Sermon.04.28.19 St. Paul’s Episcopal – Brookings Fr. Larry Ort Acts 5.27-32; Psalm 118.14-29; Revelation 1.4-8; John 20.19-31 Earth Day, first observed in 1970, is celebrated on April 22; churches are encouraged to promote creation care on the Sunday closest to April 22. As that was Easter Sunday, we are celebrating Earth Day today. The past 49 years has seen many accomplishments, but the situation is dire. I hate to think what we might have been experienced aside from our pa

Easter Sunday Sermon.04.21.19 St. Paul’s – Brookings Fr. Larry Ort Acts 10:34-43; 1 Corinthians 15:19-26; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; John 20:1-18 (BCP, p. 222) Collect: Almighty God, who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ overcame death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life: Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of the Lord's resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns wi

Sermon.04.14.19.Palm.Sunday St. Paul’s Episcopal – Brookings Fr. Larry Ort Luke 19.28-40; Psalm 118.1-2, 19-29 // Isaiah 50.4-9a; Psalm 31.9-16; Philippians 2.5-11; Luke 22.14-23.56 The real sermon for today is the passion story. I suspect you might have heard something new in this story, something that had previously escaped your attention. If so, would anyone like to briefly share your thoughts? (Allow a couple of people to share, then proceed with the homily.) For many yea

Sermon.04.07.19 St. Paul’s Episcopal – Brookings Fr. Larry Ort Isaiah 43.16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians 3.4b-14; John 12.1-8 As we make our way through Lent, the cross is drawing nearer. Today’s scriptures convey this sense of movement. Isaiah reports the Lord’s admonition, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (

Sermon.03.31.19 St. Paul’s Episcopal – Brookings Fr. Larry Ort Joshua 5.9-12; psalm 32; 2 Corinthians 5.16-21; Luke 15.1-3, 11b-32 Today’s gospel reading is truly gospel, for it gives us a vision of a loving God who is always ready and waiting for our return. Yet much of Christendom, across the centuries, has preached and continues to preach a very different understanding of God. Consider these words from “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” a sermon delivered by Jonathan