Emmanuel Episcopal Church

The might of Rome and the humble peasant King meet in Jerusalem. Palm Sunday's decisive moment helps to define us as followers of Christ, and the salvation He offers is not from the world but in and for the world.

Deacon Doug Rogers tells us how John 3:16 is not merely about believing in Jesus today for the sake of Heaven later, but about living into the example that Christ established for us.

Understanding what these principles mean to us today, and how they can guide us in living well and living in community.

What Jesus' example can teach us about saying "no" and living in line with our values.

Lent calls us into the wilderness, to confront the things of which we are afraid, to break open our hearts, to risk the potential of change, said Courtney Reid, director of operations for the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago and guest preacher.

The Ash Wednesday liturgy is a safe space for us to acknowledge sin and death in the context of community. We see that the final word is not sin and death, but rather God's limitless forgiveness and love. This can be inspire us to observe a holy Lent, to give something up or take something on, that will draw us closer to God and prepare our hearts to celebrate Easter.

Jesus' healing of Simon Peter's mother-in-law teaches us about gender bias and effective outreach. How can we apply this lesson to our city and neighborhoods as we seek transformation? We all have a role in raising others up. But as Robert Lupton, author of Toxic Charity, says people who suffer in poverty must become partners in advancement with those seeking to help them.This model is an equalizer, allowing people to look directly at each other instead of putting the giver in a position of power.

We may not be called to "drop everything" like Jesus' disciples, but there are leaps that each of us can make everyday to help us live life more fully

The story of Samuel give us a chance to imagine our own capacity for prophetic speech and action.

Deacon Lou Ness says baptism is scary because you are committing to a powerful, transformative covenant with God. Accepting your baptismal covenant means your will suffer because standing with Christ is counter cultural. And that's a challenge.

Nancy Sauer's guest sermon takes a deep look at three travelers who may been called kings, astrologers, Magi and wiseman. They are central to the Epiphany story, as the "revelation of Christ to the Magi in Bethlehem was a symbol of His revelation to the whole of the Gentile world. Epiphany presents to us the calling of not merely a chosen few, but all nations to Christianity."

We don't have to try to save Christmas because it's going to happen with us or without us. God is the Christmas light that existed before time and will be shining when we are long gone. We can't prevent it or make happen. But we can decide to join the party or not.

Beyond the dogma and doctrine, the Rev. Andria Skornik believes Christmas is a love story, the kind of absurd, passionate, authentic and self-sacrificial love story that would cause a king to put on plain clothes or a God to be born in a manager.

What do you tell people in the 90-second life update at holiday parties? What would you say if you were Mary having been given the angel's news? In the Magnificat, Mary claims God's sacred-making work in her life, and we too can make this our story, even when we can't see the whole picture.

Deacon Doug Rogers says times were tough in the kingdom (as they are today) when a man with tangled hair and camel hide loin cloth started purifying people in the Jordan River. John was a beacon of hope, a reminder that the darkest forces of the world aren't as powerful as they appear to be.

Greetings. This is a thought provoking guest sermon by Vicki Garvey, canon for Lifelong Christian Formation at the Chicago Diocese. She says: "Good news. Gospel. Glad Times. God is with us still. Always was. Always will be. "Do you believe me?"

Our tradition has been called the Via Media, meaning “middle way.” It is a way of mediating opposing views through dialogue, the charting of a course between divergent sides so that by bringing together two positions in discussion a third idea may emerge.