Isaiah 44:6-8; Psalm 86:11-17; Romans 8:12-25; Matthew 13:24-30,36-43 Isaiah 44:6-8; Psalm 86:11-17; Romans 8:12-25; Matthew 13:24-30,36-43 Dad's Farm I can say that I personally feel connected to the parable Jesus preached in today's Gospel reading. Jesus taught about "weeds in the field" and was trying to describe the messiness and imperfections of the Kingdom of Heaven. My late father grew up very poor on a farm in East Tennessee, and when he became an adul

Jeremiah 20:7-13; Psalm 69: 8-11, (12-17), 18-20; Romans 6:1b-11; Matthew 10:24-39 "Is there anything I can do for you today?" In the 1993 there was a Romcom movie classic called Groundhog Day and I must admit that it is one of my all-time favorite films. It was the story of Phil Connors a cynical, arrogant, and self-centered TV weatherman who despises his job and looks down on ordinary people. Other characters in the story includes colleagues Rita (producer and focus of his

Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7); Psalm 116:1, 10-17; Romans 5:1-8; Matthew 9:35-10:8(9-23) Apostolic Community and the Creeds In today's Gospel, we hear, "These twelve, Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go ... proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." "Being Sent" into the world has been the mission of the "People of the Way" fo

Genesis 1:1-2:4a; Psalm 8; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; Matthew 28:16-20 Mike, Sarah and Baptism For most of my priestly ministry I served as a Canon on a Bishop's staff. However, my most fulfilling ministry was serving God's people in a parish. I loved walking alongside folks in those difficult and liminal moments of life. I especially loved helping young parents prepare for the baptism of their children. I recall one couple in particular whose baptismal journey enriched and

Episcopal Church of the Annunciation, Vidalia, GA 5-16-26 Easter 7A Acts 1:6-14; Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36; John 17:1-11 Movie Sequels and Television Cliffhangers As a kid, one of my favorite television re-runs to watch in the afternoons was the 1960’s version of Batman and Robin starring Adam West and Burt Ward. In each episode, the two “Caped Crusaders” worked unceasingly to restore peace, justice, and fairness to Gotham city. They usually found themselves up agains

# Maturing Christians: Choosing the Right Path in Ministry ## The Martha and Mary Dilemma Terri and I were grocery shopping the other day. I walked down the aisle looking for peanut butter when I suddenly felt “product options overload.” There were at least eight different brands of peanut butter, three textures (creamy, crunchy, and whipped), and at least two different sizes available. All I needed was that sweet and savory, creamy and peanut buttery goodness. You know, the