Preaching the Scriptures

The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Philippians 4:1-9   Worry in the World Grace, Cherry Valley   How could Paul say this?! And to you?!   Especially right now?!   “Do not worry about anything?”   Does he not understand that Fr. Kyle just retired?   And that you, Grace Church, also St. Mary’s, also a little bit St. John’s, just entered into a season of clergy transition?   As you know, I work with a lot of churches in transition.   And so I know that you know that I know transition time is an anxious time.   Paul telling you not to worry is probably not super helpful; it might not even be working.   Now in his defense, this morning in Cherry Valley, New York was likely not on Paul’s mind when he put ink to parchment almost two thousand years ago.   But it is still a striking phrase, of an impossible expectation – even after all these years.   It is difficult to imagine living in this world, in these times, with...

  The Rt. Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Luke 21:5-19   When Will This Be? St. Paul’s, Schenectady (Rotterdam)   I woke up late on that Saturday morning – just in time to watch my Saturday morning favorites: NBA Inside Stuff, Saved by the Bell, and Looney Tunes.   But on this particular Saturday, something wasn’t quite right.   I could sense it almost immediately.   Instead of bustle, the house was eerily silent.   No one was milling about.   The television screen was a powerless dull grey.   Every room I explored revealed the same unsettling discovery: nothing.     I have two parents and two younger siblings, and so the silence, and absence, was notable.   I was a child in the days before cell phones and so my investigative options were limited.   You might remember that back in those days if someone wasn’t at home, by their landline, or right beside you, there was no way to reach them.   It was as if they...

The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson John 4:5-42 Where Jesus is It had been an excellent morning for Jesus’ disciples.   Jesus sent them on a mission – a very important mission.   And our Gospel today indicates that that mission was a resounding success.   They returned, heads high, smiles wide, having very much achieved their objective.   Not every task on which Jesus sent them was so straightforward, and so it felt good to knock one out of the park.   Twelve grown men, one triumphant food run.   The disciples got lunch. As they rounded the bend, as the well, the place where they left Jesus, came into view, their smiles quickly faded, the joy of the morning, the satisfaction of a job well done dissipated in the hot noonday sun.   Jesus was still there – right where they left him.   But something was off.   They came upon a most unexpected sight.   It was a disorienting scene.   They couldn’t believe their eyes, but the ...