Year A Proper 23 2026 "Showing Up"

Year A Proper 23, 11 October 2026

St George’s Episcopal,  Fredericksburg, VA

“Showing Up”

Collect: Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Philippians 4:1-9

My brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Matthew 22:1-14

Once more Jesus spoke to the people in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

While the Gospel this morning is violent and off-putting, and reflects the use of force not uncommon in Jesus’ day, it is harsh to our ears today. It is easy to get hung up on the violence and abusive use of force. Today we are really going to talk about a party, and three folks who were invited and the one of the three that got to enjoy it.

This king decided to throw a party, a special party. His son, his heir and the next king, was getting married. This is a BIG DEAL. This is not a yearly party, like a birthday or the Superbowl. This was a once in a lifetime party. And the king could not have been more excited. He invited the best of the best, and thought for sure that they would all come. But he got back excuse after excuse after excuse. And that really hurt.

One of the people invited did not show up because they thought they were so important they did not need to honor the prince at his wedding, and did not worry what the king would feel. Now think about it. How do you think the king felt about his son? And how do you think he would feel about people dissing his son on his wedding day by not showing up? Or worse, by ghosting him and not saying a word as to why.

So what do you think the king would feel about these supposed best of the best who did not have the decency or respect to show up? We know the king resorted to violence and destruction when he “sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.”

So that’s the first of those invited. No show. And an enraged response.

So the king said, paraphrased, “We have the food. We have the party all set up. Go get anybody and everybody! I want this place to rock out tonight! My son is getting married!” So his staff went out and found people to come. They needed and wanted warm bodies. People who could party so the king’s fest could be great.

So out they went, and they filled the banquet hall with people to help the king celebrate.

Now the story gets a little weird here, because their culture was a little different. Back in those days people had a lot less, and life was significantly rougher. Just going down the street you could get covered in dust on dry days or mud on soggy ones. So when you showed up to people’s places, they took care of you. They would have staff to wash your feet, and clean you up. On a special occasion like this, where the king would have wanted everyone looking sharp, there would have been clean robes provided so that the guests looked sharp. 

In our times, you might have a party hat or something festive you give your guests when they show up. Or imagine going to a concert with a friend and they hand you a VIP pass so you can really enjoy it. It is not that different. At least we are not having to bathe and clothe people showing up at our parties. Everyone who showed up probably needed some help getting ready and clean when they came in off the road.

So we get to the second guest we are going to talk about. The guy the king kicks out. You see, he wanted a full house. But he is still the king. And kings have standards. People were grabbed off the street, yes. But the robe and the clean-up involved were provided to those who came through the door. 

Our first guest thought they were too good to show up. Our second guest, who the king kicked out, did not appreciate what was being offered. Maybe he thought he deserved this treatment, so did not bother to make an effort. So he did not clean-up or take the robe that the king would have freely given.

Friends, in Jesus’ story the King is God. And God wants a full house, but there are things we bring to the table. None of us, not one of us is too good that we do not need God or God’s Grace in our lives. And there is none of us, not one of us that does not need a clean-up and a garment fit for heaven. We all stand in need of Grace. We all need God’s help to make it. And the best part? God helps us get ready to accept all that is being offered.

We come into the equation. One of the great and subtle theological statements written into Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel in the Vatican is the Creation of Adam. Next time you see it, and because it is ubiquitous you will probably see it this week, look closely. Very closely.

God the Father, the stereotypical portrayal as the Old Man with the Beard, is surrounded by the heavenly host. And God is stretched out body, limb, hand, and pointer finger reaching out to to Adam. God is fully outstretched to make the connection. And we see Adam, just before he is filled with the breath of life, and he is reclined, and his arm is raised, but not fully. His hand is raised, but his finger is relaxed. God and all the heavenly host are awaiting for him to make the final step, to reach out and receive the gift of God that God so desperately wants him to take. God offers and takes away all barriers, but we have to accept that Grace. God does not force Godself on any of us.

So I said I was going to talk about three guests. One thought they were too good to go and missed out. One thought they did not need to change, even when it was free and offered, they stayed the same and put in no effort. The third I have not mentioned yet. The third is the one invited in, made ready, and got to enjoy the party. The third guest is YOU.

Each of us is showered with gifts each and every day. You are being showered with love. You did nothing to deserve it. I did not either. That is the definition of Grace. But God loved us despite our bad selves, and found a way to bring us into the party where we all are wanted and welcome. God forgives our sins, intended or not. God looks past our faults to the one he created and loves. But I have to show up. I have to appreciate what I am being offered. And, I have to start making the changes asked of me, to be more like Jesus each and every day.

And what does “be like Jesus” look like in the world we find ourselves in? I have to admit it, friends. I’m tired. And I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. I feel like we are living in Medieval times (not the restaurant), because everything is MID and most certainly EVIL. But seriously, sometimes we need to get centered and hear the simplicity of what we are to be about. St Paul in his letter to the Philippians sums it up well in our reading for today:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Rejoice always. Pray about everything. Guard your heart. Focus on what is best and do not let the world drag you down to its level. Keep on keeping on. And that is how we’ll get by.

Now back to the party. We talked about the “too good for it” elite who did not show. We talked about the one who showed up but did not live up to the most basic of expectations and took all of it for granted. But the third guest, each of us, can relish this life in God.

My hope for us is that we will clean up and put on things like Jesus. Be in this world and not of it. Do not let the world define who you are in Christ Jesus. If you are that third type of guest, you get to enjoy that party that never ends. Amen

nd put on things like Jesus. Be in this world and not of it. Do not let the world define who you are in Christ Jesus. If you are that third type of guest, you get to enjoy that party that never ends. Amen

Year A Proper 22 WED 2026 Showing Up

Year A Proper 22 WEDNESDAY, 7 October 2026

Anna Julia Cooper School Chapel

“Showing Up”

Collect (for Proper 23): Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Matthew 22:1-14

Once more Jesus spoke to the people in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Today we are going to talk about a party. And three folks who were invited and the one of the three that got to enjoy it.

This king decided to throw a party, a special party. His son, his heir and the next king, was getting married. This is a BIG DEAL. This is not a yearly party, like a birthday or the Superbowl. This was a once in a lifetime party. And the king could not have been more excited. He invited the best of the best, and thought for sure that they would all come. But he got back excuse after excuse after excuse. And that really hurt.

One of the people invited did not show up because they thought they were so important they did not need to honor the prince at his wedding, and did not worry what the king would feel. Now think about it. How do you think the king felt about his son? And how do you think he would feel about people dissing his son on his wedding day?

So what do you think the king would feel about these supposed best of the best who did not have the decency or respect to show up?

So that’s the first invited. No show.

So the king said, “We have the food. We have the party all set up. Go get anybody and everybody! I want this place to rock out tonight! My son is getting married!” So his staff went out and found people to come. They needed and wanted warm bodies. People who could party so the king’s fest could be great.

So out they went, and they filled the banquet hall with people to help the king celebrate.

Now the story gets a little weird here, because their culture was a little different. Back in those days people had a lot less, and life was significantly rougher. Just going down the street you could get covered in dust on dry days or mud on soggy ones. So when you showed up to people’s places, they took care of you. They would have staff to wash your feet, and clean you up. On a special occasion like this, where the king would have wanted everyone looking sharp, there would have been clean robes provided so that the guests looked sharp. 

In our times, you might have a party hat or something festive you give your guests when they show up. Not that different. At least we are not having to bathe and clothe people showing up at our parties. Everyone who showed up probably needed some help getting ready and clean when they came in off the road.

So we get to the second guest we are going to talk about. The guy the king kicks out. You see, he wanted a full house. But he is still the king. And kings have standards. People were grabbed off the street, yes. But the robe and the clean-up involved were provided to those who came through the door. 

Our first guest thought they were too good to show up. Our second guest, who the king kicked out, did not appreciate what was being offered. Maybe he thought he deserved this treatment, so did not bother to make an effort. So he did not clean-up or take the robe that the king would have freely given.

Friends, in Jesus’ story the King is God. And God wants a full house, but there are things we bring to the table. None of us, not one of us is too good that we do not need God or God’s Grace in our lives. And there is none of us, not one of us that does not need a clean-up and a garment fit for heaven. We all stand in need of Grace. We all need God’s help to make it. And the best part? God helps us get ready to accept all that is being offered.

So I said I was going to talk about three guests. One thought they were too good to go and missed out. One thought they did not need to change, even when it was free and offered, they stayed the same and put in no effort. The third I have not mentioned yet. The third I hope is you.

You are being showered with gifts each and every day. And you are being showered with love. You did nothing to deserve it. I did not either. But God loved us despite our bad selves, and found a way to bring us into the party where we all are wanted and welcome. I have to show up. I have to appreciate what I am being offered. And, I have to start making the changes asked of me, to be more like Jesus each and every day.

My hope for you is that the third guest is you. That you will clean up and put on things like Jesus. If you are that third type of guest, you get to enjoy that party that never ends. Amen

Year A Proper 12 WED 2026 Easy Words, Hard To Live By

 Year A Proper 12 WEDNESDAY, 29 July 2026

St George’s Episcopal, Fredericksburg, VA

“Easy Words, Hard To Live By”

Collect: O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Romans 8:26-39

The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all day long;

we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Matthew 13:31-33,44-52

Jesus put before the crowds another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

“Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

One of the hardest lessons I have learned along the way is that God does not call us to be successful. That is one of the greatest heresies, especially of the American Church. If things are bigger, or bolder, or louder, we tend to think of them as more important, or worse, more worthy. Most bad is when we think of them as blessed. That is the underlying lie of prosperity theology. So if not successful, then to what is God calling us? To be faithful. Faithful, not successful. As St Paul said in Romans 4: (vs. 3-5)

For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness.

Our “work” as it were is to be faithful. God’s work is the success part. Not ours.The one thing we bring to the table is to live our lives in faith. That is our only offering that does not already come from God. We delude ourselves if we think anything else.

In our Gospel reading we see Jesus call us to put everything else behind our commitment to God’s Kingdom. And our Romans’ reading tells us about our attitude and approach to make that so. 

• In our prayers, open your hearts. You don’t even need words. The Spirit knows and hears even our groans and brings them to God’s throne.

• That even the worst can be transformed to the Glory of God, for its says: “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Think on it like this. We are walking the path of life, and we cannot see beyond the hill we are climbing. We have no idea where it might lead or what may come. But the one with a heavenly perspective knows where he leads us, and that the road we are on, whatever road we are on, can get us to where he wants us to be. 

• And if you are ever worried, please highlight this in your Bible. Put a bookmark in even. I repeat this because I will never be able to say it better than this.

“If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Amen

Friends, it has been a joy to be with you for these last ten months. Tomorrow I turn in my keys and my laptop. This time has been a gift, reminding me of what is most precious, and important, and true. We all need reminders along the way. I am thankful. All blessings and goodness be yours until God blesses us to be together again! Amen

Year A Proper 12 2026 Know What You've Got

 Year A Proper 12, 26 July 2026

St George’s Epsicopal, Fredericksburg, VA

“Know What You’ve Got”

Collect: O God, the protector of all who trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy; that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Matthew 13:31-33,44-52 

Jesus put before the crowds another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a 

tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches." He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened." "The 

kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one 

pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. "Have you understood all this?" They answered, "Yes." And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

There are certain moments in life so pivotal that you know they will stay with you forever. If you're fortunate, you recognize their significance even while they're happening. These moments show you what is most important, and what is not.

I had just turned 20 and was living in Hamburg, West Germany—back when there still was West Germany. The campus ministry I participated in at the University of Richmond was part of a large international network that placed summer missionaries throughout Virginia and, in a few cases, around the world. After my sophomore year, I accepted one of those opportunities and began serving as the Youth and Young Adult Minister at Hamburg International Baptist Church, a new church plant in the bustling seaport city. My assignment ran from May through December.

The year was 1989, and Hamburg was celebrating the 800th anniversary of its harbor's commissioning. At the time, I assumed that would be the biggest event I would witness outside of my ministry work.

Then November arrived.

About 180 miles downriver from Hamburg sits Berlin, and for several days in early November, the eyes of the world were fixed on that divided city deep inside East Germany.

Because it was just before Thanksgiving, the missionary couple who supervised me returned home to the United States for a few weeks with family and left this young buck in charge. While they were away, I gave myself two days off and headed to Berlin. I wanted to stand in the middle of history.

My budget was painfully thin. I had enough money for train fare and meals, and not much else. No hotel. No extras. I arrived at the Hauptbahnhof just before the early winter sunset and placed my backpack in a locker. As I turned around, I heard a voice behind me.

"Excuse me," the man asked, "could you tell me the way to Checkpoint Charlie?"

I turned and saw a small, gentle-looking man behind me. He seemed kind, slight, and somewhat vulnerable.

Then he asked, "You are American, yes?"

I definitely looked the part. Baseball cap? Check. Levi's jeans? Check. Nike sneakers? Check. Leather bomber jacket? Check. There was no mistaking me for anything other than an American.

As I looked at this man—perhaps 5'3"—I immediately decided I needed to take him under my wing and make sure he stayed safe.

Although East Germans were crossing through the checkpoints into West Berlin, nobody yet knew what would come of the extraordinary events unfolding around us. The border remained heavily militarized. The Wall still stood.

In places, people had chipped away at it, creating cracks and small openings. A few had managed to carve holes large enough to peer through into the infamous No Man's Land between East and West. The night felt almost cinematic, like a Hollywood set. Fog drifted through the air, illuminated by the yellow glow of sodium streetlights. Every time we peered through one of those openings, East German guards stared right back at us.

Over the next several hours, Dr. Carlo Galen and I embarked on an adventure I have never forgotten.

Though slight and unassuming, Carlo embodied the American Dream. Orphaned after World War II, he had been relocated from Italy to New Orleans through Catholic charities, a journey that left him with one of the most unusual accents I have ever heard. He went on to attend Tulane University, earned his medical degree, and built a successful medical practice.

After years of hard work, Carlo and his wife decided to retire in Italy and build a villa outside Rome. But shortly after construction began, his wife was diagnosed with cancer and passed away within months. Heartbroken, Carlo moved forward with finishing the villa, and somewhere along the way developed the same desire for adventure that had brought me to Berlin.

After I guided him to Checkpoint Charlie—the American crossing point into East Berlin—we began walking along the Berlin Wall toward the Brandenburg Gate. The distance was only about a mile, but it took us hours.

Along the way we met a group of French medical students who, like us, had come simply to witness history firsthand. At one point, they found a crowd-control barrier and repurposed it as a ladder. Together, we climbed onto the top of the Wall while East German border guards shouted at us to get down.

I was still young and naive enough to believe the men pointing machine guns in our direction weren't entirely serious.

By the time we reached the Brandenburg Gate, some of the openings in the Wall had grown larger. We began sticking dollar bills through the gaps, hoping to trade with the East German soldiers. The response was immediate: machine gun barrels appeared through the openings.

Still, the trading continued.

I emerged with a belt buckle, a set of epaulets, and a soldier's cap. At that moment, I knew the Wall was doomed. When capitalism starts breaking through the Berlin Wall, the end cannot be far behind.

Those hours remain etched in my memory.

Yet the most transformative part of the trip happened later, in an all-night coffee shop near the Hauptbahnhof.

Carlo and I had several hours to wait before our trains departed—his at 6 a.m. for Rome and mine for Hamburg. After spending the night in the cold, we were grateful for warmth, coffee, and a place to sit.

There, Carlo shared the grief he still carried over the loss of his wife. He told me how Catholic missionary organizations had declined his offers to volunteer because of his age. In return, I shared my own story—how my faith had led me to ministry and why I had come to Germany in the first place.

Then Carlo gave me a gift that changed my life.

This man—an orphan who had come to America with nothing, built a remarkable life, achieved professional success, and returned to Italy to retire in comfort—looked me directly in the eye and said:

"If only I had known at your age what you know now, my life would have been so different."

His words caught me completely off guard.

I admired him. I respected everything he had accomplished. Yet here he was, envying something in me.

What he envied was not my youth. It was not my opportunities. It was not my future.

It was my faith.

Until that moment, I had never thought of my faith that way.

I never saw Carlo again. We spoke on the phone several times over the years, but we never met in person. Yet that night changed me. It reaffirmed my calling to ministry and strengthened my commitment to the path I was already beginning to follow.

I still treasure my fragments of the Berlin Wall and the souvenirs I carried home from that extraordinary night. But the greatest treasure I received in Berlin wasn't a piece of concrete or a soldier's cap.

It was the realization that my faith is the greatest gift I will ever possess.

And that is what I think that Jesus was getting at with our string of one-line parables here. All of them in this batch speak to knowing what you’ve got and its worth. Mustard Seed, Yeast, Treasure in a Field, or the Pearl of Great Price. All these speak to how something small and possibly overlooked could be of the greatest value. The final one, the Net thrown into the Sea, is about many things, but knowing the value of each. And then Jesus gives us the admonition.

“Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

So fellow citizens of the Kingdom, trained up for the service of it, our task is to know the worth of what we have, and to bring out the best of what we have been given and what we can create. The old and the new. And to make a difference in the world we have been given.

What role does your faith play in your life? 

Is it like a mustard seed, small, but ready to grow when called upon? 

Is it like the yeast that makes everything else in your life rise?

Is it that treasure in the field, where it is worth risking everything else so that it can be yours? Or the pearl of great price, much the same?

Are you able to plumb the depths for the riches that are there, or create new and beautiful things for the Glory of God?

Know what you’ve got, my friends, and give thanks! Amen

Year A Proper 11 2026 Faith at the Movies Series: "Contact"

Year A Proper 11, 19 July 2026

St George’s Episcopal, Fredericksburg, VA

“Faith at the Movies: CONTACT”

Collect: Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, you know our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking: Have compassion on our weakness, and mercifully give us those things which for our unworthiness we dare not, and for our blindness we cannot ask; through the worthiness of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Genesis 28:10-19a

Jacob left Beer-sheba and went toward Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel.

Matthew 13:24-30,36-43

Jesus put before the crowd another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”

“Hello.”

“I said, ‘Hello.’”

“Um, did you hear me?”

“Nod your head if you can hear me?”

Have you ever received a message that seemed directed to you? One that no one else could hear? One that seemed so personal, and so direct, that maybe you felt a little crazy or confused, like maybe you were hearing things?

What do you really hear? To whom do you really listen? What messages do you really trust?

We are in a time and space when we are being URGED to NOT TRUST. It has became standard operating procedure to NOT TRUST. And then, to add to the NOT TRUSTING, to label the other “side” as crazy. That they are untrustworthy and their messages are false. God help us!

Friends, Discernment is one of the great needs of a person of faith in this world we find ourselves in. Discernment is for each and every one of us. Not just those who are “called” into leadership in the Church, or those facing a particularly hard trial. But God is speaking to all of us all the time. And the question we have to ask ourselves, do I trust this word that I am receiving? And even more, do I trust the one sending the word I am receiving?

I know many people talk about doing what the Bible says. Yes. Of course. But the Bible does not say a lot, especially it does not say a lot about the things that we have to deal with every day in these times. We can apply biblical principles to our current situations, but then we get into interpretation and applicability. And that leads to discernment again, what do we hear and to whom do we listen.

We are all bombarded with messaging all the time. We cannot escape it. If you make a side comment over dinner, you find yourself getting ads about it the next day. That is weird. And that would be an untrustworthy messenger. While the message might have been of interest, the spying on us through our phones and connected speakers is uncomfortable and creepy. There is that NOT TRUSTING again.

But sometimes we receive a word, something we want and maybe from someone who we do not know.

This week, to wrap up our pop culture sermon series, we are looking at the movie Contact starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey. It is and has been a favorite of mine for years. It deals with so much. The potential first contact with another intelligence not from our planet. The division between faith and science. The resolve to stand by what you know when voices are screaming that you are lying or are wrong or are crazy. Months ago when I picked this movie to go with today’s readings, I thought, “That will be easy! I can go anywhere with the movie Contact!” And that, in and of itself is the problem. This movie deals with so much, and I have to limit myself this morning so you can have something of substance to take home. And what made me think of this movie today? The first reading for today fits quite well with it, being about a stairway to heaven, which is what Contact  is about in a really fitting way. 

But looking at the many messages of the movie, and how to apply them, what I want to focus on is Discernment, knowing what to listen to, and to whom. The main character, Dr. Ellie Arroway, portrayed by Jodie Foster, is a tough, and often hard to deal with, astrophysicist. Losing her parents early she has abandonment issues, and pushes people away, even those who love her and may have her best interest at heart. She listens for someone, anyone, who will hear her, and not leave her.

And so, naturally attracted to science, she made listening into a vocation. She is listening hard for a voice in the darkness, and so she goes into SETI, Ess Eee Tee Eye, the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. And one night, sitting in the dark underneath the large radar dish array in the New Mexican desert, she hears it. A pulse. A repeated pulse. A repeated pulsing rhythm. It was a deep sound, a sound across octaves. This was not an anomaly, but rather a distinct message, a message from not nearby. Not a satellite. Not a reflected sound. It was a pure voice calling to us from somewhere else.

One of the greatest books on faith parallels this movie. If you are my age or younger I am sure you have read it, most likely. Horton Hears A Who, by Dr. Seuss. A very similar message. A lone figure hears a message that only they can hear. And they have to make a stand against most everyone that they heard it and they are not crazy, and that the message they have received is for everyone. Dr. Arroway or Horton, both have to risk their very lives to take a leap of… not fact, but faith. The experience they share is so real and so true that they do not question it. They stake their reputation and their lives on what they know to be true and cannot prove. 

If you have not seen the movie, Contact came out in 1997. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, I was surprised that it was significantly better than the book. A rarity, I know. The book was written by Carl Sagan, who was a great scientist and science communicator, but a so-so novelist. But his ideas found a home in the movie.

And I was surprised when I first saw it how important the role of having a faith is in the story. Not necessarily a certain faith, but ideologically we all believe in something, and that belief is what drives us when we have nothing else to fall back on. For Dr. Arroway, she was dumbfounded by her experience. This hardened scientist is reduced to the babblings of a toddler, and then she says very clearly, “They should have sent a poet.” There is a time and a place for matters of the heart that are more true than 2 + 2 = 4. The etymology of the word science is from the Greek for knowledge. So your con-science is when you decide something “with knowledge” or a “shared knowledge.” Her knowledge could only take her so far, and when she stepped into the unknown, she had to rely on her heart, and on a faith that she did not know she had. Studies repeatedly show that as logical and rational as we think we are, our decisions most of the time are made with our gut, or our heart, or as the Bible puts it, the seat of judgment. We all go there when push comes to shove.

Discernment is based on previous experience, and discernment is based on knowledge we have gained. But at the end of the day, discernment is a hunch. When all is said and done, we all have take that leap of faith.

For Dr. Arroway, she had to believe that the message she had received did not wish her or humanity ill, but that it had our best interest in mind, and for her in particular, that she would be safe and okay.

Friends, when we do not know what is next, we have to know to whom we should look for what comes next. Even saying that is a statement of faith, and like Dr. Arroway, I am reduced to saying that they should have sent a poet up here today to say that the one who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it.

Last fall in a sermon I spoke about how God speaks to us in a language we will understand and hear. Discernment is knowing that deep in our bones, and not letting go of it when voices, soooooo many voices attempt to distract us or contradict what we know to be the Truth with a capital T. 

As our Gospel lesson for the day reminds us, there are good seeds who bring forth good fruit, and there are weeds. Like in the parable sometimes it is hard for us to figure out. That is where that Discernment comes back into play. Seeing with eyes that can truly see, hearing with ears that can truly hear. We must try to discern the good from the bad, but it is not our job to sort folks out. That alone remains to God and God’s angels.

So friends, listen. Listen with all you’ve got and all of who you are. And trust God. Always trust in God that the Truth will out, and the Right will prevail. Trust your gut. Listen to that hunch. We are given the task to do the best we can with what we have. God will honor that, for God will be glorified.  Amen.