Sermons by Rev. Dr. Caroline Hall (Page 8)
Pentecost 2021
Aren’t these wonderful readings? Pentecost is right up there with Easter and even Christmas as a celebration of the amazing and astounding coming of God to heal God’s world. At Christmas we remember the God-child born in poverty, at Easter we celebrate that the new life which has come into the world is not subject to death and now, here at Pentecost, we celebrate the fullness of God with God’s people. The Greek text has a play on the words…
Love Actually
John 15:9-17 Last night as I was thinking about this morning’s sermon I thought “I just seem to be preaching the same sermon over and over again.” And then I laughed because indeed this is the same sermon… we heard in our gospel reading a continuation of Jesus’ last words to his disciples, which is often thought of as a sermon. So it’s not surprising that our reflection this week bears similarity to last week. Thursday of this week is…
What Now?
Acts 8:26-40 1 John 4:7-21 John 15:1-8 “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” I imagine that many of us have prayed for something and it hasn’t happened. So what’s that about? Does that mean that we are not really abiding in Jesus? Or does it mean that Jesus…
Laying Down His Life
Acts 4:5-12 1 John 3:16-24 John 10:11-18 Psalm 23 Todays gospel is such a comforting passage about the Good Shepherd, and one we use for memorial services as we remind ourselves that God’s love never waivers even when we journey through the valley of death. In the words of John’s gospel, Jesus tells us clearly that “I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of…
Kissing the Princess
Bible Readings:Romans 8:18-23 http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=485772628Mark 16:14,15 http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=485772672 It is said that when St. Francis could not find people to listen to his preaching, he preached to the birds and they listened. The 13th century book “The Little Flowers of St Francis” says that on one occasion he saw a great flock of birds who seemed to be attentive to him so he preached to them of God’s love for them and told them they must sing to show their gratitude and to praise…
Walking In The Light
This morning’s readings are so full and rich that it’s difficult to know where to start. When that happens, I find it useful to look at the collect, the prayer for the day. “God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation, Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith.” That sums up the readings pretty well doesn’t it –…
Sin In Our Favor
Last week while on retreat, I read several books. One of them was Falling Upwards by Richard Rohr. In it he says among many other things that “salvation is sin turned on its head and used in our favor.” Salvation is sin turned on its head and used in our favor. That is what we are remembering today – the ultimate example of sin turned on its head and used in our favor. On the cross Jesus took the sin…
Impatient: 3/14/21
The people became impatient. I don’t know about you but I have certainly become impatient. It’s been a year. Enough already. How much longer will be in this wilderness of Zoom? How much longer before we can once again gather safely indoors to share the eucharist? I don’t know the answers to those questions. I have become impatient. The poisonous snakes have been biting for a year and we are still looking and waiting for God to deliver us. And…
Radical Acceptance
Mark 8:31-38 I admit it. I’m mortal. Just like all of us. And that of course is the reminder of Ash Wednesday, that we are entirely dependent on God for every breath we take. And just in case we missed it on Ash Wednesday with this year’s self-service ashes, the loss of our beloved sister Karin this week brought it home powerfully. We are mortal. We are not gods. We are humans. And so it’s not surprising that we see…
Sacred Water
Genesis 9:8-17 1 Peter 3:18-22 Mark 1:9-15 I’m sure that you, like me, have been praying for the people of Texas this week and for the other southern states hit by freezing temperatures. It is appalling to imagine having no power for days in the middle of a powerful freeze, and then to lose water. Looking at the news this morning I see that over 14million people are still without safe water. The problem is not restricted to Texas – …