"To become set aside as a royal person, or to be appointed by God as a king or prophet, you'd need to have at least a pint of oil poured over your head." The Rev. Brantley Alexander preaches on the second Sunday after the Epiphany (January 15, 2017).

Readings: Is. 49:1-7; Ps. 40:1-12; 1 Cor 1:1-9; Jn. 1:29-42

“If the great surprise is that John and we need to see Jesus anew…that means we are free, free not just from ourselves, but free to enter into the mess and the muck of one another’s lives.” The Rev. E. Suzanne Wille preaches on the first Sunday of Epiphany, The Baptism of Our Lord (January 8, 2017). Readings: Isaiah 42:1-9, Psalm 29, Acts 10:34-43, Matthew 3:13-17. Image: conejoazul (flickr.com/photos/conejoazul), distributed under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.

"This tradition of using the natural world to guide us is ancient, though fading as we turn to GPS and our phones. But in the ancient world, mountains, and bodies of water, and stars were the way to steer one's course." The Rev. E. Suzanne Wille preaches on the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6, 2016).

Readings: Is. 60:1-6; Ps. 72:1-7, 10-14; Eph. 2:1-12; Matt. 2:1-12

Image: strftime (https://www.flickr.com/photos/deromanok/), distributed under a CC BY license.

"And I don't know how many of you've ever come up against people who will say, 'Have you been saved?' And finally I decided the answer would be, 'from what?'" The Reverend Jackie Means preaches on the Feast of the Holy Name (January 1, 2017). Readings: Numbers 6:22-27; Psalm 8; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:15-21. Image: Ordination of Jackie Means at All Saints on January 1, 1977 (World Wide Photos/Episcopal Archives).

“We can know that our lives, though small, are never insignificant, because we know that God has joined us in them." The Rev. E. Suzanne Wille preaches on Christmas Eve (December 24, 2016). Readings: Isaiah 9:2-7, Psalm 96, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14. Image by sputnik (flickr.com/photos/hellosputnik/), distributed under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.

"I know you want to be safe; I'm asking you to break the rules for love." The Rev. E. Suzanne Wille preaches on the fourth Sunday of Advent (December 18, 2016). Readings: Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25. Image: Lawrence OP (flickr.com/paullew), distributed under a CC BY-NC 2.0 license.

"It was there in the parish hall, with a glass of sherry in one hand and a Christmas cookie in the other, that I was attacked by an owl. She screeched, 'Are you the preacher who compared our congregation to a fruitcake?'"

The Rev. Michael Stichweh preaches on the third Sunday of Advent (December 11, 2016). Readings: Is. 35:1-10; Lk. 1:46-55; James 5:7-10; Matt. 11:2-11.

Image: Eduardo Skinner, distributed under a CC BY-NC license (https://www.flickr.com/photos/eduardoskinner/).

Advent, Interrupted by allsaintsindy

"It's okay if we take some time in prayer to be ready for the next phase of our mission; in fact, it's an expected and wonderful part of the journey." Patrick Burke preaches on the first Sunday of Advent (November 27, 2016). Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44. Image: liz west (flickr.com/calliope), distributed under a CC BY 2.0 license.

"In Christ's kingdom, there is no contempt for the suffering, only love and solidarity; in his kingdom, there is lavish mercy and forgiveness. In his kingdom, there is true love - but it is a costly love."

The Rev. E. Suzanne Wille preaches on the Feast of Christ the King (November 20, 2016).

Readings: Jer. 23:1-6; Ps. 46; Col. 1:11-20; Lk. 23:33-43.

Image: Lawrence OP (https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/), distributed on a CC BY-NC-ND license.