Our lesson from 1 Thessalonians this Gaudete Sunday gives us practical instruction in how to pass the time joyfully while we the coming of our Lord and King.
gratitude
Fr. Lenny’s Sermon – First Sunday of Advent – 2017
As we begin this season of penitent preparation for the coming of our Lord, the lectionary bring St Paul’s salutation tot he Corinthian church to our attention. In so doing, we are admonished with ways by which we can wait with strength for the promises of God.
Fr. Lenny’s Sermon – Thanksgiving Eve Homily – 2017
The lectionary appoints Psalm 65 for our national day of gratitude, and thus reminds of many ways in which we can recount the goodness of God.
Fr. Lenny’s Sermon – Proper 24 – 2017
In the lectionary this week, Psalm 96 equips us to counteract the grumpiness we fall prey to by spurring us to exclusive joy in our loving Lord!
Pastor Arnie’s Sermon – Good Friday – 2017
On Good Friday, my good buddy Pastor Arnie McFarland brought the message, challenging us to reflect on what life without Jesus would be like for us so we might better appreciate his resurrection presence at work in our lives.
Ruminations – Quote from St Maximos the Confessor
“Providence has implanted a divine standard or law in created beings, and in accordance with this law when we are ungrateful for spiritual blessings we are schooled in gratitude by adversity, and brought to recognize through this experience that all such blessings are produced through the workings of divine power. This is prevent us from becoming irrepressibly conceited, and from thinking in our arrogance that we possess virtue and spiritual knowledge by nature and not by grace. If we did this we would be using what is good to produce what is evil: the very things which should establish knowledge of God unshaken within us will instead be making us ignorant of him.”
Fr. Lenny’s Sermon – Proper 23 – 2016
Prayer is still on the table, as Jesus only gets thanked 10% of the time. Faithful, humble prayer can heal us inside and out, but if we don’t show gratitude, just what kind of recipient of God’s good gifts are we?