The Rev. Javier Almendárez-Bautista discusses the story of Stephen (Acts 7:55-60) and mourns the recurring violence against black people in our communities: “I am saddened like many of you by what we have lost with the passing of this young man. I am saddened every time lives are stolen from us before we get the full story. I am saddened every time a life is cut short before they get to do the good work they have been placed on this earth to do.”
On Holy Saturday, the Rev. Javier Almendárez-Bautista asks what it means to wait (esperar) for Easter joy to arrive: “The streets are too quiet for me. Where I long to rejoice as Easter bells ring, all I do is dread the alarm of ambulance sirens. The days flow together; the future seems uncertain. I don’t know how to run and tell the good news of Jesus’s resurrection filled with joy. I feel like the best I can manage is to sit still and wait.”
On Palm Sunday, the Rev. Javier Almendárez-Bautista asks “What does Christianity have to say to people who are suffering? What does Jesus have to say not to those of us who are calm, cool, and collected but to those of us who live in fear? That question has been haunting me for the last few weeks.”
The Rev. Javier Almendárez-Bautista discusses the story of the shepherd king (1 Samuel 16:1-13) and offers a powerful and personal homily, asking “who should we look to in times of crisis?”
On the First Sunday in Lent, the Rev. Javier Almendárez-Bautista discusses the two creation stories in Genesis, the fall of humankind, and our search for knowledge and wisdom (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7).
The Rev. Javier Almendárez-Bautista discusses Deuteronomy 30:15-20.
The Rev. Javier Almendárez-Bautista considers the pilgrim’s journey into the presence of God (Psalm 84, Luke 2:22-40): “Pilgrimage for the Psalmist is an intimate experience of the highways and byways to the Lord’s house, and this painstaking endeavor is something that the pilgrim longs for — a longing that’s just as much about the journey as it is about the destination.”
The Rev. Javier Almendárez-Bautista reflects on the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17) and God’s steadfast love.
On the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the Rev. Javier Almendárez-Bautista reflects on the power of retelling the stories of Advent (Matthew 1:18-25) and announces an exciting new step for Wake County Sponsors.
How do we take courage in hopelessness? The Rev. Javier Almendárez-Bautista reflects on the prophet Haggai’s message after 2500 years and calls on us to find hope in the here and now.