Preaching the Scriptures

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Easter 4B 4-26-2015 125 Years: A Love Letter The year was 1890.   And the Christians of Trinity Episcopal Church, in Toledo, Ohio, recognized a need in their city.   On the outskirts of town, over by the wagon wheel factory and the train tracks, was a neighborhood made up of immigrants and the working poor.   It was a place in need of some Good News. And so plans were set in motion: to establish a mission, to call together a worshiping community, to share the love of Jesus. On the afternoon of April 27, 1890, the fourth Sunday of the Easter season, the Rector of Trinity, their choirmaster and choir, and members of the congregation, carried their Prayer Books and hymnals all the way to the edge of the city to lead the very first Episcopal liturgy in the area then known as Auburndale.   God called and they responded.   They took a chance.   They planted a seed.   They called that seed St. Andrew's. ...

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Matthew 14:22-33   Dangerous Waters Into the boat.   As the darkness overshadowed the shore, they got into the boat.   They were nervous, of course.   The water was not safe.   On this evening, there was danger in the lake.   But they were told to go, and so they did.   It's not like they were riding in a giant cruise ship; the boat was small.   The chaotic water was close – close to them, close to eating them up.   They pushed out and behind them the shore grew smaller.   What they carried in that boat was a glass.   They would use the glass to scoop up some of the poison from the waters – a visual aid to disturb the television news audiences, a beautiful glass of green algae for the world to see – maybe it would even go viral.   All was going according to plan.   The junior field reporter reached the glass into the mess.   But then, out of the corner of his eye, he ...