A sermon given on Sunday, October 25, 2026 by Sr. Helen Agnes, SSM As someone who is not a native New Englander, the changing of seasons has always felt like a special time for me. Growing up in Florida, the lamentation often heard among my family members was, “If only we had four seasons.” This was usually heard during fall and winter, as it was rare to see any leaves changing to any color other than brown. Snow was also out of the question, except for the one year we did ma

A sermon given on Sunday, October 18, 2026 by the Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bridge Pastor The story is told of a mother who sent her young son off to church for Vacation Bible School. She gave him two quarters: one for the offering plate at the church; the other to buy himself some candy on the way home. As he walked down the street the boy stumbled, and one of the quarters slipped out of his hand and rolled straight into the storm drain. Forlornly, the young man stared at t

A sermon given on Sunday, October 11, 2026 by the Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bridge Pastor It’s all about the Kingdom, and it’s all about excuses. A man throws a big party, and the invited guests disdain the invitation. Why would they do such a thing? In the parable which we have just heard from Matthew’s gospel [22:1-14], we are told only that those who were invited to the banquet went off to their farms and businesses. But Luke’s parallel account [14:16-24] gives us a lit

A sermon given on Sunday, September 27, 2026 by the Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bridge Pastor In our Exodus reading today: anxious people, crying out to their leaders. In our newspapers today: anxious people, crying out to their leaders. In our Gospel reading today: authorities more busy playing “gotcha” than leading. In our newspapers today: authorities more busy playing “gotcha” than leading. We look for ways that the Scriptures intersect with our actual lives. Some wee

A sermon given on Sunday, September 20, 2026 by the Rev. Canon Heather Blais Saints, it is good to be with you today. I serve as Canon to the Ordinary in our diocese. If you are wondering what that means, the Bishop is the Ordinary, because she ordains, and my work is supporting her ministry. One of the ways I do that, is by walking with our churches as they navigate transition. It’s been a privilege to begin working with your Senior Warden Becky as you prepare to c

by the Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bridge Pastor September 12, 2026 In my Father’s house are many dwelling places, we heard in our reading this afternoon from John’s Gospel. Or, in other translations, In my Father’s house are many rooms. I go there to prepare a place for you, says Jesus, that where I am you may also be. [Jn 14:2-3] There is no one heavenly image which can communicate to us the fullness of the nearer life with God which is promised to us. But this

A sermon given on Sunday, September 13, 2026 by the Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bridge Pastor Even as a child, this story made me uneasy. I understood that the Exodus was about God being on the side of the enslaved Hebrew people. I knew that this exciting and miraculous moment at the Red Sea was a victory of good over evil. Hurrah! Still, I couldn’t help thinking about all those drowned Egyptians. I had once watched my neighbor catch rabbits in his garden and drown them; it w

A sermon given on Sunday, September 6, 2026 by Robert B. Shaw Both of our scripture readings today instruct Christians in how they should behave toward one another in their shared life and belief. Paul, in this passage from his Letter to the Romans that we have just read, gives these instructions immediately after a passage in which he tells them to be good citizens and to remember to pay their taxes. (Besides being a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin and—of course—an apostle of

A sermon given on Sunday, August 30, 2026 by the Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bridge Pastor A couple of years ago I participated in a press conference that was held on the steps of the State House in Boston. It was calling attention to the Massachusetts chapter of the Poor People’s Campaign safeguarding the well-being of our most vulnerable citizens. A Worcester newspaper reporter was there. In the paper’s article it attributed a quotation to me. “‘Poverty equals death,’ said

A sermon given on Sunday, August 23, 2026 by the Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bridge Pastor I learned early on as an ordained minister that a lot of people have definite ideas and assumptions about clergy. Once I was changing the oil and spark plug in my lawn mower when a member of my parish pulled into the rectory driveway. She looked stricken, asked if I really knew how to do that, and phoned her husband to get over there right away before I damaged the church mower. In her

A sermon given on Sunday, August 16, 2026 by the Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bridge Pastor Two things for you to know about my parents, of sainted memory: First, my parents were very frugal people. As products of the Great Depression, they were admirably loath to discard anything. I told you last month how my dad would not waste his volunteer “squords.” Likewise, there were drawers full of old bread bag twisties, creative ways to reuse the inner lining of a cereal box, and cr

A sermon given on Sunday, August 9, 2026 by the Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bridge Pastor A couple of weeks ago a young lifeguard’s skilled rescue of a child caught in the California surf made the rounds on the internet. It brought back a childhood memory of my own. At the age of six I nearly drowned. At least, that is how it seemed to me at the time. I was visiting cousins in Illinois, and we went to the local swimming pool. I didn’t realize how quickly the depth of the poo

A sermon given on Sunday, August 2, 2026 by the Rev. Thaddeus Bennett In the name of God who feeds us with divine compassion. Amen. So I think it's always helpful to know who is this preacher who's preaching? So my name is Thad Bennett. My spouse George and our cat Harvey moved to Easthampton about a year and a half ago. And I've been ordained in the Episcopal Church for just over 46 years. Not quite as exciting as a birthday that apparently isn't getting mentioned, but it's

A sermon given on Sunday, July 26, 2026, by the Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bridge Pastor Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew [13:31-33,44-52] is a smorgasbord of mini-parables. Most of them relate to obtaining some treasure or some prized commodity: leavened bread, hidden wealth, fine pearls, a good haul of fish. And in most cases, the parable presents an increase of that treasure, some multiplication of the blessing, some leveraging of the treasure from smaller to greater: se

A sermon given on Sunday, July 19, 2026 by the Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bridge Pastor My father was an original organic gardener. Fifty years ago, long before it was fashionable, his vegetable garden was covered with mulch and compost. Among the produce was always a bountiful quantity of squash, and plenty of gourds. Over the years some cross-pollination took place. Volunteer plants would sprout up which were a hybrid combination of squash and gourd. Dad calle

Sermon preached by the Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bridge Pastor My grandmother had what we always called “selective hearing loss.” You could tell her loudly a dozen times that you were not going to make it for Sunday dinner, but always she was still expecting you. On the other hand, your stomach could growl softly and she was right there suggesting a drive to Dunkin Donuts - her favorite snacking spot! By some miracle of physiology, when you said something she wanted to hear,

Sermon preached by Rebecca Taylor (Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67; Psalm 45: 11-18; Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30) “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens…” (Mt 11:28) I have to admit: in preparing to preach this morning, I was drawn to the passage from Genesis, the story of Rebekah’s marriage to Isaac. She and I share the same name: Rebecca. And, 51 years ago today, I married my husband. What a lovely coincidence that our two stories should coinci

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Genesis 21:8-21; Romans 6:1b-11; Matthew 10:24-39] As the time for my departure as your priest winds down from concept to actuality, I have tried to keep a balance between this looming reality and (as we have often said together) “keeping our eyes on the prize”. In this time, in my preaching and teaching, in my pastoral and administrative leadership, I have struggled (and that is the word) – struggled to keep this balanc

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Genesis 12:1-9; Romans 4:13-25; Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26] You may recall that I raised this question with you in last Sunday’s sermon, applying it as we followers of Jesus enter the long, green season of Pentecost. This six-month season of time (something the liturgical tradition refers to as “ordinary time”) – this season concerns what followers of Jesus do after experiencing the reality of the Resurrection. This is to sa

Sermon preached by the Rev. Michael Anderson Bullock [Genesis 12:1-9; Romans 4:13-25; Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26] There is so much going on in the world and in our own lives – both personally and as members of St. Philip’s – that it is easy to feel overwhelmed, powerless by unruly events and things. So it is, I think, that we need to keep tending to those resources that provide our lives with the stability of roots and the openness of wings. A mature orientation to and relations