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St Timothy, Pastor and Confessor

Sermon for the feast of St. Timothy, Pastor and Confessor, Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Today we celebrate and give thanks for the faith, confession, preaching, and service of our father in the faith, St. Timothy. This young man was chosen by Paul to replace his fellow slave Barnabas because of the great report of those Christian men living in Lystra and Iconium. This faith was not of his own doing or his own creation but it was the gift of those who came before him and suffered the things of a Christian life to deposit to Timothy the greatest gift given to man. Specifically, this was the gift of his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice who had accepted the revelation of Jesus Christ and become followers of the Way, teaching Timothy likewise. For more, click on the title above.

Handing on the Beautiful Tradition of Service

The Transfiguration by Evelyn Stuart Hardy

As congregations like this hold onto the helpful traditions and treasures of the Church, most of you understand that today should be a “white day.” The sights, sounds, and practices, the many good traditions of the ancient Church universal are still used today. That is to help the hearers of the Word better receive God’s biblically revealed gifts. Rightly received, continually taught, and used, they can serve to help keep us focused upon the clear Word and scriptural witness about the work of the Christ. Therefore, the white of Feast Days such as this Transfiguration Day is used to remind all who behold it that this day is all about Jesus. So, why is the Chancel and why are God’s servants before it today, vested in red?…For more, click on the title above.

Transfiguration_2024

The Transfiguration by Evelyn Stuart Hardy

The Transfiguration of Our Lord

…Click on the above title for the bulletin.

It is beautiful to fall asleep in the Lord

Ghent altarpiece: Adoration of the Lamb by Jan van Eych

Our sermon for this funeral service is offered to God in thanksgiving for the Faith that God gave and sustained in Kenneth Brian Bowman. The following words have flowed forth from the inspired readings for this day. Ken’s beloved Rosann chose them for you to hear from them today. I invite you to hear again the Word of the Lord that declares the good confession of the Faith:
The beautiful struggle I have struggled, the race I have completed, the Faith I have kept….For more, click on the title above.

Peter’s Confessions

Icon of Saint Peter

Today we celebrate and give thanks for the faith given to St. Peter the Apostle. He is also called the Holy Father for his role in forming the early Christian communities, the Prince of the Apostles for his being chosen by Christ to aid in leading those who would confess the Faith, and, most simply, Simon. He was married and therefore a father in two senses: A father in his household and a father of those who would confess the Faith. His narrative in the Scriptures is one of opposites: at once he will boldly confess Christ and then quickly deny Christ, he will be praised and rebuked, he rejoices and he suffers. … For more, click on the title above.

God blesses one man-one woman marriage as a beautiful sign

Wedding in Cana Basrelief, Bethléem Monastery

Today, there are so many things to consider as we dive into the readings for during this time of proclamation and exhortation. That is particularly true as we consider our Church community, as well as the neighborhoods about us. As news reports may have informed you, there continues to be lot of evil occurring even in the world that is directly around us.
Further, in this congregation, our sinful natures, inherited by all humans through Adam, have given us plenty of reasons for weeping. That remains true, even as our new natures in Christ continue to give us a multitude of reasons for rejoicing. After all, God has called us to gather as One Body, under One Head. When one of us weeps, as one, we are called to weep with them. As one among us rejoices, we are called to rejoice with them….For more, click on the title above.