By mamichael on Mar 31, 2008 in Featured, Sermons | comments(0)
“But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.” St. John 20:25
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sometimes, nicknames don’t quite fit. When I was in high school, one of my best friends was a guy named Dennie Llewellyn. Dennie made me look scrawny. Continued
By mamichael on Mar 27, 2008 in Sermons | comments(0)
 “Supposing him to be the gardener, [Mary] said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” St. John 20:15
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
We drove back to the orphanage along a dirty and rutted back street. Trash and broken glass were scattered around. People looked up at us from the doors of their houses, surprised to see a busload of tourists in their part of town, but not exactly welcoming. Continued
By mamichael on Mar 24, 2008 in Sermons | comments(0)
“He was bruised for our iniquities, upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and by his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.
It is, of course, a great delight to me to be able to serve both at Saint Paul’s and at Saint James School, and as part of that, I have been able to experience Good Friday in two very different ways today. Continued
By mamichael on Mar 24, 2008 in Sermons | comments(0)
“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.” St. John 13:14-15
Holy Week poses a particular challenge for the preacher. It’s the challenge of having so much to talk about that you can’t quite decide where to start. Over a quarter of Saint Mark’s Gospel is devoted to telling the story of the last week of Jesus’ life, and though the other Gospels aren’t quite so unbalanced, they all describe the events of the period from Palm Sunday until Easter in tremendous detail. Continued
By mamichael on Mar 17, 2008 in Of Interest | comments(0)
Holy Week is, an important sense, the turning point of the entire Church year. As we reenact, in vibrant and powerful liturgies, the events of the last week of our Lord’s life, we are reminded of the convictions at the very center of our Faith. God has come to the world in Christ to save us from our sins, to defeat the power of death, to share with us his unending love. Continued
By mamichael on Mar 17, 2008 in Sermons, Uncategorized | comments(0)
“And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:8
 In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I recently wrote a letter of reference for one of my former students from Saint James who was applying for a college work-study job. The job was running an afterschool program for middle schoolers, and I knew that he had the heart and the charisma to do a fine job, and I gladly wrote him a glowing reference. Continued
By Senior Warden on Mar 16, 2008 in Of Interest | comments(0)
Sharpsburg churches came together to mark Palm Sunday and Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem at the start of Holy Week. The Hagerstown Herald Mail was there and covered the celebration in full in Monday’s editions. Here’s the story. Don’t miss the video. Click below for another.
By Senior Warden on Mar 2, 2008 in Sermons | comments(0)
The choice of David to rule Israel, as recounted in today’s Old Testament reading, is “a primary example of the way God interacts with his creation”, says Rev. John Alfriend. God finds his most fruitful servants in unexpected places — writness twelve farmers, fishermen and tax collectors who changed the spiritual climate of the world for all time.
