Ascension Written Sermons

Easter, Year A April 24, 2011 Alleluia! Let the Whole World See and Know The Reverend Howard J. Hess I. Introduction: Alleluia! Let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up. Alleluia, the Lord is risen . But listen, there’s even more. “Let the whole world see and know . . . that things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made [God’s] Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” These words constitute part of a collect from The Book of Common Prayer ’s Good Friday Service. This prayer has special meaning for me because it was given as an ordination gift to me in calligraphy by the Sisters of the Episcopal Convent of the Holy Spirit in New York City. The Mother Superior there had been my spiritual director as I was going through the ordination process. It was she who had helped me comprehend that the Easter story is not just an accounting o...

Easter Sunday Sermon – 7:30am Rite I Eucharist Service, April 24, 2011 Church of the Ascension, Knoxville TN Scripture: Acts 10:34-43, Psalm 118:1-2,14-24, Colossians 3:1-4, Matthew 28:1-10 Sermon Text: Easter is a joy-filled celebration, but it is also a celebration of Love, and living in the knowledge that Jesus died for love of us, conquered death, and rose to new life, shows us the power of that love. But as we approach the empty tomb with Mary this early morning, we notice that there is also fear. As we think about the world around us, it can often seem like things aren't that great, for them it was an approach of despair, going to annoint the body of their leader, and the absence of His body, and the presence of an otherworldly being, created fear, the evidence was in their faces, and they were afraid, but love casts away fear. for us sometimes the evidence of His resurrection is not so clear, and we also begin to be afraid we miss the evidence of...

The Rev. Amy Hodges Morehous Lent 5, Year A April 10, 2011 From the icy coldness of the pit, I will praise your name, for like a shepherd searching for a lost sheep you will not give up until you find me. Here in the gloom, I wait for the light of your coming. Then I will shout that my God is the God who does not rest until all are gathered in from the threat of night. -- Ann Weems , from Psalms of Lament Unbind Him, and Let Him Go John 11:1-45 After the length of that Gospel reading, I suspect what you would like me to say is, “Isn’t that a nice story? Doesn’t Jesus do some terrific things in people’s lives? Amen.” - and then we can all move on with the service. Well, I’m not going to do that - I know you’re all shocked. The Gospel begins in the depths of pain and grief. Martha and Mary send word to Jesus that their brother is seriously ill. Responding quickly, because of his great love for the three of them, heedless of the danger the trip might put him in, Jesus rushes to La...

Rev. Robert P. Travis Lent 4A Sermon – 8am and 10:30am Church of the Ascension, Knoxville TN RCL 4/3/2011 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Psalm 23, Ephesians 5:8-14 (and Romans 12) , John 9:1-41 Sermon Text: Wow, Two weeks in a row we have these very long, extended Gospel passages. But they are very different. There seems to be a lot going on in today's Gospel, but it is happening on at least two different levels. I might say, there's more to this story than meets the eye! But of course that's a terrible pun. Really it is all there, right in front of our eyes. But we have to be able to see it That's what I want to help you do this morning. The difference between this and other stories of Jesus bringing sight to the blind, is mentioned right in the first verse. Jesus saw a man blind from birth. The disciples' question about sin, reflects the relationship that sickness and sin had for jews at the time. And while there is some connection between sicknes...