Preaching the Scriptures

  The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16   Image of God St. John’s, Massena, NY   In the beginning, after chaos was ordered, after the light was divided from the darkness, after the planets were rounded into balls, after waves crashed, birds chirped, and cattle grazed, God reached into the ground to form one final creature.   On the sixth day, the day before the creation of rest, God formed a human.   And all the good was declared very good.   Before people, the earth was already teeming with life.   The water brought forth swarms of living creatures: some too small to see, some large enough to boggle the mind.   The skies were animated with winged birds: levitating hummingbirds, soaring eagles, and sparrows that cut through the air.   The soil vibrated with the movement of creeping things: worms burrowed and spiders webbed and grasshoppers hopped on grass.   And, of course, the wild beasts, the Bible love...

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Genesis 18:1-15 The Stubborn Insistence at the Heart of Hospitality Don’t be distracted by that 90 year old pregnant woman.   Try, if it is possible, not to focus too much on the centenarian who just received some rather unexpected news.   Yes, I admit, it is difficult; there are plenty of unanswered questions hanging over this text from Genesis; many perplexing images conjured by this strange story; some disturbingly suggestive euphemisms included in this tale.   Those of you who participate in our Wednesday Parish Bible Study know that I never shy from the peculiar parts of the Bible; in fact, I rather enjoy studying those sections that make one squirm a bit.   Typically, I encourage people to reflect very deeply on biblical texts, to really think about them, to dive into the details.   But today, might I ask that you think outside the womb. And instead allow your curiosity to be piqued by these mysterious strang...