Ephesians 3:14b talks about growing into “maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” This bible verse has come related to multiple situations this week. I’ve been thinking about maturity a lot, and our call as Christians to mature more and more. One spectrum of maturity is moving from “rights” to “responsibilities.” When … Continue reading Growing into “Maturity, to the Measure of the Full Stature of Christ”
Fear Doesn’t Win: Easter Sermon 2021
by Rev. Dr. Helen Svoboda-Barber This morning at St. Luke’s we read the earliest account of the first Easter day. Each of the 4 Gospels has their own version of the resurrection. All of them include one or more women going to tend the body of Jesus, and finding an empty tomb. But the details … Continue reading Fear Doesn’t Win: Easter Sermon 2021
A Grain of Wheat, Split Open | March 21, 2021
Rev. Dr. Helen Svoboda-Barber “...unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life will lose it...” John 12:24b-25 This week, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on the idea of a grain of … Continue reading A Grain of Wheat, Split Open | March 21, 2021
Easter Season Spiritual Practice
This week in our Lenten Program “Meeting God in Books” we discussed Abraham Joshuah Heschel’s work “The Sabbath.” We spoke about how even God needed Sabbath. And we noticed something more. In the story of creation, we all know that God rested on the 7th day. But one of our group mentioned that, in daily … Continue reading Easter Season Spiritual Practice
Both/And Solidarity
This past year has been a year like no other in our lives. We all have changed our lives in massive ways. And now, as the vaccine rollouts are moving so quickly, we can see and end to these terrible days. What we are moving into is not simply the way things use to be, … Continue reading Both/And Solidarity
The Power of Names | February 28, 2021
by the Rev. Dr. Helen Svoboda-Barber May only God’s Word be spoken and only God’s Word be heard. Both today’s Old Testament reading and our Gospel have name changes in them. So today, let’s talk about the power of names. In Genesis 17, God talks to Abram for the fifth time in scripture, and in … Continue reading The Power of Names | February 28, 2021
About Perfection
We’re a week and a half into Lent. How’s your Lenten Practice going? Have you not done it perfectly? I encourage you to take any guilt or shame about that and hand it over to God. Guilt and shame are not the point of these practices. Attention and focus on our relationship with God is … Continue reading About Perfection
Wild Beasts and Angels | February 21, 2021
by Rev. Susan Bennett The first Sunday in Lent is always the temptation of Jesus in the desert. Always. Matthew and Luke go into poetic detail about the powers and the riches and the status that Satan dangles before Jesus in his attempt to derail Jesus’ ministry before it gets started. But not Mark. In … Continue reading Wild Beasts and Angels | February 21, 2021
Walking on Dry Ground
As we come to the one-year anniversary of the pandemic, I find myself getting overwhelmed with emotion more often. I met with a group of clergywomen yesterday and we read a portion from Exodus. It almost took my breath away when I thought of this passage as a metaphor for our past year: “As Pharaoh … Continue reading Walking on Dry Ground
Down From the Mountaintop | February 14, 2021
by Dr. Sam Laurent, Campus Minister for the Episcopal Center at Duke If I’m being honest—and I think that’s the general expectation here—the transfiguration always puzzles me. Jesus takes some disciples up on top of a mountain, and he begins to glow a dazzling white. Elijah and Moses appear next to him. From a cloud, … Continue reading Down From the Mountaintop | February 14, 2021
