Church Pulpit Posts
Mary, Weaver of Purple and Scarlet | The Rev. Susan E. Hill, Associate Rector
As we come closer to the end of Advent and the arrival of Jesus at Christmas, our attention naturally turns toward his mother, Mary. During our Adult Education sessions this season, we’ve explored the history of Mary, and the many devotions that have developed around her. There is one legend about her, though, that I haven’t yet told.
According to this apocryphal story, as a young girl Mary was accomplished in weaving well beyond her years. She was chosen along with six other virgins to spend her childhood in the Jerusalem Temple in order to weave the veil of the Temple. Because she was also the chosen one of God to bear the Christ child, she was visited daily, and even fed, by angels! Mary particularly worked with the purple and the scarlet thread, and when she was sent home to Nazareth to spin them, the angel Gabriel appeared to announce her special role as the mother of Jesus….
Sacred Focus | The Rev. Dr. Anna S. Pearson, Rector
If you haven’t been to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see “Siena: The Rise of Painting,” I hope you will have a chance to do so. The exhibit focuses on works of art painted in that Italian city just as the Renaissance was beginning to come to life. Between the years 1300 and 1350, Sienese artists moved the art of painting into a new era of detail, color and perspective…..
Your Voice | The Rev. Canon Robert A. Jacobs, Deacon
When we take the opportunity to share with another person about what having a real and life directing faith in Jesus Christ means to us, what will we say? When the moment comes when God is depending on our voice to prepare the way for another person to come closer to God, will our voice be heard and what will we say? Will we share what is important or slide by with peripheral talk?
What a message for us at Advent, “Let every heart prepare him room….”
How We Do What We Do | The Rev. Dr. Anna S. Pearson, Rector
Last Wednesday evening, I had the privilege of attending a program at Carnegie Hall featuring work from participants in the Creative Arts Therapy Program at Rikers Island. It was a beautiful evening. Original artwork was all over the walls of the reception area. A short film featuring dance and music programs was shown, and then a panel including Arts Therapists, a former program participant, and someone working with citizens returning to their communities went deeper into the power of creative work in helping people find their voices….
Clive Staples Lewis, Apologist and Spiritual Writer, 1963 | The Rev. Susan E. Hill, Associate Rector
C.S. Lewis was an Irish-English author as well as a tutor and lecturer at Oxford University, and then Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English Literature at Cambridge University. He is called a Christian “apologist,” a technical term for those who explain and defend the Christian faith. One of his most popular books, Mere Christianity, was based on a series of fifteen-minute radio addresses for a broad audience interested in learning more about Christianity. And of course, many of us have read his Chronicles of Narnia series of fantasy novels for children (and adults!) that have underlying Christian themes….
The Wider Church | The Rev. Dr. Anna S. Pearson, Rector
We are the Episcopal Church, which means we are a church with bishops. The Greek word for bishop is “episcopos,” which means “overseer”—indicating that some of our clergy are called especially to a ministry of organization, supervision and unity. Each diocese in our national church elects a diocesan bishop, and all clergy and worshipping communities are under that person’s care….
Trust | The Rev. Canon Robert A. Jacobs, Deacon
Often, we let our circumstances dictate our faith. We trust God when things are going well, but when things get tough, we start to doubt. We start to question whether He really cares. In part of Sunday’s Gospel, (Mark 12:42-48) we see the faith of the widow was not dependent on her circumstances as she, despite her poverty, gave all she had to the treasury. She was clearly dependent on her trust in God….
Church and State And All the Saints | The Rev. Dr. Anna S. Pearson, Rector
Recently, a clergy colleague and I were having a conversation about the tensions between Christian commitment and citizenship. This priest could tell that people in her congregation were feeling divided. She knew they were well-intentioned; that they were trying to do the right thing, even as they felt conflicted in making decisions and uncomfortable once the decisions were made….
St. Michael and All Angels | The Rev. Susan E. Hill, Associate Rector
Ever since I served at St. Michael’s Church, I have had an affinity for the feast day of St. Michael and All Angels, which falls on September 29. Most of my focus has naturally been on the “St. Michael” part of the feast. But this year I find myself interested in the “All Angels” part as well – who are “all” the angels?!…
A Sense of Joy | The Rev. Susan E. Hill, Associate Rector
As the world around us and our lives grow more and more complicated and stressful, it is often grounding to get back to the simple things in life — like a walk in a park. It’s a good way to let go of our worries and to be present to the beauty of God’s creation. And...
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