This sermon was preached at St Thomas’ Episcopal Church in Camden Maine on June 1, 2025. The text for the week is the end of Chapter 17 in John’s Gospel, the final part of Jesus’ farewell discourse. Knowing that he is about to be betrayed, denied, suffer, and die, Jesus prays for his friends AND FOR US. His love for us is meant to flow through us to others, especially those who have been marginalized or oppressed.

As an example of the transformative power of love, I share the story of Bill and Timothy White that appeared in the New York Times on February 5, 2025. Thank you for listening!

Welcome to Sunday Sacred Stories on Sunday April 27, 2025. In these reflections, I engage sacred stories from various religious traditions to reclaim the way of love, compassion, peace, and joy.

This week, I begin at the beginning of the Judeo-Christian sacred Scripture, also known as the Bible. Before I dive into some thoughts on chapter 1 of the book of Genesis, I want to share a couple of thoughts on how I approach Scripture. Many of us were bludgeoned by the Bible and felt harsh recriminations preached from its pages. I want to acknowledge that you may feel repulsed, skeptical, anxious, bored, and lots of other feelings when considering re-engaging with the Bible. If you choose to read or listen further, thank you for trusting me and taking the chance to consider reclaiming a relationship with the Bible.

Drawing on the extraordinary story of Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor and the the resurrection story from John’s gospel, I explore how we can make the resurrection part of our way of healing. It’s not about belief in a doctrine, and punishment if you don’t accept what you’re told. Resurrection is a promise that you are beloved and worthy of new life after any experience that feels like death.

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In the Christian calendar, today is Holy Saturday. The predominant message of today is “Hold on a bit and your grief will turn to joy.” And since we know that tomorrow is Easter, it’s very tempting to skip over the grief of today. Yet there are so many other ways to sit with the deep truths of today.

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You are loved. You are loving. You are lovable. And so is everyone else. Period.

If you long to believe these statements but have been wounded by humans who have told you otherwise, especially humans who call themselves “Christian,” then I’m so glad you found “Reclaiming the Way.” THANK YOU for taking the risk of reading a post that mentions Jesus. You have no reason to trust me, and I am humbled by your presence.

Join me for this first episode as we Reclaim the Way.