In this sermon we start a new series allowing some of the voices from the Philokalia to help us hear the gospel. Today we look at some verses from the book of Daniel alongside of some words from John Cassian. We talk about the kingdom of God (see Mary’s song in Luke 1, Jesus’ Luke 4 sermon, and everything we do to Jesus in Matthew 25), a book by Maurice Sendak called Where the Wild Things Are, Nebuchadnezzar’s wilderness experience and the time he turned into a beast, and what it all has to do with the carpenters rule (hint: this is the kingdom of God). May we encounter the crucified Christ raised from the dead in these words.

In this sermon we start a new series allowing some of the voices from the Philokalia to help us hear the gospel. Today we look at some verses from Luke's gospel alongside of some words from Evagrius Ponticus. We talk about what it means to pray, to pray without distraction, what distractions such as violence, prejudice, bigotry, racism, classism, sexism, xenophobia, and nationalism. God is trying to shake out of us, futility, discouragement, trust, and a song from David Benjamin Blower called “The World is a Reed Flute.” May we encounter the crucified Christ raised from the dead in these words.

In this sermon we start a new series allowing some of the voices from the Philokalia to help us hear the gospel. Today we look at some verses from Matthew’s gospel alongside of some words from Isaiah the Solitary. We focus on what it means to guard what we let in and what we let out. We talk about the connection between the inner and outer life, the time I got agitated by a large work vehicle outside my house, a scene from a Narnia story, and the idea that over time spiritual things accumulate. May we encounter the crucified Christ raised from the dead in these words.