August 11, 2024 – The Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost
I Kings 19:4-8; Psalm 34:1-8; Ephesians 4:25-5:2; John 6:35, 41-51 The Rev. Candice B. Frazer Ephesus was one of the premier cities of Asia Minor—modern day Turkey. It hosted a major economic port, a cultural and intellectual center, and a significantly wealthy population. For an ancient city it knew significant comforts like running water, clean streets, and good […]
July 21, 2024 – The Ninth Sunday After Pentecost
Jeremiah 23:1-6, Psalm 23, Ephesians 2:11-22, Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 The Rev. Candice B. Frazer “They were like sheep without a shepherd” … “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter”… “The Lord is my shepherd.” I wonder if we are catching on to a theme here. The use of shepherding language in the Old Testament is […]
July 14, 2024 – The Eighth Sunday After Pentecost
Amos 7:7-15; Psalm 85:8-13; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:14-29 The Rev. Candice B. Frazer Every so often, as I am sitting in the living room and reading a book, I will begin to hear the high-pitched, scritchy emanations of Joel Osteen. It usually takes a few seconds for the realization to set in—Joel Osteen has somehow wandered into […]
June 30, 2024 – The Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
Lamentations 3:21-33; Psalm 30; II Corinthians 8:7-15; Mark 5:21-43 The Rev. Candice B. Frazer Marquese wanted to be known as Mark. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of his name, on the contrary, he was rather proud of it and proud of his mother who had named him Marquese. But he did feel that “quese” made him sound […]
June 16, 2024 – The Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
Ezekiel 17:22-24; Psalm 92:1-4, 11-14; II Corinthians 5: 6-17; Mark 4:26-34 The Rev. Candice B. Frazer Several years ago, I lead a youth pilgrimage to Rome. We modeled it as best we could off of the ancient medieval pilgrimage to Rome—visiting various churches, the catacombs, and (of course) the Vatican. We hired a tour guide to lead us […]
June 9, 2024 – The Third Sunday After Pentecost
Genesis 3:8-15; Psalm 130; II Corinthians 4:13-5:1; Mark 3:20-35 The Rev. Candice B. Frazer Most people have a story or have seen a video of an entitled traveler. Just recently a video of a woman in first class went viral when she insisted she had paid for both seats and would not allow a fellow passenger to […]
May 26, 2024 – Trinity Sunday
Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 29; Romans 8:12-17; John 3:1-17 The Rev. Candice B. Frazer It is said that music can move men to acts of love and to acts of war. I’m pretty sure there is a lot of truth in that. Music is a powerful motivator, and it speaks deeply to our souls. I was brought up listening to […]
May 12, 2024 – Seventh Sunday of Easter
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26; Psalm 1: I John 5:9-13; John 17:6-19 The Rev. Candice B. Frazer We are God’s joy in the world. In every moment of life, we have a choice—we can be a creative or a destructive being. We can build this world up or we can choose to tear it down. The responsibility for making that choice […]
May 5, 2024 – Sixth Sunday of Easter
Acts 10:44-48; Psalm 98; I John 5:1-6; John 15:9-17 The Rev. Candice B. Frazer Our reading from Acts today begins in a small town on the coast of the Mediterranean a few miles outside of Tel Aviv. That town is called Joppa. Joppa is a picturesque place with winding, narrow streets, and old buildings. You can hike down […]
April 21, 2024 – Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:5-12; Psalm 23; I John 3:16-24; John 10:11-18 The Rev. Candice B. Frazer Psalm 23 is one of the most well-known psalms in the Bible. It is often read at funerals though I heard it read at a wedding once—and thought it most appropriate. We often read it on this Sunday, Good Shepherd Sunday, and we are […]