Preaching the Scriptures

  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. ...

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Mark 10:2-16 Talking about Divorce in Church So, I don’t really want to talk about divorce.   You probably don’t want to talk about divorce.   Jesus doesn’t really want to talk about divorce, although folks won’t stop asking him about divorce in today’s Gospel, so he does.   Nobody really wants to talk about divorce.   But we talk about tough stuff here. So, I guess we’re talking about divorce today.   It is difficult to talk about divorce in the Church because the Church has such a rotten history around the subject.   Mostly the Church has been the place where folks going through a painful divorce go to add insult to injury.   Historically, the Church has mostly indiscriminately condemned divorced persons, treating them like second-class members, barring them, in some cases, from even receiving the healing sacrament of Holy Communion.   Sometimes, and in some places, the stigma in the Church is so inte...