St. Paul's Cary

The Rev. Candy Snively reflects on Jesus's call to the fishermen in Mark 1:14-20: "Have you ever felt that each day looks the same? Life is routine, nothing changes. I have felt this way many times, especially during this time of isolation."

The Rev. George Adamik describes how we often talk about seeking God, but it is really God who is seeking us "and has been finding us from the beginning of Creation." Today's readings reveal God's search for us: the story of Samuel and Eli (1 Samuel 3:1-10), Psalm 139 ("Lord, you have searched me out and known me"), and Jesus's first disciples (John 1:43-51), as well as the life of the prophet and martyr the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The Rev. Javier Almendárez-Bautista celebrates the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord and reflects on resilience and healing in the face of American violence.

On the Second Sunday after Christmas, the Rev. Carr Holland discusses the dreams of Joseph and the Magi and the revealed counterpoint of evil and suffering in the Christmas story, which is just as messy and complicated as our own contemporary world (Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23).

On the First Sunday after Christmas, the Rev. Dr. Cathy Deats reflects on foster care and adoption and why this becomes an important, radical metaphor for Paul the Apostle (Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7).

On Christmas, the Rev. George Adamik reflects on how an encounter with Christ calls us beyond our defined experiences (Luke 2:1-20).

On Christmas Eve, the Rev. Javier Almendárez-Bautista preaches at St. Paul's outdoor drive-in service: "It wasn't suppose to happen this way. The year 2020, of course, but also the gospel reading for today, the birth of Jesus Christ" (Luke 2:1-20).

On the Third Sunday of Advent, Zack Rugen reflects on lament, joy, and gratitude (Psalm 126 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24).

On the Second Sunday of Advent, the Rev. Javier Almendárez-Bautista reflects on the strange opening of Jesus's story in Mark 1:1-8, which begins in the wilderness and asks us if we are willing to follow a wandering Messiah: "the way of Jesus winds its way through the wilderness road, far from the places you know and love."

On the First Sunday of Advent, the Rev. Carr Holland reflects on the beginning of a new year in the Church calendar and what it means to seek after God in a difficult, disorienting time (Isaiah 64:1-9; Mark 13:24-37).