As Anglicans, we have inherited a rich and robust theology of the diaconal office. We believe that deacons are essential and necessary for a healthy Church. Despite this, our stewardship of the office has not always yielded an equally rich and robust diaconal ministry. Why do we have such a disconnect between theology and practice?…
Aramaic for Kids: Teaching the Gospel from Hosanna to Lema Sabachthani
Kids love the Aramaic sayings of Jesus. At first, I was a bit nervous about teaching the topic. Though the Aramaic phrases from the gospel of Mark have always fascinated me, I did not know if kids would share my interest. But my task was to prepare five lessons for a week-long camp called “Camp…
To Be a Window Through Thy Grace: A Reading of George Herbert’s “The Windows”
During my time in seminary, I decided to take a class in preaching to practice the craft in preparation for my future ministry. While the course taught me a suitable method for preparing my sermons, I never received a theological explanation regarding the how, why, or what of preaching, especially as it pertained to Anglican…
10 Ways to Preach the Trinity Sunday Sermon
There is a standard joke about a church rector making up the calendar for preaching. He decides to preach all the easy Bible passages. Pentecost? It’s a piece of cake! The Transfiguration? Child’s play. Christ the King Sunday? Not a problem. But then he looks at the Bible readings for the Feast of the Holy…
10 Ways to Preach the Pentecost Sermon
The significance of Pentecost cannot be overstated. It is the most important event in the history of the church because, well, it started the history of the church. It marked the coming of the Holy Spirit, the birth of the church, the empowerment of the apostles, the inception of their mission, and the expansion of…
10 Ways to Preach the Ascension Sermon
The Feast of the Ascension often finds itself eclipsed by other monumental events in the life of Christ. This is due primarily to its occurrence on a Thursday, unlike other momentous occasions such as the Baptism of Jesus, the Transfiguration, Easter, and Pentecost, all celebrated on Sundays. However, the Ascension is far from a secondary event,…
How Goes It With Your Texting?
After five years of pastoring, I’ve reached a paradox. Texting is good: it helped me shepherd at least two people well. Texting is bad: it hurt my ability to minister to the congregation I served. The Good: Consistent Connection On the one hand, I texted to connect with two men struggling to follow Christ. Phone…
5 Takeaways from 7 Years of Bi-vocational Ministry
For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. —1 Thessalonians 2:8-10 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and…
10 Ways to Preach the Good Friday Sermon
As a pastor, when I encouraged people to attend our Good Friday liturgy, I would say something like this: “On Good Friday, we gather to remember the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth and his death upon the Cross. If you’re wondering whether to attend, I ask you to consider one question. Would you…
10 Ways to Preach the Transfiguration Sermon
Preaching the Transfiguration Sermon is indeed a high calling! (Get it?) Though the Feast of the Transfiguration is August 6th in the lectionary, we read the story at the end of Epiphany, on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. The Transfiguration serves both as a dramatic epiphany of Jesus’s identity and a fitting preparation for the…
