​Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, CA 2F4​

The Feast of the Presentation 11 a.m. Eucharist​

Sunday 2 February 2025 | Displacing 4 Epiphany

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Malachi 3:1-4

Psalm 24:7-10

Hebrews 2:14-18

Luke 2:22-40

 

What exactly is a sermon? What are we doing together and what do we hope happens?

This might seem like an unimportant question to ask. In the last two weeks 1500 January 6 rioters were pardoned or had their sentences commuted and many wonder if right-wing militias now regard themselves as immune to prosecution. $3 trillion dollars in federal grants were frozen and then unfrozen. A letter went out to 2 million federal employees (twice) asking them to resign. Hundreds of other government employees including civil servants at the highest level of our justice system have been fired. 25% tariffs are being imposed on our closest neighbors and trading partners.

We see preparations for mass deportations. We hear ominously repeated phrases like,“defending women from gender ideology extremism,” and, “restoring biological truth to the federal government.” The trans people in our congregation, among our clergy, and across the land are being singled out, when they are just the sort of humans Jesus loved the most and sought to defend.

“O God we long for your truth. Let your spirit help us to understand what we believe.”