Have you ever wrestled with God? That’s what that first reading is about, from Genesis. Jacob as is described, wrestles with God. Jacob is about to encounter his brother Esau. He doesn’t have the best of relationships with Esau. He’s afraid of meeting Esau. He sends his family across the river, but he spends the night before crossing the river. And it is described that he goes through this wrestling experience. He struggles with God. And yet, during the struggle he doesn’t know who this is…
When I was preparing for ordination about 30 years ago, I spent what was known as an Anglican year at the Virginia Seminary in Alexandria. In order to gain experience I assisted with Sunday services at St. Dunstan’s in Bethesda, MD. One of my duties was to give the children’s homily at the family service. So Saturday afternoons would often find me in the children’s section of the seminary library, looking for inspiration for something to say that would hold a child’s attention even for a few minutes…
I would like to paint three images, or pictures from our lessons today. I believe that they have a common theme … reminding us that we are heirs – that we are children of God, reminding us that we can indeed encounter God in our lives, even bear the fruit of God’s blessings in our world, and finally, and most especially in our Gospel lesson, reminding us that indeed, all of us are God’s children, the wheat and weeds together, and that God asks us to wait for our encounters with God, to wait when things go wrong, to wait for the blessings of God which indeed will come to us…
It’s likely that you have heard this “Parable of the Sower” before hearing it here today. If, as a child, you were attentive in Sunday School (and I’m sure you all were), you’ll remember it. Just in case you were focusing more on the sounds coming from the Parish Hall preparations for Coffee Hour snacking than on the voice of your Church School teacher on the day it was told, I’ll summarize…
Happy 4th of July weekend as we gather. Some of you from the parish know where I’m from but those of you who are new may not know where I’m originally from; I’m from that colony up in the northeast called New York. I’ve realized there are actually a few of us here in the Cary area and others from that part of the country…
A little over a week ago I got a phone call from my brother John who lives in Tennessee with his wife Susan and their eight yeard old daughter Rachael. John called to say that they were flying to RDU on Sunday and driving to the Outer Banks the next day and could we get together during their stopover? He also told me that Rachael had just finished a week of Vacation Bible School…
About a month ago a very dear friend of mine, a clergyman, got in touch with me to let me know that the baby his wife has been carrying for 20 weeks has spina bifida. Some of you may know Joe and Sarah Hensley. BJ, our former associate here, and Joe were in high school together and I have known Joe since my first work in this Diocese in 1995…
Last Thursday was Ascension Day, one of the days that the Prayer Book recognizes as a “Principal Feast.” Since the day is celebrated without the kind of hoop-la surrounding Christmas and Easter, it isn’t understood and appreciated as are those great festivals. So why does the Church give it prominence as one of the principal holy days of the year?
I think it was about 5 or 6 years ago, I’m not sure, when I was driving down to Women’s Beach Week with two very good friends. We were headed to Emerald Isle, and my husband Craig had reminded me several times of where I was to turn off of I-40. Oh yes, I told him, not to worry. I know exactly where to go…
A couple of months ago I went through that ritual we all go through of completing our taxes, and I got to that second page where you sign it. Both my wife Mary and I signed our copies and then filled in that spot where it says “Occupation.” I always put down “Priest” and Mary puts down “Scientist.”…