Speaker: The Rev. Virginia Herring
“Come and see.” That was the sum total of Philip’s invitation to his friend Nathanael. Philip had just agreed to turn his own life upside down. Convinced that the long-awaited messiah had come, ...Speaker: The Rev. Virginia Herring
Good morning. Happy New Year! Merry Christmas! We stand in a moment of transition. We are moving out of the holidays – a non-liturgical season that begins vaguely around Halloween, and takes hold in earnest at Thanksgiving ...Speaker: The Rev. Virginia Herring
After years of living as a single adult, I now share my house with my granddaughter and her new baby. It’s been a long time since I had a newborn in my daily world. I’ve forgotten a lot! But I remember a few ...Speaker: The Rev. Virginia Herring
I like beginnings. I like to open a new book with smooth pages and tight bindings. I like the beginnings of movies, with the sense of wondering how the story will emerge and where it will take us. I like early mornings when the ...Speaker: The Rev. Virginia Herring
Our gospel this morning is very familiar. It is also greatly misunderstood. I have several books about this scripture on my shelf. One of them is entitled the “Be-happy Attitudes.” I haven’t opened that one ...Speaker: The Rev. Virginia Herring
The writer of Matthew has combined two of Jesus’ teachings into a single event, but it is not easy to hear how they might be connected. The first teaching is familiar. It is Jesus’ summary of the law: love God and ...Speaker: The Rev. Virginia Herring
I once overheard a coffee hour conversation that went something like this: “Wow, the music in that service was pretty good.” “Yeah, we have really great music.” “I liked the sermon ...Speaker: The Rev. Virginia Herring
Sometimes people say they come to church on Sunday because they need a break from the world and all its problems. If that’s true for you, you’ve probably already figured out that it didn’t work today. Check any form of ...Speaker: The Rev. Virginia Herring
I’ve passed age 65, so I get to talk about the good old days. I can say things like, “I grew up in a simpler time, in a world where things were not nearly so complicated.” It’s true. I grew up in the ...Speaker: The Rev. Virginia Herring
Today’s gospel reading is very familiar. The story of Jesus walking on the water is found in three of the gospels, although only in Matthew do we get the bit about Peter. Despite its familiarity, it’s not one of my ...