Sermons by The Very Rev. Kathleen Murray (Page 19)
Alleluia, Christ Is Risen! Easter Day
Easter Day: April 21, 2019 Year C, Acts 10:34-43; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; 1 Corinthians 15:19-26; John 20:1-18 At the time of this posting, there was no recording of this sermon. The text is below. Alleluia, Christ is Risen! The Lord is risen indeed, Alleluia! Today we have heard one of the Easter Morning Resurrection stories from John’s Gospel. It begins with a solitary figure walking through darkness. Mary Magdalene has broken through her fear in order to tend the body…
Where Is God? Good Friday
Good Friday: April 19, 2019 Year C, Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Psalm 22; Hebrews 10:16-25; John 18:1-19:42 There was no recording of this sermon. The text is below. In his book Night, Elie Wiesel describes the gruesome execution of a boy in the concentration camp. He talks about other prisoners being forced to watch him hang in prolonged suffering and eventual death on those gallows, about another prisoner asking the question any one of us might ask: Where is God? Indeed. Where is God, in moments like…
The Mandate To Love: Maundy Thursday
Good Friday: April 18, 2019 Year C, Exodus 12:1-14; Psalm 116:1, 10-17; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-17, 31b-35 There was no recording of this sermon. The text is below. Perhaps the most common question I get about Holy Weeks is about Maundy Thursday, or what’s known in other churches as Holy Thursday. The one thing people often ask is this: what does “Maundy” mean? It’s a good question. Who uses the term “maundy” in their daily life? For those on…
Walk With Jesus In Love: Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday: April 14, 2019 Year C, Liturgy of the Palms: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Luke 19:28-40 Year C, Liturgy of the Word: Isaiah 50:4-9a; Philippians 2:5-11; Psalm 31:9-16; Luke 22:14-23:56 At the time of this posting, there was no recording of this sermon. The text is below. Palm Sunday. I have a friend who tells me nothing more need be said because the Liturgy of the Palms and the Passion say it all. Yet, I think a word does need…
Reckless Faith: Lent 5
Fifth Sunday in Lent: April 7, 2019 Year C, Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3:8-14; John 12:1-8 At the time of this posting, there was no recording of this sermon. The text is below. John tells us a rather intriguing story in today’s story, indeed a bit of a scandalous story in today’s gospel. Jesus has stopped by the home of Lazarus before entering Jerusalem for the last time. The Passover is near. When Jesus arrives there in Bethany, his…
In God’s Kingdom, The Law Is Grace: Lent 4
Fourth Sunday in Lent: March 31, 2019 Year C, Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 This was a joint service held at St. Andrew’s. There was no recording of this sermon. The text is below. “There was a man who had two sons.” That begins one of the most memorable and famous stories in the New Testament, a story commonly called “The Prodigal Son”, or the Prodigal Son and His Brother”. The younger son demanded his…
We Are Standing On Holy Ground: Lent 3
Third Sunday in Lent: March 24, 2019 Year C, Exodus 3:1-15; Psalm 63:1-8; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-9 CLICK HERE to listen to the sermon. Growing up I watched a lot of TV. One of the programs was the Rifleman. I alternately liked it and was scared of it because of the opening scene with the gunfire. There are times even now, I’ll still watch the Rifleman when I find it on a station. I don’t really know why, but…
God Always Comes To Meet Us: Community Lenten Service
Community Lenten Service March 19, 2019 Year C, Matthew 1:18-25 No recording available. This sermon was delivered at the Woodstock United Methodist Church. 18Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20But just…
Our Hope Is With Jesus: Lent 2
SEcond Sunday in Lent: March 17, 2019 Year C, Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:31-35 CLICK HERE to listen to the sermon. On this second Sunday in Lent, we hear in our gospel about Christ’s journey to Jerusalem is about as far apart in terms of time as you can get at least in the Gospel of Luke. We’ve jumped more than nine chapters in the Gospel of Luke, taking us from the very beginning of Jesus’…
Invitation To A Holy Lent: Lent 1
First Sunday in Lent: March 10, 2019 Year C, Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16; Romans 10:8b-13; Luke 4:1-3 No recording available for this sermon. Today’s Gospel passage begins with what seems to be paradox or contradiction. Luke tells us that Jesus is full of the Holy Spirit, but he is led into the emptiness or nothingness of the wilderness. Simultaneous fullness and emptiness. This seems to be irreconcilable – how can there be fullness and emptiness at the same time? Yet, stories…
We Are Forever Changed: Last Sunday After Epiphany
Last Sunday after the Epiphany: March 2, 2019 Year C, Exodus 34:29-35; Psalm 99; 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2; Luke 9:28-36; [37-43a] CLICK HERE to listen to the sermon. This may be a little-known fact about Episcopal seminaries: like many colleges and universities, there’s a fair amount of competition between the schools. Which is more academic, which is more liturgically high church, which is positively medieval, which is most social-justice-oriented.? You get the picture. As most of you know, I attended General…
Courage To Forgive And Love: Epiphany 7
Epiphany 7: February 24, 2019 Year C, Genesis 45:3-1, 15; Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40; 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50; Luke 6:27-38 CLICK HERE to listen to the sermon. If ever there were three words in the gospel that presented a huge problem, I think “love your enemies”,[1] are they. On the face of it this is an outlandish thing to say. Enemies are, practically by definition, people you can’t love. I am quite certain that even when Jesus spoke these words two…