Morsels & Stories: I read from Edward Hays’ The Ethiopian Tattoo Shop.
Sermon: When people are sent to figure out who John is, John never quite answers the question asked.
The lessons can be found by clicking here. (link) I worked most closely with John 1:6-8 19-28.
Listen:
Stories & Morsels: I talked about Advent wreaths, some of their history and offered some suggestions for how to incorporate them into your Advent practice. St Lucy’s feast day is indeed the 13th of December. There are tons more options if you google “Advent Wreath” with lighting or liturgy.
Sermon: Our Isaiah passage is the one I think of when I think of Advent. What were the circumstances of it’s writing and how does it sound next to John the Baptist’s cry to repent.
The lessons can be found here (link). I worked most closely with Isaiah 40:1-11.
Listen:
Morsels & Stories: I talked a bit about what the canons (which can be found here) have to say about the responsibilities of the vestry.
Sermon: Matthew’s story about how Jesus was born focuses on Joseph and a dream.
The lessons can be found by clicking here. I worked most closely with Matthew 1:18-25.
Listen:
Stories and Morsels: I read “Burning Brightly” from A Spy on Noah’s Ark.
Sermon: John the Baptist, Marie Kondo (who’s name I may have butchered, sorry), and the Paris agreement about carbon emissions all have something in common. How do we know it’s enough?
The lessons can be found by clicking here. I worked most closely with Luke 3:7-18.
Listen:
Stories and Morsels: I used the liturgical calendar wheel, to talk about the new liturgical year we just started. (Similar to the one that appears here if I’ve internetted correctly.)
Sermon: Repentance I talk about how repentance can be more like ping pong than an easy decision.
The lessons can be found by clicking here. I worked most closely with Luke 3:1-6.
Listen:
Link: Kickstartering the Kingdom
Summary of what I was saying and why:
I had started somewhere else with work that going to become not this sermon. It didn’t fit the lessons. In the wake of that massive edit I had one note about how these things Jesus and Isaiah mention were stretch goals. And then I had a sermon.
Theology: Eschatology
Jesus Count: moderate
Good News: In Jesus we are promised more than we can achieve.
What did I change on my feet?
So much. I really extemporized with all of the middle.
What didn’t work/what did I miss?
I’m not sure Kickstarter was a good image. I felt like I spent too much time explaining without drawing my parallel.
I had a line toward the end about not getting lost. It was a throwaway line I should’ve left out. It diminished the sermon.
What did work?
After the early service I wound up talking about micro-funding, Kickstarter, and Kiva. I think that conversation was better than the sermon.
Other sermons I liked:
Priest Castellan talks about statues of Mary.
Priest Romanik has John the Baptist and Mayor Ford of Toronto.
Priest Giroux is telling stories about candles.
(Here’s the list of people I usually listen to. Am I missing someone?)
The Anglican Church of Canada uses the Roman Ordinary Time numbering system instead of numbering the Propers. Because all of this is new to me, I’m now indicating both numbering systems.
Link: Jades and the Tree of Jesse, Advent 2 2013
Summary of what I was saying and why:
I actually started with the word steadfast in the Epistle. That got me to the concept of being steadfast with one another and the Jade plant story. But steadfast is not a common story. So I wound up with a sermon that has no obvious connection to my starting place.
Theology: eschatology
Jesus Count: low
Good News: we wait for God, God waits for us
What did I change on my feet?
Sunday morning I changed the first section. I think bringing John the Baptist in this way worked better.
What didn’t work/what did I miss?
I’m not sure including the aloe helped. The section about what we are waiting for needs more development.
What did work?
Holding the two thoughts in parallel worked better than I was afraid it would.
Other sermons I liked:
Priest Linman talks about John the Baptist, guilt, shame, and Elf on the Shelf.
Priest Giroux starts with ‘O Come O Come Emmanuel’ in order to remind us that the Incarnation was not a doctrine first. It was an experience first.
(Here’s the list of people I usually listen to. Am I missing someone?)
The Anglican Church of Canada uses the Roman Ordinary Time numbering system instead of numbering the Propers. Because all of this is new to me, I’m now indicating both numbering systems.
The lessons can be found by clicking here. I worked with all of them.
Waiting and more waiting.
Listen here:
Link: Map to Halfway, Advent 1 2013
Summary of what I was saying and why:
I love Isaiah and the imagery of God’s Holy Hill is one that seems to be popular. Except we don’t actually live there. It’s not close.
Theology: Atonement
Jesus Count: medium
Good News: Jesus meets us halfway
What did I change on my feet?
The conclusion. I found a stronger ending place at the early service.
What didn’t work/what did I miss?
At the early service I didn’t wrap up the imagery as well.
What did work?
I loved including Zeno’s dichotomy paradox. One parishioner was very happy that part of the sermon could be expressed mathematically. Which is really neat.
Other sermons I liked:
Priest Romanik made me ponder what the coming of the Son of Man will be.
Priest Lightcap points out that we are becoming prepared.
Priest Funston asks, “how does a person who believes this story live?”
(Here’s the list of people I usually listen to. Am I missing someone?)
The Anglican Church of Canada uses the Roman Ordinary Time numbering system instead of numbering the Propers. Because all of this is new to me, I’m now indicating both numbering systems.
The lessons can be found by clicking here. I worked most closely with Isaiah 2:1-5.
Isaiah holds up a vision of where we should be headed. It’s the getting there that’s hard.
Listen:
