In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. When I was in high school, some friends of mine and I decided that What our school really needed Was a secret society. So of course we formed one. We called ourselves “The Autumn Circle” Mostly because the majority […]
Sermon Topic: Death
A Life Characterized by Joy
Archbishop Michael Ramsey once said: “Mary gives us a pattern of Christian Living which echoes our own calling and our own journey with God.” I think there is one word that sums up, for me, this beautiful feast of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, and that word is Joy. This is not just a […]
Vision Makes All the Difference
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Catch me in just the right mood, in the right frame of mind, You may well hear me argue that, between the two greatest Elizabethan dramatists, It’s Kit Marlowe who’s the better writer than William Shakespeare. I know that […]
Remember that thou art dust
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Remember that thou art dust. It is a terrifyingly vulnerable thing to discover yourself Fully seen. Fully known. And, despite it all, Fully loved. By the one who sees all the secret places of our hearts. By God. Terrifying, […]
‘From Dust to glory’
Matchwood to Immortal Diamond
Our Lenten journey begins with a simple yet dramatic symbolic action; ashes, placed on our foreheads in the sign of the cross, with words that echo the words of God to Adam and Eve in the story of the fall – “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Genesis 3:19) And what is […]
Seeds of Hope
How do you want to be remembered after your death? If you look around this church and, indeed, countless churches throughout the world you will see memorials – not just beautiful objects or works of art, but remembrances of people long gone from this earth. As Rector, I often begin a liturgy standing on a […]
Love What is Good, Hate What is Evil
In last week’s gospel we heard the account of Jesus asking his disciples who they believe him to be, and how Simon confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God. Jesus praised Simon for that bold confession of faith, and rechristened him, Peter, the rock. Peter’s solid, fundamental confession that Jesus […]
I don't understand, but I know my God does.
“I don’t understand, but I know my God does.”- The words of Pastor Frank Pomeroy the day after a gunman killed 26 worshippers of his congregation, including his own 14-year-old daughter. “I don’t understand, but I know my God does.” When we face tragedy or loss, particularly when it comes suddenly and violently, we are […]
The Joy of Ash Wednesday
People who do not have very much experience with the Church can find it a little bit strange that Ash Wednesday is one of the most popular days of the year at the parish. Here at Saint Thomas and elsewhere, people show up one after another after another, throughout the day, to receive the imposition […]
Would You Like to be Famous or Immortal?
A couple of years ago The New York Times ran an article entitled “Who’s more famous than Jesus?” (March 14, 2014) It was an article on a newly launched website called ‘Pantheon’ in which a team of designers, engineers, and scientists worked together to quantify, analyze, measure and visualize global culture. It’s fascinating; you tap […]
