfish lovers.

Here is today’s sermon, April 26, 2026, IV Easter, Year A. It is based on John 10: 1-10, the Good Shepherd. In it I challenge the idea of the pastoral innocent vision of shepherds and sheep and indicate that sheep are fundamentally animals of sacrifice. Who in our society is expendable and able to be sacrificed?

Here is today’s sermon, April 19, 2026, III Easter, Year A. It is based on Luke 24: 13-35, the Disciples at Emmaus. In it I invite the congregation to join me in a thought experiment imagining that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead. Imagine how challenging it would be to convey this ineffable experience to others.

Here is today’s sermon, April 5, 2026, Easter Sunday, Year A. It is based on John 20:1-18, the Resurrection. In it I make the point that resurrection can happen to us all. Death is the school of love which purifies and make our love from human and transactional to selfless and divine.

Here is today’s sermon, April 3, 2026, Good Friday, Year A. In it is discuss the various theories of atonement, including substitutionary atonement and penal substitution. I conclude that what is most affirming and uplifting is the solidarity the the Divine wishes to establish with humanity and, thus, elevate and ennoble our lives and relationships.

Here is today’s sermon, April 2, 2026, Maundy Thursday, Year A. It is based on John 13:1-17, 31b-35, the Footwashing. In it, I discuss the term, anamnesis, in which the act of recollecting or remembering makes present the person. I note how the footwashing and the Eucharist are not nostalgia, but active remembering to be aware of the presence of Christ in our action.

Here is today’s sermon, March 29, 2026, Palm Sunday, Year A. It is based on the Passion in St. Matthew. In it I explain that we are called not to be passive and submissive spectators in this drama, but rather witnesses who testify with our lives.

Here is today’s sermon, March 22, 2026, V Lent, Year A. It is based on John 11: 1-45, the Raising of Lazarus. In it I explain that Mary’s and Martha’s statement, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died,” was a statement not of fact,but regret. Raising Lazarus shows us that Jesus is the Lord of Second Chances.

Here is today’s sermon, March 15, 2026, IV Lent, Year A. It is based on John 9: 1-41, the Man Born Blind. In it I question whether his healing was worth the years of blindness and poverty that he and his family endured. I ask the larger question about the role of old in suffering.

Here is today’s sermon, March 8, 2026, III Lent, Year A. It is based on John 4: 5-41, Jesus and the Woman at the Well. In it is show the many scriptural connections and references that are woven in this beautiful tapestry of a story. Inasmuch as these threads form a unity, the gospel itself call us to be one body, which is Christ’s.

Here is today’s sermon, March 1, II Lent, Year A. It is based on John 3:16. In it i discuss how we understand Divine Beauty, rather than power. Thus, the Cross teaches us a new aesthetic.

Here is today’s sermon, February 22, 2026, I Lent, Year A. It is based on Matthew 4: 1-11, the Temptation in the Desert. In it, I explain that, when Jesus acts in history, He redeems the past, the present, and the future. I discuss Jesus redeeming the Hebrew in the Desert, fulfilling Satan’s temptations in his own time, and redeeming us today.

Here is today’s sermon, February 18, 2026, Ash Wednesday, Year A. It is based on the idea that ashes represent absence, or lack. We are anticipating the True Presence at the end of Lent into Easter.

Here is today’s sermon, February 15, 2026, Last Epiphany, Year A. It’s is based on Matthew 17:1-9, the Transfiguration. In it I show how the Transfiguration is one bookend of God’s glory and the other bookend is the crucifixion. We are beginning Lent, so we are looking toward Golgotha.

Here is today’s sermon, February 8, 2026, V Epiphany, Year A. It is based on Isaiah 58 1-12 and Matthew 5: 13-20, “You are salt…You are light”. In this sermon I explain how this is an internal critique of religious people, that we are called to BE who we ARE, to live the law rather than fulfill obligations.

Here is today’s sermon, February 1, 2026, IV Epiphany, Year A. It is based on Matthew 5: 1-12, the Beatitudes. In it I make the point that the Beatitudes are not properly understood as those qualities we need to possess in order to “earn heaven”. Rather, they are glimpses of the Divine presence in the present: God’s grace is so rich and abundant that God ‘s presence is encountered among the forgotten and overlooked.

Here is today’s sermon, January 18, 2026, II Epiphany, Year A. It is based on John 1: 29-42, John the Baptizer identifies Jesus. In it I make the distinction between the Hebrew notion of sacrifice and how it differs from pagan notions of bribery of the Gods.

Here is today’s sermon, January 11, 2026, II Epiphany, Baptism of the Lord, Year A. It is based on Matthew 3: 13-17, the Baptism of Jesus. In it is described how often in the scriptures, Jesus is revealed through the symbols of water, cloud, and dove. I discuss the chaoskampf theory, of how creation was accomplished through a struggle between the waters of chaos in the waters (Leviathan) and the orcas of Order imposed by God. I remind the congregation that we encounter the Divine in our struggles of chaos and confusion.

Here is today’s sermon, January 4, 2026, The Sunday of the Epiphany, Year A. It is based on Matthew 2: 1-12, the Journey of the Magi. In it, I make the observation that, given the distance (in light years) that stars are from this planet, it is likely that the Star of Bethlehem was already dead by the time the light arrived to guide the Magi. Since the source was already dead, but the Light continues to inspire and guide us, we see that Resurrection is written into the very grain of the universe.

Here is tonight’s Christmas Eve sermon. It is base don Luke 2:1-14(15-20), the Birth of Jesus. In it I distinguish between optimism and hope. I make the point that hope offers a pathway and agency for us who follow the Baby in the manger.

Here is today’s sermon, December 21, 2025, IV Advent, Year A. It is based on Matthew 1:18-25, the Dream of Joseph, the Father of Jesus. In it is make the connection to Joseph, son of Jacob in Genesis as the interpreter of dreams. I also discuss how the cycle of allowing our expectations to die leads to new and abundant life.

Here is today’s sermon, December 14, 2025, III Advent, Year A. It is based on Matthew 11:2-11, the Baptizer’s question, “Are You the One Who is to come?” In it I discuss how Jesus’ mission was not to destroy the prisons that John was held in, but rather to accompany him in his prison. In doing so, Jesus transforms the situation. He comes to us in our need and accompany us as He transforms our situations as well.

Here is today’s sermon, December 7, 2025, II Advent, Year A. It is based on Matthew 3: 1-12, John the Baptizer. In it I explain that all the details about John, though offputting, represent important resonances from the Hebrew Scriptures and the prophets. We inherit these resonances as we inherit the Covenant.

Here is today’s sermon, November 30, 2025, I Advent, Year A. It is based on Matthew 24:36-44, the Little Apocalypse. In it I explain that, while it is commonly seen as a description of how we are called to be vigilant for Jesus’ return, perhaps it rather describes the oppression under Empire into which Jesus, the Incarnate Word, came. I describe the hope in Isaiah 2 under similar oppression.

Here is today’s sermon, November 23, 2025, Christ the King, Year C. It is based on Luke 23:33-43, the Crucifixion. In it I describe how a king represents the realm he rules. Christ on the Cross demonstrated the suffering of Israel under Roman occupation and the hope of deliverance through Resurrection.

Here is today’s sermon, November 16, 2025, Proper 28, Year C. It is based on 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, those who do not should not eat. In it I discuss how Episcopalians read the portions of the scriptures within the overall story of salvation found in the Holy Bible. I give the context of work as a punishment for sin In Genesis 3 and the Lilies of the Field from the Sermon on the Mount.

Here is today’s sermon, October 25, Proper 25, Year C. It is based on Luke 18: 9:14, the Righteous Pharisee and the Tax Collector. In it I suggest that each of us has a component of both in our spirituality. I also make the point that the Tax Collector redeemed the Pharisee as a Christ figure.

Here is today’s sermon, October 19, 2025, Proper 24, Year C. It is based on the Parable of the Persistent Widow and Unjust Judge. In it I discuss how, as a congregation, we can oppose those imperial forces which look to rob us of our humanity and control us.

Here is today’s sermon, October 12, 2025, Proper 23, Year C. It is based on Luke 17:11-19, the Grateful Samaritan Leper. In it, I discuss that it is only as a matter of the Samaritan’s outsider status that he saw Jesus as the Great High Priest. We see who we are as disciples when we reach out in non-judgmental love to those who are outsiders in our nation, our communion, and our congregation.

Here is today’s sermon, October 5, 2025, proper 22, Year C. Since it was the Blessing of the Animals, I spoke on the life and spirituality of St. Francis of Assisi.

Here is today’s sermon, September 28, 2025, Proper 21, Year C. It is based on Luke 16: 19-31, the Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man. In it I point out that this is not a condemnation of wealth on its face. Instead, as we consider our legacies, let us consider the wisdom and the intangibles we hand on rather then a focus on wealth as our legacy.

Here is today’s sermon, September 21, 2025, Proper 20, Year C. It is based on Luke 16: 1-11, the Dishonest Steward. I use imagination and read a lot into the parable in order to make it applicable to today.

Here is today’s sermon, September 14, 2025, Proper 19, Year C. It is based on Luke 10: 1-15, the Lost Sheep an d the Lost Coin. In it, I note that my congregation is not necessarily lost, nor are they resentful about welcoming the lost. Instead, I discussed how we are called to the spiritual discipline of joy and celebration.

Here is today’s sermon, September 7, 2025, Proper 18, Year C. It is based on Philemon 1-21, advocating for the slave Onesimus. In this sermon, I draw parallels between this passage and the Prodigal Son. In addition, I note that, congruent to Psalm 139, the story is about running away and returning to surrender to love.

Here is today’s sermon, August 31, 2025, Proper 17, Year C. It is based on Luke 14:1, 7-14, Jesus at Table. In it I explain that this is not a life hack, but rather it demonstrates the great mystery of the Word Made Flesh so we may share in the Divine Life. We share the Divine Life when we create, forgive, love, grieve, and engage our humanity.

Here is today’s sermon, August 24, 2025, Proper 16, Year C. It is based on Luke 13:10-17, the Healing of the Stooped Woman. In it I discuss that religion ought not to bind us with rules and duties, but to free us to be most who we are: Infinitely Precious Children of Our Father, purchased at great price.

Here is today’s sermon, August 17, 2025, Proper 14, Year C. It is based on Luke 12:49-56, “I have come to bring not peace but a sword.” In it I observe that, while our history of Christianity has been one of conflict, Anglicanism is uniquely positioned to manage conflict in our communion. We may argue over non essentials, but we remain in communion as members of one family of Christ.

Here is today’s sermon, August 10, 2025, Proper 14, Year C. It is based on Luke 12:32-40, the Little Apocalypse. In it I discuss that this is about confronting the powers of violence and death in a nonviolent way. We can still be engaging even is we wish to use other means to oppose violence.

Here is today’s sermon, July 27, 2025, Proper 11, Year C. It is based on Luke 11: 1-13, the Lord’s Prayer. In it I share an experience I had in prayer in which I came to understand the the Divine Mets us where we are, not as we think we ought to be. Our response to this intimacy is one of love and joy.

Here is today’s sermon, July 20, 2025, Proper 11, Year C. It is based on Luke 10: 38-42, Martha and Mary. In it I explain that active ministry is holy and it is was Jesus asked us to do. We are challenged to keep Christ as the ground of our congregational activities.

Here is today’s sermon, July 13, 2025, Proper 10, Year C. It is based on Luke 10: 25-37, the Good Samaritan. In it I consider that love compels us not to ignore differences, but to enter into each other’s traumas and wounds and be willing to abide in that awkward and difficult space.

Here is today’s sermon, July 6, 2025, Proper 9, Year C. It is based on Luke 10:1-11, 16-20, the Sending of the 70 Apostles. In it I discuss how Naaman had a physical mark (leprosy) which alienated him from the community, Paul in the Letter to the Galatians discussed circumcision (physical mark alienating from the community), and the apostles healed those they preached to in the Gospel. I indicated that true welcome into the Body of Christ ought not be based on personal identification with alienated communities, but rather identifying spiritual gifts that others possess. Thus welcome and hospitality of the alienated is based on we need their contributions rather than our progressiveness or identity politics.

Here is today’s sermon, June 29, 2025, Proper 8, Year C. It is based on Luke 9:51-62, the Cost of Discipleship. In it I explain that ministry may be difficult, or awkward, but that means that it reflects the Cross. But the willingness to let go of habits which no longer are applicable in 2025, or may no longer serve us in Denton, means that the transition in faith will lead us to new life and resurrection.