Lessons: Jeremiah 22:13–16 Galatians 6:14–18 Matthew 11:25–30 Psalm 148:7–14 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me. For I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Why do we like Saint Francis? Probably the most obvious answer, especially on a day like this one, is that FrancisContinueContinue reading “Blessing of the Animals, The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Tag Archives: The Rev. Martin Elfert
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Exodus 32:7-14 Psalm 51:1-11 1 Timothy 1:12-17 Luke 15:1-10 This is a story that ends with a cliffhanger. The story goes like this. Once upon a time. Once upon a time, Jesus came to Portland. The whole city was really excited. Somehow, impossibly, Jesus was not on the news or on Twitter orContinueContinue reading “Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Psalm 1 Philemon 1-21 Luke 14:25-33 Living this life is like building a tower. I’d like to start with a quick survey: how many of you here have done a renovation project? (I’m defining the term renovation fairly broadly here – so as big as adding or altering a bathroom and asContinueContinue reading “Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Jeremiah 23:23-29 Psalm 82 Hebrews 11:29-12:2 Luke 12:49-56 On Wednesday morning I attended a rally organised by the mayor’s office. The rally was downtown at Pioneer Courthouse Square and I was there as a representative of the Interfaith Alliance on Poverty, an organisation to which Grace belongs. The purpose of the gathering wasContinueContinue reading “Tenth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23 Psalm 49:1-11 Colossians 3:1-11 Luke 12:13-21 My suspicion is that Jesus was not always fun at parties. I mean I know that Jesus could be fun, a lot of fun. There is no question that he could tell amazing stories and that he knew something about making fine wine.ContinueContinue reading “The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
The Third Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Isaiah 66:10-14 Psalm 66:1-8 Galatians 6:(1-6)7-16 Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 Picture yourself standing on top of a diving board. You have stood on top of this diving board lots of times before today. You know the stairs that spiral up its hard column. The history of the divers who came before you is writtenContinueContinue reading “The Third Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
The Day of Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Genesis 11:1-9 Acts 2:1-21 John 14:8-17, (25-27) Psalm 104:25-35, 37 How shall we tell the story of the people who build the tower with its peak in the heavens? Today, I’d like to wonder with you about understanding this story as a folk tale or, if you prefer, as a parable. Folk tales haveContinueContinue reading “The Day of Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Sixth Sunday of Easter by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Acts 16:9-15 Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 John 14:23-29 Psalm 67 A couple of years back, the author Douglas Abrams traveled to India to record a conversation between the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. The resulting text is called The Book of Joy, and it is an account not just of the week that these twoContinueContinue reading “Sixth Sunday of Easter by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
The Fifth Sunday of Easter by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Acts 11:1-18 Revelation 21:1-6 John 13:31-35 Psalm 148 For the past several weeks, the lectionary – the schedule of readings that we follow across the year – has told us stories of resurrection. Beginning today, it returns us to the time before Jesus’ death: to the upper room, to the Last Supper, toContinueContinue reading “The Fifth Sunday of Easter by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Third Sunday of Easter by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Acts 9:1-6, (7-20) Revelation 5:11-14 John 21:1-19 Psalm 30 The encounter or the experience that we call conversion is about seeing and being seen. It is about being named. First, seeing and being seen. My vision fell off a cliff around the time that I turned 12. This is not a metaphor. In whatContinueContinue reading “Third Sunday of Easter by The Rev. Martin Elfert”