Preaching the Scriptures

The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Luke 2:1-20   Beautifully Strange Cathedral of All Saints, Albany   The very first Christmas was tucked into, what might have been, the quietest corner of the world.   So quiet that it was almost like a little secret between God and a select few.   And the few were not social influencers or cultural heavy weights; they were not people positioned to start a buzz.   Instead, they were social pariahs, cultural leftovers: a young couple unmarried with child and some suspect nomads – people who didn’t matter.   And so, Christmas started as a whisper.   But, as you know, the secret got out.   Like a rumor that went viral.     And so tonight, from this pulpit, I feel like I am telling you something you already know: this timeless story of a peasant baby who became the Savior of the world.   You could likely recite the details of this Lukan account without notes, off the cuff – because the ...

  The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Matthew 1:18-25                                       Plans St. Luke’s, Catskill   It was not the happiest day of his life, the day he found out his beloved was pregnant.   It was supposed to be, but it was not.   We tried for months – my wife and me.   Throwing away all of those negative tests.   Piles of disappointing plastic.   And feeling defeated.   And sad.   And so Jen’s grandmother, now of blessed memory, told us to book a trip.   So that we would have to think about something else.     And so, out of ideas, and trusting an older wisdom, we did.   We booked a vacation to Italy – a trip with enough detail and nervousness to occupy, or rather distract, our frazzled minds.   ...

  The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Matthew 3:1-12   The Moral Code of Scrooge Grace, Waterford   ‘Tis the season…of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.   At this point in history, it is, I believe, scientifically impossible to avoid the basic framework of the beloved 1843 novella during the month of December.   The story of Scrooge and his ghosts has been endlessly re-told and adapted.   In addition to the printed page, Old Scrooge has been on the screen since 1901, in what I can only imagine, was a highly ambitious, significantly condensed, six-minute retelling of the story.   Since then, there have been dozens of additional adaptations – all longer than six minutes.   You can watch versions featuring Bill Murray, George C. Scott, Mr. Magoo, Mickey Mouse (my own nostalgic favorite), Bugs Bunny, the Flintstones, Dr. Who, the animated Ghostbusters, Barbie, Dolly Parton, Mr. Belvedere, and, of course, the Muppets – to name just a few. ...