Listen to Readings and Sermon Easter 4 Revelation 7.9-12 (NRSV) 9I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne… robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation [...]
Listen to Readings and Sermon
Easter 4
Revelation 7.9-12 (NRSV)
9I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne… robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. 10They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne… 11And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
John 10.22-24, 30 (NRSV)
22At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24So the [people] gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 30And Jesus said, “the Eternal and I are one.”
Audio readings and sermon (http://sunshinecathedral.org/sermons/audio/20100425_1.mp3)
Listen to Readings and Sermon Easter 3 The Good News Written Odes of Solomon, Ode 8.3-6 Stand up with your shoulders back, you who sank low. You who were silent, speak. Your mouth has been opened. You were despised. Now feel uplifted. Your goodness is high. God is with you and will keep you. John [...]
Listen to Readings and Sermon
Easter 3
The Good News Written
Odes of Solomon, Ode 8.3-6
Stand up with your shoulders back, you who sank low. You who were silent, speak. Your mouth has been opened. You were despised. Now feel uplifted. Your goodness is high. God is with you and will keep you.
John 21.1-11 (NRSV)
1After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is [our Teacher]!” When Simon Peter heard that it was [Jesus], he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. 8But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. 9When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn.
The Good News Proclaimed
Preached by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins at the Sunshine Cathedral on Sunday, April 18, 2010.
Fish stories we will always have with us. Myth and metaphor, story and allegory, moralizing and editorializing keep showing up in our lives as ways of helping us explore the deeply true issues of life. And today, in John’s gospel, we have another fish story. And it was one that was no doubt profoundly important to those who first told it and to those who first heard it. Perhaps it can remain important for us today as well. Continue reading »
Listen to Readings and Sermon Easter 2 The Good News Written Psalm 150 1Praise God! Praise God in the sanctuary; praise God in the mighty firmament! 2Praise God for mighty deeds…! 3Praise God with trumpet sound; praise God with lute and harp! 4Praise God with tambourine and dance; praise God with strings and pipe! 5Praise [...]
Listen to Readings and Sermon
Easter 2
The Good News Written
Psalm 150
1Praise God! Praise God in the sanctuary; praise God in the mighty firmament!
2Praise God for mighty deeds…!
3Praise God with trumpet sound; praise God with lute and harp!
4Praise God with tambourine and dance; praise God with strings and pipe!
5Praise God with clanging cymbals; praise God with loud clashing cymbals!
6Let everything that breathes praise our God! Alleluia!
John 20.19-22 (NRSV)
19When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the [authorities], Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced… 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the [Eternal] has sent me, so I send you.” 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit.”
The Good News Proclaimed
Preached by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins at the Sunshine Cathedral on Sunday, April 11, 2010.
For some reason I was remembering the other day those gum commercials where couples could kiss longer because cinnamon gum had made their breath so fresh.
It reminded me of the time my great-aunt Gladys experienced a weak moment and committed an indiscretion. My great-uncle Arthur came home and caught her in the kitchen kissing the milkman! Uncle Arthur snapped, “Gladys! What are you doing?” Aunt Gladys answered, “if you knew the answer to that question, I’d be doing it with you.”
We are in the seven-week season of Eastertide where we continue to focus on the power of Resurrection, not to argue about whether or not it once happened, but to discover how in our own lives we can experience it for ourselves today. And of course, we can. Continue reading »
1Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the [...]
1Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed.
Audio reading and sermon (http://sunshinecathedral.org/sermons/audio/20100404_6.mp3)
Listen to Worship Service Easter The Good News Written Psalm 118.1, 17 1O give thanks to God who is good. God’s steadfast love endures forever! 17I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Holy One. Odes of Solomon, Ode 17.1-4, 7-9 I was crowned by my God and my [...]
Listen to Worship Service
Easter
The Good News Written
Psalm 118.1, 17
1O give thanks to God who is good. God’s steadfast love endures forever! 17I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Holy One.
Odes of Solomon, Ode 17.1-4, 7-9
I was crowned by my God and my crown is Life! I was justified by my God, for my wholeness is incorruptible. I have been freed from vanities and I am not condemned. My chains were cut off and I received the face and likeness of a new person. I walked with God and was kept safe. And the one who knew and exalted me is the Most High. The Compassionate One kindly glorified me… and I opened doors which had been closed.
The wisdom of Sara Moores Campbell
In this season where light and dark balance the day, we seek balance for ourselves. Grateful for the darkness that has nourished us, we push away the stone and invite the light to awaken us to the possibilities within us and among us — possibilities for new life in ourselves and in our world.
Luke 24.1-4a, 10-12 (NRSV)
1But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they went in, they did not find the body. 4While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” 10Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.
The Good News Proclaimed
Preached by the Reverend Doctor Durrell Watkins at the Sunshine Cathedral on Easter, Sunday, April 4, 2010.
Here we are to hear the familiar Easter narrative. In the words of Groucho Marx, “If you’ve heard this story before, don’t stop me because I’d like to hear it again.”
First let me say, as I’ve said many times: Who you are is a child of God made in the image of God filled with the spirit of God and you are part of the creation that God calls very good. The grace and the dignity and the beauty that you are cannot be destroyed; the divine light that is your truth cannot be dimmed. So we take great courage and profound hope in knowing that winter will be followed by spring, that when we fail or fall the angels of God’s presence are there to lift us up, that even the darkest night will be followed by the dawn. There’s got to be a morning after! Continue reading »
