Sermons

You know when a fox and a hen show up in the same story, danger is surely lurking.

Luke’s gospel has Jesus calling Herod a fox, not exactly a term of endearment. In Greek thought, like in our own context, the fox is regarded as clever but sly and unprincipled. The Old Testament associates the fox with destruction. Then Jesus likens himself to a hen gathering her chicks, her brood, under her wings.

I assume at least some of you came here today seeking blessing. Well, now you know how to find it – blessing – that is. Give away everything you own and move down on Lancaster to the tent city under the freeway. For Jesus preaches that God’s blessing is upon the poor, the hungry, and those who are weeping.

If this gospel reading doesn’t make you a little bit uncomfortable, you may not have been listening. It is easy to hear blessed are the poor, the hungry, the weeping when we identify in those categories – you know like “poor in confidence, poor in health, poor in friends or family;” or “hungry for justice, hungry for connection, hungry for peace,” but we are truly not among the poorest of the poor.

Please bear with my long introductory comments today, but looking at the religious setting of today’s gospel will give us a greater understanding of what is going on. I promise to bring it full circle to how it might apply to our lives now over 2000 years later.

In today’s gospel reading from Luke, Jesus is about 6 weeks old. The explanation of purification ritual is found in chapter 12 of Leviticus. A mother was considered unclean for 7 days after the birth of a child. Then for an additional number of days – specifically, 66 if the baby was a girl, and 33 days is the baby was a boy – thus, 7 days + 33 days = 40 days, which is how we know Jesus was 40-41 days old.

I wonder if what we hear in Jesus’ teaching today is a form of resistance? And what about Joseph in our Old Testament story? I’ve never heard today’s readings quite like I did this week during preparation for this homily. With all the chaos and turmoil spinning out of control people are turning to forms of resistance to claim some semblance of agency, some sense of power.

Robert Reich, professor and former Secretary of Labor writes, “Successful resistance movements maintain hope and a positive vision of the future, no matter how dark the present.”

Joseph certainly lived through some very dark times, as did Jesus.

Epiphany 3C.2025 Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer.

The Rt. Rev. Jeff W. Fisher Revelation 21: 2-7 St. Luke’s, Fort Worth, Texas Alleluia. Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia! Like

Advent 4 (C) – Adapted from The Rev. Phil Hooper for St. Luke’s in the Meadow – The Rev. Karen Calafat 12.19.2021 The Magnificat –

This is the sermon the Rev. Karen Calafat preached on the Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost, October 24, 2021. ———–​ Proper 25B.2021 Just in case you

This is the sermon the Rev. Karen Calafat preached on the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, July 11, 2021. —- Mark 6:14-29 You know it is

This is the sermon the Rev. Canon Linda S. Taylor preached at St. Luke’s in the Meadow on the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, July 4,