Every year, on the First Sunday in Lent, we hear the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, from either the Gospel of Matthew, Mark or Luke. And in all three, Jesus is led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness immediately after his baptism. As he comes up out of the water, Jesus hears the Voice of God, saying, “This is my Son, the Beloved, in whom I am well-pleased.” In that moment of profound grace, Jesus knows who he is and what he has been called to do. He knows that he is one with God and that God’s love for him is everlasting and that God has a mission for him to share that love with the world. Jesus’ baptism is a moment of ecstasy, a transcendent experience, a spiritual high. But Jesus is not allowed the luxury of dwelling there. The Spirit immediately leads him into the wilderness to be tested. All three gospels make the explicit connection between Jesus’ baptism and his time in the wilderness. Jesus’ clarity about his purpose and mission at his baptism is immediately put to the test before he begins his ministry.
Read MoreIn the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, amen.
Today is the last Sunday of the season of Epiphany, which is a season focused on helping us see the ways that God shows up for us tangibly in the world. It begins with the first Epiphany experience, when the Magi visit the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Christ child after His birth and it ends with this mysterious event known as the Transfiguration, which we hear of today. Now before I get into the Transfiguration, I want to say that it’s always been fascinating to me to think about sacred geography; that is, where spatially God shows up for us. Throughout scripture you’ll notice a common pattern of God revealing Himself to us in two specific places – deserts and mountaintops.
Read MoreLove your enemies and turn the other cheek. This is perhaps one of the most difficult teachings of Christ presented to us in all of the Gospel. When I first read these words last week I thought that this is either the worst possible timing for this Gospel lesson to appear, when country, and neighbor, and even household is so bitterly divided, or it is the Gospel we need desperately to hear now more than ever. Love your enemies and turn the other cheek.
Read More“…Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
In the year of the drought it is not anxious,
and does not cease to bear fruit….” Jeremiah 17: 5-10
When we were traveling around the country with my husband Robbie’s naval career, people would often stop him and say “thank-you for your service.” I was always really touched by that because it demonstrated that he was seen, valued and appreciated for his dedication to our country and peace-keeping around the world. People still tell him thanks to this day and it is always a blessing when they do. People in the military are often away from home for long periods of time, they work long hours and their lives are sometimes at risk. Our family went through a lot of times being concerned for Robbie’s safety and missing him when he had to be away, but we knew that what he did was important. It was for a larger purpose.
Read MoreFriends, I can’t tell you how good it is to be back with you today, and if you are visiting or new, then welcome. In case you have forgotten, my name is Paddy Cavanaugh, the associate rector at St. George’s, and for the past three months I have been on paternity leave with my wife Winnie, who gave birth to our first daughter, Mary Winston, in October. Since then I have been wrapped in a blanket of wonder, love, and praise, at the miracle which new life promises.
Read MoreToday we remember the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. MLK was a prophet, very much in keeping with the Old Testament prophetic tradition. In our reading from Isaiah today, the prophet speaks to a people who had been in captivity in Babylon for many years and are now experiencing a kind of PTSD. They are divided, disillusioned, and lack a common vision. Some have stayed in Babylon. Some have returned from exile to their homeland. And a new generation has been born after their return that do no share that earlier experience of captivity with their parents and grandparents.
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