Matthew 1:18-25 Emmanuel – “God with us.”  That is the great theme of Christmas. When God became man, even His infant presence brought blessing to all who beheld Him.  We think of faithful Anna, ministering at the temple, and of Simeon.  John the Baptist kicked in the womb when he felt the presence of Mary and of the blessed Jesus still inside her.  And of course Mary was the most highly favored one of all. The characters and plots of... Read more

Revelation 22:9-21 In the book of Revelation, then, we experience God’s time, we experience the Advent or Coming of Jesus Christ for all time.  It’s no wonder that the compilers of the lectionary of the Prayer Book put the last part of Revelation during the season of Advent.  The wisdom of this move is never clearer than in Revelation 22 which ends with a the cry of the Spirit and the Bride shouting a loud “Come, Lord Jesus!” The truth... Read more

Revelation 21:9-27 I love playing the word association game.  If someone says “Light,” then I might say “Dark.”  If they say “Black,” I might say “White.”  Actually, knowing me, I’ll go out of my way to find something to say other than the obvious.  If you said “White,” I’d be more likely to say something like “Knight” or “Rabbit.” But I’d like to play a one-word, word association game.  But when I give you this one word, I want you... Read more

Revelation 20:7-15 Today, as Christmas approaches, when we have one eye on the 1st coming of Christ, we must always keep the other eye on His 2nd Coming. Revelation 20 gives us the most vivid picture of the Final Judgment anywhere in the Scriptures, and, therefore, we would do well to pay attention to this picture.  Nowhere are the two paths of life, the way of the wise and the way of the fool, more clearly placed in front of... Read more

Hebrews 4:14-5:10 Do you remember the vision of Jesus Christ that St. John had in Revelation 1?  I want that image to be seared into your memory forever.  Maybe we should all go out and stare at the sun for a few seconds to remind us of who Jesus really is.  He is not the baby-faced, Bearded Girly Man Christ of Victorian pictures: He is the visible glory of God the Father.  He is the retina-dissolving sun! “And there is... Read more

2 Timothy 3:14-4:8 The lesson this morning is an interesting one because it contains verses from both chapters 3 and 4 which, in this case, means it contains elements from the lives of both St. Timothy and St. Paul.  Of Timothy, Paul writes, “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make... Read more

Revelation 20:1-6 Regardless of our eschatologies, one thing is certain: Jesus Christ has already begun His reign over the earth.  How could it be otherwise?  He crushed the skull of the Serpent at the Place of the Skull (Calvary); He defeated sin by His perfect life; He rose victorious over death in His Resurrection; and at His Ascension He was seated at the right hand of the Father where He has begun His reign.  It would make no sense for... Read more