"Why We Continue to Sing"

Eve of the Nativity.B.17
Luke 2:1-20
The Rev. Melanie McCarley

For many of us, the celebration of the birth of Christ would be indispensable without the singing of Christmas carols. Take, for example, the hymn with which we began this evening’s service: O Come All Ye Faithful”. It’s next to impossible not to take in the joy of the season when belting out lyrics such as these: “O come all ye faithful, Joyful and Triumphant! O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem!”

"Pulling Together"

Proper 21.A.2017
Philippians
The Rev. Melanie L. McCarley

When most of us think of sled dog races, it’s the Iditarod that comes most readily to mind. Yet, what might have been the most important sled dog race that will ever be run in Alaska, ended in Nome on February 2, 1925, when Gunner Kaassen drove his tired dog team down an almost deserted First Avenue.

Who are the Righteous?

Proper 29.A.17
Matthew 25:31-46
The Rev. Melanie L. McCarley

The following are portions of a Letter to the Editor, published in the New York Times several years ago—yet, I still find it relevant today. The author writes: (January of 1990). “Last week, as I entered the Port Authority Bus Terminal, I saw two homeless people imploring a police officer to come with them. At first, the officer didn’t appear interested; however, upon hearing that the individual had come off of the bus—and was therefore a commuter, he quickly responded. Curious....I followed.

What kind of Vineyard is this?

Proper 22.A.2017
Matthew 21:33-46
The Rev. Melanie L. McCarley

In the Gospel lesson for today, we are told that there is a landowner who planted a vineyard, and bestowed upon this fair piece of land everything it needed in order to succeed and be a blessing to those who lived there. And then he leased it to tenants and went away.

The Unforgiving Steward

Proper 19.A.2017
Matthew 18:21-35
The Rev. Melanie L. McCarley

The Parable of the Unforgiving Steward is admittedly difficult to preach on---actually that’s not true. The parable, as Jesus tells it, is really pretty straightforward. It’s the reality that’s hard.

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