There was a book that I had to read for a course that I was taking in college (I was majoring in sociology) back in 1973. The book was called The Denial of Death. It was written by Ernest Becker who was a cultural anthropologist. The idea of the book was this: one of the things we find difficult to accept is death…
Good Morning. My name is Julia Rudy and my husband, Brian, and I are going to share with you what makes St. Paul’s such a joyful place for us. St. Paul’s has been a special place to our family even before we started attending church here a few short years ago…
John 2:1-11
As a hospital chaplain I have heard many stories over the years, some very sad and some inspiring. I’d like to share a story with you today that I believe is a blend of both. I first met Ann (which is not her real name) about a year ago at Rex Nursing and Rehab Facility in Apex…
The church is in decline. Attendance is decreasing. Membership is decreasing. Financial support of the church is decreasing. That’s what a lot of reports are saying about the church today, particularly in the United States. A lot of studies and reports are being done. And those statistics, in many ways, are real…
Matthew 2:1-12
In the last five weeks we have successfully navigated the beginning of a new church year, the season of Advent, the birth of our Savior, and a new calendar welcoming in 2013. So here we are today and the Wise Men have arrived at the manger and we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany…
John 1:1-18
I know that it seems a little crazy, but I think a part of myself has always wanted to be a priest. I used to think that I only wanted to be a youth director, but feeling God’s call to ordination has proved to be a wonderful (and long) process…
Luke 2:[1-7]8-20
Many years ago when I was attending a conference in New York City I had a chance to join a group of friends and about five or six thousand other people at Radio City Music Hall on a Saturday evening for the annual Radio City Christmas spectacular …
Luke 2:1-20
I’d like to share a story with you tonight about Daniel; not the Daniel of the Hebrew scriptures, but Daniel of Thornwood, New York. Back in 1973 my family moved from Yonkers, New York where I had grown up to Thornwood, New York…
This morning at the nine o’clock service 99 of our St. Paul’s children performed our annual Christmas pageant. Sheep, soldiers, angels, and shepherds brought us the message of Christ’s birth. I thought a little about how I would do this as I walked through the halls of our parish buildings this morning…
Luke 3:1-6
I would like to invite you to consider with me the question of what is a legacy? The number one dictionary definition of a legacy has to do with money or material things that are left and therefore inherited by someone else…