St Thomas

Proper 16B, August 26, 2018 1 Kings 8:[1, 6, 10-11], 22-30, 41-43; Psalm 84 Ephesians 6:10-20; John 6:56-69 St Thomas the Apostle The Rev’d Leo Loyola I love being a priest. Not because I thrive the attention from what I wear, or the thrill of inspiring people hearing me preach. I love it because it is, for me, a way of life. The priesthood allows me to boldly express my faith as a Christian. And yet being a Christian—lay or ordained—is not always easy. Sometimes we get pigeonholed into the same group as other Christians who we vehemently disagree with theologically and those we simply abhor. Take, for example, the Christian Right, those who arguably define American Christianity. For these evangelicals, Christianity is about having the right principles and doctrines. It’s about morality. It’s about how moral values shape culture for the better. Under their terms, to be Christian means…

Proper 14B, August 12, 2018 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33; Psalm 130 Ephesians 4:25-5:2; John 6:35, 41-51 St. Thomas the Apostle The Rev’d Leo Loyola A woman named Sandy was upset with her husband. She felt as if Harry wasn’t spending enough time with their son. And so she wrote him a poem. Inspiration for this poem came from observing the awkward relationship between her previous husband James and his father John. John was one of eleven children. Although he didn’t pass the fifth grade, John was the epitome of a Horatio Algiers’ rags-to-riches story. He started a furniture company out of nothing, and built it up into a successful business. He later went into politics and served as borough president of Brooklyn for 25 years. But despite his success, John had one great regret. He always wanted to be a judge, considering it the most honorable of professions. But…