Author Archives: InTheEarlyDays
Listening to Loving
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost (11C), July 21, 2013; The Rev. Pamela L. Werntz
Amos 8:1-12: “Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land.”
Colossians 1:15-28: “Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God.”
Luke 10:38-42: “There is need of only one thing.”
Colossians 1:15-28: “Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God.”
Luke 10:38-42: “There is need of only one thing.”
O God, grant us the strength, the wisdom and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth, come when it may, and cost what it will.
As I wrestled with the news events of the last week and our readings for today (or perhaps as they wrestled with me), I realized that there were several sermons I wanted to preach this morning. One sermon would be about the prophet Amos’s strong critique of his people’s dependence upon military power, for his people’s grave injustices in social and economic interactions, for their repugnant immorality, and their shallow religious devotions. One sermon would be about the hymn text reading from Colossians, which, if sung to a majestic chorale tune or set in a Bach cantata chorus, would make many of us smile instead of squirm. And one sermon would be about the Gospel of Luke’s extremely well-known story of Jesus’ visit with Martha and Mary and how often it is used to pit one sister against another sister. In each sermon I would somehow find a way to add my voice to the public conversation about racism in our society, remembering our parish conversation about racism one month ago when we gathered in the parish hall to talk about Patrick Cheng’s latest book, Rainbow Theology. Continue reading
Just What We Need
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost (8C), June 30, 2013; The Rev. Pamela L. Werntz
1 Kings 2:1-2,6-14: “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.”
Galatians 5:1,13-25: “You were called to freedom…through love become slaves to one another.”
Luke 9:51-62: “Follow me.”
Galatians 5:1,13-25: “You were called to freedom…through love become slaves to one another.”
Luke 9:51-62: “Follow me.”
O God of perfect freedom, grant us the strength, the wisdom and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth, come when it may, and cost what it will.
You know, I nearly always begin a sermon or homily with that bidding. My daughter Laura once noted that it helps me find my preacher voice. It’s my paraphrase of a prayer attributed to Phillips Brooks, who was ordained to the priesthood in 1860, the same year that Emmanuel Church in the City of Boston was established. Later, he was the bishop of Massachusetts, after he had served as rector of the downtown parish that then moved during his Episcopacy to Emmanuel’s backyard in Copley Square – what’s the name of it? It’s a prayer that one of my most important preaching mentors at Immanuel-on-the-Hill Church in Alexandria, Virginia, always said before he preached and I decided long before I was ordained to adopt it as my own. Sometimes I think that I don’t pray it as much as it prays me. And it’s the “cost what it will” part that rings through our scripture readings today in my ears. Continue reading
Tell what God has done for you!
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (7C), June 23, 2013; The Rev. Pamela L. Werntz
1 Kings 19:1-15a: “What are you doing here Elijah?”
Psalm 42: “deep calls to deep”
Galatians 3:23-29: “there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female for all of you are one.”
Luke 8:26-39: “Return to your home and declare how much God has done for you.”
Psalm 42: “deep calls to deep”
Galatians 3:23-29: “there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female for all of you are one.”
Luke 8:26-39: “Return to your home and declare how much God has done for you.”
O God of Love, grant us the strength, the wisdom and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth, come when it may, and cost what it will.
This morning we have, in my humble opinion, too much on our plates when it comes to great readings of scripture. So in my sermon I am going to try some of everything. I’m going to say something about all three readings. In the story of Elijah – whose name literally translated is “my god is [the Holy One]” Eliyahu in Hebrew, is running from the law. Israel’s much-maligned Queen Jezebel, working with foreign allies for peace and prosperity for her people, had had enough of the insurgent Elijah and she sent a messenger to tell him that his days were numbered. Her fury had to do with the large public demonstration Elijah staged to show the power over nature of the god whose Name is too holy to pronounce. Elijah’s god produced much needed rain to end a deadly drought and famine. But then in a hideous display of aggression, Elijah had all 450 of the prophets of the losing god Baal seized and killed. Continue reading
Resourceful Women
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (6C), June 16, 2013; The Rev. Pamela L. Werntz
1 Kings 21:1-21a: “Jezebel”
Galatians 2:15-21: “I do not nullify the grace of God”
Luke 7:36-8:3: “the twelve were with him as well as some women…who provided for them out of their resources”
O God of Love, grant us the strength, the wisdom and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth, come when it may, and cost what it will.
Galatians 2:15-21: “I do not nullify the grace of God”
Luke 7:36-8:3: “the twelve were with him as well as some women…who provided for them out of their resources”
O God of Love, grant us the strength, the wisdom and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth, come when it may, and cost what it will.
In today’s Gospel reading, we have a pearl of great price! Unfortunately, it is rarely seen, buried as it is under piles and piles of ….well, you know. The pearl – the exquisite gem — is Luke’s description of Jesus’ traveling companions as he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. “The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities.” I just have to stop a moment and tell you that the ancient Greek word translated “infirmities” can also be translated “feelings of inadequacy” or “timidity.” Continue reading
Contents may have shifted.
Third Sunday after Pentecost (5C), June 9, 2013; The Rev. Pamela L. Werntz
1 Kings 17:8-24: “the jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jog of oil fail”
Galatians 1:11-24: “they glorified God because of me”
Luke 7:11-17: “he was his mother’s only son and she was a widow”
Galatians 1:11-24: “they glorified God because of me”
Luke 7:11-17: “he was his mother’s only son and she was a widow”
O God of compassion, grant us the strength, the wisdom and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth, come when it may, and cost what it will.
In the last three months, I have flown on a lot of airplanes, so I heard the admonishment approximately 20 times about using caution when opening the overhead bins because contents might have shifted during the flight. In spite of all the warnings and my caution, I did cause a bag full of duty free items to rain down on a sleeping passenger in the middle of one overnight flight. Fortunately, she wasn’t hurt, and fortunately the stuff that fell on her actually belonged to her. I haven’t been able to shake thinking of the metaphor for shifting contents in overhead bins during our spiritual journeys, and how startling the shifts can be! Continue reading
Invite Him in!
Second Sunday after Pentecost (4C), June 2, 2013; The Rev. Pamela L. Werntz
1 Kings 18:20-21(22-29)30-39: “no voice, no answer, and no response [from Baal]”
Galatians 1:1-12: “…not that there is another Gospel….”
Luke 7:1-10: “Lord…I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.”
Galatians 1:1-12: “…not that there is another Gospel….”
Luke 7:1-10: “Lord…I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.”
O God love, grant us the strength, the wisdom and the courage to seek always and everywhere after truth, come when it may, and cost what it will.
You look so good and I am so glad to be back. I’ve missed you! I’m looking forward to hearing what you’ve been up to. As if to welcome me home, our lectionary this morning includes a Gospel verse that is used as the stepping off point in the prayer an Episcopal priest says when she becomes a rector of a parish. After three months away, I am eager to renew my commitment to be your rector, and this prayer has been on my heart for the last couple of weeks. Continue reading
1970
- Dec. 6. Founded by Craig Smith, Emmanuel Music offered its first Bach cantata, Süßer Trost, mein Jesus kömmt (BWV 151) with Jane Bryden, soprano; Mary Seo, mezzo-sopran; Mark Baker, baritone; Robert Stallman, flute; Steven Goble, oboe d’amore, and Craig Smith, conducting.
- Pauli Murray attended a conference of Episcopal women at Graymoor Monastery, Garrison NY, which led to the founding of the Episcopal Women’s Caucus. She was then appointed to the Commission on Ordained and Licensed Ministries, which determined that, according to the Church’s Constitution and Canons, the General Convention could confirm women’s eligibility for ordination. Despite the Commission’s recommendation, the Convention that year voted to only allow women’s ordination to the diaconate. See pp. 418-19 of her Autobiography (cited on Timeline 1989) and please see our page and other Timeline entries: 1951, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1985, 1987, 2012 & 2015.
1960
Centennial was celebrated. Emmanuel Church, 1860-1960: The First Hundred Years, compiled by Harriet Allen Robeson, was published by the Vestry. See its introduction and appendix. For its chapters about the tenures of particular rectors, please see these years:
1957
6 Oct. The Rt. Rev. Anson P. Stokes installed The Rev. Harold Bend Sedgwick as our eighth rector.
The rectory at 10 Chestnut St. was sold and an apartment at 388 Beacon St. was bought for his residence. For more about the Sedgwick years please see the chapter on him in Emmanuel Church, 1860-1960: The First Hundred Years.