Sermon on May 6, 2012, Easter 5, year B

A sermon preached May 6, 2012, at the Church of St. John the Evangelist, Bowdoin St., Boston, MA. The readings were from RCL Easter 5, year B.  

X In the Name of the Risen Christ. Amen.

We have all experienced being excluded from something in which we wanted to participate, from childhood games—to the ideal job as an adult. The feelings exclusion evokes in us are as varied as hurt, anger, confusion or bewilderment, sadness, worthlessness, blame, even betrayal, and sometimes a fear that we are worthless or a looser.

B Easter 4 29 April 2012

Acts 4: 5-12; Ps 23; 1 Jn 3: 16-24; JOHN 10: 11-18

In the name of God, who created us from love …   AMEN.

Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd,” and we all say, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” For this Good Shepherd Sunday, I made a list of what I know about sheep and shepherds, and the first thing I know is this: the shepherd/sheep relationship is the most prevalent image in the Bible of God and God’s care for God’s people, and I also know “the Lord is my shepherd.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

B Easter 2 15 April 2012

Acts 4:32-35; Ps 133; 1 John 1:1-2.2; JOHN 20: 19-31

Alleluia The Lord is risen The Lord is risen in truth. Alleluia. AMEN.

“With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.” However the Sunday after Easter is always given over not to the grace of people’s testimony to that resurrection, but to the perfectly human, “I don’t think so, show me.“ from Thomas. The other unexpected element of the liturgical week after Easter is the collect for Friday in Easter Week (BCP 224.) “Almighty Father, who gave your only Son to die for our sins and to rise for our justification: Give us grace so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may always serve you in pureness of living and truth; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.”

B Easter Vigil 7 April 2012

 “Alleluia, Christ is risen. The Lord is risen indeed; Alleluia.”

“Why is this night different from all others? —And you shall explain to your child on that day, ‘It is because of what the Eternal did for me when I went free from Egypt.’ And this shall serve you as a sign on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead-in order that the Teaching of the Eternal may be in your mouth-that with a mighty hand the Eternal freed you from Egypt. You shall keep this institution at its set time from year to year” (Exodus 13:8-10). It is what the Eternal did for me when I went free from sin, and so here we are.

Good Friday 6 April 2012

In the name of God, who created us from love saved AMEN.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.”

Where are we?

Michael D. Harnois

Passion Sunday B

St. John the Evangelist

1 April 2012

One of my many sinful pleasures is a comic strip called “Coffee with Jesus.” It runs on Facebook, although it can also be seen on the website of its two young creators, who call themselves Radio Free Babylon. It depicts the Jesus of portraits--long hair, beard, mustache, 30-ish--but neatly groomed in a jacket and tie, sharing a polite cup of coffee with one of a rotating group of companions. The strips range from the merely funny to the deeply cynical. One of my recent favorites goes like this:

Sermon B 5 Lent, 25 March 2012

In the name of God who creates, welcomes & loves us now & always. AMEN.

14 days to go. Are we more ready for Easter than last Sunday? How will we do this week to become more of the person we want to be to welcome the newly risen Lord then? In earlier church times, the 5th Sun. after Ash Wed., 2 weeks before Easter, was called Passion Sunday & the next Palm Sunday, because Lent was designed in 4 Sundays and 2 Sundays of the Passion to set the stage for the crucifixion with Jesus’ predictions and understandings and his triumphant entrance into Jerusalem. The readings paint the mood, actions, and complexities for us and Jesus.