reverendjaneausten

                                          Homily: Last Sunday in Epiphany February 27, 2022 ECOOS + How does it feel to come face to face with God?   All three of our lessons try to explain it to us today, but they all somehow feel like those great stories people tell . . .you know the ones . .   .they always finish with, “I guess you had to be there?” This is the third time in my priesthood that I have attended a Bishop’s Consecration on a Saturday, traveling a good distance to get there and back, and have still found myself obligated to write a homily for the next Sunday morning.   It has never failed that life has been at its busiest, and that writing might have been undeniably easier had I not had to step away to be present as participant and witness.   But it has also never failed that being there was worth every minute.   A lot of you streamed in to see the service, which is still on the Cathedral’s worship page,(how exciting is THAT?) and to be very truthful, I did it t

                                     Homily for the Celebration of the Life   of Anna McClure Russell February 21, 2022 + “Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy, whose trust ever childlike no cares could destroy . . .” So begins Anna’s favorite hymn.   Starting with hopefulness and joy, however,   does not mean that our world is free of all sadness. It means that we are meant to trust in ways that put that sadness into perspective.   I can see Anna lifting her chin, her eyes sparkling as she joyfully challenges me.   “You tell them, Janey!”                 I will try.   When words fail me, this beloved hymn (a favorite for my own family as well,) always inspires me.   The words were written by English poet and humorist, Jan Struther. Just as Anna did, she loved words, jokes and poems.   We can not know if the Englishwoman loved terrible Norwegian jokes, . . .but in Paradise all things are possible!   Born in 1901 and living through both world wars, she experienced tremendou

  Homily for Epiphany 7C February 20, 2022 ECOOS + We can feel Lent around the corner.   We still have a bit of ‘star-gazing- Epiphany’ left, but the Lectionary has begun to shine its own light on the road ahead. “O Lord, you have taught us that without love whatever we do is worth nothing.”   As recently as last weekend, Shannon has convincingly argued that almost every homily I preach comes back to this message.   Perhaps, today’s lectionary readings are my defense: God said it first!   These readings are thematic. Jesus is teaching, "I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”   Psalm 37 is convincing in the argument that God will take care of the wicked.   Revenge and hatred are not to be our food. But it is the first reading today that really gets us.   There is nothing startling here. Rather it is the sad reminder that family dynamics and jealous insecurity have been impeding human