Sermons from Saint John’s

Sermon — November 7, All Saints’ Sunday The Rev. Greg Johnston Lectionary Readings Even if you don’t live in Boston, you probably know that we just had a mayoral election; you could hardly open the Globe or turn on the … Continue reading →

Sermon — October 24, 2021 The Rev. Greg Johnston Lectionary Readings Do you remember the best meal that you’ve ever eaten? Maybe it was the first time you tried a new cuisine and fell in love, inspired to learn more … Continue reading →

Sermon — October 17, 2021 The Rev. Greg Johnston Lectionary Readings The ancient Greeks told stories about gods who were neither good nor bad but amoral superhumans struggling against one another for power, using us as pawns in their games. … Continue reading →

Sermon — October 3, 2021 The Rev. Greg Johnston Lectionary Readings So, first: Deep breath. We’ve made it through the hectic month of September, and fortunately the lectionary’s been pitching softballs to ease us back into church this fall. Last … Continue reading →

Sermon — September 14, 2021 The Rev. Greg Johnston Lectionary Readings Imagine, for a moment, that you’re a sixteenth-century Spanish conquistador; an adventurer, a conqueror, a colonizer. You’ve struck out to make your fortune, and you make landfall somewhere in … Continue reading →

Sermon — September 5, 2021 The Rev. Greg Johnston Lectionary Readings There’s a concept in the social sciences called “Dunbar’s number,” named after a British anthropologist, Robin Dunbar. After a broad comparative study of human cultures and of various other … Continue reading →

Sermon — The Rev. Greg Johnston August 1, 2021 Lectionary Readings When I was at my last church, there was a Men’s Discussion Group that met every Wednesday morning at 8:30. They’d make a couple of pots of coffee, and … Continue reading →

There’s a certain kind of official photograph that’s popular no matter who the president is: the White House Situation Room candid. You may know the most famous example, from the night of the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden in … Continue reading →

Sermon — July 18, 2021 The Rev. Greg Johnston Lectionary Readings Alice and I have had quite a few landlords in the last dozen years or so, from universities and big management companies to a guy who lived a few … Continue reading →

One of the most moving things I’ve read in the last year was a GQ profile of the once-teenaged, now twenty-seven-year-old pop singer Justin Bieber, one of the best-selling musical artists of all time.  If you’re not familiar with Bieber’s … Continue reading →