If you were to define what makes a person a Christian, what would you say? It is interesting for us today that the Old Testament reading from Jonah and the Gospel reading both offer us contemporary views of what people think of what Christianity is.
In the first we have a situation where, as you remember, Jonah did not want to go preach to those guys in Nineveh. That was after all the capital city of Israel’s primary enemy, Assyria. Assyria was an incredibly cruel nation. We could tell they were cruel from the accounts written in the Bible, but we also have now the archeologist’s reports. What the archeologists have discovered is that even the art with which they decorated their walls was of cruelty to others, savagery and death, mounds of heads and people being flayed, that sort of thing. That art was a depiction of their real life. No, Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh. He wanted them to all die. He wanted them to be judged and condemned. But he is finally convinced by God that he ought to obey. So he goes and preaches. Notice in his short sermon he doesn’t give them any options, he simply tells them they are going down. But what happens? Continue reading ‘Sermon – Sunday 22 January, 2012/The Rev. Lance Wallace’ »

A small Texas town was having a big problem with pesky squirrels. The three churches in town, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Episcopal, were especially affected with these squirrels, so much so that it was an item of business in all three church councils.

The Presbyterians decided the problem was predestined and that they shouldn’t interfere with the squirrels, so of course the problem didn’t getter any better for them. The Methodists decided the squirrels were a part of nature and should be returned to the woods. But the squirrels came back.

The Episcopalians had the most creative solution. They said, “Let’s baptize them. That way we’ll only have to deal with them on Christmas and Easter!”

That’s kind of a cynical view of what happens at baptism, don’t you think? Our hope, of course, is that those who are baptized today will be fully immersed in their life in Christ, which begins today with their baptism.

Baptism is important in the life of a Christian. In fact, it’s what makes a Christian a Christian. Before you’re baptized, you’re not a Christian; after you’re baptized, you’re a Christian. Francis Hall, in The Church and the Sacramental System, in speaking of baptismal regeneration, says this: “Regeneration has often been confused with conversion. Conversion is a change of disposition and aim, and is moral; whereas regeneration is a change in level of being and capacity by the involution of a supernatural vital principle, flowing from the Body of Christ. Described by physical analogies it is a biological change. For this reason, it can be, and frequently is, accomplished once for all by the Spirit in unconscious infants, before they are able to make any moral response…It means that they come to the task of working out their salvation as having the vital capacity and status as members of Christ’s Body and children of God by adoption and grace.” Continue reading ‘Sermon – Sunday 8 January, 2012/The Rev. Fredrick A. Robinson’ »

There is a famous painting that I have seen in various places and books relating to the Civil War. It depicts a Union general, Philip Sheridan, mounted on his great black horse, Rienzi, in the midst of the chaos of battle.

The horse is literally airborne – charging ahead at full speed, legs outstretched. The general has his sword out pointing skyward toward the enemy, but he is looking back over his left shoulder at a soldier who seems to be a bit confused as to just what direction he will be moving; ahead or to the rear!

This painting commemorates the events of the battle of Cedar Creek on October 19 1864, when the Union army in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia was surprised by a sudden, unexpected and violent morning attack by a Confederate army under the command of General Jubal Early.

The Union forces were caught for the most part surprised and unprepared; defenses were overrun and soldiers began running for the rear. It seemed that this army would again suffer defeat at the hands of the confederates. But….. Continue reading ‘Sermon – The Epiphany: Friday 6 January, 2012/The Rev. Richard Marsden’ »

What’s in a name?

My nephew Matt and his darling wife Laura were in a hospital as I wrote this sermon, giving birth to their first child – actually Laura really did all the work – I am not sure what Matt did; he was there and remained conscious through the ordeal, but in the months previous to this event they spent hours poring over books and talking to family about what to name this precious, little, new soul.

They finally decided on the name Lily. I don’t know if there are family connections to the name or what the significance is but it is extremely significant to them. And she will forever be known as Lily.

Most likely each of us was the subject of the same kind of momentous enterprise when we were yet to take our first breath. Parents take naming their children as a serious endeavor. Do you know of anyone who just arbitrarily named their children: boy number 1, girl number 2?

I was named Richard after my father; I carry his name and many of his qualities, some contributing to Gail’s periodic consternation. Continue reading ‘Sermon – Sunday 1 January, 2012/The Rev. Richard Marsden’ »

Unless, as the song goes, your true love gives you gifts on each of the twelve days of Christmas, most likely your gift-giving and receiving will take place today, Christmas Day, the day of the Nativity of our Lord. Through gifts we often are given precious memories by our friends, memories that will last well beyond the twelve days of Christmas.

The practice of gift giving at Christmas hasn’t always been universally accepted. The Puritans forbade the observance of Christmas and everything associated with it. And while Charles Dickens helped to popularize the giving of gifts at Christmas, others from time to time have tried to dampen the practice because of its obvious materialistic dangers. Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist, thought it best not to give gifts but to sit still and think about truth and purity until her friends were all the better for it. Can you imagine the reaction of your family and friends if you were to tell them that instead of giving gifts this year you are just going to meditate on their behalf? You could put it in a nice card that says, “Dear, and then put your wife’s or husband’s name, in your honor and for your good, I have spent one hour in meditation thinking about truth and purity. Merry Christmas from your loving husband or wife.” It’s a nice gesture, and certainly we could do with a lot more of it, but it would most likely not be greatly appreciated!

As we find ourselves on Christmas Day, that is, the day after the evening on which the wondrous birth of our Lord occurred, it is good to reflect on the meaning of that event that brought all of our celebrations about. Continue reading ‘Sermon – Christmas Day: Sunday 25 December, 2011/The Rev. Fredrick A. Robinson’ »

Christmas has arrived; Advent is over. We can now sing our favorite Christmas carols that some have wanted to sing all during Advent. What’s your favorite Christmas carol? I hope that if we haven’t already sung it, that sometime during the mass we will.

As some of you may know, my preferred form of exercise is racquetball. Every morning at 5:30, Monday through Friday, you will find me at the Y playing racquetball, sometimes singles and sometimes doubles. Four guys in a little racquetball court when we’re playing doubles can seem a little crowded at times, but in 33 years of playing I’ve only had to go to the hospital for stitches one time, but a couple of weeks ago I got hit in my mouth with a racquet. The result was that my upper lip hurt a little and I could feel my front teeth, which worried me a little. So after we had finished playing I went to my dentist, who told me one of my front teeth was a little loose and that I shouldn’t use it for a couple of weeks. By Christmas he told me we should know if the tooth would survive. Consequently, this year I have a new favorite Christmas song: “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth!” Continue reading ‘Sermon – Christmas Eve: Saturday 24 December, 2011/The Rev. Fredrick A. Robinson’ »

I’m going to say a couple of sentences that have been incorporated into a larger prayer, and if you know the rest of the prayer, I want you to say it aloud, boldly, so that you can be heard. Here are the sentences and first part of the prayer: “Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus…..”

The rest of the prayer goes like this: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and in the hour of our death. Amen.”

That is known as the “Hail Mary.” For some of us the Hail Mary is a forward pass in football that doesn’t have much going for it other than a prayer. For others, it’s a prayer that is an important part of our daily regimen of prayer. Is there anyone here who says it regularly, or even just once in a while?

The first part of it comes right out of the Gospel according to St. Luke and consists of a combination of the words spoken to Mary first by the Archangel Gabriel and then by her cousin Elizabeth. When Gabriel told Mary that she would conceive and bear a Son, he also told her that her cousin, Elizabeth, who was an old woman and who had never been blessed with a child, was also pregnant with John, who would become known as the Baptist. Continue reading ‘Sermon – Sunday 18 December, 2011/The Rev. Fredrick A. Robinson’ »

Do you ever get more than you expect? I mean when you expect something does it sometimes happen that you get more than you thought you would? There was a Volkswagen commercial that came out earlier this year. The little kid is dressed like Darth Vader and goes around the house trying to move things with the Force. He tries the washing machine, the family dog, he even tries a little doll—nothing happens and he is discouraged. Then his dad drives in from work and gets out of the car and walks into the house. The little boy positions himself in front of the car. He puts up his hands and concentrates and suddenly the car starts! The little guy jumps back in astonishment. The shot changes to the kitchen window where the father is showing his wife the button for the remote car start. But the little guy out on the driveway pretending to be Darth Vader is in shock! This was more than he expected.
In our gospel reading today the priests and the Levites come from Jerusalem to ask John who he was. They asked him, Are you the Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one; the son of David who is going to lead Israel to world prominence; the one who will drive out the Romans and usher in a time of unprecedented prosperity? John says, “No, I am not the Christ.” Are you Elijah, the prophet who called down fire from heaven on Mount Carmel and prayed the rain to stop for three years and then prayed the rain to start again—are you he? John says, “No, I am not Elijah.” Are you the prophet? John says, “No, I am not the prophet.” Continue reading ‘Sermon – Sunday 11 December, 2011/The Rev. Lance Wallace’ »

Remember Fr. Robinson’s sermon from last week? I specifically remember what he said he said he wouldn’t say, that I think he said anyway – about Advent – about the church being different during this season?

Remember, he said: You might have expected me to say something about this being a penitential season and not the Christmas season and not decorate until the last week of Advent.

You probably thought I would mention how the liturgy is more penitential, having the confession at the beginning of the liturgy and not having the Gloria, but instead the Trisagion at the beginning: Holy God, holy and mighty, holy immortal one have mercy upon us.

You might have thought I might mention that the flowers are more subtle, suggesting the wilderness and the vestments purple denoting penitence. Continue reading ‘Sermon – Sunday 4 December, 2011/The Rev. Richard C. Marsden’ »

Happy New Year! Have you been keeping up with the religious news? Our brothers and sisters in the Roman Catholic Church are experiencing a great change in the liturgy today, the biggest change since Vatican II, when they went from Latin to English. Continue reading ‘Sermon – Sunday 27 November, 2011/The Rev. Fredrick A. Robinson’ »