Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “Church is not the place you come to, it’s the place you you go from.” … As we go from here today, what is it that we bring – to a world surrounding us right now that seems to be filled with violence, hatred, conflict, bullying, racism, condescending of other people, personal attacks on people – it’s the world that we go out into….
The Rev. George Adamik considers today’s Gospel reading (Mark 2:23-3:6) and the message of Pentecost: “We all speak different languages when it comes to this experience of faith. How do we continue to be a Pentecost, how do we continue to be reborn anew as we reach beyond our world, not to speak our language but to speak the languages of those who perhaps can understand us in new ways? We can only do that by coming to know this world beyond us.”
The Rev. George Adamik reflects on a trip to the Jersey Shore, our relationships with one another, and the community of the early church (Acts 10:44-48, John 15:9-17).
The Rev. George Adamik reflects on John 20:19-31, doubting Thomas, and a distressing moment from his daughter’s orchestra class.
On Easter, the Rev. George Adamik reflects on John 20:1-18: “The message of the Resurrection is Christ revealing to us the life that we’re called to live, the life we’re called to share, and he models for us the need to reach out to the suffering and the oppressed to bring about wholeness and healing in a broken world.”
The Rev. George Adamik considers Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 and Mark 8:31-38: “God says to Abraham and Sarah in our reading today, ‘Walk in my presence.’ That’s what God is demanding of Abraham and Sarah. Don’t hide like Adam and Eve or walk away, but let us walk towards each another, let us be in relationship with one another, let’s engage with one another.”
The Rev. George Adamik discusses Mark 9:2-9 and asks “Why does Mark place the story of the Transfiguration at this point in the Gospel?”. Later in the homily, Fr. George offers a preview of upcoming Lenten activities at St. Paul’s.
The Rev. George Adamik reflects on 1 Samuel 3:1-10(11-20), the role of prophets, and the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.: “Often, people use ‘prophet’ for someone who tells the future…, but I don’t see it in that way. A prophet is not someone who tells the future but someone who tells the present… and tells the present in a way that we often don’t want to hear or see. A prophet is calling a community to a new vision, inviting us into a new future.”
On Christmas Eve, the Rev. George Adamik offers a different way of understanding the Incarnation: “God’s Incarnation wasn’t to somehow fix things; it was always the Creator’s intention to send the Christ into our midst.”
The Rev. George Adamik reflects on Isaiah 40:1-11 and Mark 1:1-8: “Advent is our life. It’s not just a season. It’s a call to us to remember that we’re a watchful people, ever vigilant.”