One of the things I love about having a regular practice of reading the Scriptures is how they can always surprise me. This morning’s Gospel reading was the calling of Philip and Nathaniel. And lo and behold, it contained for me this morning a perfect message for this the twelfth and final day of Christmas. … Continue reading Come and See (A reflection on John 1.43-51)
There’s a seeming contradiction in our tradition of Advent. On the one hand, it’s a time of waiting patiently in the darkness of life for the beautiful in-breaking of God, in the coming of Jesus: We as a people living in darkness wait eagerly to see the Great Light. Yet at the same time, it … Continue reading When the Dawn Comes
My favorite metaphor for understanding the different seasons of the Church year is that of light. It most logically belongs to the season of Epiphany, but I think it plays nicely with the themes for the rest of the year. If Christmas and Epiphany are the seasons when we proclaim: “The people living in darkness … Continue reading Who’s Afraid of the Dark? (An Advent Reflection)
What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over— like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a … Continue reading Dreams Deferred
[I was asked to preach this coming Sunday and due to a mix-up with the calendar, I ended up preparing two different sermons. Here is a roughish draft of the sermon I would have used had the parish celebrated the feast day for the Birth of St. John the Baptist.] When I first started attending … Continue reading The Promise of a New Day (A Sermon for the Birth of St. John the Baptist)
Matthew Root 