http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/ Sermons delivered at The Episcopal Church of Our Saviour, Mill Valley, California: A welcoming community for those seeking to deepen their relationship with God, and to journey in faith with God's people through the breaking of bread and in service to others, in Christ's name. Podcast Generator 0.93 - podcastgen.sourceforge.net Sun, 19 May 2013 13:36:41 -0700 EN Copyright ©2013 Church of Our Saviour, Mill Valley. All rights reserved. Sermons delivered at The Episcopal Church of Our Saviour, Mill Valley, California: A welcoming community for those seeking to deepen their relationship with God, and to journey in faith with God's people through the breaking of bread and in service to others, in Christ's name. Episcopal Church of Our Saviour, Mill Valley, California Episcopal Church of Our Saviour, Mill Valley, California office@oursaviourmv.org clean The Holy Spirit acts at such a foundational place in our lives, we can sometimes barely notice its work. (Pentecost - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) When Philip says, "Show us the Father and we shall be satisfied," he is articulating our desire for an esoteric experience of God. Put another way, he is expressing our clamoring for a God we can compartmentalize, privatize, and control. The Holy Spirit comes instead to shatter our controlling ego, give us life itself, and set us free. The Holy Spirit acts at such a foundational place in our lives, we can sometimes barely notice its work. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-05-19_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-05-19_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer 10:59 no Sun, 19 May 2013 13:24:30 -0700 The bare threads of faith are brought together into a tapestry that witnesses to God's love at work in our midst. (The Seventh Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Jason Lucas) The way in which our threads of faith gather together into God's great tapestry illustrates the union of Jesus with God, and the love revealed in the Holy Trinity. The bare threads of faith are brought together into a tapestry that witnesses to God's love at work in our midst. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-05-12_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-05-12_sermon.mp3 jason@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Jason Lucas) The Rev. Jason Lucas 9:13 no Sun, 12 May 2013 13:46:13 -0700 The truth is, all religious enterprise, and the Christian faith in particular, hangs much of the time by the barest of threads. (The Sixth Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) From the beginning, the Christian enterprise and our lives of faith have always hung, it seems, from the barest of threads. We are promised one thing, though, when we are faithful: we are not alone. The truth is, all religious enterprise, and the Christian faith in particular, hangs much of the time by the barest of threads. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-05-05_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-05-05_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer Silas,Paul,mission 11:33 no Sun, 05 May 2013 13:25:32 -0700 The love to which Jesus calls us is fundamentally subversive and transformative. (The Fifth Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Annette Rankin) The ministries of the youth at Church of Our Saviour in one of the least-churched parts of the country model the subversive love Jesus commands his disciples to have. The love to which Jesus calls us is fundamentally subversive and transformative. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-04-28_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-04-28_sermon.mp3 deacon@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Annette Rankin) The Rev. Annette Rankin 9:23 no Sun, 28 Apr 2013 13:02:11 -0700 Tragedy reminds us of the way we are called to shepherd one another in Christ. (The Fourth Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Jason Lucas) The Boston Marathon bombing and its aftermath call us towards the peace of the Good Shepherd: we are reminded of how to be shepherds for each other, particularly through difficult times. Tragedy reminds us of the way we are called to shepherd one another in Christ. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-04-21_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-04-21_sermon.mp3 jason@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Jason Lucas) The Rev. Jason Lucas Boston,marathon,bombing 9:47 no Sun, 21 Apr 2013 12:48:54 -0700 Thomas shows us that belief in resurrection involves much more than we might think. (The Second Sunday of Easter - Willie Van Doren p/BSG) It is one thing to believe the world is round. It is quite another to believe in the Risen Christ. The first might not change our day-to-day life all that much. The second changes our life forever. Thomas shows us that belief in resurrection involves much more than we might think. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-04-07_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-04-07_sermon.mp3 youth@oursaviourmv.org (Willie Van Doren p/BSG) Willie Van Doren p/BSG 8:53 no Sun, 07 Apr 2013 11:59:45 -0700 At Easter, the Risen Christ goes on ahead of us to open the way of an Easter life. (Easter Sunday - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) Just as Mary Magdalene tries to hold on to the Risen Christ, so do we try to capture him with our own ideas and institutions. But he is not here! He has gone on ahead of us into the world, bringing new life to all in need. At Easter, the Risen Christ goes on ahead of us to open the way of an Easter life. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-03-31_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-03-31_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer 10:00 no Sun, 31 Mar 2013 12:08:02 -0700 From Genesis to John Chrysostom: Church of Our Saviour embraces Easter. (The Great Vigil of Easter - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) Church of Our Saviour embraces Easter at our annual Great Vigil: Willie Van Doren, The Rev. Annette Rankin, and The Rev. Jason Lucas offer reflections on the Exodus, Proverbs, and Ezekiel, and The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer delivers the ancient Easter sermon of John Chrysostom. Readers include Scott Hayes, Nancy Cone, and Bill Cullen. From Genesis to John Chrysostom: Church of Our Saviour embraces Easter. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-03-30_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-03-30_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer 30:05 no Sat, 30 Mar 2013 10:32:52 -0700 One call of Good Friday is to choose what we will leave at the foot of the cross. (Good Friday - The Rev. Jason Lucas) As we meditate on a most holy day of the Christian calendar, we encounter an invitation of Good Friday: to leave our burdens at the foot of Jesus' cross. One call of Good Friday is to choose what we will leave at the foot of the cross. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-03-29_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-03-29_sermon.mp3 jason@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Jason Lucas) The Rev. Jason Lucas 6:33 no Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:17:52 -0700 The Last Supper/Communion brings us into the loving fellowship with Jesus. (Maundy Thursday - The Rev. Annette Rankin) God is most present when we are putting our hearts and minds together in the Eucharist. The Last Supper/Communion brings us into the loving fellowship with Jesus. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-03-28_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-03-28_sermon.mp3 deacon@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Annette Rankin) The Rev. Annette Rankin 7:09 no Thu, 28 Mar 2013 20:11:30 -0700 Mary of Bethany gives us a profound example of the love we are to have for Christ. (The Fifth Sunday in Lent - Rooda Lee) Mary of Bethany gives us a profound example of the love beyond all calculation we are called to have for Christ. The path forward in faith for each of us is to find this Mary in our hearts. Mary of Bethany gives us a profound example of the love we are to have for Christ. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-03-17_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-03-17_sermon.mp3 luda@oursaviourmv.org (Rooda Lee) Rooda Lee 13:54 no Sun, 17 Mar 2013 10:58:31 -0700 The Parable of the Prodigal Son reveals just how radical God's love for us is. (The Fourth Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Annette Rankin) The Parable of the Prodigal Son, or more accurately, the Parable of the Generous Father, reflects the abundant love that God carries for us: a love that will do anything to bring us home. The Parable of the Prodigal Son reveals just how radical God's love for us is. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-03-10_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-03-10_sermon.mp3 deacon@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Annette Rankin) The Rev. Annette Rankin 8:44 no Sun, 10 Mar 2013 10:14:32 -0700 Repentance in Lent means following a call to return to the deepest self. (The Second Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Annette Rankin) Despair, fear, the sense of ourselves as unworthy: these states prevent our believing that God is present and faithful, and that God is always at work transforming us. Repentance in Lent means following a call to return to the deepest self. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-02-24_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-02-24_sermon.mp3 deacon@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Annette Rankin) The Rev. Annette Rankin Abraham 9:27 no Sun, 24 Feb 2013 13:57:19 -0700 Eulogy and homily from the memorial service for Janet Willis Upham. (Memorial Service for Janet Willis Upham - Nancy Upham and The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) Jan was, fundamentally, a woman of place. Where she lived and who she loved and the memories that gathered around both mattered more than even the greatest fortune the world could bestow. Eulogy and homily from the memorial service for Janet Willis Upham. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-02-23_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-02-23_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (Nancy Upham and The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) Nancy Upham and The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer Janet,Upham 21:35 no Sat, 23 Feb 2013 14:41:16 -0700 A homily for the memorial service of Marjorie Norton Cope. (Memorial Service for Marjorie Norton Cope - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) To sit with Marjorie at tea in the shadow of Mt. Tam was to sit simultaneously with a petite, demur lady and yet, again, to sit with someone who had grown over the years into an indomitable spiritual giant. A homily for the memorial service of Marjorie Norton Cope. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-02-22_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-02-22_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer Marjorie,Cope 9:01 no Fri, 22 Feb 2013 17:54:18 -0700 When it comes to temptation, there is one basic thing never to lose sight of. . . (The First Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) Jesus' temptation in the wilderness introduces us to the fundamental way in which we are all tempted to grasp for the essentials of life: food and shelter, power and control, and having the respect and love of others. God knows we need these things, but the desires for them turn diabolical when we lose sight of something even more essential: that we are always God's beloved. When it comes to temptation, there is one basic thing never to lose sight of. . . http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-02-17_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-02-17_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer 9:26 no Sun, 17 Feb 2013 14:27:33 -0700 Planning for Lenten spiritual disciplines can often defeat the purpose. (Ash Wednesday - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) What is it that makes Ash Wednesday different from other Wednesdays of the year? Planning for Lenten spiritual disciplines can often defeat the purpose. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-02-13_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-02-13_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer 9:13 no Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:04:20 -0700 Jesus' transfiguration reminds us of the glory promised to each of us, and a God who leads us through the darkness. (The Last Sunday after the Epiphany - Willie Van Doren p/BSG) A measure of our faith might be in how willing we are to trust Christ to lead us through the darkness and into the light of transfiguration. Jesus' transfiguration reminds us of the glory promised to each of us, and a God who leads us through the darkness. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-02-10_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-02-10_sermon.mp3 youth@oursaviourmv.org (Willie Van Doren p/BSG) Willie Van Doren p/BSG 13:54 no Sun, 10 Feb 2013 16:33:11 -0700 When Jesus goes home, he encounters a familiar problem that is. . .well. . .familiar. (The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) When Jesus returns to Nazareth, his hometown greets him with a familiar, ambivalent response with which we can so easily greet our favorite sons and daughters. Family and parochial dynamics are often dangerous to our spiritual health because they lock out God's grace and lock us in to identities that we can't grow out of. When Jesus goes home, he encounters a familiar problem that is. . .well. . .familiar. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-02-03_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-02-03_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer Nazareth 10:45 no Sun, 03 Feb 2013 16:59:33 -0700 It is in the accidents of life that we often where we first encounter true community and then ourselves. (The Third Sunday after the Epiphany - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) It is only in community that we find our true identity revealed: even if that community is generated by an accident of life not of our choosing. It is in the accidents of life that we often where we first encounter true community and then ourselves. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-01-27_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2013-01-27_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer taxi 9:55 no Sun, 27 Jan 2013 15:35:38 -0700 Jesus is born into the darkest places of our hearts. (Christmas - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) In the warm familiarity of the Christmas story, we easily lose sight of the desolation and uncertainty that surrounded Jesus' birth. The incarnation is not wrought for the bright parts of our lives, but for the loneliest, most desolate corners of our souls. Jesus is born into the darkest places of our hearts. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-12-24_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-12-24_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer 10:15 no Mon, 24 Dec 2012 14:04:51 -0700 Apocalypse simply and literally means an "uncovering," a revelation. (The Fourth Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) Apocalypse in American culture is often viewed as a cataclysmic, external event, but apocalypse in its original, biblical, and spiritual meaning means something quite different. Apocalypse simply and literally means an "uncovering," a revelation. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-12-23_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-12-23_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer Newtown 8:46 no Sun, 23 Dec 2012 15:52:19 -0700 Small miracles make up the tapestry of God's redemption. (The Third Sunday of Advent - Willie Van Doren) The beginning of the story of Jesus Christ is the anticipation, and the beginning of this story is right now. Small miracles make up the tapestry of God's redemption. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-12-16_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-12-16_sermon.mp3 youth@oursaviourmv.org (Willie Van Doren) Willie Van Doren 14:48 no Sun, 16 Dec 2012 16:38:34 -0700 The message of repentance comes from a most unexpected place. (The Second Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Annette Rankin) When you live your life carefully and righteously as you can, it's hard to accept that God's word is coming to you from someone, like John the Baptist, who doesn't care at all about your righteousness. The message of repentance comes from a most unexpected place. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-12-09_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-12-09_sermon.mp3 deacon@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Annette Rankin) The Rev. Annette Rankin 9:56 no Sun, 09 Dec 2012 16:38:45 -0700 In the midst of the exile experience, God's promise to draw us into new life remains. (The First Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Annette Rankin) In the midst of exile, God's people are called from despair into hope: that even God's grace is at work in the darkest hour, drawing them into the light. In the midst of the exile experience, God's promise to draw us into new life remains. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-12-02_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-12-02_sermon.mp3 deacon@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Annette Rankin) The Rev. Annette Rankin Babylonian 9:48 no Sun, 02 Dec 2012 14:48:20 -0700 Belonging to a kingdom "not from this world." (Proper 29a - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) When Jesus talks of kingship, the powers of this world cannot comprehend him. We are left with a strange savior to call "king": one who does not use the power we expect of kings, and who invites us into a kingdom that is not from this world. Belonging to a kingdom "not from this world." http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-11-25_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-11-25_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer Lincoln 15:25 no Sun, 25 Nov 2012 14:36:31 -0700 The Church is so much more than bricks and mortar. (Proper 28a - The Rev. Jason Lucas) Jesus reminds us that if we cannot see beyond the bricks and mortar, the budgets and administration, we have not yet seen the Church and the Kingdom we are called to disclose. The Church is so much more than bricks and mortar. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-11-18_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-11-18_sermon.mp3 jason@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Jason Lucas) The Rev. Jason Lucas 9:21 no Sun, 18 Nov 2012 22:59:36 -0700 Naomi teaches us about God's wonder-working through the darkest times. (Proper 27a - The Rev. Annette Rankin) Although the Bible -- and especially the Old Testament -- tells us continuously that God works wonders through the least expected ways in the darkest days, we never look for it. Naomi teaches us about God's wonder-working through the darkest times. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-11-11_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-11-11_sermon.mp3 deacon@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Annette Rankin) The Rev. Annette Rankin veterans,immigrants 10:02 no Fri, 16 Nov 2012 19:48:35 -0700 Cutting through all social and theological differences, Jesus asks a simple question. (Proper 25a - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) How do we live with the paradox of a God who is above every name, idea, and concept; and who yet comes to us as Jesus comes to Bartimaeus with a simple, life-altering question? Cutting through all social and theological differences, Jesus asks a simple question. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-10-28_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-10-28_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer blind,miracle,paradox 15:28 no Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:23:34 -0700 Job poses to us an ancient riddle that leads us deeper into a life of faith. (Proper 24a - Jan Robitscher) Job raises a fundamental question about the kind of God we believe in, the kind of God Jesus embodies and reveals to us, and the kind of God we need: a God who enters the midst of our suffering. Job poses to us an ancient riddle that leads us deeper into a life of faith. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-10-21_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-10-21_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (Jan Robitscher) Jan Robitscher AEMCH, elderly 14:13 no Sun, 28 Oct 2012 12:50:44 -0700 Does competing with one another make us become who we truly are? (Proper 20a - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) In a world of competition, we wrestle with how to be Christian as Jesus would have us; we struggle to uncover who we truly are. Does competing with one another make us become who we truly are? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-09-23_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-09-23_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer Mark,Proverbs,wife 11:32 no Sun, 23 Sep 2012 13:43:19 -0700 Among our greatest spiritual challenges: proclaiming Jesus as Messiah. (Proper 19a - The Rev. Jason Lucas) Mark's gospel poses yet another conundrum: To keep quiet about Jesus, and yet proclaim him the Messiah. Among our greatest spiritual challenges: proclaiming Jesus as Messiah. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-09-16_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-09-16_sermon.mp3 jason@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Jason Lucas) The Rev. Jason Lucas 9:29 no Sun, 16 Sep 2012 12:11:50 -0700 To take pride in what we are expected to do is false pride. (Proper 18a - The Rev. Carol Luther) The wise teacher often drives his pupil to the edge of insanity. . . with the simple but difficult goal of teaching true humility, without which we cannot embrace salvation. To take pride in what we are expected to do is false pride. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-09-09_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-09-09_sermon.mp3 cluther@well.com (The Rev. Carol Luther) The Rev. Carol Luther humility 21:37 no Sun, 09 Sep 2012 18:32:44 -0700 Learning again what it means to be truly religious. (Proper 17a - The Rev. Annette Rankin) The things we do in the name of religion, in the name of political freedom, in the name of national identity, are often things which keep us from real religious practice, from real political debate, from real national integrity. Learning again what it means to be truly religious. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-09-02_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-09-02_sermon.mp3 deacon@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Annette Rankin) The Rev. Annette Rankin Republican,Democrat,James 9:44 no Sun, 02 Sep 2012 13:48:06 -0700 How do we think of ourselves as a Christian people? (Proper 16a - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) No temptation is greater in our age than to hibernate in the safety of our own private spirituality, or -- just as bad -- in a community that we consider safely our own. Neither is the life to which Jesus calls us. How do we think of ourselves as a Christian people? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-08-26_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-08-26_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer Cathedral,Seinfeld,New,York 11:29 no Sun, 26 Aug 2012 16:53:13 -0700 Story in Jesus' hands turns our world upside down. (Proper 15a - The Rev. Carol Luther) The "Bread of Life" discourse in John's Gospel confounds, shocks, and enlightens. Story in Jesus' hands turns our world upside down. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-08-19_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-08-19_sermon.mp3 cluther@well.com (The Rev. Carol Luther) The Rev. Carol Luther eucharist 22:57 no Sun, 19 Aug 2012 15:44:28 -0700 True wholeness entails an acceptance of brokenness. (Proper 14a - The Rev. Carol Luther) It is only when we bring our story into alignment with God's story that we truly encounter the Living God. True wholeness entails an acceptance of brokenness. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-08-12_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-08-12_sermon.mp3 cluther@well.com (The Rev. Carol Luther) The Rev. Carol Luther David 22:29 no Sun, 12 Aug 2012 15:29:20 -0700 What we think about God matters less than how God is part of our story. (Proper 13a - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) Nathan convicts David not with evidence, but with a story. The Ephesians are reminded that winds of doctrine will always blow, but it is the Christian story that matters. And Jesus discloses God at work: God at work at the very center of the stories of our lives. What we think about God matters less than how God is part of our story. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-08-05_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-08-05_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer John,salvation 15:24 no Sun, 05 Aug 2012 13:37:40 -0700 Jesus' handling of power is very different from the world's ways. (Proper 12a - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) David's scandalous behavior during one Godless spring highlights the utterly different way God handles power in Jesus. We are left with a striking example of how our Savior enters into the stormy waters of human frailty. Jesus' handling of power is very different from the world's ways. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-07-29_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-07-29_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer frailty,Bathsheba 11:27 no Sun, 29 Jul 2012 18:19:15 -0700 Our youth talk about their mission trip to Taos. (Proper 11a - The Rev. Annette Rankin) Youth from Church of Our Saviour discuss the experience of taking a week to help build a home in Taos, New Mexico, as part of their Christian mission. Our youth talk about their mission trip to Taos. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-07-22_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-07-22_sermon.mp3 deacon@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Annette Rankin) The Rev. Annette Rankin Taos,Habitat 14:40 no Sun, 22 Jul 2012 18:19:14 -0700 The Gospel tells us over and over again that emptiness makes room for faith. (Proper 8 - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) In the Church, like any human institution, we are often caught striving for power. Yet we carry a Gospel that reminds us time and again that it is when we are emptied of power, when we carry nothing, that we are most ready to accept the healing, transformation, and radical love that grace offers. The Gospel tells us over and over again that emptiness makes room for faith. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-07-01_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-07-01_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer 17:17 no Sun, 01 Jul 2012 15:46:31 -0700 Among our great spiritual challenges is to radically accept the storms of our lives. (Proper 7 - The Rev. Annette Rankin) When we have done all we can do to address the storms of our lives, the next step is a radical acceptance that leaves open the door for God's grace to act. . .and we are forever changed as a result. Among our great spiritual challenges is to radically accept the storms of our lives. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-06-24_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-06-24_sermon.mp3 deacon@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Annette Rankin) The Rev. Annette Rankin storm,boat 10:41 no Sun, 24 Jun 2012 15:21:49 -0700 The empty tomb points us to the surprises of God's grace in our midst. (Proper 6 - The Rev. James Ward) Who we think we are and what we think we should do often get in the way of God's surprisingly open grace: filled with possibilities most vividly represented to us by the open and empty tomb of Jesus. The empty tomb points us to the surprises of God's grace in our midst. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-06-17_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-06-17_sermon.mp3 jimward2@mac.com (The Rev. James Ward) The Rev. James Ward 21:11 no Fri, 22 Jun 2012 18:40:24 -0700 The Israelites want a king, and Jesus' miracles get him branded as crazy. Is God good enough? (Proper 5 - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Israelites demand a king, Jesus' family try to restrain him when people think he's crazy, and the authorities declare he is possessed by a demon. The question for us is simple: "Is this God good enough?" The Israelites want a king, and Jesus' miracles get him branded as crazy. Is God good enough? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-06-10_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-06-10_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer 11:11 no Sun, 10 Jun 2012 10:56:47 -0700 Listening and living into the Spirit moves us in unexpected ways. (Pentecost - The Rev. Annette Rankin) The paradox and challenge of Pentecost is that the Spirit moves us in unexpected ways and into unexpected places. Listening and living into the Spirit moves us in unexpected ways. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-05-27_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-05-27_sermon.mp3 deacon@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Annette Rankin) The Rev. Annette Rankin 9:57 no Fri, 01 Jun 2012 19:07:23 -0700 Keeping God's word changes us in more ways than we can imagine. (The Seventh Sunday of Easter - Willie Van Doren) Attending to God's word changes us, changes the patterns of our lives, and even can change our destiny. Keeping God's word changes us in more ways than we can imagine. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-05-20_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-05-20_sermon.mp3 youth@oursaviourmv.org (Willie Van Doren) Willie Van Doren 15:49 no Sun, 20 May 2012 10:40:07 -0700 The spiritual life is learning to live the paradox of both being on journey and abiding. (Memorial for Vyvien Margaret Gear - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) A sermon for the memorial service of Vyvien Margaret Gear, long-time member of Church of Our Saviour, world-traveller, devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, and pilgrim on the Way. The spiritual life is learning to live the paradox of both being on journey and abiding. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-05-19_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-05-19_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer 11:29 no Sat, 19 May 2012 11:35:55 -0700 Transitions make room for the Spirit. (The Sixth Sunday of Easter - Jason Lucas) Jesus'great prayer to God in John's Gospel is all about transition, as his departure makes way for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Transitions make room for the Spirit. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-05-13_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-05-13_sermon.mp3 jason@oursaviourmv.org (Jason Lucas) Jason Lucas seminarian 8:31 no Sun, 13 May 2012 10:25:05 -0700 Easter calls us not simply to relationship, but utter and complete dependence on God. (The Fifth Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Carol Luther) The readings for the Sundays after Easter all teach one thing: that we have no life at all unless we abide in God. Easter calls us not simply to relationship, but utter and complete dependence on God. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-05-06_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-05-06_sermon.mp3 cluther@well.com (The Rev. Carol Luther) The Rev. Carol Luther limits,rationalism,Descartes 16:58 no Sun, 06 May 2012 08:36:39 -0700 We listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd, but might we also express that voice for one another? (The Fourth Sunday of Easter - Jason Lucas) How do we know the voice of the Good Shepherd? And how do we carry that voice for one another? We listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd, but might we also express that voice for one another? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-04-29_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-04-29_sermon.mp3 jason@oursaviourmv.org (Jason Lucas) Jason Lucas 9:00 no Sun, 29 Apr 2012 10:44:04 -0700 As witnesses, we are not merely passive observers, nor consumers of God's truth. . . (The Third Sunday of Easter - Dr. Rod Dugliss) Even when we are amazed and disbelieving, we, too are to be "witnesses of these things," the substance of the promised Reign of God. As witnesses, we are not merely passive observers, nor consumers of God's truth. . . http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-04-22_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-04-22_sermon.mp3 rdugliss@sfd.edu (Dr. Rod Dugliss) Dr. Rod Dugliss deacon,dean 13:13 no Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:40:22 -0700 One thing that the Risen Christ offers that the world cannot. . . (The Second Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The story of Thomas meeting the Risen Christ is in part our story: one that John uses to illuminate the promise of faith in our lives, and one that points to Jesus' great offering to his followers. One thing that the Risen Christ offers that the world cannot. . . http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-04-15_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-04-15_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer Thomas,resurrection 12:38 no Sun, 15 Apr 2012 10:38:31 -0700 Easter is not just bunnies and fun. Mark suggests it is about terror and amazement. (Easter Sunday - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Gospel According to Mark depicts an Easter that is filled with amazement and even fear. The women are told flatly that Jesus is not at the tomb, which raises a fundamental question: Why do we so often go looking for Jesus amongst the dead? Easter is not just bunnies and fun. Mark suggests it is about terror and amazement. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-04-08_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-04-08_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer Why,tomb,easter 9:47 no Sun, 08 Apr 2012 10:32:39 -0700 The Passion reveals Jesus as undeniably human. (Good Friday - Jason Lucas) Jesus Passion reveals a humanity that shows us our own, and a powerful witness to love's suffering for the sake of the world. The Passion reveals Jesus as undeniably human. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-04-06_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-04-06_sermon.mp3 jason@oursaviourmv.org (Jason Lucas) Jason Lucas Good,Friday,humanity 6:30 no Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:38:12 -0700 Jesus washes his disciples' feet, honoring their last night together. (Maundy Thursday - The Rev. Annette Rankin) Jesus washing his disciples' feet points us towards a kind of God the disciples may not have thought they had. . .the kind of God we might not have thought we had. Jesus washes his disciples' feet, honoring their last night together. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-04-05_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-04-05_sermon.mp3 deacon@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Annette Rankin) The Rev. Annette Rankin Maundy,Thursday,footwashing 8:45 no Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:38:12 -0700 Haiti calls us to action in partnership with God's grace. (The Fifth Sunday in Lent - Jason Lucas) Our seminarian intern explores his recent trip to Haiti, the tragedies he witnessed there, and our role in the unfolding of God's grace and hope in a world of pressing need. Haiti calls us to action in partnership with God's grace. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-03-25_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-03-25_sermon.mp3 jason@oursaviourmv.org (Jason Lucas) Jason Lucas Haiti 9:37 no Sun, 25 Mar 2012 10:42:12 -0700 Of serpents, Jesus, and Nicodemus. (The Fourth Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) In his conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus' use of symbolism - both his own and out of the shared scriptural tradition - unsettles our neatly ordered lives with a purpose: to prepare us for redemption. Of serpents, Jesus, and Nicodemus. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-03-18_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-03-18_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Nicodemus,nehushtan 11:17 no Sun, 18 Mar 2012 10:25:32 -0700 Desperation is often the beginning of the spiritual life. (The Third Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Annette Rankin) When we feel that first flicker of doubt, of wishing that things could be different and better, we are on our way to the Resurrection. Desperation is often the beginning of the spiritual life. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-03-11_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-03-11_sermon.mp3 deacon@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Annette Rankin) The Rev. Annette Rankin life,doubt,money,changers,narcotics,anonymous 9:22 no Sun, 11 Mar 2012 10:39:25 -0700 Amongst the most powerful words in our spiritual vocabulary is No. (The Second Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Authentic relationship -- relationship with accountability -- often does not begin with "Yes," but with "No. . ." negating the old life to make room for the new. Amongst the most powerful words in our spiritual vocabulary is No. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-03-04_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-03-04_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer spirituality,abraham,sarah,peter,satan 7:47 no Sun, 04 Mar 2012 09:37:15 -0700 Lent as springtime for our spiritual journeys. (Ash Wednesday - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The tension of ashes on our foreheads with Jesus' teachings about fasting invite more than a solution, but a living into the deeper questions and tensions that foster growth in God. Lent as springtime for our spiritual journeys. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-02-22_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-02-22_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Ash,Wednesday,transactional 9:35 no Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:30:05 -0700 What happens when our institutions come right up against our mission? (The Last Sunday after the Epiphany - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Peter's reaction to Jesus' transfiguration is at the same time strange and yet all-to-familiar. The temptation to institutionalize religious experience is as old as we are, and as potentially dangerous as ever. What happens when our institutions come right up against our mission? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-02-19_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-02-19_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer transfiguration 10:23 no Sun, 19 Feb 2012 11:40:21 -0700 If loving our neighbor is hard, loving our enemy is even harder. (The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany - The Rev. Annette Rankin) When Naaman comes seeking healing from God's prophet, there is more than simply his warrior's pride on the line. If loving our neighbor is hard, loving our enemy is even harder. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-02-12_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-02-12_sermon.mp3 deacon@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Annette Rankin) The Rev. Annette Rankin Naaman,enemy,love 10:41 no Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:30:32 -0700 A life of prayer is not built on perfection, but humility. (The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Isaiah calling us to recognize the unimaginable breadth of God's power, and Jesus' example of praying in the pre-dawn darkness together remind us of the humility a life of prayer demands, and the radical freedom it brings. A life of prayer is not built on perfection, but humility. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-02-05_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-02-05_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer prayer,eagles 10:33 no Sun, 05 Feb 2012 09:24:24 -0700 Love and accountability are inexorably intertwined in God's grace. (The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany - Jason Lucas) Paul reminds the Corinthians that knowledge by itself is not enough when it comes to ethical matters in Christian community. Love demands accountability. Love and accountability are inexorably intertwined in God's grace. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-01-29_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-01-29_sermon.mp3 jason@oursaviourmv.org (Jason Lucas) Jason Lucas accountability 12:02 no Sun, 29 Jan 2012 18:34:01 -0700 To answer the call of Jesus is to radically upend our lives forever. (The Third Sunday after the Epiphany - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) God's call radically re-configures our priorities and overturns our lives. Are we ready to let go of everything for the sake of the Gospel? To answer the call of Jesus is to radically upend our lives forever. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-01-22_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-01-22_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Jonah,Andrew,Jesus,discipleship,addiction,recovery 10:25 no Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:43:26 -0700 God loves us first, last, and always. (The Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) In Mark's Gospel, no one speaks before God does, and the first words we hear from God -- at Jesus' baptism -- are of love. Our response is one of wonder. God loves us first, last, and always. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-01-08_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2012-01-08_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer baptism,wonder,Rohr 11:00 no Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:24:44 -0700 When fragile love is shocked by the ways of the world, what do we do? (Christmas - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) In the Christmas narrative, no words are wasted, and no detail can be tossed aside -- not even the cloth swaddling the baby Jesus. . . When fragile love is shocked by the ways of the world, what do we do? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-12-24_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-12-24_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer swaddling,game,world,love 15:28 no Sat, 24 Dec 2011 23:26:54 -0700 Christmas reveals a wild God offering us a wild love. (The Fourth Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) While our commemorations of Christmas tend to lead us towards domesticity, the stories themselves -- if we read them clearly -- are meant to unseat us and lead us into the wildness of God's loving gift to us in Christ Jesus. (This sermon was delivered during the annual Lessons and Carols service. Readings included John 1:1-18) Christmas reveals a wild God offering us a wild love. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-12-18_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-12-18_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer domestic,Christmas,King,David 8:27 no Sun, 18 Dec 2011 12:43:05 -0700 Preparing for Advent means setting aside some busy-ness for God. (The Second Sunday of Advent - Jason Lucas) Advent involves preparation, which means acquiring the patience that welcomes in God's love in Christ. Preparing for Advent means setting aside some busy-ness for God. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-12-04_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-12-04_sermon.mp3 jason@oursaviourmv.org (Jason Lucas) Jason Lucas preparation,Advent 11:44 no Sun, 04 Dec 2011 12:43:04 -0700 Are we keeping awake for the right thing? (The First Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Jesus tells us to "keep awake," and many of us are wide awake this time of year with overstuffed schedules and a world of distractions. But are we keeping awake for the right thing? Are we keeping awake for the right thing? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-11-27_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-11-27_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer awake,Christ,Advent 8:12 no Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:25:42 -0700 On being a sheep in Christ's kingdom. (Proper 29 - Jason Lucas) Christ the King evokes many images for us, and not all of them are immediately understandable or helpful. But each one as we grapple with it, shows us a new glimpse of the promised reign of God. On being a sheep in Christ's kingdom. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-11-20_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-11-20_sermon.mp3 jason@oursaviourmv.org (Jason Lucas) Jason Lucas King,Christ,Lucas 10:07 no Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:21:52 -0700 Thiefs in the night, a spiritual weather forecast, and stark warnings confront us. (Proper 28 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Scholars are not always agreed that the gospel authors use Jesus' parables as he originally intended, but the Gospel truth still rings true: Jesus' words challenge us to be prepared for the in-breaking of God's reign. Thiefs in the night, a spiritual weather forecast, and stark warnings confront us. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-11-13_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-11-13_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer kingdom,talents,servants,Zephaniah 14:40 no Sun, 13 Nov 2011 17:08:13 -0700 Saints do not create themselves. Instead, they live into what God made them to be. (All Saints' Sunday - The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) It's very easy to fall into the trap of performing for our God, in the hopes of earning our sanctification and salvation. But this notion turns the Gospel on its head: a Gospel that "comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable..." A Gospel that calls us simply to be how God made us, and find ourselves transformed not by our action, but by grace. Saints do not create themselves. Instead, they live into what God made them to be. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-11-06_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-11-06_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer) The Rev. Br. Richard Edward Helmer saints,grace,pelagianism 13:50 no Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:59:15 -0700 How do we respond to the grace we have been given? (Proper 26 - Jason Lucas) Micah challenges us with a warning about false prophecy. How easily we mistake our voice for God's! Jesus, likewise, calls us from a life of easy self-serving hypocrisy to one of humble action based on service to others and abounding with God's grace. How do we respond to the grace we have been given? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-10-30_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-10-30_sermon.mp3 jason@oursaviourmv.org (Jason Lucas) Jason Lucas Jesus,Micah,service,grace 10:10 no Sun, 30 Oct 2011 09:33:28 -0700 Jesus challenges our notions of fairness with kingdom economics. (Proper 20 - Br. Thomas Bushnell BSG) Jesus' parable of the workers and the vineyard overturns our sense of fairness and challenges us to set out in pursuit of a new economic model: one that reflects God's kingdom. Jesus challenges our notions of fairness with kingdom economics. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-09-18_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-09-18_sermon.mp3 thomas.bushnell@gmail.com (Br. Thomas Bushnell BSG) Br. Thomas Bushnell BSG vineyard,economics,Christ,kingdom 14:05 no Sun, 18 Sep 2011 13:03:46 -0700 The tenth anniversary of 9/11 collides with a gospel passage on forgiveness. (Proper 19 - The Rev. Beth Kelly) Beyond all clichés about "forgiving and forgetting" is the hard, powerfully transformative work of Christian forgiveness, a way of life which has nothing to do with forgetting, but rather embraces God's call to a radical remembering. This remembering ultimately comprehends the pain of the entire human family and calls us to a way of life in divine love and compassion that changes not only us, but the world beyond all imagination. The tenth anniversary of 9/11 collides with a gospel passage on forgiveness. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-09-11_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-09-11_sermon.mp3 beth@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Beth Kelly) The Rev. Beth Kelly forgiveness,9/11,osama,bin,laden 12:11 no Sun, 11 Sep 2011 16:17:59 -0700 When looking at our journey towards Jerusalem, it's easy at first to lose trust that Christ will see us through. (Proper 17 - The Rt. Rev. Diane Jardine Bruce) When Jesus discloses the journey to Jerusalem and the inevitability of the cross, the disciples, and Peter especially, react with fear. As guest preacher, Bishop Diane Bruce from the Diocese of Los Angeles, reflects on our need to find trust that we are never alone in the journey ahead. When looking at our journey towards Jerusalem, it's easy at first to lose trust that Christ will see us through. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-08-28_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-08-28_sermon.mp3 djbsuffragan@ladiocese.org (The Rt. Rev. Diane Jardine Bruce) The Rt. Rev. Diane Jardine Bruce trust,Christ,Peter,Bruce,suffragan 11:18 no Sun, 28 Aug 2011 12:59:25 -0700 Does Jesus' title of Messiah domesticate him? (Proper 16 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) When Peter proclaims Jesus as Messiah and Son of God, does he know what he's getting? Come to think of it, do we? Does Jesus' title of Messiah domesticate him? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-08-21_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-08-21_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Messiah,Peter,Christ 9:23 no Sun, 21 Aug 2011 11:43:36 -0700 The Canaanite woman teaches Jesus' followers about faith. (Proper 15 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) In a world of giving and taking offense, a Canaanite woman teaches us a measure of faith. The Canaanite woman teaches Jesus' followers about faith. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-08-14_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-08-14_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Canaanite,parable,purity 9:16 no Sun, 14 Aug 2011 11:35:23 -0700 Peter's lack of faith reflects our lack of faith. . .in what God has already given us. (Proper 14 - The Rev. Beth Kelly) In the story of walking on water, we too often focus on the miraculous acts of Jesus, rather than on the example of Peter stepping out of the boat and walking with his Teacher and Messiah. Peter's lack of faith reflects our lack of faith. . .in what God has already given us. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-08-07_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-08-07_sermon.mp3 beth@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Beth Kelly) The Rev. Beth Kelly walking,water,Peter 12:59 no Sun, 07 Aug 2011 15:42:56 -0700 Jesus speaks to the spiritual failings behind our governmental ineptitude. (Proper 13 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Our frustration at our own government is a symptom of a deeper frustration at our human failure to give thanks for the abundance we have already received: the abundance of God's grace. Jesus speaks to the spiritual failings behind our governmental ineptitude. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-07-31_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-07-31_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer government,jesus,loaves,fishes 12:31 no Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:06:18 -0700 Matthew piles on Jesus' parables to fill us with the Gospel. (Proper 12 - The Rev. Beth Kelly) The lectionary gives us five parables to chew on in a short passage from Matthew -- so much to pack into one sermon -- but with a single purpose: to disclose the Good News of God's kingdom. Matthew piles on Jesus' parables to fill us with the Gospel. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-07-24_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-07-24_sermon.mp3 beth@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Beth Kelly) The Rev. Beth Kelly parables,Matthew,pearl 8:43 no Sun, 24 Jul 2011 17:09:09 -0700 The parable of the wheat and the weeds. (Proper 11 - The Rev. Beth Kelly) With the wheat and the weeds growing up together, how do we make sense of living in a messy world? The parable of the wheat and the weeds. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-07-17_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-07-17_sermon.mp3 bet@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Beth Kelly) The Rev. Beth Kelly weeds,parable,Christ 12:05 no Sun, 17 Jul 2011 15:52:46 -0700 Grace is sown with abandon. . .and divine hope. (Proper 10 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) In the parable of the seed sower, Jesus discloses the seemingly profligate way God distributes grace in our lives -- and the hope God is holding for us. Grace is sown with abandon. . .and divine hope. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-07-10_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-07-10_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer sower,seeds,parable 10:26 no Sun, 10 Jul 2011 15:24:24 -0700 Jesus can't win for losing. . .or perhaps he can. (Proper 9 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Jesus and Paul both pose the conundrums of the adult spiritual life, and our calling to return to a simplicity that many of us may recall from our childhood. Jesus can't win for losing. . .or perhaps he can. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-07-03_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-07-03_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer winning,losing,Christ 8:33 no Sun, 03 Jul 2011 15:24:22 -0700 The mystery of the Trinity drives out of safety and certainty, and into a dynamic relationship with our God. (Trinity Sunday - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) An old story of Augustine at the seashore illustrates not only the mystery of the Trinity, but our spiritual childhood before an infinitely gracious God. The mystery of the Trinity drives out of safety and certainty, and into a dynamic relationship with our God. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-06-19_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-06-19_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer trinity,augustine 12:39 no Sun, 19 Jun 2011 17:23:02 -0700 The wind that changes the landscape of everything. (Pentecost - The Rev. Beth Kelly) Pentecost is a story of falling in love again: explaining what it's like to actually experience the wonders and glory of God appearing unexpectedly in our midst. The wind that changes the landscape of everything. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-06-12_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-06-12_sermon.mp3 beth@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Beth Kelly) The Rev. Beth Kelly pentecost,kelly 11:57 no Sun, 12 Jun 2011 10:24:59 -0700 Jesus promises us an Advocate who will be with us forever. (The Sixth Sunday of Easter - Willie Van Doren) What would it look like for Jesus' promise to be fully realized in our lives? Jesus promises us an Advocate who will be with us forever. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-05-29_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-05-29_sermon.mp3 youth@oursaviourmv.org (Willie Van Doren) Willie Van Doren spirit,pentecost 21:40 no Sun, 29 May 2011 16:54:11 -0700 The Rapture and the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (The Fifth Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Recent media attention on a prediction of The Rapture intersects with the disciples' quest for certainty as they face Jesus' impending departure. Rather than offering them a road-map and a calendar, Jesus offers himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life of faith. The Rapture and the Way, the Truth, and the Life. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-05-22_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-05-22_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer rapture,John,truth 11:36 no Sun, 22 May 2011 17:59:38 -0700 Our mothers often were the first to disclose Christ to us. (The Third Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Risen Christ presents us with a world that completely supplants and recasts the one we inhabit. It is a world that demands of us a fundamental choice: a choice of faith. Our mothers often were the first to disclose Christ to us. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-05-08_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-05-08_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Laden,bin,mothers 8:48 no Sun, 08 May 2011 15:57:15 -0700 The Risen Christ has a question. (Easter Day - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Butterflies and Easter eggs are just two of the myriad symbols of Easter. But at the heart of the Easter Day Gospel is a question posed to us by the Risen Christ. The Risen Christ has a question. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-04-24_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-04-24_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Easter 13:56 no Sun, 24 Apr 2011 16:50:28 -0700 Excerpts from Church of Our Saviour's 2011 Easter Vigil (Easter Vigil - The People of Church of Our Saviour) Voices of Church of Our Saviour share the story of salvation and the Easter message. Readers include Caroline Gibbs, Scott Hayes, Charlaine Shackelford, Nancy Cone, Vyvien Gear, and Terry Peck. Willie Van Doren and The Rev. Beth Kelly offer reflections. The Rev. Richard Helmer sings the Exsultet and reads the Easter sermon of John Chrysostom. Dan Hoggatt is at the organ. Recorded live at the Easter Vigil. Excerpts from Church of Our Saviour's 2011 Easter Vigil http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-04-23_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-04-23_sermon.mp3 office@oursaviourmv.org (The People of Church of Our Saviour) The People of Church of Our Saviour Easter,vigil 51:51 no Sat, 23 Apr 2011 22:50:45 -0700 The story of Lazarus reveals our call in engaging broken hearts. (The Fifth Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Beth Kelly) Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and Jesus: In one of the climactic stories of the Gospel According to John, we see our calling to solidarity with the world's broken-hearted for strength, healing, and new life in Christ. The story of Lazarus reveals our call in engaging broken hearts. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-04-10_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-04-10_sermon.mp3 beth@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Beth Kelly) The Rev. Beth Kelly Lazarus,Mary,Martha,Jesus 14:19 no Sun, 10 Apr 2011 16:08:34 -0700 Jesus sees the Samaritan woman and us completely. (The Third Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) While Nicodemus had much to lose in his conversation with Jesus, the Samaritan woman has nothing at all to lose, and so everything to gain by being fully seen by Christ. What flows from that experience is radical transformation for both her and her community. Jesus sees the Samaritan woman and us completely. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-03-27_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-03-27_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Samaritan,well,thirst 11:28 no Sun, 27 Mar 2011 14:32:32 -0700 What would it mean to stop holding our faith at arm's length? (The Second Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) At first glance, it seems like Nicodemus is just being dense. But there is a sense in which Nicodemus, a religious leader, has jumped right into the game with Jesus, and is reflecting the metaphorical language right back to him. He could be asking Jesus a fundamentally spiritual question: How can we change our habits once we are set in our ways? What would it mean to stop holding our faith at arm's length? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-03-20_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-03-20_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Nicodemus,faith 10:29 no Sun, 20 Mar 2011 22:30:31 -0700 We are driven, like Jesus, into the wilderness to confront our most basic selves. (The First Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The wilderness experience is not just for the spiritual athlete or the Son of God, but is where we find ourselves sooner or later, and seldom by choice. It is the danger there that we are faced with our most primal temptations and selves, and where God's grace can transform us. We are driven, like Jesus, into the wilderness to confront our most basic selves. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-03-13_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-03-13_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Japan,tsunami,earthquake 12:32 no Sun, 13 Mar 2011 10:37:45 -0700 Of all that clamors for our attention, it is God's call to us that gives us life. (The Eighth Sunday after the Epiphany - The Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus) It's confusing to be a Christian in this world that has not only worries enough for today but allures enough for today and tomorrow. Of all that clamors for our attention, it is God's call to us that gives us life. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-02-27_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-02-27_sermon.mp3 bishopmarc@diocal.org (The Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus) The Rt. Rev. Marc Handley Andrus downton,prayer,morning,abbey,andrus,bishop 17:52 no Sun, 27 Feb 2011 19:08:37 -0700 Checking out of relationships of violence. (The Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Jesus' call to his followers in the first century rings down to ours with unnerving clarity -- his followers, Christians, are called to be counter-cultural. And counter-cultural movements are dangerous, unpredictable, and often vulnerable. Checking out of relationships of violence. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-02-20_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-02-20_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer subversive,love,Christ 10:14 no Sun, 20 Feb 2011 15:15:15 -0700 Remembering Graeme L. MacDonald (Memorial Service - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Graeme's God, our God, Jesus tells us in the gospel this day is the host of a house with many rooms, many dwelling places. Jesus' Way reflected in Graeme's own unique, characteristic fashion is not found in a book or distilled into doctrine, but is rather lived in the ups and downs of relationships; it unfolds in the context of generous hospitality. Graeme showed us that life is indeed "a feast of rich food, a feast of well-matured wines." Perhaps our only challenge is that we all too often claim that we are too busy to stop and partake. Graeme refused to fall into that trap. What a great witness to all of us. Without him the world is a far less interesting place. Perhaps that calls us all to take up his work of making it more interesting again together. Remembering Graeme L. MacDonald http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-02-18_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-02-18_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer MacDonald,memorial 10:20 no Fri, 18 Feb 2011 18:24:28 -0700 Grace is radically free, but also radically demanding. (The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) God's grace is generous and bountiful and radically free. But how we receive it matters just as much in our engagement in the life of the kingdom. We receive it week after week as an invitation to grow in our faith journey, to take ownership not of ourselves, but of the truth we have been given: to grow up in faith. Grace is radically free, but also radically demanding. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-02-13_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-02-13_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer grace,faith,growth,beatitudes 12:42 no Sun, 13 Feb 2011 18:03:30 -0700 "Blessed are the poor in spirit. . ." says Jesus. (The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) It is our Christian story that speaks not when we are powerful and in charge or control, but when we are emptied of power, when we behold for a moment the shattered remains of dreams, the often hollow nature of our own material fortunes, the reflection of ourselves in the least among us. "Blessed are the poor in spirit. . ." says Jesus. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-01-30_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-01-30_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer anglicanism,beatitudes,poverty,spirituality 12:06 no Sun, 30 Jan 2011 15:03:28 -0700 Jesus calls us into a life of discipleship. (The Third Sunday after the Epiphany - The Rev. Carol Luther) Early Christianity came of age amid a conflicting sense of influences. The call to discipleship arises out of these influences and calls forth the incarnation -- the bringing together of flesh and spirit -- to manifest itself in the midst of our communities. Jesus calls us into a life of discipleship. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-01-23_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-01-23_sermon.mp3 cluther@well.com (The Rev. Carol Luther) The Rev. Carol Luther discipleship, call, Jesus, Luther 18:47 no Sun, 23 Jan 2011 17:57:57 -0700 Baptism is about God's call to our roots, of recognizing we are beloved of God. (The Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ (tr.) - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Baptism is the primordial act of our tradition. It goes back to the very roots of who we are as Christian community. Baptism is about God's call to our roots, of recognizing we are beloved of God. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-01-16_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-01-16_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer baptism, Isaiah, servant, beloved, renewal 7:16 no Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:25:53 -0700 A 12-year-old Jesus teaches us to value relationship and understanding rather than fear. (Epiphanytide - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) We hear this Gospel story today against the backdrop of national tragedy - the shooting of a congressional representative, a federal judge, of citizens out to learn more about their government or simply to buy groceries to feed their families, of a nine-year-old girl who tragically will not in this life experience the self-discoveries of turning twelve. We recoil at this blight on our open society, and agree wholeheartedly with the universal condemnation of it as we pray for the survivors and the families and friends of all the victims. But it is not enough, it seems to me, to simply call this act "senseless" as one prominent politician did yesterday, and then move on with life as usual. The shooting yesterday embodies the division, distortion, and demonization that has come to dominate and dehumanize our national conversations over the past few years. A 12-year-old Jesus teaches us to value relationship and understanding rather than fear. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-01-09_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-01-09_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer epiphany,fear,wisdom,teenage,understanding,Christ 10:49 no Sun, 09 Jan 2011 11:30:03 -0700 Learning to follow the star beyond the holidays. (The Second Sunday after Christmas - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) We reckon during this journey with the all the business-as-usual that re-enters our lives and threatens like a storm cloud to cover that fragile light of hope and truth the Christ child has brought. We may feel at times we have to fight for a glimpse of the star to keep ourselves properly oriented, we may need to struggle to find the hope that Christmas brought - or that we thought Christmas was meant to bring. But it is the wise men who teach us how to approach this journey, melancholic or not, struggling as we do with the unmet expectations and the long paths before us guided by the flickering light of a distant star. Learning to follow the star beyond the holidays. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-01-02_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2011-01-02_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer wise,star,Christmas 10:30 no Sun, 02 Jan 2011 09:30:58 -0700 Jesus in the manger vs. "God does not exist." (Christmas - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) We Christians have wrestled with the oddity of the incarnation for as long as we've called ourselves "Christian." The stories of Luke and Matthew and the theologizing of John are not finished bits of history or well-studied, carefully weighed measurements of empirical science. They are communities of Christians wrestling with the meaning of Jesus Christ and the stories that surrounded him and how he touched and continued to touch generation to generation the lives of people on spiritual pilgrimage. Atheists are right to refer to them as "myth," but we understand it as myth in the very best sense of the word. They embrace one of the deep mysteries of our faith - a profound sense of "God with us" in the muck and straw of our stabled lives, in the fleshy, fallible and sometimes stinky nature of human existence. . .God with us in our best moments and - perhaps even more importantly - in our worst. Jesus in the manger vs. "God does not exist." http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-12-24_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-12-24_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Ricky, Gervais, atheism, incarnation, Christmas 15:04 no Fri, 24 Dec 2010 23:30:13 -0700 Highlights from the Lessons and Carols Service 2010. (The Fourth Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Highlights from the Advent/Christmas Service of Lessons and Carols at Church of Our Saviour, featuring the Choir of Our Saviour, Dr. Dan Hoggatt and Rev. Jack Hoggatt at keyboard, and Chaplain Michael Cobbina, drum. Readers: Kitty Hayes, Vyvien Gear, Nancy Cone, Mark Tarpey-Schwed, Scott Hayes. Homilist: Richard Helmer. Highlights from the Lessons and Carols Service 2010. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-12-19_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-12-19_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer lessons, carols, advent, christmas 45:09 no Sun, 19 Dec 2010 11:00:00 -0700 Betsy Rosen's diaconal farewell sermon at Church of Our Saviour. (The Third Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen reads the gospel and then delivers this farewell sermon to Church of Our Saviour, sharing wisdom for life she has gained from many years of ministry with congregations as a deacon, hospital chaplaincy, and life itself. Betsy Rosen's diaconal farewell sermon at Church of Our Saviour. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-12-12_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-12-12_sermon.mp3 betsy@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen Betsy, Rosen, witness 12:58 no Sun, 12 Dec 2010 11:30:59 -0700 The call to bear fruit worthy of repentance. (The Second Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) John the Baptist's words are fiery to provoke us to move forward. They remind us that Advent is not fundamentally about us, but about the coming of Christ into our midst to make us anew. The call to bear fruit worthy of repentance. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-12-05_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-12-05_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer John, baptist, repentance, metanoia 8:18 no Sun, 05 Dec 2010 11:28:36 -0700 On Advent and Incarnation. (The First Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Keep awake for the unexpected and the unusual, for the thieves of grace. God's grace is out to surprise each of us in ways and at times we have not yet imagined. On Advent and Incarnation. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-11-28_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-11-28_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Advent, labyrinth, thief 7:32 no Sun, 28 Nov 2010 20:29:26 -0700 Does it make sense to call Christ a King? (Proper 29 - Christ the King - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Our gospel today reminds us that Christ is King not because he rules from a throne, or a gilded hall, or a great castle in the sky or otherwise. Christ is King, because he rules from the cross and, then, the empty tomb. Does it make sense to call Christ a King? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-11-21_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-11-21_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Christ, King, Lapsley 13:18 no Sun, 21 Nov 2010 20:29:38 -0700 The Kingdom of God unfolds in unexpected ways. (Proper 28 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) God is with us, most of all in the throes of death,just as God was with our spiritual ancestors and our sisters and brothers today facing persecution. And what news more than that threatens to undo our best plans. . .so that we are undone. . .and then open for Life itself? The Kingdom of God unfolds in unexpected ways. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-11-14_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-11-14_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer kingdom, homeless, Jesus, temple 12:48 no Sun, 14 Nov 2010 20:29:32 -0700 Zacchaeus teaches us about vocation in God. (Proper 26 - Br. Karekin Yarian) Zacchaeus is in crisis. He lacks for community, he is an outcast, captive by the choices that he made along the way of accumulating his wealth and status. Zacchaeus has constructed for himself a lofty tower of security and power at the expense of his community. And now he finds it deeply dissatisfying because he is alone and separated from the fellowship of his own people. Zacchaeus teaches us about vocation in God. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-10-31_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-10-31_sermon.mp3 gregorian.friar@gmail.com (Br. Karekin Yarian) Br. Karekin Yarian Zacchaeus, Brotherhood, Gregory, vocation 12:37 no Sun, 31 Oct 2010 18:29:47 -0700 What the Pharisee and the tax collector teach us. (Proper 25 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Jesus knows how easily our religion can slip into religiosity, how our spirituality can morph into sectarianism. What the Pharisee and the tax collector teach us. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-10-24_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-10-24_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Pharisee, tax collector, parable, justification, grace, judgment 8:25 no Sun, 24 Oct 2010 18:29:51 -0700 Praying on the uphill climb. (Proper 24 - Willie Van Doren) The amazing thing about walking with Christ is no matter how deep we go, how far we think we've come, we can go much further. Praying on the uphill climb. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-10-17_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-10-17_sermon.mp3 youth@oursaviourmv.org (Willie Van Doren) Willie Van Doren prayer, persistence, Martin Luther King 22:53 no Sun, 17 Oct 2010 18:30:05 -0700 Francis and today. (St. Francis - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) It was Francis who re-discovered, in a radical move that echoes Jesus' teachings in the Gospel, how to undermine the whole argument. He ran after the beggar in the marketplace in Assisi, and when he caught up with him, he emptied the entire contents of his pockets into the beggar's hands. It would be like handing a panhandler your entire wallet or purse - an invitation to a complete stranger to run through your whole credit line, empty your bank account of cash, or give away the power of your identity. Francis and today. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-10-10_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-10-10_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Francis, poverty, power 14:04 no Sun, 10 Oct 2010 18:30:14 -0700 On becoming an ordained deacon. (Proper 21 - The Rev. Betsy Rosen) Betsy Rosen shares her experience in becoming a deacon of the Church, and her formation at the School for Deacons. On becoming an ordained deacon. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-09-26_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-09-26_sermon.mp3 betsy@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Betsy Rosen) The Rev. Betsy Rosen deacon 22:10 no Sun, 26 Sep 2010 18:30:28 -0700 Subversive Jesus. (Proper 20 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) If truth be told, most of us come to Church most of the time to be comforted. . .to be told that we've been good boys and girls this week and then receive our reward. Or, if we've been bad boys and girls, we come to confess that and be told we're still loved. Either way, worship is about one thing to most of us most of the time: comfort. Few, if any of us come to Church to hear the Gospel and be subverted. Subversive Jesus. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-09-19_sermon.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-09-19_sermon.pdf rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer subversive, Jesus no Sun, 19 Sep 2010 18:30:28 -0700 Tackling Pride. (Proper 17 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Pride, the subject our wisdom reading this day from Sirach, is the primordial sin of the Judeo-Christian tradition. We could argue it is THE sin of our tradition, the willful setting aside of God for our own ambitions and pursuits. Tackling Pride. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-08-29_sermon.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-08-29_sermon.pdf rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer pride, humility, Sirach, wisdom no Sun, 29 Aug 2010 18:30:29 -0700 Considering sabbath and religiosity. (Proper 16 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The real difficulty is that neither the laissez-faire "do whatever" nor harsh legalisms about a life with God serve us at all well as religion. One refuses the discipline of accountability. The other holds up of the finger of accusation, wagging at us continually. Considering sabbath and religiosity. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-08-22_sermon.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-08-22_sermon.pdf rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer sabbath, religiosity no Sun, 22 Aug 2010 18:30:30 -0700 Exploring the spirituality of suffering. (Proper 15 - The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) If the good news can only come after the bad news has broken through, then no matter how alluring the dream may have seemed while we were lost in it-the dream of uninterrupted prosperity, of frictionless family relationships; watching the future roll out in front of us at the top of the curve, as if no bottoms existed--it's still better to be awake. Still better to live in kairos time, one foot here and one foot in eternity. Exploring the spirituality of suffering. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-08-15_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-08-15_sermon.mp3 betsy@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen suffering, necessity 13:17 no Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:30:36 -0700 Our God takes pleasure in giving. (Proper 14 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Jesus says, "Do not be afraid little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." We are blessed by a God who loves us better than we love him, and this is good news for us, and for a world desperately in need of that kind of love that takes us and remakes us for greater life. Our God takes pleasure in giving. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-08-08_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-08-08_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer God, kingdom, gifts, sacrifice 10:07 no Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:30:43 -0700 Death as the equalizer. (Proper 13 - The Rev. Carol Luther) Deathbeds change things. Jesus not only knew that, he staked his very life upon it. This very night your life is being demanded of you. The end matters and the end makes us equal. Death as the equalizer. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-08-01_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-08-01_sermon.mp3 cluther@well.com (The Rev. Carol Luther) The Rev. Carol Luther wealth, poverty, Jesus, teachings 18:55 no Sun, 01 Aug 2010 18:30:54 -0700 A challenge to challenge God. (Proper 12 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Abraham lived in a world where the best way to relate to the gods was through appeasement,by offering sacrifice. It was a universe, if you will, of capricious and angry deities who constantly demanded animal and sometimes even living human offerings. But through the covenant, Abraham is drawn into an entirely different relationship with his God, with our God. A challenge to challenge God. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-07-25_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-07-25_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Abraham, Jesus, prayer, Sodom, Gomorrah 13:34 no Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:31:03 -0700 Welcoming God in the stranger. (Proper 11 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) It is easy to lament the loss of hospitality in our own time, especially to the stranger. Whether it's the controversial laws in Arizona or the broader anti-immigrant sentiment that always seems to materialize during hard times; or the natural suspicion we all feel when someone different or unknown appears in a place familiar to us. How easily we find the stranger dangerous, threatening, upsetting. As human beings, we must be reminded repeatedly just as our spiritual ancestors were that hospitality to the stranger is not a luxury or a choice when convenient, but a necessity. Welcoming God in the stranger. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-07-18_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-07-18_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Abraham, stranger, hospitality, Trinity, Mamre 12:30 no Sun, 18 Jul 2010 18:31:10 -0700 What does it mean to be a hero? (Proper 10 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Jesus offers up examples of the priest and the Levite -- among the keepers of righteousness of his day. It is not that the priest and the Levite are mean people for passing by on the other side of the road. What they are doing as good ethical people is quite natural: They have responsibilities, obligations, and rituals to uphold. The man was left for dead -- touching a potentially dead body or even the blood of the injured would have likely rendered any priest or Levite ritually unclean and unable to attend to their socially sanctioned duties for a time. So busy were they in attending to their good, ethical righteous tasks that they had no time to stop for an errand of mercy. What does it mean to be a hero? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-07-11_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-07-11_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Samaritan, ethics, hero, Jesus 14:24 no Sun, 11 Jul 2010 18:31:19 -0700 What do we mean by "God Bless America?" (Proper 9 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) What do we mean by "God bless America?" Is it just a patriotic sound bite or something more? This is where the history takes a back seat and the sermon begins for me this morning, and where we come face-to-face with our ancient Scriptural texts written in anything but a democratic milieu. They have something profound to tell us about why we invoke a divine blessing on our country this day - and it may not be for the reasons we think. What do we mean by "God Bless America?" http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-07-04_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-07-04_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Independence, Naaman, Elisha, Founders, America 14:16 no Sun, 04 Jul 2010 18:31:28 -0700 Jesus shocks us into the life of the Gospel. (Proper 8 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) We wrestle, as followers of Christ, with the same things Jesus' would-be followers wrestled with. We have obligations - obligations to family, to tradition, to institution, to the pressing needs and concerns of our worldly lives. We spook easily at change, we blanch at difference, we resist the challenge those outside our doors pose to us, we seek safety in what we know and fear what we don't. Jesus deliberately shakes up his hearers and us, shocks us out of our comfort and into a vulnerable, itinerate place - the place of ongoing journey, the fragility of raw humanity on a dusty road, even staring into the face of darkness, death, and dissolution. Only in that way will we "get" - both literally and figuratively - the Gospel. Only in that way, he reminds us, will we fully find God. Jesus shocks us into the life of the Gospel. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-06-27_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-06-27_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Foxes, LGBT, pride, Anglican, Archbishop, Canterbury, Presiding, Rowan, Williams 20:34 no Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:31:41 -0700 How God responds to our fear. (Proper 7 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) "What are you doing here?" This is the question of our loving God in the still, small, gentle voice that meets us in our darkest hours and worst moments, when we are caught up most in our worst fears, when everything we thought we knew is overturned, our strengths are for naught, and our efforts feel most in vain. God refuses to abandon us to leave us in our fear. How God responds to our fear. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-06-20_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-06-20_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Elijah, still, small, voice, Jesus, Gerasenes, Galatians 12:34 no Sun, 20 Jun 2010 18:31:48 -0700 A contemporary version of an ancient heresy? (Proper 5 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Our Christian faith embeds us in the relational challenges and hardships of community, it embraces and transforms the realities of pain and suffering, which are made divinely real and prescient in the cross and passion of Jesus Christ. It gives tangible reality to our confession of what we have done and left undone; our call to set aside selfish ambition that exploits -- to embrace instead the service that attends to the pressing needs in the world around us: in our neighbors, in our homes, in our selves, and, yes, very much in our bodies. A contemporary version of an ancient heresy? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-06-06_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-06-06_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Gnosticism, Elijah, Zarephath, Gnostic, Wright, widow 20:04 no Sun, 06 Jun 2010 18:32:05 -0700 God's family as ohana, through the life of Patricia Weissich. (Memorial for Patricia Weissich - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) When I first visited Hawaii several years ago, I was most impressed and challenged by the understanding of ohana, of family: that recognition that we belong one to another --- something that the island peoples taught us and still embody today. This is in stark contrast to the great individualism of the American West, particularly here in California, and most strikingly here in the Bay Area and Marin County, where it's so often "my way or the highway. . ." God's family as ohana, through the life of Patricia Weissich. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-06-06a_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-06-06a_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Patricia, Weissich, ohana, memorial 7:10 no Sun, 06 Jun 2010 18:31:53 -0700 On why we have a Creed. (Trinity Sunday - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) We pray the Creed not simply to offer our intellectual assent to it, but to come into relationship with the "who we are" and the "who God is" the Creed reflects. On why we have a Creed. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-05-30_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-05-30_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Creed, heresy, Trinity 16:30 no Sun, 30 May 2010 18:32:15 -0700 The Tower of Babel and the Day of Pentecost. (Pentecost - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Lest we think God "fixed" us as a human family, neutered our pride in the primordial story of the Tower of Babel. . . the story continues to stand for a world still very much a part of our lives -- one with which we are very much mixed up, whether we are still sorting out the mess brought upon us by the economic and financial crisis, or filling up at the gas pump as we all must while wrestling with our driving addiction to the black goo. The Tower of Babel and the Day of Pentecost. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-05-23_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-05-23_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Pentecost, Babel, Genesis 15:43 no Sun, 23 May 2010 18:32:25 -0700 On living in Christian community. (The Seventh Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Carol Luther) Jesus is suggesting that to be fully human is to be fully divine. . . That glory comes from living and dying and living again. . . On living in Christian community. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-05-16_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-05-16_sermon.mp3 cluther@well.com (The Rev. Carol Luther) The Rev. Carol Luther Jesus, ascension, priestly prayer 21:34 no Sun, 16 May 2010 18:32:39 -0700 On living in Christian community. (The Sixth Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) I urge you to look around you and to give thanks for this community to which, under the Mercy, you have been invited by the Holy Spirit of God. It is a community with no entry requirements except the desire to be here -- to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. On living in Christian community. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-05-09_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-05-09_sermon.mp3 betsy@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen City, God, Charles, Williams 16:52 no Sun, 09 May 2010 18:32:49 -0700 Reflecting on the faith of a "pillar of the church". (Memorial for Connie Rider - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) One of our members describes Connie as a "pillar of the church." And she notes that we don't use that language so much anymore to talk about God's people. Maybe that in part reflects the age in which Connie was in her prime -- an age where strong leadership was looked to and trusted for command and direction. Where a watchful shepherdess on the green was there to keep everybody, including the other leadership (the clergy most particularly!), in line. But more importantly it reflects Connie's living into the call of Isaiah to live into our anointed nature as God's people. To be as Connie was; to be an "oak of righteousness," a "planting of the Lord," where a mantle of praise has replaced a faint spirit, garlands are given in place of ashes, and the oil of gladness rushes down in abundance. Reflecting on the faith of a "pillar of the church". http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-05-07_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-05-07_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Connie, Rider, memorial 12:23 no Fri, 07 May 2010 18:32:57 -0700 Love as a discipline. (The Fifth Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) We avoid the language of discipline when it comes to love, because love is truly a frightening thing. Love as a discipline. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-05-02_sermon.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-05-02_sermon.pdf rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer City, God, love, discipline, betrayal no Sun, 02 May 2010 18:32:58 -0700 Meeting God, being sheep, and figuring out what it means to be Christian. (The Fourth Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) I do wonder if we sometimes have the tendency to worry too much about our reputation as Christians. For instance, we find ourselves often at a loss to describe in positive terms our own peculiar brand of Christianity -- something we generally call Anglicanism. We find it easier to describe what we are not, caught as we sometimes feel between Christianities of inerrant biblical fundamentalism on one side, and scandal-ridden hierarchies on the other. Meeting God, being sheep, and figuring out what it means to be Christian. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-04-25_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-04-25_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Christian, Jesus, Shepherd, reputation 17:08 no Sun, 25 Apr 2010 18:33:08 -0700 What do Christians mean by service? (The Third Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Carol Luther) Today's activists talk not about serving but about "making a difference." Service, on the other hand, is about giving oneself to others. What do Christians mean by service? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-04-18_sermon.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-04-18_sermon.pdf cluther@well.com (The Rev. Carol Luther) The Rev. Carol Luther Jesus, Peter, lambs, service, Christian no Sun, 18 Apr 2010 18:33:09 -0700 The first witness of the Resurrection tells us about our God. (Easter - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) As always in the Gospel of John, nothing can be boiled down to one, simple meaning. In today's Easter reading from the gospel, that Mary "mistakes" Jesus for the gardener is a case in point. What could be more natural? For if this Christ truly is God's Word, as John's prologue declares, then he is the Great Gardener, the Creator tending creation, nurturing the rootstock, turning the soil, caring for the very basis of the great chain of life. The first witness of the Resurrection tells us about our God. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-04-04_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-04-04_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Mary, Magdalene, Resurrection, Christ, Easter 14:52 no Sun, 04 Apr 2010 18:33:18 -0700 Good Friday comes again with news good and bad. (Good Friday - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) For centuries, we have struggled to make sense of this visage, this cross, the self-offering of our beloved Savior to a most gruesome and tragic end: An end that is as visceral as it is spiritual, as anchored in the harsh realities of pain as it is elevated to the giddy heights of symbol, as centered in a passing moment as it is eternal. Good Friday comes again with news good and bad. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-04-02_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-04-02_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Good, Friday, cross, crucifixion 12:24 no Fri, 02 Apr 2010 18:33:26 -0700 On Oscar Romero. (Oscar Romero - Peter Menkin) Does Romero's life have lessons for us? Perhaps the most important is that God still works wonders with weak and imperfect human beings like us. On Oscar Romero. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-03-24_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-03-24_sermon.mp3 p.menkin@comcast.net (Peter Menkin) Peter Menkin Oscar, Romero, martyrs, San Salvador 9:46 no Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:33:33 -0700 Judas' perspective is often ours as well. (The Fifth Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Judas' words reflect our own judgments about the way things should be in the world, and, indeed, the church. How we expect things ought to be and with some good reason - our own thievery aside. We have to wonder regularly if our operating budget leans too heavily on maintaining an institution, from staff salaries to upkeep, and whether or not we allocate enough to serve the poor. Judas' perspective is often ours as well. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-03-21_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-03-21_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Judas, Jesus, Mary, Lazarus 11:08 no Sun, 21 Mar 2010 18:33:42 -0700 Looking again at the parable of the prodigal son. (The Fourth Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Kate Baird) Are we grumbling as the Pharisees and scribes of old, judging who is and who isn't worthy of eating at our table? Are we acting out of a theology of scarcity as the elder brother seeing the resources given to the other as a personal loss, somehow diminishing us rather than an opportunity to celebrate family and the enrichment of all including ourselves? Looking again at the parable of the prodigal son. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-03-14_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-03-14_sermon.mp3 ktbaird16@gmail.com (The Rev. Kate Baird) The Rev. Kate Baird prodigal, parable, scribes, Pharisees 12:02 no Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:33:51 -0700 Jesus gazes straight into fear. (The Second Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) In Jesus, the old rules of the henhouse are being overturned, and he serves as the fulcrum. So Herod's threat is ultimately moot. Even death itself is soon to be overruled. The fox himself will soon be running for cover, and the henhouse itself will be remade from top to bottom. Jesus gazes straight into fear. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-02-28_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-02-28_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer fear, Herod, Jesus, Pharisees 12:11 no Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:34:01 -0700 In the wilderness, Jesus faces the foundational temptations of us all. (The First Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The problem for us and for Jesus is once we start testing God's love for us, we might never stop. What if Jesus doubts his anointed calling or God's love for him again? Will he find a higher pinnacle from which to throw himself? He knows the truth - that certainty about anything in this life, whether the mystery of God or the secrets of our own hearts...certainty about these is an illusion. Doubt is not the true enemy of faith. Certainty is. In the wilderness, Jesus faces the foundational temptations of us all. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-02-21_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-02-21_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer temptation, Satan, Jesus, wilderness 17:47 no Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:34:15 -0700 The Transfiguration reveals what a life of prayer means. (The Last Sunday after Epiphany - Willie Van Doren) Jesus is reorienting all of us - his parables jar us into a different way of viewing the will of God in our world. It is a completely different hierarchy of what's important, and it flips the values of the world on its head. In his day, they were expecting an army and he gave them a mustard seed. But this mustard seed would grow into the most sublime expression of God the world has ever seen. The Transfiguration reveals what a life of prayer means. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-02-14_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-02-14_sermon.mp3 youth@oursaviourmv.org (Willie Van Doren) Willie Van Doren transfiguration, prayer 17:13 no Sun, 14 Feb 2010 20:34:27 -0700 On John Chrysostom. (John Chrysostom - Peter Menkin) Let us remember that John Chrysostom set about reforming the church and exposing corruption among the clergy and in the Imperial Administration. "Mules bear fortunes and Christ dies of hunger at your gate," he is reputed to have cried out. On John Chrysostom. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-01-27_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-01-27_sermon.mp3 p.menkin@comcast.net (Peter Menkin) Peter Menkin Chrysostom, John, preaching, reform 10:26 no Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:34:34 -0700 The struggle to complain or give thanks. (The Third Sunday after Epiphany - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Christian communities make things happen. We forge ahead even with meager resources. We become the justice and the change we want for the greater world. And Paul reminds us today in this great introduction to his song of love in First Corinthians, that we do this together - never alone. It might matter that we need each other. Indeed we do. But more importantly, God needs us, and needs us together, shoulder to shoulder, cheek by jowl, laboring for the communion of divine grace and favor in the world. The struggle to complain or give thanks. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-01-24_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-01-24_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer synagogue, Isaiah, Christ, blessing 10:40 no Sun, 24 Jan 2010 20:34:42 -0700 Does God cause disasters? (The Second Sunday after Epiphany - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) We don't get a God who, like Superman, shields the faithful from our vulnerability or swoops in to fly us out of harm's way. Nor do we get a God who deliberately shakes the earth and wields indiscriminate death like the angry spirits of old. Instead, we get our God in Christ, who embraces our suffering, who brings water to the thirsty and food to the hungry and calls us to do likewise; who blazes trails through our devastations to bring us the balm of compassion, who weeps with us on the streets of death and shows up even at our feasts when the wine has run out. Does God cause disasters? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-01-17_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-01-17_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer theodicy, Haiti, baptism, wine, Cana, miracles 15:28 no Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:34:52 -0700 Think your baptism makes you certain? (The Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The power of Christ's and our shared baptism is not something we are ultimately in control of. We can only tell story about it, sit in awe of it, reflect on it, act on it. But to talk about the rush of the Spirit in our hearts and its unpredictable ways is like trying to catch the wind. Think your baptism makes you certain? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-01-10_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-01-10_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer baptism, uncertainty, John, economy 12:07 no Sun, 10 Jan 2010 20:35:00 -0700 The Holy Family is not even above conflict. (The Second Sunday after Christmas - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Mary, no doubt, has been watching her first-born son carefully all these years. We can remember her treasuring the strange portents and encounters that marked his birth. We can imagine her anxieties and brooding over what this child will become as he grows into a man, as he sheds the innocence of childhood and begins to assert his own identity. And how does she discuss with Joseph the peculiar identity he is destined to carry? When does he cease to be their child and truly become God's child? And do they have any say in the matter? The Holy Family is not even above conflict. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-01-03_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2010-01-03_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Christmas, Passover, Jesus, Temple, Mary, Joseph, conflict 12:35 no Sun, 03 Jan 2010 20:35:12 -0700 The incarnation story is our story for the life and light of the world. (The First Sunday after Christmas - The Rev. Carol Luther) I cannot hear today's Gospel without remembering Christmases past. . . The incarnation story is our story for the life and light of the world. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-12-27_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-12-27_sermon.mp3 cluther@well.com (The Rev. Carol Luther) The Rev. Carol Luther Christmas, Incarnation, John, Renewal 19:43 no Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:35:21 -0700 Is the Christ child an embarrassing truth? (Christmas - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) How embarrassing it is - especially in a post-Christendom era like the one we live in; in a diverse and secular era where being Christian is becoming increasingly unusual and slightly odd - that we - conservative, liberal, and in the middle alike - gather together this evening and call this fragile, gurgling child "God," revere him, give him every accolade we can imagine. Is the Christ child an embarrassing truth? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-12-24_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-12-24_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Christmas, Mary, secret, child, Christ 15:25 no Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:35:30 -0700 A small-town scandal reveals the truth of Christmas. (The Fourth Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The whole notion that God is going to be born in the mess of a stable in a dusty little town - that the God of all Creation, the Maker of the Cosmos, is about to appear through all the pain and blood of childbirth, is a scandal of theological, if not cosmological proportions. A small-town scandal reveals the truth of Christmas. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-12-20_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-12-20_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Advent, Christmas, Mary, scandal 10:41 no Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:35:37 -0700 A memorial for Pat de Fremery. (Memorial of Pat de Fremery - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Pat witnessed to us the profound truth at the heart of our shared spiritual tradition that it is through our very human, physical frailties that we are most vulnerable to the actions and grace of our God. It is through our weaknesses that we are given spiritual strengths.Readings: Wisdom 3:1-5, 9; 1 John 3:1-2; John 6:37-40 A memorial for Pat de Fremery. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-12-16_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-12-16_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Pat de Fremery, memorial, blind, sight, grace 9:31 no Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:35:43 -0700 John the Baptist: The Prophet who Stole Christmas? (The Third Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) We have been taught to embrace a Gospel of grace, yes indeed. But it is never enough to simply say, "I believe," and then get on again with our busy lives as though nothing has changed. It is never enough to say simply, "I belong," and then avoid the hard work of relationships that belonging to Christian community and taking on our citizenship in the wider world demand. John the Baptist: The Prophet who Stole Christmas? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-12-13_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-12-13_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Advent, Christmas, John, Baptist, metanoia 13:34 no Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:35:51 -0700 Do we prepare for Advent, or does Advent prepare us? (The Second Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) I imagine many of you feel at times like I do during this period of the year - a bit harried, a bit bedeviled by the countless little things that must be done before Christmas is upon us. Last-minute planning, preparing for a New Year only weeks away even though it feels as though it should be months, thinking about gifts, an exploding social calendar. We get in a real soup when we add in all the extra stresses this past year has wrought with its uncertainties and dizzying, bewildering twists and turns. Do we prepare for Advent, or does Advent prepare us? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-12-06_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-12-06_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Advent, Christmas, Zechariah 12:06 no Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:35:58 -0700 On Channing Moore Williams and Missionaries. (Channing Moore Williams - Peter Menkin) Missionary work has changed in 150 years in our Church. No longer is it colonialist, no longer does it attempt to change people to the supposed better ways of our own culture. The missionary takes the people who they are, where they are, and settles with them in their indigenous culture. Yet much is unchanging in missionary work, for it is based in tradition and in the Bible. On Channing Moore Williams and Missionaries. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-12-02_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-12-02_sermon.mp3 p.menkin@comcast.net (Peter Menkin) Peter Menkin Channing, Moore, Williams, Japan, missionary, evangelism 10:59 no Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:36:05 -0700 Taking on the "God of the gaps." (The First Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) I need a God, who, according to the prophet Amos, "made the Pleiades and Orion," who set the universe not only in motion, but abides in the very laws that govern it, who rests in every particle and in the fabric of the cosmos - who not only surprises me moment-to-moment, but meets me, as Christ says, in the signs of the sun and the moon and the stars, and the roaring of the seas and the waves. Taking on the "God of the gaps." http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-11-29_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-11-29_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Advent, Christmas, Amos, Jeremiah 11:21 no Sun, 29 Nov 2009 20:36:12 -0700 Do we know how much to be thankful for? (Thanksgiving - The Rev. Robert Gieselmann) The truth is we have been afraid this past year: we have been sore afraid during this global recession. . . But Jesus reminds us that fear is unacceptable: Don't you know how much God cares? Do we know how much to be thankful for? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-11-25_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-11-25_sermon.mp3 email@christchurchsausalito.org (The Rev. Robert Gieselmann) The Rev. Robert Gieselmann Thanksgiving 14:13 no Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:36:21 -0700 Is our understanding of prosperity God's, too? (Proper 29 - Christ the King - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Pilate just doesn't get it. Nor, quite frankly, do we much of the time. Jesus' truth often eludes us in our widely pragmatic and carefully compromised lives. We, like Pilate, live in a world of choices, none of which are perfect, and which are often governed by the rules of a kingdom akin to his. Is our understanding of prosperity God's, too? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-11-22_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-11-22_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer prosperity, gospel, Pilate, Christ, King 16:17 no Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:36:31 -0700 Revisiting the end of all things. (Proper 28 - Willie Van Doren) "The Last Days" has a lot of currency in our time, whether it is in popular culture, or in religions around the world. How do we understand this idea in a faithful way? Revisiting the end of all things. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-11-15_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-11-15_sermon.mp3 youth@oursaviourmv.org (Willie Van Doren) Willie Van Doren Revelation, end, Daniel 13:39 no Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:36:39 -0700 The widow's mite revisited. (Proper 27 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) This is a peculiar kind of faith that both the nameless widows in our readings today possess: a faith of embracing reality,however hard it might be, with a trust and an acceptance that are unnerving to the Scribes within all of us. The widow's mite revisited. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-11-08_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-11-08_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer widows, Scribes 15:33 no Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:36:49 -0700 Holiness is not found in being good or pious. (All Saints' - The Rev. Kate Baird) These people were not good, polite or well behaved and they were most assuredly not well scrubbed. By societal standards these people were bad: they broke the rules, they were loud, sometimes bordering on obnoxious. Beyond being unpopular, they were mavericks,liberals and in many cases considered dangerous. Let's be frank, they are the kind of people society shuns and many of us try to ignore. Often, it is only after their death (and the deaths of their critics) that they are redeemed and recognized as saints. Holiness is not found in being good or pious. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-11-01_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-11-01_sermon.mp3 seminarian@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Kate Baird) The Rev. Kate Baird saints, justice 12:42 no Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:36:57 -0700 EPIC Youth Rap about the saints. (All Saints' Day - EPIC Youth and Willie Van Doren) Rap by the EPIC Youth Group of Church of Our Saviour.Vocal by Willie Van Doren. Instrumental by Dow Brain. EPIC Youth Rap about the saints. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=All_Saints_Rap_2009-11.m4a http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=All_Saints_Rap_2009-11.m4a youth@oursaviourmv.org (EPIC Youth and Willie Van Doren) EPIC Youth and Willie Van Doren All Saints, rap, youth no Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:29:40 -0700 About apostles - Saints Simon and Jude. (Simon and Jude - Peter Menkin) They are Apostles who spoke of God, spoke to and into the world, and gave us hope, having been commissioned by Christ himself when alive. About apostles - Saints Simon and Jude. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-10-28_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-10-28_sermon.mp3 p.menkin@comcast.net (Peter Menkin) Peter Menkin Simon, Jude, Apostles 11:19 no Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:37:04 -0700 Jesus responds to the temptation to lord it over others. (Proper 24 - The Rev. Carol Luther) It is not in the glory of my intelligence, but in the suffering of my ignorance, that I find God. God, you see, is all that I am not. Jesus responds to the temptation to lord it over others. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-10-18_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-10-18_sermon.mp3 cluther@well.com (The Rev. Carol Luther) The Rev. Carol Luther James, John, Jesus, humility 15:24 no Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:37:13 -0700 The call to generosity. (Proper 23 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) For all of us who live in the materially abundant West - where all of us, even the least among us, have more resources than the vast majority of human beings - we know that we are no closer to God's reign simply by virtue of our wealth than the poorest of the poor. In truth, many of us wrestle with the teachings of our tradition: the promised divine favor for the least of these, the nameless at the gate, the destitute. The call to generosity. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-10-11_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-10-11_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer generosity, stewardship, Amos, rich 9:48 no Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:37:19 -0700 On Michael and All Angels. (Michael and All Angels - Peter Menkin) I believe angels help us to believe, not because we believe in angels, but because angels believe in us. On Michael and All Angels. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-09-29_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-09-29_sermon.mp3 p.menkin@comcast.net (Peter Menkin) Peter Menkin Angels, Michael 10:52 no Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:37:27 -0700 Envy and Jesus'teaching. (Proper 21 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Envy appears in a number of vice lists in the earliest Christian writings. And it is a mainstay in the old classical list of the seven deadly sins. It was obviously a problem for our spiritual ancestors as much as it can be for us. So Jesus follows Moses in making it clear to his followers then and now that there's little time and even less room for it in God's promised reign. Envy and Jesus'teaching. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-09-27_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-09-27_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer envy, ouroboros, Jesus, John, Moses, Eldad, Medad, Joshua 17:05 no Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:37:43 -0700 Loving things heavenly. (Proper 20 - The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) For better or for worse, most of us are not at liberty to leave the world behind us so totally. We have given hostages to fortune, as they say. We have formed ties that bind--ties that bring us both satisfaction and an element of irksome restraint. Loving things heavenly. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-09-20_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-09-20_sermon.mp3 betsy@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen Jesus, love, spirituality, children, earthly things 14:27 no Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:37:56 -0700 Obedience and the central symbol of our faith. (Proper 19 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. When Jesus drops this teaching on his disciples, and, by extension, us this day, we are cast into perhaps the greatest mystery and greatest challenge of our walk with our Savior. Obedience and the central symbol of our faith. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-09-13_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-09-13_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer cross, Henry, monastic, Peter, Jesus 14:50 no Sun, 13 Sep 2009 18:38:09 -0700 Hyacinth Bucket and the Gospel. (Proper 17 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Jesus instructs his disciples and us twenty centuries later to set aside the comparisons and social striving that are so much a part of worldly culture, and instead seek that inner integrity that comes when we read, mark, and inwardly digest the Gospel in word and sacrament. Hyacinth Bucket and the Gospel. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-08-30_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-08-30_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer choice, salvation, individualism, Joshua 15:04 no Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:38:23 -0700 A Western heresy? (Proper 16 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) We reckon that we are not individuals, atomized and fragmented, struggling for control, but rather a household together - the Household of God, working to build new life with our Creator. A Western heresy? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-08-23_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-08-23_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer choice, salvation, individualism, Joshua 16:14 no Sun, 23 Aug 2009 18:38:37 -0700 On Bernard of Clairvaux. (Bernard of Clairvaux - Peter Menkin) A Prayer attributed to Bernard goes: Jesus, the very thought of Thee With sweetness fills the breast; But sweeter far Thy face to see, And in Thy presence rest. On Bernard of Clairvaux. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-08-19_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-08-19_sermon.mp3 p.menkin@comcast.net (Peter Menkin) Peter Menkin Bernard, Clairvaux, Holiness 10:52 no Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:38:47 -0700 Lady Wisdom, our elder God. (Proper 15 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Again, like Jesus' hearers in today's Gospel, we are called into a unique wisdom teaching about the nature of Christ's gift for us - a self-offering that the rest of the world might view as foolishness. Lady Wisdom, our elder God. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-08-16_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-08-16_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer wisdom, eucharist, Christianity 11:41 no Sun, 16 Aug 2009 18:38:55 -0700 God's response to our desire to throw in the towel. (Proper 14 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) When so many of us reach such existential turning points in our lives, we feel like Elijah. It is indeed tempting - if only for a few moments - to find our own broom tree, lay down, and swear off the whole thing. God's response to our desire to throw in the towel. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-08-09_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-08-09_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Elijah, Baal, broom tree, eucharist 14:14 no Sun, 09 Aug 2009 18:39:02 -0700 The answer to life's hardest questions. (Proper 13 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) As inspired as we might be by clever discourse, and erudite answers to life's most intractable questions, our deepest answer is not in intellect or words or even on the pages of a book. It's in the person of Jesus Christ. The answer to life's hardest questions. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-08-02_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-08-02_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer feeding, Jesus, craving, manna 11:14 no Sun, 02 Aug 2009 18:39:07 -0700 Tough economic times and God's grace. (Proper 12 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) God's Eucharistic economy is not built on scarcity or cold, calculating distribution of goods by a higher power. Nor is it ultimately constructed on competition or supply-side studies. It is built on an abundant love that refuses to give in to the voices that say that there is never enough. Tough economic times and God's grace. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-07-26_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-07-26_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer feeding, economy, Jesus, Philip 14:26 no Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:39:14 -0700 On Mary Magdalene. (Mary Magdalene - Peter Menkin) Mary Magdalene's life is a fascination and inspiration regarding the power of the Christian faith, the illuminating power of the Gospel, and simply that of a life of miscast values or even that of a lost person reformed. On Mary Magdalene. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-07-22_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-07-22_sermon.mp3 p.menkin@comcast.net (Peter Menkin) Peter Menkin Mary, Magdalene, Feast Day 8:51 no Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:39:20 -0700 What healing in Christ may truly mean. (Proper 11 - The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) You could say that the various people who approach Jesus with their pressing concerns are what some teachers of the Bible call "importunate"--or as the dictionary would put it, persistent even to the point of annoyance and intrusion. What healing in Christ may truly mean. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-07-19_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-07-19_sermon.mp3 betsy@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen healing, Reynolds Price 18:36 no Sun, 19 Jul 2009 18:39:31 -0700 Ezekiel meets July 4th. (Proper 9 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) It's easy to forget, with the way we romanticize the Declaration of Independence, that those signing it were putting their lives squarely on the line. In this way, they were stepping very much into the prophetic tradition. Ezekiel meets July 4th. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-07-05_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-07-05_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer prophets, Ezekiel, Independence Day 14:44 no Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:39:40 -0700 The faith that Christ commends. (Proper 8 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) So many who approach Jesus for healing in the gospels demand some action from him - whether it's instruction, a visit, or a prayer of the Son of God. In this way, the contrast between Jairus, a faithful leader of the local synagogue, and the woman suffering for so long at the margins of her community, could not be more striking. The faith that Christ commends. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-06-28_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-06-28_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer faith, healing, Jairus, Christ, Jesus 9:35 no Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:39:52 -0700 A memorial for Phyllis Grace Staton. (Memorial for Phyllis Staton - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) It was this life that, in the words of today's Gospel, Christ welcomes in her and will never drive away. A life feisty and rooted at the same time! A memorial for Phyllis Grace Staton. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-06-28a_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-06-28a_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Phyllis Staton, memorial service, Revelation 9:08 no Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:39:46 -0700 When God calls us to grow up. (Proper 7 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) There is little room for whining and complaining - or perhaps a lot of room, if you take the proportions of the Book Job at face value. But it avails us little. God still expects us to grow up. When God calls us to grow up. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-06-21_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-06-21_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Job, faith, baptism 11:51 no Sun, 21 Jun 2009 18:39:59 -0700 A memorial for a remarkable curmudgeon. (Memorial for Frederick Allen Cone - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) If we dig into the lives of those we remember as saints, what do we find? Curmudgeons. Faithful, opinionated folk like Fred who brazenly call out truth, even when it is unpopular. A memorial for a remarkable curmudgeon. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-06-20_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-06-20_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Fred Cone, memorial service, saints, curmudgeons, harrowing, hell 11:42 no Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:40:06 -0700 Grace requires no caveats. (Proper 6 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) God, in radical opposition to our problem-solving, wood clearing nature, simply seeks out the green shoot of new life and replants it. Or, in the language of Jesus in today's Gospel, causes the greatest of all shrubs to arise from the tiniest of seeds. Grace requires no caveats. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-06-14_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-06-14_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer mustard seed, Ezekiel 14:54 no Sun, 14 Jun 2009 18:40:15 -0700 Creeds and doctrine get personal. (Trinity Sunday - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest court of ancient Israel, comes to Jesus under cover of darkness and seeks explanation for the signs Jesus is performing. Jesus responds by inviting Nicodemus to look beyond the signs and into deeper and abundant life in God's Spirit - the life that comes from above. Creeds and doctrine get personal. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-06-07_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-06-07_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Trinity, Creeds, Bishops, Nicodemus 17:38 no Sun, 07 Jun 2009 18:40:26 -0700 The Spirit stirs up everything. (Pentecost - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) This Holy Spirit, like the Holy Spirit at the first Pentecost, seems to care little about the way we think things ought to be, and is infinitely more interested in bringing together the people and the gifts that make up who we are becoming. The Spirit stirs up everything. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-05-31_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-05-31_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Pentecost, Holy Spirit 12:24 no Sun, 31 May 2009 18:40:34 -0700 Reinterpreting the Ascension. (The Seventh Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Frankly, of all the stories about the person we call Lord and Savior, Messiah and Teacher, Truth and Friend of Friends, it's the ascension that is most likely to make me blush with some embarrassment. Reinterpreting the Ascension. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-05-24_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-05-24_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer ascension 10:59 no Sun, 24 May 2009 18:40:40 -0700 When Christ calls us friends. (The Sixth Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The solid spiritual food that Christ re-introduces to us in today's Gospel is the concept of becoming friends with Christ. More than the People of God, we are invited to grow up and become the Friends of God. When Christ calls us friends. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-05-17_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-05-17_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer friends, disciples, Christ 14:58 no Sun, 17 May 2009 18:40:50 -0700 A reflection on John 15:1-8. (John 15: 1-8 - Peter Menkin) That Christ invites us: it is an enormous hospitality of God that is extended anew through Christ. We are invited, and this is Grace--for we are accepted. A reflection on John 15:1-8. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-05-13_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-05-13_sermon.mp3 p.menkin@comcast.net (Peter Menkin) Peter Menkin Vine, abiding, Christ 10:41 no Wed, 13 May 2009 18:40:56 -0700 While the world whirls around us, we are called to abide. (The Fifth Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) We are called to abide. Many of us, in a highly mobile world where walking away is made easy can forget how to abide, but the truth is that we all know how in our bones. While the world whirls around us, we are called to abide. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-05-10_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-05-10_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer abide, Christ 13:24 no Sun, 10 May 2009 18:41:04 -0700 The practical implications of Easter. (The Third Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) In today's gospel from Luke, the first disciples are discussing resurrection, batting back and forth the experiences some of them had of encountering the Risen Christ on the road to Emmaus. . . when Jesus suddenly appears among them - unexpected and uninvited - and he talks of peace. The practical implications of Easter. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-04-26_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-04-26_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer compassion, practice, Dalai Lama, Easter 13:51 no Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:41:13 -0700 Finding freedom from perfectionism in the Resurrection. (Easter - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Easter, the Resurrection, is God's gift to us,offered whether we or ready or not. Just as it was offered, ready or not, for the first followers of Jesus, surprised at the door of the empty tomb. Finding freedom from perfectionism in the Resurrection. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-04-12_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-04-12_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer perfectionism, resurrection, Easter 6:51 no Sun, 12 Apr 2009 18:41:17 -0700 God chooses open hearts for the divine law. (The Fifth Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The heart that is opened up. . .the heart that has let go of fear. . .the heart upon which God can write her holy law. . . God chooses open hearts for the divine law. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-03-29_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-03-29_sermon.mp3 mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor Law, God, open heart 12:41 no Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:41:25 -0700 On the Annunciation. (The Annunciation - Peter Menkin) Let us imagine together this event, so awesome and holy, so large and cosmic as to create in us the need to recognize that God's ways are not our ways. On the Annunciation. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-03-25_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-03-25_sermon.mp3 p.menkin@comcast.net (Peter Menkin) Peter Menkin Annunciation, Mary, Holy Days, Virgin, Lesser, Feasts, Fasts 8:16 no Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:41:30 -0700 The healing power of the cross lifted high. (The Fourth Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The cross is the Christian answer to the need for a scapegoat, a strange portent, a healing talisman when the snakes are loose and the People of God suffer. The healing power of the cross lifted high. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-03-22_sermon.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-03-22_sermon.pdf rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Nehushtan, cross, Moses, snake no Sun, 22 Mar 2009 18:41:30 -0700 Considering the place of disciplines in our lives. (The Third Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) Disciplines, if we agree to submit to them, lead us through a narrow place and to a place much bigger than we have known before. Considering the place of disciplines in our lives. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-03-15_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-03-15_sermon.mp3 betsy@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen commandments, discipline 12:52 no Sun, 15 Mar 2009 18:41:38 -0700 Jesus asks us a hard question. (The Second Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Ours is a God who engages our sufferings and shortcomings with a tangible spirituality, our entire life at every level with a grace that refuses to leave us where we are, a blood and flesh religion that demands we get our skin in the game of salvation. Jesus asks us a hard question. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-03-08_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-03-08_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Abraham, Peter, Satan, New, Age 13:30 no Sun, 08 Mar 2009 18:41:46 -0700 On rainbows and covenant. (The First Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Should we wonder why rainbows captivated the imagination of our spiritual ancestors - became the subject, if only for a moment, of a great prehistoric, cosmological story about floods, arks, evil, faith, and God? On rainbows and covenant. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-03-01_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-03-01_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Noah, rainbow, kindergarten 12:31 no Sun, 01 Mar 2009 20:41:54 -0700 On Martin Luther. (Martin Luther - Peter Menkin) Whether you believe all or part of Martin Luther's statements, his influence and thought, his ideas and faith, his life of believing changed the world. On Martin Luther. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-02-18_sermon.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-02-18_sermon.pdf p.menkin@comcast.net (Peter Menkin) Peter Menkin Martin Luther, Lesser Feasts and Fasts no Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:41:54 -0700 Healing is more than restoration. (The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany - Carren Sheldon) When Jesus touches us, we are changed -- yet again. Healing is more than restoration. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-02-15_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-02-15_sermon.mp3 carren@community.net (Carren Sheldon) Carren Sheldon leprosy, Naaman, Jesus, healing 11:47 no Sun, 15 Feb 2009 20:42:01 -0700 Is survival good enough? (The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) We are not alone historically or spiritually. In a way, that's good news in and of itself. Ours remains a question of survival -- a perennial question -- and whether survival is good enough. Is survival good enough? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-02-08_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-02-08_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Darwin, demons 13:08 no Sun, 08 Feb 2009 20:42:09 -0700 "Who's that sitting in my pew?" (The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) You know the old dynamic. It's very human. We all have the tapes that play in our heads: Who's that sitting in my pew? "Who's that sitting in my pew?" http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-02-01_sermon.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-02-01_sermon.pdf rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer business, church, family no Sun, 01 Feb 2009 20:42:10 -0700 On Thomas Aquinas. (Thomas Aquinas - Peter Menkin) As we think of Saint Thomas, we have much in common as Christians, and it is in part that which we have in common that is also indicative of our living Communion with the Saints. Is this not a miracle of Christ? A miracle of love? On Thomas Aquinas. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-01-28_sermon.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-01-28_sermon.pdf p.menkin@comcast.net (Peter Menkin) Peter Menkin Thomas Aquinas, Lesser, Feasts, Fasts no Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:42:10 -0700 "For God alone my soul in silence waits." (The Third Sunday after Epiphany - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) In the midst of an increasingly sour economy, we wrestle with the call of Jonah. "For God alone my soul in silence waits." http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-01-25_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-01-25_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Jonah, Microsoft, economy 14:40 no Sun, 25 Jan 2009 20:42:18 -0700 Faith is showing up, not being right. (The Second Sunday after Epiphany - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) We wrestle with faith, because we often convince ourselves that faith is about being correct. But faith has so much more to do with simply showing up and being present. Faith is showing up, not being right. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-01-18_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-01-18_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Samuel, faith, Facebook 14:58 no Sun, 18 Jan 2009 20:42:27 -0700 Water points back all the way to the beginning. (The Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Through the primordial sign of water, baptism reveals that there is more to life than simply being alive. Water points back all the way to the beginning. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-01-11_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2009-01-11_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer baptism, Jordan, Christ, Endo 12:53 no Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:42:35 -0700 In the incarnation, God is doing a new thing for all time. (Christmas - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Sermon for Christmas. In the incarnation, God is doing a new thing for all time. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-12-24_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-12-24_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Christmas, Mary, incarnation 18:38 no Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:42:47 -0700 Christ is coming, whether or not we are ready. (The Fourth Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) When Mary agrees to carry the Christ child, her life is changed forever. When we agree to welcome the Christ child, our lives, like Mary's, are permanently and irrevocably transformed. Christ is coming, whether or not we are ready. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-12-21_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-12-21_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Christmas, Mary, Gabriel, birth, Advent, newborn 11:02 no Sun, 21 Dec 2008 20:42:53 -0700 Advent is a time for being still. (The Third Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) The desire for God to appear becomes the overriding theme of our lives this time of year. Our challenge is to wait for it and embrace the stillness that true waiting requires. Advent is a time for being still. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-12-14_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-12-14_sermon.mp3 betsy@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen Advent, Son of Man, awake 15:49 no Sun, 14 Dec 2008 20:43:03 -0700 Being a conscious Christian. (The First Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The new Church Year opens with a demand that we be wakeful, alert, and conscious for the in-breaking of the Kingdom of God. Being a conscious Christian. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-11-30_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-11-30_sermon.mp3 mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor Advent, Son of Man, awake 10:39 no Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:43:10 -0700 Christ the King? (Proper 29 - Christ the King - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The name of the last Sunday of the church year, "Christ the King Sunday," evokes images of a triumphant Jesus. But does Christ really fit into our romanticism of political power? Christ the King? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-11-23_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-11-23_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Christ the King, Jesus, president, politics 14:43 no Sun, 23 Nov 2008 20:43:19 -0700 On Elizabeth of Hungary. (Elizabeth of Hungary - Peter Menkin) Elizabeth, young, unafraid, steady in her faith, gave succor to so many, and was a self-sacrificing woman who began living a life of Holy denial. On Elizabeth of Hungary. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-11-19_sermon.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-11-19_sermon.pdf p.menkin@comcast.net (Peter Menkin) Peter Menkin Elizabeth, Hungary, Lesser, Feasts, Fasts no Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:43:19 -0700 Wrestling with Church as Institution. (Proper 27 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The church as an institution has often behaved badly. We are called by Christ to build a different kind of church. Wrestling with Church as Institution. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-11-09_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-11-09_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer church, marriage, institution, gospel 12:38 no Sun, 09 Nov 2008 20:43:26 -0700 An invitation to remember those most in need. (Proper 21 - The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) Even in the face of financial crisis and economic turmoil, we are called to remember those who are hungry. An invitation to remember those most in need. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-09-28_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-09-28_sermon.mp3 betsy@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen hunger, bread, poverty 15:39 no Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:43:36 -0700 God's sense of fair may not be ours. (Proper 20 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) When faced with crisis, we are called to remember what is truly important to our salvation. God's sense of fair may not be ours. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-09-21_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-09-21_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer fair, economy, justice, Christ 16:34 no Sun, 21 Sep 2008 18:43:46 -0700 Letting God be God. (Proper 19 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Judgement and withholding forgiveness are both ways we try to play God. The trouble is, when we play God, we often end up with a God who mirrors our own worst selves. Letting God be God. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-09-14_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-09-14_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer forgiveness, judgment, Christ 16:13 no Sun, 14 Sep 2008 18:43:56 -0700 Seeing Creation as a source of spiritual wisdom. (Remembering Creation - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Our anxiety about addressing our own needs is destroying the natural world, and, in turn, threatening our own survival. Jesus points to the lilies and sparrows as teachers of a profound faith that could help heal our fragile world: absolute trust in God's grace through all of Creation and the promise of God's kingdom. Seeing Creation as a source of spiritual wisdom. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-09-07_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-09-07_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer lilies, Christ, environment 10:56 no Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:44:03 -0700 Learning to surrender in the face of tragedy. (Proper 17 - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) When Jesus rebukes Peter for trying to lead him away from the cross, we are reminded of our call to move through suffering as Christ did, and to find the hope of resurrection in the face of tragedy. Learning to surrender in the face of tragedy. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-08-31_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-08-31_sermon.mp3 mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor Christ, Messiah, Peter, tragedy 12:19 no Sun, 31 Aug 2008 18:44:10 -0700 What does it mean to call Jesus the Messiah? (Proper 16 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Delivered in the context of a baptism, this sermon explores what we as Christians mean when we claim, as Peter did, that Jesus is the Messiah. What does it mean to call Jesus the Messiah? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-08-24_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-08-24_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Christ, Messiah, Peter 12:53 no Sun, 24 Aug 2008 18:44:18 -0700 Thawing out a frozen faith. (Proper 15 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Canaanite woman, with her wit and insistence, is commended for her profound trust in what Christ can do for her -- a deep faith that even Jesus' closest followers can only marvel at. Thawing out a frozen faith. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-08-17_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-08-17_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Christ, Canaanite, woman, faith 12:55 no Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:44:26 -0700 Defying gravity without being perfect. (Proper 14 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The story of Jesus walking on the water, more than a display of the miraculous, reveals how God reaches and trasnforms us, despite our fickle faith. Defying gravity without being perfect. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-08-10_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-08-10_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Jesus, walking, water, Peter, boat, Pelagianism 14:50 no Sun, 10 Aug 2008 18:44:35 -0700 Jacob's wrestling with God is our wrestling with God. (Proper 13 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Jacob's story epitomizes our spiritual journey as we strive with each other, and even with God. Jacob's wrestling with God is our wrestling with God. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-08-03_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-08-03_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Jacob, wrestling, stewardship 13:58 no Sun, 03 Aug 2008 18:44:44 -0700 Pilgrimage teaches the hospitality of God's Kingdom. (Proper 12 - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) A pilgrim's journey reveals the life of deeper and transformative hospitality -- one more befitting the Kingdom of God. Pilgrimage teaches the hospitality of God's Kingdom. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-07-27_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-07-27_sermon.mp3 mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor mustard seed, parable, pilgrimage 11:42 no Sun, 27 Jul 2008 18:44:51 -0700 Are we called to weed our own field? (Proper 11 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Jesus challenges his followers to leave the sorting out of good and evil to God. We are called to recognize the field of the kingdom, as mixed up and jumbled with weeds as it might be, continues to produce good fruit in our midst. Are we called to weed our own field? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-07-20_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-07-20_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer weeds, tares, wheat, parable, Jesus 17:10 no Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:45:01 -0700 Coming face-to-face with our obsession with things not of the Spirit. (Proper 10 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Our contemporary wrestling with everything being treated as a marketable commodity, even human life, hearkens back to Paul's ancient warning about pursuing things of the "flesh" rather than things of the Spirit. This sermon is subtitled "Some iPhone Theology." Coming face-to-face with our obsession with things not of the Spirit. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-07-13_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-07-13_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer iPhone, flesh, Spirit, sower 19:50 no Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:45:14 -0700 Does God desire sacrifice or mercy? (Proper 8 - The Rev. Dr. Jay Emerson Johnson) The story of Abraham preparing to sacrifice his son, Isaac, remains as shocking and bewildering to us as it must have seemed millenia ago. Does God desire sacrifice or mercy? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-06-29_sermon.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-06-29_sermon.pdf jayemersonjohnson@earthlink.net (The Rev. Dr. Jay Emerson Johnson) The Rev. Dr. Jay Emerson Johnson Isaac, Abraham, sacrifice, scapegoat no Sun, 29 Jun 2008 18:45:14 -0700 Would Jesus recognize our most hallowed family institutions? (Proper 7 - The Rev. Dr. Jay Emerson Johnson) Jesus' harsh words about family throw a huge question mark into assertions today about "biblical family values." We are challenged to remember God even above our most cherished societal institutions. Would Jesus recognize our most hallowed family institutions? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-06-22_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-06-22_sermon.mp3 jayemersonjohnson@earthlink.net (The Rev. Dr. Jay Emerson Johnson) The Rev. Dr. Jay Emerson Johnson family values, Jesus 17:30 no Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:45:25 -0700 How do we engage in the daunting task of dismantling racism? (The Fourth Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Racism is alive and well, even in our most cherished communities and institutions. Confronting and then dismantling it demands the utmost commitment to relationship and a willingness to seek the Good Shepherd at work in our midst. How do we engage in the daunting task of dismantling racism? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-04-13_sermon.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-04-13_sermon.pdf rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Racism, Shepherd no Sun, 13 Apr 2008 18:45:25 -0700 How do we join in the hope of the story of Lazarus? (The Fifth Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) Like Lazarus, we have been called out of the tomb by Christ. Part of our work as Christians is to bring this resurrection to the lives of others. The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen reflects on her experience as a hospital chaplain in this sermon exploring one of the most beloved passages of John's Gospel. How do we join in the hope of the story of Lazarus? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-03-09_sermon.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-03-09_sermon.pdf betsy@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen Lazarus, John no Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:45:26 -0700 A God who meets the demands of our thirst, and exceeds them. (The Third Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) A Samaritan woman, nameless and shunned, meets Christ at the well of life, and like all of us who come face-to-face with God, encounters a judgment beyond her imagination. A God who meets the demands of our thirst, and exceeds them. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-02-24_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-02-24_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Christ, Samaritan, woman, well, John 12:54 no Sun, 24 Feb 2008 20:45:33 -0700 Jesus, power, and vulnerability. (The First Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Driven into the wilderness, Jesus confronts a darkness that quotes Scripture and uses a language all too familiar to us: the language of power. How should the Anointed One of God and we, his followers, respond? Jesus, power, and vulnerability. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-02-10_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-02-10_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Jesus, Navy, war, power, desert, Satan 20:43 no Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:45:45 -0700 Seeking God's transformative presence in our personal lives. (The Second Sunday after Epiphany - The Rev. Payne Rosen) Recognizing that God looks at us with a vision that exceeds our imagination, we are invited into the life of light, even in the face of great darkness. Betsy Rosen offered this message through the story of Martin Luther King, Jr., in this sermon delivered on the weekend set aside in his honor. Seeking God's transformative presence in our personal lives. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-01-20_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-01-20_sermon.mp3 betsy@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Payne Rosen) The Rev. Payne Rosen Martin, King, Peter, Epiphany 13:21 no Sun, 20 Jan 2008 20:45:53 -0700 The journey of the magi through their own eyes. (Epiphany - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) Este Cantor offers a story of the magi's journey, as given through their own eyes. The journey of the magi through their own eyes. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-01-06_sermon.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2008-01-06_sermon.pdf mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor magi, Christmas, Epiphany no Sun, 06 Jan 2008 20:45:54 -0700 The first step in bringing the light of the Christ Child to the world. (The First Sunday after Christmas - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) In the face of world-shaping tragedies, we must seek to manifest the "light shining in the darkness" for the greater world, beginning first within ourselves. The first step in bringing the light of the Christ Child to the world. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-12-30_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-12-30_sermon.mp3 mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor John, Bhutto, Christmas, Christ 10:56 no Sun, 30 Dec 2007 20:46:00 -0700 The birth of Jesus proclaims God's transcendence over all claims of human power. (Christmas - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Poetry in this sermon is from Libera: "Far Away" The birth of Jesus proclaims God's transcendence over all claims of human power. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-12-24_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-12-24_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Christmas, Mary, Augustus, hope 14:11 no Mon, 24 Dec 2007 20:46:09 -0700 Mary's conceiving a child is a lesson in God's power in the face of our own. (The Fourth Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Behind the story of Joseph being confronted with a difficult choice is a lesson in what it means to be powerless when God acts. Mary's conceiving a child is a lesson in God's power in the face of our own. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-12-23_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-12-23_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Joseph, Mary, Virgin, birth, power 13:08 no Sun, 23 Dec 2007 20:46:17 -0700 What do we do when we recognize we are not prepared for the Messiah's coming? (The Third Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) As we face the hard reality that not everything will be done in time for Christmas, Jesus reminds us that he is coming into our midst, anyway. Our only job is to show up completely. There are no half-ways when it comes to metanoia. What do we do when we recognize we are not prepared for the Messiah's coming? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-12-16_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-12-16_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer John the Baptist, Son of Man, Advent 14:39 no Sun, 16 Dec 2007 20:46:26 -0700 What is our role in the coming of the kingdom of heaven? (The Second Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) With little time remaining before Christmas, we are left wondering how we become part of the arrival of God's promised transformation in our lives and relationships. Isaiah describes this transformation as the dissolution of prejudice in favor of communion. What is our role in the coming of the kingdom of heaven? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-12-09-1_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-12-09-1_sermon.mp3 mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor John the Baptist, Stump of Jesse, Pharisees, lamb, lion, wolf 8:58 no Sun, 09 Dec 2007 20:46:38 -0700 God makes much out of very little, and little out of much. (The Second Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The cry of John the Baptist, and no less than his implied threat, reminds us that God is in the habit of making much out of little, and little of much. For the stumps, the places in our lives that we thought were dead, Christ is coming. God makes much out of very little, and little out of much. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-12-09_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-12-09_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer John the Baptist, Stump of Jesse 10:23 no Sun, 09 Dec 2007 20:46:32 -0700 As Christians, we live forever on the edge of an imminent transformation of everything. (The First Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Advent opens with startling and, in many ways, frightening words from Jesus. How do we, as Advent Christians, learn to live with the promise of an imminent return of Christ? As Christians, we live forever on the edge of an imminent transformation of everything. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-12-02_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-12-02_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Isaiah, Left Behind, Second Coming 11:32 no Sun, 02 Dec 2007 20:46:45 -0700 Living into the promises of Christ the King. (Proper 29 - Christ the King - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The story of Christ's words with a thief on the cross underscores a promise of forgiveness that closes our church year and reminds us of the primary work of the Gospel in our lives and relationships. Living into the promises of Christ the King. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-11-25_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-11-25_sermon.mp3 mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor forgiveness, Christ the King, thief 11:39 no Sun, 25 Nov 2007 20:46:52 -0700 How do we speak to the apocalypse of our age? (Proper 28 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) As our readings at the end of the Church year turn towards the apocalyptic, we are called as a community of Christians to respond to the burning conflicts of our age with faith. How do we speak to the apocalypse of our age? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-11-18_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-11-18_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Isaiah, apocalypse, lambs, lions, Jesus, Bee Movie 17:25 no Sun, 18 Nov 2007 20:46:57 -0700 How does God redeem the mammon of unrighteousness? (Proper 20 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) In the parable of the "dishonest" manager, Jesus holds up to us an example of how we might work out our own salvation, even with our wealth as tainted as it remains with injustice. How does God redeem the mammon of unrighteousness? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-09-23_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-09-23_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer wealth, mammon, Jesus, stewardship 14:10 no Sun, 23 Sep 2007 18:47:02 -0700 Are heaven and hell out there or right here? (Proper 19 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Are heaven and hell simply metaphysical abstractions or realities we can touch and feel? The visions of Jeremiah and Jesus sharing table fellowship with sinners and outcasts serve to illustrate the eternal in the present. Are heaven and hell out there or right here? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-09-16_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-09-16_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer heaven, hell, Jesus, Jeremiah 18:20 no Sun, 16 Sep 2007 18:47:08 -0700 Sabbath as an essential spiritual practice in the "always on" culture. (Proper 16 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The ancient tradition of keeping Sabbath needs redemption not for its own sake, but for the sake of a people caught in the excesses of our always "on" society. Nothing less than our spiritual well being and the health of Creation is at stake. Sabbath as an essential spiritual practice in the "always on" culture. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-08-26_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-08-26_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Sabbath, Jesus, Christianity, spirituality 17:49 no Sun, 26 Aug 2007 18:47:13 -0700 Beyond a "nice" God. (Proper 15 - The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) Christ's message to us is not simply about a nice, loving God, but a Creator closer to us than a parent, passionate beyond words about our well-being. Betsy Rosen invites us to gaze unabashedly at this spiritual reality through the lens of one of Jesus' more fiery teachings and reminds us of what God intends for the human family. Beyond a "nice" God. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-08-19_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-08-19_sermon.mp3 betsy@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen God, Christ, pleasure 15:03 no Sun, 19 Aug 2007 18:47:18 -0700 For a world burdened with many obsessions, Jesus comes to set people free. (Proper 14 - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) Living into transformative grace is key to Christian spirituality and following after God in Christ. But this way of life inevitably calls us to to live in the gap -- to let go. Through the lens of a series of challenging readings, Este Cantor examines the timeless question: What does it mean to be truly free? For a world burdened with many obsessions, Jesus comes to set people free. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-08-12_sermon.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-08-12_sermon.pdf mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor Christ, freedom no Sun, 12 Aug 2007 18:47:18 -0700 There are seven days in the week, so what does it mean to enter the eighth day? (Feast of the Transfiguration - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) In reflecting on completion of his first year at Church of Our Saviour, Richard Helmer looks to the opening of the Transfiguration story in Luke. Its reference to the eighth day points to the way God's glory and grace are revealed to us outside of the cycles of time. There are seven days in the week, so what does it mean to enter the eighth day? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-08-05_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-08-05_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Transfiguration, Luke, John, Peter, James, Jesus 14:39 no Sun, 05 Aug 2007 18:47:22 -0700 What kind of God does Jesus disclose when he teaches his followers how to pray? (Proper 12 - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) God's capacity for mercy and forgiveness is reflected both in the story of Abraham pleading to God and Jesus' revealing God as an intimate parent, protector, and bringer of good gifts to our lives, even ones we don't expect. What kind of God does Jesus disclose when he teaches his followers how to pray? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-07-29_sermon01.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-07-29_sermon01.mp3 mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor Lord's Prayer, God, Father, mercy 12:27 no Sun, 29 Jul 2007 18:48:29 -0700 Harry Potter and Christianity -- friends or foes? (Proper 12 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Harry Potter has captured the popular imagination, drawing the ire of some Christian critics. So is the series mere "pagan" entertainment, or does it embrace the ancient themes of our Christian heritage? Harry Potter and Christianity -- friends or foes? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-07-29_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-07-29_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Harry Potter, Christianity 14:24 no Sun, 29 Jul 2007 18:47:33 -0700 Just how valuable is our work to God's grace? (Proper 11 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) From Abraham and Sarah camping under the oaks of Mamre to Jesus at Mary and Martha's home at Bethany, we see a God offering grace for which we can offer no work in return. So why do we toil so hard? Just how valuable is our work to God's grace? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-07-22_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-07-22_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer work, Abraham, Mary, Martha 12:45 no Sun, 22 Jul 2007 18:47:37 -0700 A Sermon honoring Barton Warren Shackelford. (Memorial for Barton Warren Shackelford - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) A Christian life well lived provides inspiration for the family of God. A Sermon honoring Barton Warren Shackelford. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-07-18_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-07-18_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Shackelford, Memorial, saints 11:16 no Wed, 18 Jul 2007 18:47:40 -0700 Our neighbors are in need. Will we pass them by? (Proper 10 - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) In exploring the parable of the Good Samaritan, we are brought back to the work of the Millennium Development Goals, as we are called to cross the road and help our neighbors in need.No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind: and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. - John Donne (from Meditation XVII) Our neighbors are in need. Will we pass them by? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-07-15_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-07-15_sermon.mp3 mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor Millennium, Development 14:34 no Sun, 15 Jul 2007 18:47:45 -0700 Are you a "Special Christian?" Think again. (Proper 9 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The story of Elisha and Naaman reminds us that God's grace is ever available to heal and transform us, if only we will not let pride get in the way. Are you a "Special Christian?" Think again. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-07-08_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-07-08_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Elisha, Naaman, Christians, pride 14:43 no Sun, 08 Jul 2007 18:47:49 -0700 Baptism draws us into a new family where water runs thicker than blood. (Proper 8 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) In a profound sense, we are all made rootless and homeless by our baptism -- drawn as we are into a new family of God, a family with Christ at the center. Baptism draws us into a new family where water runs thicker than blood. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-07-01_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-07-01_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Elijah, Jesus, baptism, family 12:20 no Sun, 01 Jul 2007 18:47:53 -0700 To know the story of a refugee is to know the story of Christ. (Proper 7 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The stories of Elijah and the demoniac amongst the tombs illuminate the unique stories of refugees: the millions around the world who flee war, oppression, famine, and ruin. To know the story of a refugee is to know the story of Christ. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-06-24_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-06-24_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Elijah, demoniac, refugees 14:41 no Sun, 24 Jun 2007 18:47:57 -0700 On Christians called to feed all who are hungry. (Proper 6 - The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) Through the eyes of Sara Miles in Take this Bread and the story of the woman who washes Jesus' feet with her tears, Betsy Rosen illustrates the sometimes offensively open hospitality of God in Christ, and the radical commitment of Christianity to feed all who are hungry. On Christians called to feed all who are hungry. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-06-17_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-06-17_sermon.mp3 betsy@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen Sara Miles, Christ, hungry, feeding 19:28 no Sun, 17 Jun 2007 18:48:02 -0700 Liminal space opens us to the transformation of God's grace. (Proper 5 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) When a foreigner standing on a train platform in Japan, Richard Helmer reflects on how liminal space opens us to the presence of the Spirit and the transformational presence of God's grace. Liminal space opens us to the transformation of God's grace. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-06-10_sermon.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-06-10_sermon.pdf rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer liminal, God, Spirit no Sun, 10 Jun 2007 18:48:03 -0700 Using Godly Play, Este Cantor describes the Trinity through the lens of baptism. (Trinity Sunday - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) Using a Godly Play Story, Este Cantor explains the Trinity to children through the tangible signs of baptism. Using Godly Play, Este Cantor describes the Trinity through the lens of baptism. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-06-03_01_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-06-03_01_sermon.mp3 mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor Trinity, baptism 9:20 no Sun, 03 Jun 2007 20:48:09 -0700 Trinity is the path in which we come into closer relationship with God. (Trinity Sunday - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) Este Cantor explores the biblical roots of the ancient Christian understanding of the Trinity and some of the early church texts that undergird this theology. In these cases, and in contemporary ways of explaining one of the most arcane parts of the Christian faith, relationship seems to be key to better understanding the mystery of God: Creator, Redeemer, and Spirit. Trinity is the path in which we come into closer relationship with God. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-06-03_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-06-03_sermon.mp3 mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor Trinity 10:06 no Sun, 03 Jun 2007 18:48:06 -0700 Our sense of being powerful is forever confounded by God's grace. (Pentecost - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) From the Tower of Babel to the disciples on the streets of Jerusalem, God upends our notions of power and control and ushers in a new community through the gift of the Spirit. Our sense of being powerful is forever confounded by God's grace. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-05-27_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-05-27_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Holy Spirit, Babel, Pentecost 13:56 no Sun, 27 May 2007 18:48:12 -0700 Jesus prays for unity amongst his followers, a desire that echoes to us across the centuries. (The Seventh Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Jesus' prayer for his disciples to be one speaks to the very heart of our often divided, polemical, and fractious world, and to the heart of our divisions as Christian communities and even our own divided hearts. What we share in common is so much more important in God's universe. Jesus prays for unity amongst his followers, a desire that echoes to us across the centuries. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-05-20_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-05-20_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer unity, Jesus, Falwell, evangelical, Anglican 18:03 no Sun, 20 May 2007 18:48:17 -0700 Jesus is leaving. Our journey begins. (The Sixth Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Dr. David T. Gortner) With ascension approaching, Jesus is departing. As visiting preacher, David Gortner, Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and CALL Director at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, reflects on how Jesus' departure marks the beginning of our new journey as God's people. Jesus is leaving. Our journey begins. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-05-13_sermon.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-05-13_sermon.pdf dgortner@cdsp.edu (The Rev. Dr. David T. Gortner) The Rev. Dr. David T. Gortner Jesus, Gortner, savior no Sun, 13 May 2007 18:48:18 -0700 Peter's journey reveals that the Risen Christ has overcome the boundaries of tribal tradition. (The Fifth Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Good News that Peter takes back to the apostles in Jerusalem reveals that Christ is much bigger than originally thought. We are called with them beyond the boundaries that describe our shared identity as church and tribe. Peter's journey reveals that the Risen Christ has overcome the boundaries of tribal tradition. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-05-06_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-05-06_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Peter, tribe, class, race, Christ, Beloved Community 14:18 no Sun, 06 May 2007 18:48:22 -0700 Mere belief or relationship? (The Fourth Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) When Jesus is asked to "plainly" disclose whether or not he is the Messiah, he responds with an invitation out of the narrow confines of mere belief and into the rich mystery of a holy relationship with God. Mere belief or relationship? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-04-29_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-04-29_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Shepherd, Jesus, belief 15:22 no Sun, 29 Apr 2007 18:48:27 -0700 Our call to care for the Earth is a holy one. (The Third Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) In a worship service remembering the Earth, coinciding with Earth Day celebrations, Este Cantor reflects on the profound spirituality that connects us to God through the beauty of Creation and nature. As we move forward as a Christian community, we are called to remember the holy work of building sustainable lives in relationship with the natural world, learning to overcome our blindness to the Risen Christ in Creation before us. Our call to care for the Earth is a holy one. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-04-22_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-04-22_sermon.mp3 mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor Earth Day, Francis, Jesus 14:40 no Sun, 22 Apr 2007 18:48:31 -0700 Thomas raises questions that reflects the questions of faith for all of us. (The Second Sunday of Easter - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) In our post-Christian, scientific age, talking about Resurrection can seem indeed very strange. In this sermon, Richard Helmer explores one of the stories of the Risen Christ's appearances to his first followers, suggesting that empirical evidence may not, in fact, be at all the truth we are needing to seek, but rather another kind of truth rooted in the boundless mysteries of relationship. Thomas raises questions that reflects the questions of faith for all of us. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-04-15_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-04-15_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer faith, science, Brian Greene, resurrection 20:45 no Sun, 15 Apr 2007 18:48:38 -0700 Resurrection, God, and being an Easter People. (Easter Sunday - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Resurrection is all about a God who defies our everyday expectations, grabs our attention, and turns everything -- even death -- on its head. As an Easter People, we Christians can prepare only to be surprised, and to surprise the world with the Good News we know in the Risen Christ. Resurrection, God, and being an Easter People. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-04-08_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-04-08_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer resurrection, Easter, tomb, Christ 15:31 no Sun, 08 Apr 2007 18:48:43 -0700 Excerpts from the 2007 Easter Vigil at Church of Our Saviour. (Easter Vigil - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Easter Vigil is a growing tradition at Church of Our Saviour where we gather to keep vigil in the hours of Holy Week when tradition holds that the powers of death were broken by God in Christ. This podcast shares some of the reflections and readings from this year's Vigil, as offered by the people of Church of Our Saviour. In addition to scripture readings by our members, The Rev. Este Cantor offers a reflection on the creation stories of Genesis, The Rev. Betsy Rosen responds to the reading of the story of the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel, and The Rev. Richard Helmer reads the Easter Sermon of John Chrysostom. Excerpts from the 2007 Easter Vigil at Church of Our Saviour. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-04-07_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-04-07_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Easter Vigil, creation, Chrysostom 24:32 no Sat, 07 Apr 2007 18:48:51 -0700 Is the cross best explained by theory or reality? (Good Friday - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The cross stands at the center of ongoing debate in Christianity. Is its work merely in our theorizing, or does it work more deeply than that in the real parts of our lives? Is the cross best explained by theory or reality? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-04-06_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-04-06_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Good Friday, cross, atonement, Jesus 18:17 no Fri, 06 Apr 2007 18:48:56 -0700 Jesus responds to a world of power by washing the disciples' feet. (Maundy Thursday - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Reflection textThis reflection was originally offered as a homily on Maundy Thursday, 2006 at Christ Episcopal Church -- Sei Ko Kai, San Francisco. Jesus responds to a world of power by washing the disciples' feet. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-04-05_reflection.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-04-05_reflection.pdf rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Maundy Thursday, feet, washing, Jesus, power no Thu, 05 Apr 2007 18:48:57 -0700 What does it mean that we call this Sunday Palm or Passion Sunday or both? (Palm Sunday - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Reflection textThis reflection was offered to the congregation in writing and is posted in audio as a meditation for the beginning of Holy Week. What does it mean that we call this Sunday Palm or Passion Sunday or both? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-04-01_reflection.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-04-01_reflection.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Palm, Passion, Sunday, crucifixion, Christ 9:37 no Sun, 01 Apr 2007 18:49:02 -0700 The anointing woman is a figure long revered in religious tradition. (The Fifth Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The anointing woman is an image that runs not only through the four canonical gospels of Christian tradition, but other religious traditions as well. From it, we have much to learn about a generosity that is willing break taboos and the social order that can hold us back from the lavish grace of God. The anointing woman is a figure long revered in religious tradition. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-04-01_sermon.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-04-01_sermon.pdf mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor anointing, woman, Jesus, Judas, Mary no Sun, 01 Apr 2007 18:48:58 -0700 The witness of Mary at the feet of Jesus invites out of a productivity-obsessed culture. (The Fifth Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) A strange and unsettling scene in Mary and Martha's home in Bethany opens us to prepare for the mysteries of Holy Week and invites us into lives that, contrary to the expectations the world presses upon us, seek contemplation and devotion rather than self-absorbed measurements of performance and productivity. The witness of Mary at the feet of Jesus invites out of a productivity-obsessed culture. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-03-25_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-03-25_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Jesus, Mary, Martha, Judas, contemplation, Holy Week 17:58 no Sun, 25 Mar 2007 18:49:07 -0700 In a beloved parable Jesus reveals a deep truth about God, and about how God expects us to live. (The Fourth Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) The parable of the Prodigal Son is among the most popular and beloved of Jesus' teachings, even outside of the Christian Church. With three remarkable characters, Jesus embraces the breadth of human experience and teaches his followers how God expects us to live with each other. In a beloved parable Jesus reveals a deep truth about God, and about how God expects us to live. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-03-18_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-03-18_sermon.mp3 betsy@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen) The Rev. Betsy Payne Rosen Rosen, Prodigal, Jesus, God 18:58 no Sun, 18 Mar 2007 18:49:19 -0700 Why do bad things happen to people? (The Third Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) When confronted with very human questions about why bad things happen, and how is sin involved, Jesus appeals again to a parable to illustrate the patience with which God in Christ deals with all of us, seeking in us the fruits of grace. Why do bad things happen to people? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-03-11_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-03-11_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Moses, burning bush, Jesus, fig tree, sin 17:38 no Sun, 11 Mar 2007 18:49:23 -0700 A children's homily on the promise God makes to Abraham. ( The Second Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) Every first Sunday of the month, Church of Our Saviour holds a Community Sunday worship service for our children and families, including a children's homily. On this Sunday, The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor spoke about the wonder of God's promises to us, even when we are unsure they will be fulfilled. A children's homily on the promise God makes to Abraham. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-03-04_sermon1.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-03-04_sermon1.mp3 mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor Abraham, Abram, children 6:02 no Sun, 04 Mar 2007 21:49:25 -0700 In a world of threats from both without and within, God calls us into a life of trust. (The Second Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Anglican Communion is moving through a difficult period of conflict and threats both from within and without. When Jesus is confronted with a threat to his life and witness in a troubled world, how he responds hearkens back to the ancient faith of Abraham, and calls us to trust in a God who does not deal in threats, but rather in abiding covenant. In a world of threats from both without and within, God calls us into a life of trust. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-03-04_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-03-04_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Jesus, Abraham, Abram, human sexuality, Episcopal, Anglican, covenant 19:25 no Sun, 04 Mar 2007 20:49:30 -0700 Jesus' wilderness reflects our own, where we are called to draw deep from the resources of our faith to respond to temptation. (The First Sunday in Lent - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) Jesus' sojourn in the wilderness resonates with our wilderness experiences, each unique, each transformative, and each revealing our own weakness, temptations, and God's grace in response. Like Jesus, we discover in the wilderness that we ultimately rely on God's Word to sustain our lives. Jesus' wilderness reflects our own, where we are called to draw deep from the resources of our faith to respond to temptation. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-02-25_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-02-25_sermon.mp3 mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor Jesus, wilderness, temptation 14:38 no Sun, 25 Feb 2007 18:49:35 -0700 What expectations do we have to meet before we can witness the Transfigured Christ? (The Last Sunday after the Epiphany - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) Recent actions by some Primates of the Anglican Communion in refusing to join Eucharist with others, prompts questions about what it means to be gathered at God's Table together as a community and how we as Christians share the message of the Transfigured Christ with each other and a broken world. What expectations do we have to meet before we can witness the Transfigured Christ? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-02-18_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-02-18_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer anglican, communion, transfiguration, Jesus 19:30 no Sun, 18 Feb 2007 20:49:39 -0700 Calls very rarely come out of the blue, but what happens when God in Christ walks right into the middle of our ordinary lives? (The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) When Jesus appears at the lakeshore seeking disciples, Peter, James, and John encounter God at work in the middle of lives they thought they already knew. When God in Christ breaks into our routine with a new call, be prepared for surprises! Calls very rarely come out of the blue, but what happens when God in Christ walks right into the middle of our ordinary lives? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-02-04_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-02-04_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Jesus, Peter, John, fishing, Genesserat 12:51 no Sun, 04 Feb 2007 20:49:42 -0700 How do we respond when God in Christ says or does the unexpected? (The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) When Jesus is at home in Nazareth, he is confronted with the expectations of his own people. How they respond and how we respond when God in Christ does and says the unexpected says a great deal about what it means to be a people of faith, and a community yearning for transformation. How do we respond when God in Christ says or does the unexpected? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-01-28_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-01-28_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Jesus, Nazareth, Anglican, love, transformation 20:24 no Sun, 28 Jan 2007 20:49:49 -0700 The Prophet Amos speaks above the Arctic Circle. (The Third Sunday after the Epiphany - The Rev. Belle Mickelson) Belle Mickelson offers a sermon concerning the indigenous peoples living in a fragile, beautiful landscape above the Arctic Circle and how our hunger for resources puts them in peril.The Rev. Belle Mickelson is a newly ordained transitional deacon in the Diocese of Alaska. She has been living in Alaska for 30 years playing fiddle music, making friends, writing curriculum as a marine education professor, teaching at an alternative high school, raising her family at a bird-watching lodge, and helping out at her church. The Prophet Amos speaks above the Arctic Circle. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-01-21_2007-01-21epiph3yearc.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-01-21_2007-01-21epiph3yearc.pdf bellemickelson@hotmail.com (The Rev. Belle Mickelson) The Rev. Belle Mickelson Arctic, indigenous peoples, Amos no Sun, 21 Jan 2007 20:49:49 -0700 A Messianic parlor trick or a call to change the world? (The Second Sunday after the Epiphany - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) In John's Gospel, Jesus performs his first miracle at the wedding in Cana. At first glance, this story of changing water into wine seems strange, if not even a bit funny. But with John, there is always deep meaning in the text, and here Christ calling us by example to change a world in need. This sermon also includes reflection on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter from a Birmingham Jail. A Messianic parlor trick or a call to change the world? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-01-14_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-01-14_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer sermon, John, Martin, Luther, King, justice, miracle 20:38 no Sun, 14 Jan 2007 20:49:55 -0700 Water stands at the heart of our spirituality. . .but why? (The Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) In the annual commemoration of Jesus' baptism by John at the River Jordan, we celebrate the gift of our baptism. The Rev. Richard Helmer invites reflection about the place of water in our lives, and what it represents as a powerful spiritual symbol of life, death, and transformation. Water stands at the heart of our spirituality. . .but why? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-01-07_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2007-01-07_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer sermon, baptism, water, Jesus, John the Baptist, Jordan 13:07 no Sun, 07 Jan 2007 20:49:59 -0700 How far back does Jesus go? (The First Sunday after Christmas - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) In the prologue of the Gospel of John, we are confronted with both glorious mystery and wondrous newness through powerful images of Christ with us.The Rev. Este Cantor reflects on the astonishing life found in beginnings, the spirituality of new birth, and Jesus' presence in both. How far back does Jesus go? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-12-31_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-12-31_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer sermon, Jesus 10:21 no Sun, 31 Dec 2006 20:50:02 -0700 We may find the baby Jesus familiar, but he is a strange child indeed! (Christmas - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) As Mary ponders this strange child born to her and Joseph, the arrival of the shepherds to worship him and all that has foretold his birth, we ponder anew the beginning that Jesus' birth brings -- the beginning of a movement that will transform the world. We may find the baby Jesus familiar, but he is a strange child indeed! http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-12-24-02_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-12-24-02_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer sermon, Christmas, Jesus, birth, Mary 14:11 no Sun, 24 Dec 2006 23:50:11 -0700 The wonder of incarnation marks the beginning of our journey of salvation. (The Fourth Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) In looking ahead to Christmas, The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor reflects on the wonder of the incarnation -- its incredible implications for the vast universe and our particular lives -- as particular as Elizabeth's and Mary's as they rejoice with each other in God's promise that all shall be made new. The wonder of incarnation marks the beginning of our journey of salvation. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-12-24-01_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-12-24-01_sermon.mp3 mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor sermon, Elizabeth, Mary, birth, Advent 8:20 no Sun, 24 Dec 2006 21:50:13 -0700 The task of Advent was about getting ready, but few of us are! (The Fourth Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) How do we approach Christmas when we aren't ready? The Rev. Richard E. Helmer reflects on the miracle of grace we are given, even if our preparations to receive it have fallen far short. The task of Advent was about getting ready, but few of us are! http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-12-24_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-12-24_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Advent, Christmas, grace 12:53 no Sun, 24 Dec 2006 20:50:06 -0700 How is it that prophets always seem to hit us where we're most vulnerable? (The Third Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) How is that prophets always seem to get us where it hurts? In this sermon, The Rev. Richard E. Helmer explores the fiery introduction John the Baptist brings to the Gospel. How is it that prophets always seem to hit us where we're most vulnerable? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-12-17_2006-12-17advent3yearc.pdf http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-12-17_2006-12-17advent3yearc.pdf rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer Prophets, Advent, vulnerability no Sun, 17 Dec 2006 20:50:13 -0700 Our fractious age is rife with shutting out those who are different, yet John the Baptist calls us into a radical encounter. (The Second Sunday of Advent - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) We live in a fractious age, where division and isolating ourselves from those who disagree with us is both a great temptation and a spiritual danger to community. The Rev. Richard E. Helmer reflects in this sermon on John the Baptist's witness as he invites people to enter into metanoia through an encounter with radical otherness." Our fractious age is rife with shutting out those who are different, yet John the Baptist calls us into a radical encounter. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-12-10_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-12-10_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer metanoia, Advent, John, Baptist 14:57 no Sun, 10 Dec 2006 20:50:18 -0700 What do we mean when we call Jesus King of Kings? (Proper 29 - Christ the King - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) Understanding what we mean by calling Jesus "King" invites taking a close look at the witness of Jesus' life, both in the Gospel, and in the sacramental way we experience his love for us and in our actions that help set the captive free. The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor discusses John 18:33-37 in this last sermon of the church year on "Christ the King" Sunday. What do we mean when we call Jesus King of Kings? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-11-26_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-11-26_sermon.mp3 mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor 12:59 no Sun, 26 Nov 2006 20:50:22 -0700 The terrifying words of Mark 13:14-23 offer reason to contemplate on how Jesus relates to apocalyptic imagery of the first century. (Proper 28 - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) In exploring the terrifying words of Mark 13:14-23, The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor brings Jesus' teaching about forgiveness, freedom, and welcoming the stranger elsewhere into contrast with the fearful apocalypse and the notion of the "elect" that weave themes and counterthemes in the New Testament and later Christian traditions. The terrifying words of Mark 13:14-23 offer reason to contemplate on how Jesus relates to apocalyptic imagery of the first century. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-11-19_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-11-19_sermon.mp3 mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor 13:20 no Sun, 19 Nov 2006 20:50:26 -0700 In Mark 12:38-44, Jesus poses a challenging contrast between those who give out of their abundance and the widow who gives away everything, even the little she has. (Proper 27 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) In Mark 12:38-44, Jesus poses a challenging contrast between those who give out of their abundance and the widow who gives away everything, even the little she has. This raises questions about how we as Christians share our gifts with the Body of Christ and a world in need. The Rev. Richard E. Helmer also reflects on the story of Elijah and the widow in 1 Kings 17, inviting prayerful consideration of how we decide how much to give away to others. A written copy of this sermon may be downloaded here. In Mark 12:38-44, Jesus poses a challenging contrast between those who give out of their abundance and the widow who gives away everything, even the little she has. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-11-12_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-11-12_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer 15:22 no Sun, 12 Nov 2006 20:50:30 -0700 A conversation while waiting for jury duty gives rise to a reflection about atheism and the saints. (All Saints' Day - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) With a sermon for All Saints', The Rev. Richard E. Helmer tells a story about showing up for jury duty and finding there cause to reflect about the nature of the faith of saints. A written copy of this sermon may be downloaded here. A conversation while waiting for jury duty gives rise to a reflection about atheism and the saints. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-11-05_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-11-05_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer 11:20 no Sun, 05 Nov 2006 20:50:34 -0700 Reflecting on Mark 10:46-52, spiritual blindness, and the numbing challenges that wartime brings. (Proper 25 - The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) With Mark 10:46-52 as a backdrop, The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor reflects on the spiritual blindness that accompanies wartime, our contentious relationship as a Church with the idea of just war, and the present situation in Iraq.You may download the text of this sermon here. Reflecting on Mark 10:46-52, spiritual blindness, and the numbing challenges that wartime brings. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-10-29_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-10-29_sermon.mp3 mothereste@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor) The Rev. Este Gardner Cantor War 15:29 no Sun, 29 Oct 2006 21:50:39 -0700 What do James and John in Mark 10, Japanese keigo, and a family of owls have in common? (Proper 24 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) In exploring the request of James and John in Mark 10 and the imagery of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53, The Rev. Richard E. Helmer preaches about a family of owls, Japanese keigo, and our call as a Christian community of servants for a world in need.Click here to download and read the text of this sermon. What do James and John in Mark 10, Japanese keigo, and a family of owls have in common? http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-10-22_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-10-22_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer 17:43 no Sun, 22 Oct 2006 18:50:44 -0700 On Jesus and the rich man (Mark 10:17-31) and our relationship with wealth. (Proper 23 - The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer explores the story of Jesus and the rich man (Mark 10:17-31), our relationship with wealth, and our spiritual need to be generous.A written copy of this sermon may be downloaded here. On Jesus and the rich man (Mark 10:17-31) and our relationship with wealth. http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-10-15_sermon.mp3 http://oursaviourmv.org/podcasts/p.php?file=2006-10-15_sermon.mp3 rector@oursaviourmv.org (The Rev. Richard E. Helmer) The Rev. Richard E. Helmer 16:24 no Sun, 15 Oct 2006 18:50:49 -0700