In this final sermon in our series “Let’s Get Real,” Father John examines the last characteristic of authentically spiritual people: they know how to access God’s power to make a difference in their lives. The Gospel story of the two blind men in Matthew 9 is the backdrop of our question: How do we find more power to live our lives the way God calls us to live? We push past religious jargon and platitudes, to some practical steps that can increase how our faith impacts our lives.

You could be doing lots of other things on Sunday morning, but you show up at church …. why? In this sermon, Father John asks a serious question about what the purpose of church is, and how we participate in it. Looking to Jesus’ answer to a theologian in his day, we are guided in our thoughts about what the most important commitments in our lives truly are: loving God, loving our neighbor, and loving the world. Church can be a place to learn how to do those three things well! Prior to our All Parish Meeting, Father John takes […]

Today Bishop Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows, the eleventh bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis, visited Saint Andrew’s for the first time since her call and ordination as our bishop. We spent our time together in worship, conversation, feasting, and celebrating what God is doing in our midst as Episcopalians in Central and Southern Indiana. It was a morning of great blessing and joy!

Where are you at in your spiritual journey? In this sermon, Father John present’s six stages of spiritual growth that almost everyone goes through – but more importantly, asks the question: How can we avoid getting stuck in any one of these stages? Based on the work of Dr. James Fowler, this sermon lays out spiritual growth in simple terms in an effort to help us become more spiritually self-aware.

This week we continue our sermon series “Let’s Get Real” by looking at another characteristic of deeply authentic spiritual people: a profound faith. Ye not just any kind of faith will get us through this life. In this sermon, Father John explores the kind of faith that acts defiantly and boldly, and sustains us over the long run. Exploring Hebrews 11, the great “faith chapter” of the New Testament, this sermon then offers some concrete suggestions for growing our own faith.

Father John begins a new sermon series this morning: “Let’s Get Real” – where we will explore several questions leading us to consider what a deeper, more authentic spirituality might look like in our lives. We begin this morning by looking at one of the fundamental teachings of Jesus from Luke 14: Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. This sermon encourages a new attitude towards life — one where we primarily seek to bless, rather than to be blessed, to give rather than to get. In doing so, we move out […]

It is Easter morning at Saint Andrew’s, and today we conclude our sermon series on “What got Jesus killed?” by looking at the way Jesus confronts his own death. In this sermon, Father John explores the meaning of the resurrection for our lives today – that the crescendo of the resurrection event continues to have impact in powerful ways throughout history. Easter is not only about remembering what happened in a tomb 2000 years ago. Easter is about living in the presence of Christ in a way that his ministry continues through us in our situations and world today. Listen […]

Jesus’ teaching and ministry had provided many provocations for the religious and political powers that be during his day, but none so flagrant as his visit to the Temple during the last week of his life. Seeing the racket set up by the priests to provide sacrificial animals and to exchange money, Jesus overturns their tables and scatters the animals, stating, “My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of robbers!” In this sermon, Father John explores the story found in Mark 11 of the incident that most New Testament scholars believed […]

As we continue our sermon series through Lent asking the question, “Why was Jesus killed?” – we see Jesus confronting those who considered themselves righteous, and looked down on others. The parable he tells of the Pharisee and the tax collector points to the age old temptation of viewing God’s favor as based on merit rather than grace. But the spiritual revolution Jesus came to initiate requires and understanding of grace and righteousness completely different than the old merit-based system. Are you relying on God’s grace in your life? When we do, things really begin to change…

Today, Martha Rainbolt shares a homily examining the concept of being “chosen by God” – and how it can get in the way of reaching out to others when we feel “safe” as one of God’s elect. How are we “working out” our salvation rather than siting safely in it? And what does this mean regarding how we view other people who might be different than us? This sermon challenges the listeners to reflect on the nature of God’s grace, and the implications for our place in the world as God’s people.