Lessons: Acts 10:34-43 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 Luke 24:1-12 Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 We live in the time after the resurrection. And given that, here is the question with which we are confronted. Given the staggering mystery of the empty tomb, what should we do? How should we live? What does resurrection mean? These questions are asContinueContinue reading “Easter Sunday by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Tag Archives: The Rev. Martin Elfert
The Great Vigil of Easter by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Genesis 1:1-2:4a [The Story of Creation] Genesis 7:1-5, 11-18, 8:6-18, 9:8-13 [The Flood] Exodus 14:10-31; 15:20-21 [Israel’s deliverance at the Red Sea] Ezekiel 37:1-14 [The valley of dry bones] Zephaniah 3:14-20 [The gathering of God’s people]
Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Luke 19:28-40 Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 Isaiah 50:4-9a Philippians 2:5-11 Luke 22:14-23:56 Psalm 31:9-16 There are moments in our lives that are more than one thing at the same time. These are the moments that are full of big feelings, intense feelings – and they are the moments in which we are surprised to realiseContinueContinue reading “Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Jeremiah 17:5-10 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 Luke 6:17-26 Psalm 1 When I sit in the pews or, in our online world, when I plug in my headphones and electronically join a congregation elsewhere, I don’t mind disagreeing with the preacher. I am not among those who see critiquing sermons as a form of impiety.ContinueContinue reading “Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Jeremiah 1:4-10 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Luke 4:21-30 Psalm 71:1-6 Have you heard of the psychological phenomenon called Impostor Syndrome? Impostor Syndrome – and I mentioned this in passing a few weeks back on the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, I’d like to go a little deeper this morning – is the fear, sometimesContinueContinue reading “Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Third Sunday after the Epiphany by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a Luke 4:14-21 Psalm 19 I’d like to start with a survey: how many of you remember the first time that you heard a story around a campfire? For me, the memory is indelible – it is a huge part of my personal mythology. I was away atContinueContinue reading “Third Sunday after the Epiphany by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
First Sunday after the Epiphany by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Isaiah 43:1-7 Acts 8:14-17 Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 Psalm 29 A while back I heard a short radio documentary. The feature began with a story about the reporter’s four-year-old nephew. The little boy was visiting a toy store with his mother and there he was terrified by a hideous creature, by a large statue ofContinueContinue reading “First Sunday after the Epiphany by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
First Sunday after Christmas by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Isaiah 61:10-62:3 Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7 John 1:1-18 Psalm 147 At the Yule Be Merry concert the week before last, there was an amazing moment. (Actually, there were multiple amazing moments – it was a glorious concert – but there is one amazing moment on which I am going to concentrate.) The model of theContinueContinue reading “First Sunday after Christmas by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Christmas Eve by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Isaiah 9:2-7 Titus 2:11-14 Luke 2:1-14(15-20) Psalm 96 It is Christmas Eve and I would like to risk doing something with you. I would like to risk entering into what might be a heady or an intellectual exercise. Although it is a heady exercise with a purpose. I’d like to wonder with you tonightContinueContinue reading “Christmas Eve by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Third Sunday of Advent by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Zephaniah 3:14-20 Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:7-18 Canticle 9 Have you ever had the experience of encountering the same words at two different times in your life and hearing them in a totally different way? For myself, I think about the statement: Having kids changes your life. Before I had children, I heard those wordsContinueContinue reading “Third Sunday of Advent by The Rev. Martin Elfert”