Homilies

  St. Francis Church Warden's Talk October 27, 1996   Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment.   And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."   (Matt 22:37-40.) When I left Wall Street three years ago, I decided to embark on a new career.   I ended up starting three.   In addition to the management consulting firm my brother Steve and I started, I became the Warden of the Vestry here at St. Francis', and also began publishing and reading verse, which had been my long-term avocation.   With your indulgence, I would like to talk about stewardship in terms of these three viewpoints: businessman, churchman and writer.   And   look at stewardship first as meeting a financial need, second, as building a community of faith, and th...

St. Francis' Church   Advent II   December 10, 1995   Gospel: Mark 1:1-8 "Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."  He "wore a garment of camel's hair, and  a leather girdle around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey."  Now here was someone who could make a dull dinner party interesting!  Can you picture this?  A wild-eyed visionary, passionate about ideals to excess, a strict vegetarian, dressed in leather pants and a camel-haired sport coat.  Not bad.  Do you know someone like this?  Perhaps there is some distant cousin on the family tree that we don't like to talk about, let alone invite to Christmas dinner.  John would definitely qualify for a "black sheep" of the family if I ever saw one.  We have all crossed the paths of a such a character.  He's part Christopher Lloyd, the mad profess...

    “Thanks-Giving” 24-Nov-74   Written when I was in seminary at Drew: Introductory remarks:   I want to thank you for the opportunity to share some thoughts on Thanksgiving.   As much as it is a trial for me to be up here speaking this morning, I'm sure it's a bit of a trial for you to sit and listen to a young seminarian stumble through and learn the art of preaching.   I appreciate your patience and understanding.   Perhaps together we can catch a glimpse of the great mystery which is the Gospel of God.     LET US PRAY:   *****   Father, bless these words where you would have them heard, and bless those whom you would have hear. In Jesus name, Amen.   ***** [Open Barrett [1] first]   We read in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, the ninth chapter, beginning with the first verse and ending with the fifteenth: [Reading]   I   Have you ever read the small print...