Archive for 'Sermons'

Hi.  I’m pretty sure everyone here knows me…but just in case, I’m Alice, I’m a senior here at Greencastle High School and I’ll be graduating in a couple weeks.  I was asked to speak briefly today about my experiences growing up in the Episcopal Church and specifically St. Andrew’s.

So.  I’ve been going to St. Andrew’s ever since I can remember.  I’ve done every Christmas pageant, I’ve acolyted, I’ve been a Eucharistic minister, and I’ve been very involved in the Non-Food ...

In the last couple of weeks, there has been a good bit in our news here in Central Indiana dealing with football even though we are still several months away from the earliest exhibition game. Ten days ago was the 2012 NFL draft- with all the highs and lows and guesses about who would be picked first by the Indianapolis Colts who had the first pick in the first round- and who would end up being labeled “Mr. Irrelevant” – the ...

¹The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.  ²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  ³He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.  ⁴Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  ⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou ...

What makes St. Andrew’s different from a social club? We meet weekly. We enjoy each other’s company. We listen to terrific music. We contribute to the upkeep of this place. We talk around the coffee pot and snacks. So far, this description sounds like most any “social club” – maybe not quite Rotary or Junior League, but pretty close. So what makes St. Andrew’s a “church” – a place that is social, in the sense that “social” is defined as marked ...

Researching Alphege, whose life we remember today, I came across the story of “Alphege or the Green Monkey.” What! I exclaimed- a saint and a green monkey? Something’s a bit off, here don’t you think? It turns out that there is a fairy tale about an enchanted prince who becomes a green monkey to avoid his wicked stepmother. And, like all good fairy tales, it ends with transformation and the true self being revealed. The green monkey is washed in green ...

What is truth? That question, amazingly enough, is asked by Pontius Pilate when Jesus is on trial before him (John 18:38). What is truth for me at this time and in this place? Is truth only something that can be factually proved? Is truth something that I must be able to touch or feel or smell or see or hear? Truth is something, I believe that can transcend scientifically proved facts or our senses.

Recently during an interview, background noise interfered ...

Does anyone know what this is?[1] How about this? That’s right: An avocado seed taken from the center of an avocado.

When I was little, growing up in Los Angeles, my aunt and uncle had an avocado tree in their backyard. When avocados were in season, we would pick them and make guacamole. Yum! But rather than throwing out the seed, we put toothpicks in the seed, put it on top of a glass of water and then watched it ...

We have laughed before about those words a priest hates to hear: “But, we’ve always done it this way.” Well, I have a new one for you today: It’s called “the let’s go back to Egypt Committee”[1] – whose focus is on what was the “golden age” – doesn’t matter if we disagree on whether it was 1950 or 1960 or 1970. The point is the focus of those on this committee is on the past and not ...

The Rev. Linda Johnson and two of the IU Episcopal Campus Ministries Peer Ministers visited with St. Andrew’s on Sunday, March 11th. They shared their vision around campus ministry, including a video that one of the students created. The sermon asked us to consider whether we believe in God’s fidelity to us and what that means in terms of our fidelity to God.