Year A Pentecost 2026 Some Words for Pentecost 2026

 Year A Pentecost, 24 May 2026

St George’s Episcopal, Fredericksburg, VA

“Some Words for Pentecost 2026”

Collect: Almighty God, on this day you opened the way of eternal life to every race and nation by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit: Shed abroad this gift throughout the world by the preaching of the Gospel, that it may reach to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Numbers 11:24-30

Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and placed them all around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that 

was on him and put it on the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again. Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested 

on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, "My lord Moses, stop them!" But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!" And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.

Acts 2:1-21

When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs-- in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

`In the last days it will be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams.

Even upon my slaves, both men and women,

in those days I will pour out my Spirit;

and they shall prophesy.

And I will show portents in the heaven above

and signs on the earth below,

blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

The sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood,

before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day.

Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' "

John 7:37-39

On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Friends, today is the birthday of the Church. While St Paul makes the metaphor that the Church is the Body of Christ, and John the Revelator the Bride of Christ, it has also been said that “The Church is the only society that exists for the benefit of those who are not its members.” (Archbishop William Temple) We are here on Pentecost, at a time when, if the Church were ever needed, it is today.

The world is hurting; it is hurting all over. Hearing from my friends overseas, it is not just here.  I was speaking with my adult daughter this last week, and I told her if someone had told me 20 years ago the state of the world today I would not have believed it. I would have laughed because the plausibility of the state we are in would have been laughable. If a scriptwriter tried to pitch today’s headlines to Hollywood for a movie, it would not have been believable for a plot. Friends, if the world ever needed the Church it is today.

We have baptisms today, just as they did on the first Pentecost. We have 4 (at the 10 o’clock service), and we celebrate that there are people choosing to join in the work we have set out before us. But because of the worry and anxiety and rage that I have heard about, and the frustration about “them,” whoever them is, I think I need to hear a sermon today that looks at Pentecost 2026, and maybe some steps to take in the days to come.

For us to go on, Christ’s Church needs to have Hope, especially when the world seems pretty hopeless. Friends, we are encouraged by St Peter:

Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an account of the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. (I Peter 3:15b-16a)

When the world asks why on earth we have not become hopeless like they are, we need to have a response.

What might you say? If someone stopped you as you were coming in today why you were walking into St George’s what would come to mind? You might say, “I know how the story ends. Our team wins!” Or you could say, “It is always darkest before the dawn. This place has light!” For me, though,  I would have to agree with Karl Barth. If you are not familiar with the theologian, he was a prolific (and voluminous) writer. He wrote 13 volumes of his “Church Dogmatics.” Once a student asked Barth to summarize his massive theological life's work in a single sentence.

Barth paused, smiled, and reportedly replied:

"Yes, I can. In the words of a song I learned at my mother's knee: 'Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.'"

As many things as he could have said, that basic hope from his childhood was the truth he held onto. Me, too.

Friends, know this. We have a hope because Jesus is our Hope. He overcame sin, for us. He overcame the grave, to show that our greatest fear is gone. He took hold of all that was drowning us and set us free so that we can walk boldly into tomorrow, and even more so into the eternal when we are ushered into the very presence of God. There’s your Hope. Don’t let the Hopeless ever convince you of anything other. And you can share that Hope, even if they don’t believe it. Share the feeling of Hope, we all need it these days.

Stephen Colbert has been in the news and social media a lot this week and I saw a quote I just loved. “"Be kind to people. Not because they're nice, but because you are.” And we, the Church of Jesus Christ, share Hope with people. Not because they have it, but you do. 

Now all the things I just mentioned earlier about why we have Hope, they are statements of Faith, and that is the second thing we need, dear friends. We need our Faith. Faith comes more easily to some, and less to others. Like the father who was asked if he would like his son healed, he responded, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24) Maybe you are there, somewhere between the two. Faith in one hand and doubt in another. I get it. I really get it. We have faith, but we live in a culture that celebrates being self-reliant and pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. That is not Faith.

“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen.” (Hebrews 11:1) We need to have Faith when others are stumbling in the dark. If you know the way when the lights go dark, you lead those around you. We are living in dark times, when people are struggling and grasping in the dark.

A story is told of a house fire at night and a child is trapped on the second floor. He makes it to a window and hears the voice of his father from the ground below. “Jump, son, I’ll catch you!” He says it firmly but filled with nothing but assuring love, praying the son will jump. The son wants to obey, but with the smoke and dark he cries out, “But I can’t see you!” The father responds, “Don’t worry, I can see you. Jump!” And he did. That is Faith, my friends.

When we are trapped in the dark, those who can see can save. The God who is with us and loves us, will guide our steps, even in the darkest of times. God has in the past, and will in these days, and also in the days to come.

But there is one more thing. Faith may guide our steps. Hope may encourage our hearts. But the main thing is needed more than anything else. Friends, we have to have Love. Love is all. For God so loved the world that he sent Jesus. What the world needs now is love, sweet love. All we need is Love. We sing it in our songs, and it is our deepest truth and strongest drive.

We have to find ways to love even the unlovable, to care for even the careless, to turn the other cheek when we are struck.

In Jesus’ most basic teaching, the Sermon on the Mount, he says as much. These radical simplicities and simple radicalizations changed the world. They still can. The world needs a wake-up call and loving them through it is the only thing that we can do. As Jesus taught us: 

‘But 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. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Matthew 6:27-31)

If we who call ourselves the Church did those things each and every day, consistently, the world could and would change. Slowly hardened hearts would see the difference that is in us and want what we have. It converted the Roman Empire, watching people feed the hungry, watching people serve lepers even when it could be fatal. When early Christians were fed to the beasts in the stadiums of the Empire, they went with faith in Christ, holding onto the Hope in him, and loving their persecutors enough to pray for them and ask for their forgiveness for what they were doing. May it never come to that, but may we have that type of faith, hope, and love like they did, and may we share it with this dark and hurting world. 

As we come to the end, I remind you of St Paul’s words that conclude I Corinthians 13. They fit, and are as true today as when he penned them:

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. 

Amen.

  

Year A Ascension 2026 Ascension People

 Year A Ascension, 14 May 2026

St George’s and Trinity Episcopal Churches, Fredericksburg

“Ascension People”

Collect: Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that as we believe your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into heaven, so we may also in heart and mind there ascend, and with him continually dwell; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Psalm 47 

Clap your hands, all you peoples; * shout to God with a cry of joy. 

For the Lord Most High is to be feared; * he is the great King over all the earth. 

He subdues the peoples under us, * and the nations under our feet. 

He chooses our inheritance for us, * the pride of Jacob whom he loves. 

God has gone up with a shout, * the Lord with the sound of the ram’s-horn. 

Sing praises to God, sing praises; * sing praises to our King, sing praises. 

For God is King of all the earth; * sing praises with all your skill. 

God reigns over the nations; * God sits upon his holy throne. 

The nobles of the peoples have gathered together * with the people of the God of Abraham. 

The rulers of the earth belong to God, * and he is highly exalted. 

Acts 1:1-11 

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” 

They say that the dash on your gravestone, the dash between the date of birth and the date of death, is your entire life. Jesus got a double dash, birth to Easter, and Easter to Ascension.

Here is the thing. We take Easter seriously, and we should. We call ourselves an Easter people, and we should. It is the culmination of Jesus’ teaching and ministry. And after Charles Dickens, we in the English speaking world took Christmas so very seriously. But then we have today. Ascension. What do we do with that?

We do not take it seriously. We have no Ascension carols. We have no set festivities that escape in from the culture or sneak out into it either. Ascension, if mentioned, is more metaphor than something real. We take Christmas and all the details literally. We take Easter literally as well. But when it comes down to the Ascension, we barely give it notice, much less importance. And I would dare say, very few of us take it literally. 

Two years ago I walked across Spain on the Camino de Santiago de Compastella. And every couple of days there tended to be a cathedral. And in those cathedrals they had to fill the space with something, and often they took a chapel off to the side and dedicated it to the Ascension. You could always tell, because there would be swirling clouds, disciples aghast, and then, dangling from the ceiling in the midst of the clouds, there were feet, feet with nailprints in them, dangling from the ceiling.

I have to admit, it made me giggle. It was cheesy. I had to laugh because it was laughable. I had to laugh because, never, not once, was I ever urged to take this day seriously. If mentioned at all in Jesus’ story, it is, “Oh, by the way…”

We include it in the Nicene Creed.

he ascended into heaven

            and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 

We do all of this, but deep down, do we really take this day seriously enough?

What if we thought of ourselves, not as Easter people, but Ascension People? 

Jesus said: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; 

and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 

And mere seconds after he was gone, the disciples stood there gaping, and they caught the angels’ rebuke:

“Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” 

When I say we should see ourselves as Ascension people, we should see ourselves as Christ’s body here on earth, at work in the world, expanding and enhancing the very Kingdom of God! No light task. Not dismissable or even close to laughable. Daunting, maybe. Harrowing, perhaps. But definitely not silly or laughable.

In the Gospel of John it is recorded that the disciples of John the Baptizer asked about this Jesus, and what they were to do with him. John responded, 

He must increase, but I must decrease.’ The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. [John 3:30-31]

John had fulfilled what he had come to do, and needed to step out of the way so that the one for whom he had come to prepare the way for could do what was needed to do.

Jesus did much the same thing. He went “home” so that we, The Church, could step into our own. What he had enabled and empowered, its time has come. He did what needed to be done so that we might become God’s dream for us.

Friends, we live in a post-Christendom era. The Gospel has become so acculturated that people can say they believe in Jesus with no change in themselves whatsoever. People put words and ideas in Jesus' mouth that are nothing like the teaching of our Lord and Savior, at all! If we take Easter seriously, if we take the Ascension seriously, we must be actively engaged in making the earth, heck, let’s settle for Fredericksburg a bit more like heaven each and every day.

That’s what Jesus said to the apostles, start where you are, and work your way out. Or literally, “Be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” That’s what we are to be about. We have our mission set before us.

Ascension People, our time has come! Let us be about the work we have been given to do. Amen

Year A Easter 6 2026 Youth Sunday The Advocate

 Year A Easter 6, 10 May 2026

St George’s Episcopal, Fredericksburg, VA

“Youth Sunday: The Advocate”

I am working with Ryan G., a youth at St George’s and am very pleased with what he has done here. His sermon is bookcased by some words of mine.

Collect: O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

John 14:15-21

Jesus said, ”If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

Greetings! This morning is one of our regular Children & Youth Sundays, and we are blessed to be hearing from a recent addition to the St George’s family. I am honored to know Ryan, and thankful that he was willing to stand and speak today.

Ryan was baptized last fall, and confirmed when the Bishop visited with us. In his life story I see the Holy Spirit working in him, having him ask questions and seek answers. He chose this church and the Episcopal approach to things, and I see the Holy Spirit at work in that as well. I continue to pray for his growth and maturing in his faith, and for his loving family that supports him. Welcome, Ryan!

GOOD MORNING!

First I want to say happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful

mothers out there. I hope you are able to celebrate and are

celebrated. Today is the one day that your kids for sure have to

listen to you, so make sure to take advantage of that. <pause for

laugh> And for our part we’ll try to use words you understand and

not stuff like cringe, rizz or anything like that. <pause for laugh>

Today’s lectionary talks about the promise of the Holy Spirit. It

says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will

ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with

you forever.” Jesus knows that he’s going to heaven and his

followers are worried. Jesus tells his followers to show their love

for him by following his example but along with that we will get an

advocate after Jesus is gone. The word advocate here means

helper, comforter or someone who speaks on someone else’s

behalf. The advocate that we receive is the Holy Spirit. The

lectionary says the spirit, “abides with you and he will be in you.”

To me this means that the spirit is with us whether we know it or

not. It also means that keeping Jesus’s commandments is an act

of love and not just following the rules because he said so. Love

is an action, not just obedience. It makes sense that Jesus would

send us another advocate because he himself was an advocate.

He comforted the sick and spoke on behalf of the poor. Jesus

wants to continue what he started!

If we think about it we have had many other advocates in our

lives. Teachers and coaches. Clergy and parents. Helping us

along the way, comforting us when we need it and speaking on

our behalf. I have had teachers take extra time to help me get a

better grade, taking their own time to suggest corrections and

extra credit. I have seen coaches argue with a referee against a

disqualification during swim meets because they knew the

swimmers cooked. Oops, sorry young people word…they “did

everything right.” <pause for laugh> Advocates are all around us

whether we recognize it or not and when these people positively

impact our lives, their advocacy and lessons can become a part of us. Those lessons become a part of us forever, like the spirit. And we can show our love to them by living those lessons.

In the way that the lessons are with us forever, the Holy Spirit is

with us forever and at all times. We are never truly alone since,

as the passage says, the spirit “dwells in us” My teacher is not

taking the test with me…I’m taking it. My swim coach isn’t

swimming my race with me…I’m swimming it. But the spirit is

there, being my advocate. That’s very empowering, but that’s

also very comforting. The Holy Spirit being with us at all times

brings a sense of sameness and stability that is a big source of

comfort in a world that is changing a lot. No matter what’s going

on, the spirit has our back. And our front. All sides of us because

it is in us.

Today we celebrate one of life’s biggest advocates…our mothers.Those of us that have been lucky enough to have mothers in our lives can see love as an action on full display. Can feel their lessons present in the way we act. So let’s use the Holy Spirit, and put our love into action by recognizing everything they’ve done for us. Maybe let’s just not let them get away with the whole “I carried you for 9 months” deal. Happy Mother’s day!

Didn’t he do a good job. I love that idea that the Holy Spirit is in us. He is with us when we are at our best, and with us when we are at our worst. The Spirit is always there.

One of the great strengths of the Anglican or Episcopalian way of faith is that we take the Holy Spirit seriously. Our charismatic brethren might urge us to be more demonstrative, but still waters run deep. I feel the Holy Spirit led me and my wife into the Episcopal Church, and through the years the Holy Spirit has prompted us and guided us along the way.

It is not an impersonal prompting, like the Force in Star Wars where it is there without knowing me. Some nonpersonal energy that I can control. The Spirit is not controllable, like a desert storm. It cannot be tamed. And it is not like Jiminy Cricket from Pinocchio sitting on my shoulder directing me on which way to go. I feel it is that still small voice that encourages me to take the steps of faith, knowing me fully and guiding me lovingly to be who I can be in Christ. Jesus promises: “You know [the Spirit], because [the Spirit] abides with you, and… will be in you.”

Friends, as we live our lives of faith, let us make room for the promptings of the Holy Spirit. They say if you want to hear God laugh, tell God your plans. God has things bigger, better, and more beautiful than we can imagine, and through the work of the Holy Spirit we can get there. Amen

Year A Easter 4 2026 Celtic: "Abundance"

 Year A Easter 4, 26 April 2026

St George’s Episcopal, Fredericksburg, VA
Celtic Service: “Abundance”

Collect: O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

John 10:1-10

Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

Tonight we have a passage that means so much to me. I was raised in another denomination where we were encouraged to have a “Life Verse.” A Bible verse which helped shape us and how we live our lives. My life verse is found in this passage. This passage was the Gospel reading I chose for my ordination service. It obviously means a lot.

But why? Why is it so important to me? We’ll get there, but first let’s see what Jesus is saying a Good Shepherd does.

• “The Sheep [know] his voice.” The voice of our loved ones is deeply ingrained. A baby knows its mother’s voice in utero. And that connection stays with us all our lives. The longer we spend with Jesus, the more we know when we hear his voice. The more we trust and obey knowing it is his voice and no one else’s.

• “He calls them by name.” Like the voice, by it we know him. But here, when he uses our name, we see he knows us! Wow! When I was a child we would go to Miller and Rhoad’s in Richmond to see the real Santa Claus. They even advertised him as being the REAL one. And their presentation was masterful, especially for back in the 1970s. Before you would meet Santa, you had to go and talk to the “Snow Queen.” She was a young woman who would talk with you and welcome you, and ask your name. And she would say it a few times. What I did not know as a child was that she had a mike and Santa had an earpiece. But, boy, was it convincing. Santa would look at you when it was your turn, and call me by name. “Jeffrey, come on over! So good to see you. What is it you want for Christmas?” As a child, when he called me by name, I knew that he was the real deal. Jesus knows our name. He calls us by name. And he is not faking it when he calls us by name. Wow!

• “He leads them out.” I was always taught to protect those under my charge, and this often means to go first to make sure the way is safe, or to stand between any dangers and those I must protect. Jesus leads the way out. He protects our path.

• “He goes ahead of them.” Very similar to leading us out, Jesus goes ahead of us. Jesus never asks to go somewhere he has not gone. He goes ahead, and asks us to follow.

These leadership practices are not imaginary. It is what a good shepherd does. They are actions of love and concern for the one in whose charge we are.

These are the What. But let’s get to the Why.

What Jesus does is because of the Why. He loves us and wants the best for us. He comes and knows us and talks to us and leads us not for us to just survive, though his protection and our safeguarding enable life. But this passage closes with that life verse I mentioned. It is the intent of our Maker for us. Life is a gift we are given, but the intent is for us to have life and have it ABUNDANTLY.

Abundance is more than enough. Abundance is the difference between moderation and feasting. Abundance is our cup running over. Do not hear me saying the prosperity theology drivel. The Abundance I believe that is hoped for us is more of an approach to life, an attitude even. I have enough and all will be okay. I have enough, and you have enough, and we both will be okay. I am free to speak. I am free to worship. I am free from want. I am free from fear. These are the four freedoms mentioned by FDR in his state of the union address in 1941, but I think they start to get at that idea of abundance that Jesus desires for us. That’s the Good Life. That’s Abundance, or a good start at it from my perspective. Think on that today. What is abundance to you? And then thank God that Jesus is working in your heart and soul and getting you there. Amen

Year A Easter 3 2026 All The Way Home

 Year A 3rd Sunday of Easter, 19 April 2026

St George’s Episcopal, Fredericksburg, VA

“All The Way Home”

Collect: O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Luke 24:13-35

Now on that same day two of Jesus' disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

I have always loved this story. But it is a bit problematic. I cannot fathom walking with someone 7 miles and having no clue who they could be, especially if they are someone I love. But here we are. Luke tells us that their eyes were kept from recognizing him. Cleopas and the other disciple of Jesus were walking from Jerusalem back to Emmaus, some 60 stadia away, which is about 7 miles in our measurements.

They are wrestling with what took place over the previous days, and the preposterous claims from that very morning that Jesus’ tomb was empty and there were claims that he rose from death. And Jesus joins them for the walk, asking what they were talking about. They expressed their incredulity that this stranger had not heard of the events about Jesus of Nazareth, and in response Jesus says this…

“Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

So for about the three hours that it would take while they walked that distance, these two disciples were given the greatest lesson in prophetic utterances ever made. The very one about whom so much was written and hoped for schooled them in what had been foretold and accomplished in him. If I could be a fly on a wall, or on a backpack, or whatever, in Scripture, this would be one of my top choices. To hear Jesus walk his way through the salvation history from the books of Moses to the fulfillment of the Messiah, what a gift! The two disciples even said later how impressive and soul-touching it was:

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”

Alas, we will never get to hear it. Maybe in heaven Jesus holds a Master Class that we can sign up for and hear it from him directly.

I love that Jesus just did that. Maybe it was a debrief for him, too. He had lived his life, suffered a cruel death stemming from an illegal trial, and he had an eager crowd that was not hiding away in some room, and he could walk and talk and remember. Remember all he did. Remember why he did it. Maybe he was unpacking for himself and Cleopas and friend the purpose and import of his life. So despite how “foolish [they were]” and “slow of heart to believe” Jesus still walked them through all that was done.

Cleopas and friend were not the only ones Jesus cared for. I take great comfort that Jesus treats us in much the same way he did those two disciples on the road to Emmaus. 

Two years ago I had the distinct pleasure of walking the Camino de Santiago across Spain while on my sabbatical. While I was walking alone, you meet a lot of people along the way. Fellow pilgrims walking the same path have an instant bond. And they are quick relationships, often because my pace was slower with older knees. But often I would come into the next town and hit the coffee shop where I would see pilgrims taking a break, and take a rest myself. Often my reputation preceded me, and someone would say, “So you are Father Rock from America! I was hoping I would meet you!” They say when the student is ready the teacher appears. That happened more times than I can remember, and would be asked about a theological question stuck in someone’s spiritual cud, or just to meet this person they had heard about. They were looking for me if I arrived.

The Road to Emmaus was the opposite of that. No one expected this biblical expert to show up. No one expected him to be there at the right time and place. Yet he was. I have often found that in my life. If I start planning on a miracle I feel too much like I am putting God to the test. But so often, repeatedly, when I wondered what I was to do, or where I was to go, God stepped in and took me to where I needed to be or gave me the lesson I did not even know I was missing.

100% of the effort, 100% of the work was on Jesus who sought these disciples out. Like the Lost Coin, or the Lost Sheep, or the Lost (a.k.a. Prodigal) Son, the seeking and searching might seem like we are doing it, but the one supposedly being sought is already there ready to swoop in.

I think Jesus says things like this…

“Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” [Matthew 7:7-8]

He says things like that because he is already there waiting. He is not summoned or beckoned, he is already there anticipating our needs, maybe even before we are.

Jesus goes with us where we need to go. There are times and places where I have to go somewhere, but I have no desire to do so. Like stepping on the scale after the holidays, I do not want to go there. But if I do not know where I am, I will never get to where I need to be. Cleopas and friend may have been expecting a political messiah, someone who would come in and kick out the Romans. But Jesus needed to take them to a place where they did not want to go. The issue was sin, and its wages, death. The Romans were bad, no argument. But the real issue, the problem in the human condition was sin. The first story involving humans in the Bible is all about sin and how that snowballed throughout human existence. Jesus walked them, figuratively and literally, through the course of human history so they could see what he was really about and what he had actually done. 

Not only did Jesus appear when least expected, and bring them what they needed, I love that Jesus walked with them all the way home. Jerusalem to front door service. Pretty cool. This might seem trivial, they were already headed there. But that the Master took them to where they were going shows again his care for them and even more his love for them. He does not leave them hanging or in the lurch. Even when he started to go on, they pleaded with him to come in. Hospitality being a hallmark of Middle Eastern culture, even to this day, he even came in and supped with them and got them to where they were enabled to have their eyes opened, fully seeing him finally for who he was.

It was when he broke the bread that he was revealed. That most human of activities, sitting down and sharing a meal. We come to Christ’s table still, sharing the one bread and one cup. My prayer for all of us today and every time we come to this table is that Christ will open our eyes. I believe he is already here, welcoming us and meeting us where we are.

When I got to the Cathedral in Santiago at the end of the Camino, I laughed. I cried. I celebrated. It was a gift to be able to walk so far, and it was a gift to be done. Like the road to Emmaus, I was able to see how Jesus had been with me the whole way, whether I knew it or saw it at the time or not. Life is that way. Jesus walks with us. Jesus is with us at our birthday parties. Jesus is with us when we make the biggest mistakes of our lives. Jesus is with us when we receive our greatest honors or joys. Jesus is with us when our worlds fall apart. He is with us in the ICU. He is with us in the hour of our death. Jesus walks us all the way home.

At the end of Matthew [28:19-20] he even promises us this:

“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus walks us home, too. In this Easter season, cling to that. Let it be your new normal. Don’t ever be distracted from that, no matter the circumstances. Now and always, Jesus is here. Amen

Year A 2nd Easter 2026 Thomas of Doubt and Faith

Year A Easter 2 2026, 12 April 2026

St George’s Episcopal, Fredericksburg, VA

Celtic Service: “Thomas of Doubt and Faith”

Collect: Almighty God, who through your Son Jesus Christ overcame death and  opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Christ’s resurrection, may be raised by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

John 20:19-31

When 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 Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." 

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe." Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may 

come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

I served my diaconal placement and my first position as a priest for over three years at St. Thomas’ down in Richmond in the Ginter Park neighborhood. I was ordained there, and St. Thomas’s Church and I have had a special bond since then. Far from belittling him from the moniker Doubting Thomas, I see someone who had a resounding faith. And only got labeled when he said aloud the thing many of us would have thought in that instance. Faithful Thomas sums him up better, for me.

If nothing else, my hero Thomas shows one thing, ALWAYS BE HONEST TO GOD. That for me is the stance of prayer. Always bring what is on your heart, whatever that is, to God. God knows anyway, what sense does it make to play games and say what is expected or polite. If you cannot be honest with God, you cannot be honest with yourself. 

Express your doubts. Get them out there. God is not troubled by them, and it helps clear the air.

Express your fears. That way God can help you get to “Fear Not! For I am with you always!”

Express your hopes. God may show you something even bigger, and grander, and better.

Express your wants and desires. If they are not in line with what God wants for you this is a way for you to be turned and converted to God’s better way.

When Thomas was honest, Jesus met him where he was. Maybe we need to be more like Thomas. (Source: http://satucket.com/lectionary/Thomas.htm) 

According to Church Tradition, Thomas went further than any of the other disciples, heading all the way to India, to the Kerala district, to share the Gospel with “all the world.” There are churches there to this day that claim direct connection to Thomas and his teachings about Jesus. I saw a PBS documentary one time saying that Roman galleons seeking spices actually caught the trade winds from Arabia and would go to India and return on the opposite winds six months later. The supposedly outlandish idea is not so outlandish. According to tradition he was killed with a spear, and so is often depicted with one when made into an icon or other art works.

POEM (A line from a hymn about Thomas and his faith)

These things did Thomas hold for real: the warmth of blood, the chill of steel, 

the grain of wood, the heft of stone, the last frail twitch of blood and bone.

His brittle certainties denied that one could live when one had died, 

until his fingers read like Braille the markings of the spear and nail.

May we, O God, by grace believe and, in believing, still receive 

the Christ who held His raw palms out and beckoned Thomas from his doubt.

(Thomas Troeger, 1984, Psalter/Hymnal of the Christian Reformed Church)

May we be beckoned by Christ, in our doubts, in our fears, in our hopes. Be like Thomas, however you come, bring all of who you are to God. God loves you just the way you are. Amen