In this sermon we continue our series allowing some of the voices from the Philokalia to help us hear the gospel. Today we look at some verses from the book of Romans alongside some words from Peter of Damascus. The sermon is on patience and hope, but we talk a lot about how music can teach us these things. A song by Olivier Messiaen serves as a refrain throughout the sermon such that we not only think about patience but are forced to experience a time of waiting through listening. A long quote by Jeremy Begbie is very helpful. Simone Weil helps us tie it to prayer. A summary really does not do this one justice. It was fun to prepare and give. May we encounter the crucified Christ raised from the dead in these words.

In this sermon we continue our series allowing some of the voices from the Philokalia to help us hear the gospel. Today we look at some verses from the Psalms and Luke's gospel alongside of some words from Isaac the Syrian. I play with the idea that the gospel calls us not so much to hang on but to let go, with the help of Richard Rohr, Thomas Merton, Viktor Frankl, and a song by a band called Switchfoot. May we encounter the crucified Christ raised from the dead in these words.

In this sermon we continue our series allowing some of the voices from the Philokalia to help us hear the gospel. Today we look at some verses from John's gospel alongside of some words from Mark the Monk. We talk about what it means to carry Jesus' death in us so that his life may be on display, that faith is verb, that belief is not enough, that seeing Jesus means seeing him as the crucified one, that discipleship means looking and sounding like Jesus, how packs of seeds need to be planted, that hating your life isn't what it sounds like (wherein I list some things I hate), and what it all has to do with baptism. May we encounter the crucified Christ raised from the dead in these words.

In this sermon we start a new series allowing some of the voices from the Philokalia to help us hear the gospel. Today we look at some verses from the book of Daniel alongside of some words from John Cassian. We talk about the kingdom of God (see Mary's song in Luke 1, Jesus' Luke 4 sermon, and everything we do to Jesus in Matthew 25), a book by Maurice Sendak called Where the Wild Things Are, Nebuchadnezzar's wilderness experience and the time he turned into a beast, and what it all has to do with the carpenters rule (hint: this is the kingdom of God). May we encounter the crucified Christ raised from the dead in these words.

In this sermon we start a new series allowing some of the voices from the Philokalia to help us hear the gospel. Today we look at some verses from Luke's gospel alongside of some words from Evagrius Ponticus. We talk about what it means to pray, to pray without distraction, what distractions such as violence, prejudice, bigotry, racism, classism, sexism, xenophobia, and nationalism. God is trying to shake out of us, futility, discouragement, trust, and a song from David Benjamin Blower called "The World is a Reed Flute." May we encounter the crucified Christ raised from the dead in these words.

In this sermon we start a new series allowing some of the voices from the Philokalia to help us hear the gospel. Today we look at some verses from Matthew's gospel alongside of some words from Isaiah the Solitary. We focus on what it means to guard what we let in and what we let out. We talk about the connection between the inner and outer life, the time I got agitated by a large work vehicle outside my house, a scene from a Narnia story, and the idea that over time spiritual things accumulate. May we encounter the crucified Christ raised from the dead in these words.

In this sermon we conclude our series on resilience and hope. We begin by reviewing what we have talked about so far. We then talk about images of hope through the Shajarat-al-Hayat (Tree of Life inBahrain), walking palm trees, and a flower growing out of the concrete. Next we consider Peter's words about what it means to have a living hope as we suffer various trials. From there the sermon shifts to speak of the kinds of people Peter was writing to, strangers and aliens in Roman society who found a home in the church and embraced the gospel as good news for those on the margins and disruptive to those with power, influence, money, status, etc. The living hope of the gospel is for everyone, but where you find yourself in society will determine with it's good news or whether it's difficult to receive because of what it asks of you.