Innerdriving

The 2nd Sunday after Pentecost Proper 7C Luke 8:26-39 St. Matthias There are several things I have never done in Church.   I have never spilled a chalice of wine on the altar.   I’ve seen it done before.   I don’t plan to ruin my record this morning.   Matthew, you will like this one – I have never played the organ in Church – never played the piano either. You should all be glad.   I have never excommunicated anyone, but I can if you are living what the Book of Common Prayer describes as a “notoriously evil life” or if you are “a scandal to the other members of the congregation.”   I can do it.   You can read all about it in the BCP on page 409.   I have also never taken part in an exorcism and believe it or not there are actually instructions for such a service – not in the Book of Common Prayer – but in what is called the Book of Occasional Services.   Basically, these instructions say that if I think any of you are in need...

Inquirers Class St. Matthias Sunday, June 16, 2019 The History of the Church in 45 Minutes! or "Truth is Stranger than Fiction!" I love the history of the Church - especially the Episcopal Church.  You have great stories, great characters, and stuff happens that you just can't make up.   This map is pretty important for our discussion, so look at it closely. After Jesus's death and resurrection, the Apostles set out to spread the Gospel message of the Savior.  We know that St. Peter went to Britain and Gaul which included present-day France, Belgium, Luxemburg, and parts of the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany. F inally, Peter ended up in Rome where he died - crucified upside down.    Andrew went to Anatolia (Asia Minor) and Greece, St. John spent most of his time in Ephesus, Bartholomew went to Armenia, and others spread the Gospel in North Africa and Eastern Europe.  Matthias, our patron saint, is credited with bring...

Trinity Sunday C John 16:12-15 St. Matthias June 14, 2019            I learned this week that you can touch the top of a Jelly Fish and not get stung.   There is also this thing called the Eastern Australian Current and turtles ride it to get from the Great Barrier Reef to Australia.   And then I found out that all drains lead to the ocean!   OK, I don’t know that the last one is totally true, but it might be!   I learned all this watching the movie “Finding Nemo.”   I am getting ready for Junior High 1 Camp at Camp McDowell in a few weeks and trying to figure out how to keep the attention of a whole bunch of 5 th and 6 th graders.   I heard on the radio that Virginia and Georgia have more women named Virginia and Georgia than other states.   I’ve met 2 folks named Bama and I bet there are more.   I wonder if anyone is named Idaho?   It’s amazing to me that there is always mo...

Pentecost C Acts 2:1-21 June 8, 2019 St. Matthias            Over the past 10 days or so, I have spent a lot of time in airports.   First, there was O’Hare in Chicago where Phyllis and I waited for almost 4 hours.   Why?   Because Lydia our granddaughter plus Stefanie and Josh were meeting us to go to the Hall family reunion and their flight from Houston was late.      So of course, we waited.   Then just yesterday I spent another 3 plus hours in the Tampa airport waiting for my flight home after a business trip.   And what do you do when you are stuck in an airport – you watch people – at least I do!   And there are a lot of people in both of those airports.   There are families, retired folks, business people, and people on vacation.   They come in all sizes, shapes, and ages.   Recently in one airport where we waited – Phyllis met the Harvard tennis team. ...