In 1 Samuel 25, we are told the story of Nabal, Abigail, and David. It was the time of shearing, a time of prosperity for Nabal, a prosperity made possible by David. Nabal was celebrating this by means of a drunken feast. When messengers came from David, seeking to be included in the blessing, Nabal …
Beyond Capacity to Repay
Our Father and God, You have established Your Church as a royal priesthood in this world, and so we intercede for the nations of men now, confessing on their behalf so that the grace of Your forgiveness will soon be extended to them all. Father, we confess to You now that we are a nation …
Inside Outside
The message today contains a section on debts, and the ways we sin against our duty to love others through a financial lack of love. This exhortation, and the confession that follows it, is a preparation for that message. We have grown accustomed to identify love with a feeling, and from there, we have grown …
Two Kinds of Kings
There are two kinds of kings in Scripture. In the gospel of Mark, chapter 6, we see them placed side by side so that we might see the stark contrast between them. Herod had a big birthday bash, and the daughter of his illicit wife danced for them all, and Herod promised to give her …
Sin in our Civics
The task before us today, in these times, is that of learning how to live faithfully as Christians in the station to which we have been assigned, and yet to do it with an eye on the big picture. We need to understand that the nation will not be transformed by direct action, aimed at …
Confessing Our Slavery
Our Father and God, You have established Your Church as a royal priesthood in this world, and so we intercede for the nations of men now, confessing on their behalf so that the grace of Your forgiveness will soon be extended to them all. Father, we confess to You on behalf of our sorry nation …
To Gladden the Hearts of All Men
This is a meal of bread and wine, not milk and honey, but we need to talk about milk and honey anyway. The land of Canaan, the land to be inherited by Israel, is routinely described as a land flowing with milk and honey, and it is the land of blessing, the land of their …
Above and Beyond Responsibility
The apostle Paul once said that he filled out the sufferings of Christ (Col. 1:24). Clearly, he did not mean that the atonement was somehow lacking—when Jesus cried that it was finished, it really was finished. So what did He mean? The complete atonement established the body of Christ, and because of the completeness and …
For What We Did Not Do
Our Father and God, You have established Your Church as a royal priesthood in this world, and so we intercede for the nations of men now, confessing on their behalf so that the grace of Your forgiveness will soon be extended to them all. When we confess our sins, Father, one of our problems as …
Saying Amen on the Fly
I was recently asked a practical question about my approach to the prayer book tradition. For services at Christ Church, I write out most of my prayers beforehand — for the call to worship, the prayer of confession, the prayer for illumination, and the closing prayer. There are a couple of other prayers that I …