ovchickpriest.blogspot.com
Chick Priest Challenges: December 2012
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Progressive Christianity from an irreverent parish priest struggling with and for Christianity, the Episcopal church and chocolate. Friday, December 28, 2012. A Rest Stop of Joy Along the Way. Why is it so hard to trust the good times? Why is it that I see the dark nights of doubt and fear as real, and the good times of grace-filled days, the days full of good conversations and joyful laughter as short stopping points along the way, on a long journey full of struggle and heartache? What they said . It is...
ovchickpriest.blogspot.com
Chick Priest Challenges: July 2011
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Progressive Christianity from an irreverent parish priest struggling with and for Christianity, the Episcopal church and chocolate. Saturday, July 2, 2011. A Return from the Wilderness. To say to God, "Take care of them and bless them, and help me to remember to pray again.". I have been encouraged to take up this blog again, and I do so a bit timidly. When I was interviewing for the position of rector of St. Luke's, one of the parishioners Googled my name, and found my blog post about "Unemploym...This ...
ovchickpriest.blogspot.com
Chick Priest Challenges: May 2012
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Progressive Christianity from an irreverent parish priest struggling with and for Christianity, the Episcopal church and chocolate. Thursday, May 3, 2012. Send Me Tough Angels. I am not asking you. To take this wilderness from me,. To remove this place of starkness. Where I come to know. The wildness within me,. Where I learn to call the names. Of the ravenous beasts. That place inside me,. To finger the brambles. That snake through my veins,. To taste the thirst. That tugs at my tongue. What they said .
rmberra1.blogspot.com
In the Labyrinth: June 2014
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Sunday, June 15, 2014. Out of the Deep We Call. St Matthew's Episcopal Church. Canticle 2 or 13. Note: this sermon involved a prop. I took an 11 ft. pole and taped off various depths to scale. So, math- it turns out you use it after all! Approximates a few points on the pole.]. I wonder what some of y’all may be thinking now. 8220;Oh no, it’s Trinity Sunday, and the priest has a prop. Is he going to try to explain the Trinity with a prop? Please, no.”. At the 3,300 ft line, the fourth. Line, there is abs...
rmberra1.blogspot.com
In the Labyrinth: April 2015
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Saturday, April 4, 2015. Vigil sermon: Will we follow Jesus? The Easter Vigil, 2015. For Mark, the story of the disciples is one of little faith. Why would Mark do this? What Mark leaves us with, we who read this story so many years later, is a challenge. Mark’s challenge to us is this: Will we heed the angel’s words? Will we follow Jesus to Galilee? We have seen the stone rolled away, and the empty place he was laid. Will we follow Jesus where he has led, even through death and the tomb? You see, the fi...
rmberra1.blogspot.com
In the Labyrinth: May 2015
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Sunday, May 10, 2015. Sermon: "Who are we that we might hinder God? St Matthew's, Chandler AZ. Sixth Sunday of Easter. The student looked up from the Gospel reading and said "Thomas is a punk! She used considerably stronger language. What phrases struck them in a strong way? What new ideas did the text inspire them to think about? What is God doing in this passage and how are we called to respond to that action? But that’s not even the worst thing Thomas did. Before Jesus and his entourage even...Have be...
rmberra1.blogspot.com
In the Labyrinth: September 2014
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Sunday, September 7, 2014. Proper 18, Year A. I have been reflecting recently on the ritual of the courtroom. Have you ever thought about how scripted and prescribed the actions are? Think of how often you have seen the courtroom scenes play out in media—TV shows like Matlock, Law and Order, Boston Legal. And movies like 12 Angry Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Time to Kill, A Few Good Men, Legally Blonde. And there is a reason for treating this system with gravitas. I have also been thinking about the pow...
rmberra1.blogspot.com
In the Labyrinth: "Something there is that doesn’t love a wall"
http://rmberra1.blogspot.com/2015/07/something-there-is-that-doesnt-love-wall.html
Sunday, July 19, 2015. Something there is that doesn’t love a wall". Sermon, St. Matthew’s, Chandler. Proper 11, Year B. Mark 6:30-34, 53-56. A photo of the barrier separating Palestine from Israel, taken by a fellow pilgrim (who I would credit if I could remember who took it! It was a calculated move on the part of our guides, and knowing that it was intentional felt like some of us to be manipulation for dramatic effect. Perhaps it worked; I’m telling you this story today. And there are so many walls.
rmberra1.blogspot.com
In the Labyrinth: March 2014
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Thursday, March 6, 2014. Ash Wedensday Sermon, March 2014. St Matthew's Episcopal Church, Chandler, AZ. Psalm 103 or 103:8-14. Is it not just a little odd that the day many Christian traditions set aside to receive ashes as a public sign of penitence and our need to turn back to God is the day we also read Jesus saying that we should "beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them”? Does anyone else find that somewhat jarring? What’s going on here? The readings, our tradition, ...
