Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Isaah 9:1-4; 1Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-23] One of the struggles I have in taking scripture seriously (that is, not literally nor as an abstract idea or metaphor) – one of my struggles is that no matter how hard I try, I am tempted to focus on what is I can recognize and leave it at that.  We have an excellent example of this interpretive temptation in today’s gospel – a lesson that contains the very familiar scene

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Isaiah 42:1-9; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 3:13-17] This past Tuesday, January 13th, 2026, at about 11 o’clock in the morning, at the American embassy in Guatemala City, Guatemala, the American citizenship of Prudencia Fitzgerald Ayala Bullock was formally and legally confirmed.  At this news, her only grandfather burst into tears of relief and joy.  Her passport is in process. Our granddaughter, Pru, is a wonder of this intern

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12] Of all the characters in the Christmas story, aside from the Holy Family itself, I am most of all drawn to the Magi.  I love the Magi!  I love their story.  Their legend and its details speak to me in terms of living one’s life with integrity, courage, and with guiding faith. Additionally, in my heart I have a soft spot for those guys partly due to the fact that in the stagi

Sermon preached by Robert Shaw (Matthew 2:1-12) The three Wise Men are on track to reach their destination on January 6, the Epiphany; we are coming to their story just a little early in today’s Gospel lesson. At St. Philip’s, we try to keep in step with the Church calendar, and this year we have managed to send at least one wise man to a far-off land to visit a newborn child. The only downside of this is that this morning you are stuck with me. In modern times the word epip

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Isaiah 7:10-16; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25] The Fourth and last Sunday in the season of Advent is often focused on Mary and the story of the “Annunciation”.  In fact, the fourth Advent Sunday is often referred to as the “Marian” Sunday, but not today, not this year.   You know (I hope) that in the celebration of Holy Communion we have a three-year cycle of scriptures. Each of the years -- A, B, and C -- use either Matth

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Isaiah 35:1-10; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11] “So.”  It is understandably easy to miss this unobtrusive word that begins today’s gospel lesson from Matthew.  In fact, many translations (like the one printed in our bulletin) omit it.  “So.”  A bit curious, don’t you think?  “So” … so what?   Even though “so” is just a two-letter word, upon formal investigation, its many usages and meanings emerge that belie its simple ordi

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12] With this Second Sunday of Advent, we move quickly and directly into the heart of this complex season.  Enter center stage: John the Baptist.  In my own Advent explorations and experiences, I have found John the Baptist to be the face of Advent; and in this second week of Advent, we meet him today in our Gospel lesson.   Matthew wastes no time with fancy introductions, no acc

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew  24:36-44] “Be Prepared.”  I never was a Boy Scout, and truth to tell my Cub Scout career ended pretty much after I learned how to tie a necktie, which was a required skill in pursuit of earning an accomplishment badge of some sort.  Nonetheless, the Boy Scout motto, “Be Prepared” is a good reminder of how one might face life with all its “changes and chances” (as the Prayer Book puts

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Jeremiah 23:1-6; Colossians 1;11-20; Luke  23:33-43] On this last Sunday of the liturgical year, worshipping Christians the world over mark this day as “Christ the King”.  In point of fact, this day’s celebration comes on the 100th anniversary of Pope Pius XI’s encyclical, through which this feast day was created.  Intended to crown the  jubilee year  of 1925, the purpose of this new feast was to honor the kingship – that

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Malachi 4:1-2a; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke  21:5-19] To say that we live in uncertain times smacks of sarcasm run amuck.  The state of our nation and the events in the world – both politically and naturally made – have created such a charged atmosphere that any spark that is the result of ordinary life has the capacity to create an inordinately disproportionate explosion.  We are all so emotionally raw and exhausted that

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Job 19:23-27a; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17; Luke 20:27-38] In my first parish experience as a priest, I remember the priest I worked for telling me about an interesting pastoral experience he had.  That experience came to mind as I thought about the question portrayed in today’s gospel: the one the Sadducees asked Jesus about the woman who had married (in succession) seven brothers, all of whom died.  The issue presented

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18; Ephesians 1:11-23; Luke 6:20-31] We are gathered on a day that overflows with life – God’s life.  We have a lot going in church today; and I not only want to give this day’s many wonderful elements their due, but I also want to identify the thread that (like a necklace) strings and holds this day’s precious pearls together.   Among this day’s many pearls, the largest is the celebration of All Saints Da

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Sirach 35:12-17; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18; Luke  18:9-14] A priest, a pastor, and a rabbi walk into a bar.  Soon after settling into a corner table and ordering their libations, they begin arguing over who was the best at what they do.  In order to come to a measurable judgment about such a thing, they lighted upon the notion that they all would go out alone into the woods and convert a bear to their respective religious tra

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Genesis 32:22-31; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Luke 18:1-8] Experts who study the human brain tell us that the earliest autobiographical memories begin at the age of two or three years.  “Infantile amnesia” (as it is called) describes the fact that we cannot remember much about our earliest experiences.  This is so because the hippocampus (that part of the human brain that processes experience into memory) is undeveloped.  These ea

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c; 2 Timothy 2P8-15; Luke  17:11-19] This is a sermon about transitions.    It is now thirty-five years ago that I had a special teacher.  He was a rabbi who had the amazing ability to take significant ideas and observations and put them together into a larger and deeper insight than had been visible before.  A perfect example was in his teaching about times of transition.  His piercing insight into tran

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke17:5-10] This past Tuesday, there was...

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Amos 6:1a, 4-7; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 16:19-31] One of the most challenging and...

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Amos 8:4-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13] Life is messy; isn’t it?  I suppose that...

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Exodus 32:7-154; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-10] Question: “Which one of you,...

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Philemon 1-21; Luke 14:25-33] One of the lessons that I hope...