Emmanuel Episcopal Church

In the parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus, Jesus shows us that although the rich man is in Hades he really hasn't died to his earthly way of life. He expects to be able to ask for favors or direct others to do his will as though he were still the rich and powerful man he once was. It's by dying to our earthly cares that we can truly experience the life that is promised to us; when we see our shared humanity we come out of our isolation to share together in God's kingdom.

The Scripture references are Amos 6:1a, 4-7, Psalm 146, and 1 Timothy 6:6-12. The Gospel reference is Luke 16:19-31.

As part of our annual Youth Celebration Sunday some of our Emmanuel youth, Elora, Sam, Hannah, and Lindsey, along with two of their mentors, Maria and Amy, share their remembrances, reflections, and feelings from the Youth Pilgrimage to London, Westminster, and Canterbury.

When Jesus dined with sinners he was welcoming and befriending the very worst of society, the moral disgraces and the ne'er-do-wells. By His welcome, they were no longer lost but had been found. We can be righteous, and still be lost; wanting to be found starts with admitting we are lost. When we do, we will experience God's fierce desire to find those who are lost and His overwhelming joy when they are found and returned to Him.


The Scripture references are Exodus 32:7-14, Psalm 14, and 1 Timothy 1:12-17. The Gospel reference is Luke 15:1-10.

As the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land, Moses exhorted them to make a choice between a life of prosperity and goodness by following the commandments God had given them, or a death of misery and deprivation by following other gods. We, too, are challenged to look at our lives through the lenses of life and death; as we enter any new beginning we can be hopeful, looking for the signs of God's presence wherever they can found, or we can be critical, expecting to be disappointed, given to self-pity and complaining. Think of the future, the new beginnings that face us, the possibilities that are ahead, and choose life.

The Scripture references are Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Psalm 1, and Philemon 1-7. The Gospel reference is Luke 14:25-33.

In Luke's Gospel story of Jesus healing the crippled woman on the Sabbath, we see Jesus reclaiming God's holy day from the legalistic interpretation of the synagogue leader and returning it to to the restorative day that God intended in Genesis. We need the Sabbath to rest and reflect, and to be restored to God. We are so connected to our busy days of work and obligations that we miss being connected to God's holiness in holy time. Setting aside intentional, dedicated time to heal our spirit, as well as our body, is to truly keep the Sabbath.

The Scripture references are Isaiah 58:9b-14, Psalm 103:1-8, and Hebrews 12:25-29. The Gospel reference is Luke 13:10-17.

God's choice as the all-knowing, all-powerful Creator to come among us as a helpless baby confirms how much He needed Mary and Joseph. It's not that He couldn't come to us in any other way, it's that He chose to include us, to complete the bond between us and God. God counts on us to comfort, to console, to feed, to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; we have a stake in this world, and in bringing God's Kingdom. We all need God in our lives, and He needs us.


The Scripture references are Isaiah 61:10-11, Psalm 34, and Galatians 4:4-7. The Gospel reference is Luke 1:46-55.

Jesus' injunction to his disciples to sell their possessions and give away the proceeds is one part of the Gospels that always causes a bit of tension when we hear it. Are we literally to give everything away? Was this only directed at the disciples, or at all of us? The core message Jesus sends us is to not get too attached to material things. We are never to confuse wealth with worth. We will always have an inner richness on which to draw, the wealth and abundance that comes from sensing God's Spirit within us.


The Gospel reference is Luke 12:32-34.

In the parable of the rich fool Jesus showed us the futility of measuring the quality of our lives by the amount of material wealth we accumulate, rather than by the strength of our relationship to God and to each other. Our existence, our successes are not our own; our lives are God's to give and God's to take back again. The greatest riches God gives us are found in each other; let us then all be gifts to one another, doing everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

The Gospel reference is Luke 12:13-21.

If Scripture teaches us anything about Jesus, it's that He prayed, regularly and often. He taught us how to pray to God with the words of the Lord's Prayer, and to pray boldly. Persist in prayer and know that every prayer is heard and answered, often in unseen ways, and that God loves you and has not forgotten you, and will always keep His promise

The Gospel reference is Luke 11:1-13.

The story of Mary and Martha reminds us how easy it is for the demands of day to day living to make us neglect the truly important things in our lives: family, friends, and most of all, our relationship with God. As Martha stressed about keeping the household and entertaining Jesus and his disciples, Mary, in a radical act, sat at Jesus' feet and was taught along with His followers. This story's most important point is that there is a time for work, a time for play, a time for worship, and a time for learning; a successful life is a balanced life. We all need to take a break on a regular basis, and to sit at the feet of Jesus.

The Gospel reference is Luke 10:38-42.

The parable of the Good Samaritan rings truer than ever in these violent and stressful times. In it we learn of the kindness of the Samaritan, but also of the innkeeper who cared for the man who had been robbed, trusting that the Samaritan would indeed return to compensate him for his caring. We can appreciate their willingness to act with kindness and decency without disparaging the Priest and the Levite who passed by on the other side, but even today our response to those in need is determined too often by the response of others. This story calls us to renew our caring for the needs of those around us. God has set us as examples to the world; when we get involved, others will also, loving God by loving our neighbors without thought of reward.

The Gospel reference is Luke 10:25-37.

How do we avoid a tepid faith, a faith so bland, so meaningless and boring, that even God would not favor it? Like the seventy disciples sent out we must be committed, strong in our belief, and not hesitant to show and share our commitment to Jesus Christ. It takes the commitment of people for Jesus' Gospel to work; if we were willing to make even a small commitment to live that Gospel message, no one would doubt our power.

The Gospel reference is Luke 10:1-11,16-20.

Too often our love for tradition keeps us from seeing that the church is not an organization, but an organism that lives, breathes, and grows. We are called to look ahead and not back, at what lies before us and not at what is past. It is well and good to cherish the past, but our faith is all about living joyfully in the present, thinking about the future with God.


The Scripture references are 1 Kings 19:15-16,19-21, Psalm 16:5-9,11, and Galatians 5:1,13-25. The Gospel reference is Luke 9:51-62.

Jesus' commandment to love our enemies is perhaps the most difficult for us to embrace. It flies in the face of our wish to see our idea of justice done when we are wronged. When Jesus spoke of loving mankind, he used the word that translates into Greek as agape, an active feeling of benevolence toward others. This calls us not to compare ourselves to others, but calls us to compare ourselves to the perfection of God. As the Orlando shootings have shown us, even in the most horrific moments God is in the midst of it all.


The Scripture references are 1 Kings 19:10-15a, Psalm 43, and Galatians 3:23-29. The Gospel reference is Matthew 5:21-224,43-48.

Forgiveness is one of the most powerful forces we have as Christians. Through honest confession and repentance we can leave our transgressions, and those of others, behind and be graciously forgiven by God's love.

The Scripture references are 2 Samuel 11:26-12:10,13-15, Psalm 32:8-12, and Galatians:15-21. The Gospel reference is Luke 7:36-50.

Jesus was moved to the very depths of His being by the suffering of the widow of Nain, as told in today's Gospel lesson from Luke. Claiming as his own that which Death had seized to carry away, Christ showed us that even in our most desolate and suffering times God can and will fill us and support us if only we let Him in.

The Gospel reference is Luke 7:11-17.

Fr. Thomas Rosa shares with us how honoring the sacrifice made by our servicemen and servicewomen on Memorial Day, reflects also the sacrifice we memorialize each time we celebrate the Eucharist. Both bear witness to a greater love than the love of self.

The Gospel reference is Luke 7:1-10.

The Reverend Deacon John R. Dolan of Trinity Episcopal Church, Aurora, joins us this Trinity Sunday and shares that our whole Christian life is caught up in the life of the Trinity. Jesus emphasized the Spirit's role of abiding guidance to us all. As we look at the One God through the prism of our faith, we see the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Scripture references are Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 and Romans 5:1-5. The Gospel reference is John 16:12-15.

Father Thomas Rosa shares with us a vision of Pentecost, as exciting as any Hollywood blockbuster. As we grow in our faith, the Holy Spirit plants and nurtures in us the qualities of Jesus, transforming anyone who is faithful into a reflection of Christ.

The Scripture references are Genesis 11:1-9 and Acts 2:1-21. The Gospel reference is John 14:8-17.

Jesus' last act of devotion was directed at us. How well have we acknowledged God's love for us as shown by Christ? We should always echo those words from Revelation, "Come, Lord Jesus! Amen."

The Scripture references are Acts 16:25-34 and Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21. The Gospel reference is John 17:20-26.