Sermon Archive

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All of these sermons were delivered in the Abbey Church. To make it easier to find a certain topic or lectionary day, click one the blue tags below (Holidays, Sundays Year A, Sundays Year B, Sundays Year C). The sermons are posted in order of their calendar date, so not all in the same lectionary year are together – keep scrolling down, and you will find more from earlier calendar years.

Other sermons can be found on our YouTube channel.
Many of Abbot Andrew’s sermons are posted on his blog.

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Easter 6 Year C: Big Peace

John 14:23-29

May 25, 2025   Abbey Church   Abraham

Jesus gives us His peace, but he says that he does not give it as the world gives it. That is good, because we know that when “the world” gives us peace, it does not last, because it is peace achieved through suppression of whatever is causing agitation. Whenever more agitants pop up, the peace is gone.

Jesus gives us peace by healing our relationship with the universe, so that we need not be agitated. He also heals our relationship with ourselves, and we all know that our biggest lack of peace comes from our inner turmoil (our biggest source of agitation is our own selves.)

So. Jesus gives us this supreme peace, but we sure do not seem to experience it very often. Maybe we do not receive it because we are not receptive. Maybe we are waiting for Jesus to suppress our agitants. Maybe we are mistaken about what should agitate us.

We need to spend more time with the promised Holy Spirit who will teach us how to receive the peace of Jesus. We have an eternity in which to learn, and an infinity to learn about. We can start by listening to the Holy Spirit in scripture and silence, and by being fed by Jesus as we gather around this table.

We do not need to worry about lacking faith whenever we are not in peace. Peace is a gift, not a test. And it is a big Jesus-sized gift, so there should be no surprise that it takes so long for us to unpack and learn how to use it. The Holy Spirit is with us to show us how it works. May we be open to instruction.   AMEN

Holy Week Schedule

Palm Sunday April 13
8:30am We gather in the Great Hall for blessing and distribution of palms and then process into the church to hear the singing of the Passion Narrative.

Maundy Thursday April 17
7:00pm We celebrate the institution of the Lord’s Supper.

Good Friday April18
12:00 noon We remember and celebrate the glorification of our Lord Jesus as he is lifted high upon the throne of the cross.

Holy Saturday April 19
11:00pm We gather in the Great Hall for the lighting of the new fire and then process into the church to hear scripture readings of salvation, to renew our baptismal vows, and to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus as he begins the restoration of all of creation.
We then gather in the refectory for a party (the monks provide all the food and drink – please join us).

Easter Day April 20
9:30am Morning celebration of Easter Day in the church.

Easter Monday April 21
5:00pm Benediction and Vespers

Guests are welcome at any of our services. Anyone allowed to take communion in their own church is welcome to do so here with us.

Special Services for Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, and Beyond…

December 1, 2024: Advent begins. We wait for the coming of Our Lord as we make room in our own lives to receive him.

December 17: 5:00pm – At vespers we begin the “O” Antiphons, counting down to Christmas Eve.

December 24: 5:00pm – 1st Vespers of The Nativity
11:00pm – Matins of The Nativity leading into Christmas “Midnight Mass”
followed by a party in the refectory – everyone is welcome (the monks will provide all the food and drinks)

December 25: 8:30am – Lauds of The Nativity leading into Christmas Day Mass

December 26: 5:00pm – Benediction and Vespers

January 1: 8:30am – Holy Eucharist celebrating the naming and circumcision of Jesus eight days after His birth

January 6: 8:30am – Holy Eucharist celebrating the arrival of the Wise Men and the revealing of Jesus to all people
5:00pm – Benediction and Vespers

January 12: 8:30am – Holy Eucharist celebrating the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist (water will be blessed at this service; guests are welcome to take some home with them)

February 2: 8:30am – Holy Eucharist celebrating the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and the Purification of Mary after childbirth

All are welcome. If you can take communion in your church, you are welcome to do so here.

Proper 26 Year B: Yes And

Proper 26 Year B
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Hebrews 9:11-14
Mark 12:28-34

November 4, 2024   Abbey Church   Abraham

Faith or works, Love or Action, Mary or Martha. These oppositions are false and harmful. Faith produces Works, Love is Active, Mary starves without Martha. If all we do is send “thoughts and prayers” when we could go further with actions to help solve a problem, that means that we are thinking about ourselves and praying with gratitude that we are ok, rather than caring about the people with the problem.

On the flip side, action without prayer can be dangerous, because it often springs from hasty decisions based solely on our own narrow viewpoint. Loving God, our neighbor, and ourself takes work and wisdom. Faith without works is just as self-centered as works without faith, because dead faith gives us a false security because we feel protected and special, while dead works gives us false security because it addresses symptoms while ignoring causes.

Of course, life is messy. Sometimes, something needs to be done, and there is not a lot of time to pray about it, so we simply do something, hoping it is the right thing to do. Other times, something needs to be done, but we are not in a position to do anything, so we just send “thoughts and prayers”, hoping that at some point we can actually do something. Those are good reactions, because at least we are doing what we can at the time with the best intentions.

Maybe the best way to live with the messy problem of life is to put our faith and work into action all the time – not just when needed in big dramatic situations. We can pray everyday. We can do small good things for people everyday. Doing so makes us people of Faith and Works, Love and Action, Mary and Martha. It prepares us for times when big faith and works is needed and it makes us and the world around us better, even if no big problems ever occur.

Faith and Works are not in opposition, because they both spring from Grace. God gives us the ability to Love and Act, and to put our Faith to Work. Without God’s Grace, we can do neither. Grace is always there – we just need to stop resisting it. It is scary only on the surface. Love God, love our neighbor, love ourself. We have all the tools we need to do that, and even the crudest attempt is a good start. The outcome is up to God. Our job is to just do it. It will seem to us that we fail often, but God’s Grace is big, and it is all we really need. Love God, love our neighbor, love ourself. We all really want that, and every attempt is a success.   AMEN