The Very Rev. Peet Dickinson | Romans 7:12-25

The difference between animation and live-action in film is infinitely wide, yet in our suspension of disbelief can be uncannily similar. Likewise, true life in God and a captive life in sin can seem similar, and yet are utterly different. In Romans 7, the Apostle Paul writes on the struggle between his godly desire and his sin. What resolution can come from this conflict? Is there any hope in his “body of death”? Join Peet Dickinson as he considers Paul’s thought, and finds hope in the God who gives us a resurrection identity.

The Rev. Patrick Schlabs | Mark 8:31-38

Everyone wants to be a winner. Often we identify ourselves by our affiliation with the “winning side,” whether it’s in sports, politics, or ideologies. Jesus’ ministry appeared to his followers as the opening scenes of a huge win, a victory that would lead to his coronation and Israel’s restoration. When, in chapter eight of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of suffering and dying, and exhorts his disciples to take up crosses, his apparent winning is turned upside down. What does this show us about God’s reign and the believer’s life? Join Patrick Schlabs as he peers into the mystery of the cross, and there finds an identity stronger than the power of death.

Mr. Jacob Graudin | Mark 9:2-9

The final Sunday of Epiphany brings with it the remembrance of the Jesus’ Transfiguration, a revelation of God’s presence within him made manifest through light, cloud, and faces from the past. What do we make of the strange, seemingly arbitrary details within this narrative? How do understand the heavenly proclamation of “This is my beloved Son; listen to him”? Join Jacob Graudin as he unpacks this dense divine appearance, and finds, in the man Jesus, both Creator and Redeemer.

The Very Rev. Peet Dickinson | 1 Corinthians 9:16-23

For every Christian, the gospel is the primary vocation to which we are called. But Christ uses all our various gifts and spheres as a secondary vocation through which his Kingdom advances in the world. Join Peet Dickinson as he charges the Cathedral for 2018 with St Paul’s words to the church at Corinth to become all things to all people, in order to win some.

The Very Rev. Peet Dickinson | Mark 1:21-28

Over the 2,000 years of Church history, Christians and non-Christians alike have tried to tame the radical power and authority of Jesus. Despite this constant pressure to conform to human expectations, the Nazarene refuses to be domesticated. Mark’s Gospel presents Jesus as possessing an authority beyond the rabbis and scribes. How does this authority impact our world and the forces that rule it? Join Peet Dickinson as he witnesses Jesus’ power bursting through the text and into our very lives.

The Very Rev. Dr. Justyn Terry | Mark 1:14-20

Jesus begins his ministry with a proclamation and an invitation. The proclamation is one of repentance and of God’s Kingdom, and the invitation is to take part in both of these things by following him. What does it look like to turn around and face God? What does it mean to follow Jesus in the workaday world? Join Justyn Terry as he questions what it means to hear the proclamation of Jesus and to follow him, and finds that it’s the true path to purpose and joy.

The Rev. Patrick Schlabs | John 1:43-51

After John’s poetic prologue, his gospel becomes a story of witnesses who invite others to come and see Jesus. In an age where many are disillusioned with typical and stereotyped modes of evangelism, what can these stories of witness teach us about inviting others to come and see? Join Patrick Schlabs as he examines the encounter between Jesus, Philip, and Nathanel, and finds that Jesus’ pursuit of us is the base of all witness.

The Very Rev. Peet Dickinson | Mark 1:7-11

John the Baptist strikes a singular figure within the Gospel narrative, entering Israel’s culture at a turning point unlike any before. His ministry of baptism was an exposition of Israel’s sin and of God’s mercy, and was a foretaste of the coming Kingdom. What is it, however, that sets John’s ministry apart? What makes the Kingdom he heralds so different? Join Peet Dickinson as he hears John’s cry in the wilderness, and in so doing turns our eyes to the eternal King.

Pastor Ryan Thompson | Luke 2:1-20, Matthew 2:1-6, 9-11

Christmas comes loaded with anticipation of what might be received, yet inevitably brings some measure of disappointment. Did the amazing story of Christmas and Epiphany, which culminated in the witnessing of the infant Jesus, also prove underwhelming for those who originally experienced it? Why does such great expectation often lead to great disappointment? Join Ryan Thompson as he looks back on the Christmas story, explores the tension of the “now” and the “not yet”, and finds the One who is the ultimate fulfillment of all hopes.

Mr. Jacob Graudin | Psalm 96

While we tend to keep politics and religion at arm’s length during the holidays, Christmas deals directly with both. The Incarnation of Jesus brings with it an answer to the perennial question of politics and religion both: “Who’s in charge?” Today’s reading from Psalm 96 announces the kingship of Almighty God with crackling clarity, casting down all rival powers and principalities. Join Jacob Graudin as he revels in this proclamation, and celebrates the reality that, in Jesus, our King has come, and our King is coming.

The Very Rev. Peet Dickinson | Luke 2:1-20

Jesus is born and “laid in a manger, because there was no place for [him] in the inn.” This detail is more than a footnote; indeed, it is a central aspect of Jesus’ Nativity: unnoticed and unknown. Why is the Word of Creation not welcomed by his own Image-bearers? Why would he come, even when uninvited? Join Peet Dickinson as he expounds the story of Jesus’ birth and finds comfort and our commission as followers of the Incarnate Son.

The Rev. Patrick Schlabs | Luke 1:26-38

Christmas marks the strange reversal of expectations: a virgin and a barren woman both become pregnant, a forgotten people ignore the coming of their deliverer, and a King is born in squalor. Yet this upside-down story is the story of the Gospel, and rings loud the truth of a God whose love knows no bounds. Join Patrick Schlabs as he examines Gabriel’s visitation to Mary, and finds God’s age-long promises coming to fruition.

The Very Rev. Peet Dickinson | Psalm 126, Isaiah 65:17-25

Although our society often venerates famous “dreamers”, visionaries who lead the way forward, yet it is also the case that to be called a “dreamer” can be a dismissal, a relegation of one’s vision to mere fantasy. Today’s readings from both the Psalms and the prophet Isaiah present dreams not based in fantastic escape but in a hope in God’s faithfulness. Join Peet Dickinson as he looks at the kingship of Jesus and sees a future hope that should cause us all to be wakeful dreamers.

The Rev. Patrick Schlabs | Isaiah 40:1-11

Chapter 40 of the prophet Isaiah begins with the cry of “Comfort, comfort!”, a call directed towards a devastated, exiled people. Yet along with the call of comfort, we also find a commission to return to their calling to reveal God’s glory to the whole world. The season of Advent speaks a similar word in our hopeless world as God’s people are called to declare and display the hope of Christ’s coming kingdom. Join Patrick Schlabs as he peers into Isaiah’s message of hope, and finds within it a commissioning of God’s people to become, in the words of missiologist Michael Goheen, “people whose very lives point to the culmination of history.”

Mr. Jacob Graudin | Isaiah 64:1-9, Mark 13:24-37

The first Sunday of Advent brings with it the start of the new liturgical year, yet our readings for this Sunday speak of judgement and endings. However, as the poet T.S. Eliot reminds us, “the end is where we start from.” Join Jacob Graudin as he explores the prophet Isaiah and the Gospel of Mark, and finds the imperative that the Christian must begin with the end in mind.