#proper 13c

Teacher, tell my brother (Proper 13C)

In this week’s gospel, someone asks Jesus to make his brother share—the perfect opportunity for a parable. Photo by Pixabay Here are some ways I approach this text: ReflectionReflection on treasureBetween Proper 12 & 13Video Past Sermons: 20192016

Beyond the fair question

Sometimes the story is about the money. Sometimes it is about more than that. Either way, it’s about money. For SundayEighth Sunday after PentecostProper 13C Collect Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with…

A look at the gaps in the lectionary.

This week: the gap between Proper 13C and Proper 14C.

Photo by Timotej Nagy from Pexels

Last week, the lectionary jumped from the beginning of chapter 11 into the middle of chapter 12. What we skipped over were teachings in which Jesus expands the sense of what it means to love one’s neighbor.

It culminates with a confrontation which really…

By the time we get to Luke 12:13-21, Jesus has radically rejected our will to racism and hate, revealing the true way of life is equality and love.

Standing for dignity means also standing against indignity Proper 13C | Luke 12:13-21

Photo by Skitterphoto from Pexels

I know you are super excited to hear a sermon about a real estate question, but we’ve got a lot of stuff to catch up…

In-Between – Luke 11:14-12:13

A look at the gaps in the lectionary.

This week: the gap between Proper 12C and Proper 13C.

Photo by Elina Sazonova from Pexels

The lectionary makes a big jump forward a chapter, from Luke 11:14 to 12:14. Which is seriously unfortunate given the central theme of this teaching.

Your Bible no doubt breaks this section up into a lot of little bites, making it seem like it is chock…

It feels like we live in a divided country. But nothing divides more than inheritance. It sicks brother against brother. Sister against sister. Inheritance is not the blessing of ongoing protection but the curse of future division.

In my own family, I’ve seen family members force a sibling to pay a double share while a spouse negotiated one for herself. I’ve seen questioning of care and finances…

Proper 13C Sermon

August 4, 2013

The Rev. Anne Lane Witt

Immanuel Episcopal Church

  Hosea 11:1-11

Psalm 107:1-9,43

Colossians 3:1-11

Luke 12:13-21

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

  Today, we celebrate the baptism of Jacob Ashby Clinger and welcome him to the family known as the Body of Christ.

    In doing this, we do something outward and visible to speak to the inward and spiritual truth: Jacob is a fellow child of God, a part of our worldwide family, and because of this, he is beloved not only of his biological family, but also of God and us.

    We strengthen the existing relationships and remember that we are in relationship with all sorts of people, near and far, seen and unseen, as we re-member (as in put back together) the Body of Christ.

      Who is my neighbor?, asked the Pharisee in our gospel from a couple of weeks ago, in which we heard about the Good Samaritan.  We’re all neighbors, but do we act like it?

    Being reminded of being in relationship with one another breaks down barriers between us.  In a recent article on grace, Cathleen Falsani wrote, “Relationships destroy hypotheticals.”

    Being with one another makes things real.  It is all well and good to lay down rules, but situations and relationships can lead to doing things against the rules we set.

    Jesus’ becoming flesh and blood, fully human and fully divine, shows that God is interested in the realities of our relationships with him, that grace and mercy trump rules.  Love is the key!

    And, in the words of something I recently saw, “Faith is a journey, not a guilt trip.”  In baptism, we recognize that we a pilgrims on faith journeys, and in that, we are not alone.

  There’s a lot of reality to be encountered in our journeys, full of different personalities.  It isn’t easy, but God cares about the very stuff of our lives, all of the details.

    In our baptismal covenant, we profess that we are on the faith journey and that we will, with God’s help, seek to be in right relationship with God and our neighbors, loving our neighbors as ourselves.

    The baptismal covenant begins with a profession of the faith journey we are on—the relationship we seek to nurture with God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

    It moves on to caring both for the relationship with God and for our own selves.  We are nourished and strengthened for the journey through word and sacrament.

    We set aside time to be with God, listening for his voice and asking for what we and others need in prayer.

    The baptismal covenant moves on to our relationships with our neighbors.  We are made for relationship, but sometimes we need help in discerning how to be good neighbors in the world.

    The baptismal covenant doesn’t give us rules; it gives us principles to help us make decisions about what we do in the world and how we go about it.

    Does it proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ?  Do our words match our actions?  As St. Francis said, “Preach the gospel at all times.  When necessary, use words.”

  Are our actions seeking and serving Christ in all persons, showing love that we would hope to receive, love that we are worthy of receiving?

    Are we striving for justice and peace among all beings and respecting each person’s dignity?

    To these parts of the covenant that cover our relationships with our own selves and with our neighbors, we pledge to do them with God’s help. 

    Even in our commitments to Jesus Christ, we acknowledge that we will need help.  God knows that better than we ever could, and his help is all around us, taking a variety of forms.

    The relationships we have with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will meet us where we are, but not leave us there; through this relationship, we better know God and God knows us.

    As I said earlier, relationships destroy hypotheticals.  We will be in relationships of many forms throughout our lives.  Time and again, these will challenge us and help us to grow; many of them will provide love and support as well.

    These relationships will keep us grounded in reality, and the baptismal covenant reminds us that God’s love is integral to that reality.