2/23/2020
Epiphany Last: Yr A
I would like you to think about the mountaintop experiences of your life. I remember a few years ago, a day in the middle of the week, Ruth and I decided to take off to Carmel for the day.
2/16/2020
Epiphany 6: Yr A
Reverend Ardyss provides the cultural context of the harsh words of Jesus; training his disciples to prepare them for people who have reduced God’s law to a check list, rather than a guideline for life.
2/9/2020
Epiphany 5: Yr A
Paul – “we have the mind of Christ”. When you and I invite God to be the directing force in our lives, we are changed. We come to know that what we are comes from gifts God has given us. We are each a creation of God, planned by God. And each of us has a unique mix of skills and talents, personality and passions, likes and dislikes, that as Christians – we turn over the steering wheel to Jesus, who knows us better than we know ourselves.
2/2/2020
Epiphany 4: Yr A
The Presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ at the Temple
Today’s readings all focus on the themes of symbols, ritual and blessing.
In the OT lesson, the prophet Malachi is frustrated with temple priests who corrupt worship and mislead the people. Malachi records God saying, “I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.” This prophecy appears to foretell Jesus being dedicated to God at the temple. For Malachi, God’s presence among us is made known in the temple.
1/26/2020
Epiphany 3: Yr A
Two sets of brothers, Simon Peter and Andrew, and James and John were fishermen at Capernaum, a little town on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus called all of them to follow him. They instantly dropped the fishing nets they were mending, and left their boats, their hired laborers, and their father; they left everything to follow Jesus.
1/19/2020
Epiphany 2: Yr A
Six years ago I was given the life changing invitation by Bp Mary to be on the team from this diocese who met with teams from Tanzania and Gloucester, England to get to know each other, and to discuss how we are different, and how we are the same. People from Gloucester and DWT told us how Christianity came to their country, and how Christianity is shaped and witnessed in their countries today. The speakers from TZ described how the hunger for faith in Jesus was so strong that they could not build new churches fast enough
1/12/2020
Epiphany 1: Yr A
Reverend Ardyss shares reflections on the importance Jesus’ baptism holds for us – now.
3/3/2019
Epiphany Last Yr C
Moses veiled his face to avoid scaring the people. Even though this was a ‘reflection’ of God’s glory, the people felt fear from being so close to the power and glory of God. Years later, Jewish rabbis gave a name to the manifestations of God’s presence: the Shekinah – God’s visible presence – proof of God ‘dwelling’ among us.
2/24/2019
Epiphany 7C
Reverend Ardyss offers a reflection on our being called by God, but needing to respond, “Send me!”
2/17/2019
Epiphany 6C
Today’s scripture lessons all point to the truth that our Christian faith calls us to make a choice to live by a different and higher standard than the rest of the world. In Luke’s Gospel, immediately before his Sermon on the Plain, Jesus had chosen the 12 he wanted to be his disciples. He gave this teaching to them – to his inner circle – about the choice they would need to make. It was an age-old choice.