Sermons

Easter 6B, May 6, 2018 Acts 10:44-48, Psalm 98 1 John 5:1-6, John 15:9-17 St. Thomas the Apostle The Rev’d Joy A. Daley They were as different as people could be, different in color, age, class. The fact that they found themselves in the same location was about the only real similarity and they even got there for different reasons. Red truly was a paying for a crime he had committed and Andy had been framed for a murder he didn’t commit. Red had already been there a while and was much older than Andy who was a successful banker before he came to Shawshank Prison. Somehow these two men became friends. Now we know that there are many kinds and levels of friendship. There’s the kind that is based on doing things together common interest that might be casual with no real responsibility or expectations. Some friendships start off…

Easter 3B, April 15, 2018 Acts 3:12-19, Psalm 4 1 John 3: 1-7, Luke 24: 36-48 St Thomas the Apostle The Rev’d Joy A. Daley The year was 2009. An unemployed, plump, simple woman walked out onto the stage of one of those talent shows and explained that she wanted to be a professional singer, a little late to get started at age 48, and she certainly didn’t look the part. The judges were skeptical the audience was laughing at her. There was significant eye rolling among the viewers who though they were witnessing some sort of joke. Then Susan Boyle opened her mouth and began singing with passion, poise and beauty. You could see the judges’ faces open with wonder, humbled as they received her gift of song and the audience was transformed getting to their feet with gratitude and surprise in a way that they never would have…

Maundy Thursday, March 29, 2018 Exodus 12: 1-14, Psalm 116 I Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13: 1-17,31b-35 St Thomas the Apostle The Rev’d Joy A. Daley My Lord, No. Someone needs to tell Jesus to get up off his knees. To stand up What does he think he’s doing. Doesn’t he know who he is? But no one would say it. They all sit there frozen as he bent over gently holding their feet looking up at them and there was something in his eyes that made their hearts break. So many things flashing through their minds from the past 3 years. That very first day they saw him. They ran after him There was something about him as he walked down the road Face set. Strides sure and strong. He was on his way toward something and they wanted in on whatever it was. They were like little kids following…

Lent IB, February 18, 2018 Genesis 9:8-17, Psalm 25, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1: 9-15 St Thomas the Apostle The Rev’d Joy A. Daley I wonder if you were like me as you sat before the television this week, deciding what channel to turn to, the one with Olympic events or the one that gave you all the details about this week’s shooting. Both experiences are a part of our lives The dichotomy of what we see is the world we live in. The story of lost children turning into violent adults who out of rage and hopelessness take the lives of others, the horrible grief of suffering families and slaughtered children. And then with the touch of a button I change the channel and I am greeted by smiling faces the story of the ice dancing couple who had so many problems now with joy on their faces as…

Advent 1B, December 3, 2017 Isaiah 64:1-9, Psalm 80 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 Mark 13: 24-37 St Thomas the Apostle The Rev’d Joy A. Daley “Love Means You Never Have to Say You’re Sorry?” On the Saturday after Thanksgiving I was taking a bike ride in my neighborhood trying to work off some of the pie I had eaten on Thursday. I wasn’t riding very fast. All of a sudden in the distance but not too far ahead I heard one of those old fashioned ice cream trucks playing a song. Now usually they play some peppy kid’s song like Pop goes the Weasel But the song that was playing that day was familiar but I couldn’t place it . What was it? Then as I was peddling along it came to me. It was the theme from the movie, Love Story. It seemed strange to hear a song from a…

Proper 28A, November 19, 2017 Judges 4: 1-7, Psalm 123 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11 Matthew 25: 14-30 St Thomas the Apostle The Rev’d Joy A. Daley There are many ways that members of the church go about spreading the love of God rather than holding on to it for ourselves. This morning I’d like to tell you about how one group has done this in a particular area over the past couple of years. Several years ago someone made a gift to the church in the amount of $42,000 and it was designated for outreach. That’s a big chunk of money that you don’t want to be careless about. So there’s a group in our parish known as the outreach committee and what they do is to discern carefully about such things. First   they take the risk of stepping up to be on the committee, using their knowledge and wisdom…