When Christ walked among us he showed us that God is one who is willing to come and “argue it out” (Isa. 1:18) with his people. Moreover, Jesus does not beat us, he does not win the argument. Instead Jesus offers himself in obedience — obedience born of faith — to the Father’s will. The faith in the Father that Jesus models is the same faith he asks us to have.

Sermon for Proper 26. Read or listen.

Readings from Isaiah 1:10-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12; Luke 19:1-10.

Preached at Holy Trinity Church Inwood, 20 Cumming Street, New York, New York 10034, on November 3, 2019.

We set our own reputation and works above God’s reputation and God’s works. This makes it hard to have compassion for others.

Sermon for Proper 25. Read or listen.

Readings from Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18; Luke 18:9-14.

Preached at Holy Trinity Church Inwood, 20 Cumming Street, New York, New York 10034, on October 27, 2019.

Preachers who have the guts to tell you this are few and far between. Preachers who have the guts to tell you that you’re not God, and that God is God, even when the worst things happen to you, are few and far between. That you’re still part of God’s plan when bad things happen. That when evil happens in your life, when the evil day comes, it is still part of God’s plan. And that is a reason to hope.

Read or listen to the sermon.

Sermon for Proper 23.

Readings from 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c; 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Luke 17:11-19.

Preached at Holy Trinity Church Inwood, 20 Cumming Street, New York, New York 10034, on October 13, 2019.

How many of you are impatient? I am. We have a hard time waiting for it, which is what God says to Habakkuk. We want what we want and we want it now. Habakkuk chapter two verse three, “If it seems to tarry, wait for it.” It’s a good thing that God doesn’t have to run for reelection, because this is the worst campaign slogan I’ve ever heard. I’m going to get out there and I’m going to campaign on the promise of “wait for it.” Politicians, no matter what stripe, promise results and they promise it right away and they almost never deliver. That’s why the apostles, I think, asked Jesus to increase their faith right now instead of doing the hard work of adding to their faith through obedience every day.

Read or listen to the sermon.

Sermon for Proper 22.

Readings from Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10.

Preached at Holy Trinity Church Inwood, 20 Cumming Street, New York, New York 10034, on October 6, 2019.

All of us struggle with temptation. That’s a given. That’s going to happen. That’s part of the fight of faith. Just having these desires, just having these temptations is not going to condemn you, not going to trap you, not going to lead you to pain and suffering and ruin and destruction. But acting on them, making them real, inviting the consequences of them into your own lives, and often into the lives of others who didn’t ask for that, that’s where the ruin and destruction comes in.

Read or listen to the sermon.

Sermon for Proper 21.

Readings from Amos 6:1a, 4-7; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 16:19-31.

Preached at Holy Trinity Church Inwood, 20 Cumming Street, New York, New York 10034, on September 29, 2019.