Episcopal Church Of All Saints, Indianapolis

"This tradition of using the natural world to guide us is ancient, though fading as we turn to GPS and our phones. But in the ancient world, mountains, and bodies of water, and stars were the way to steer one's course." The Rev. E. Suzanne Wille preaches on the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6, 2016). Readings: Is. 60:1-6; Ps. 72:1-7, 10-14; Eph. 2:1-12; Matt. 2:1-12 Image: strftime (https://www.flickr.com/photos/deromanok/), distributed under a CC BY license.

"And I don't know how many of you've ever come up against people who will say, 'Have you been saved?' And finally I decided the answer would be, 'from what?'" The Reverend Jackie Means preaches on the Feast of the Holy Name (January 1, 2017). Readings: Numbers 6:22-27; Psalm 8; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:15-21. Image: Ordination of Jackie Means at All Saints on January 1, 1977 (World Wide Photos/Episcopal Archives).

“We can know that our lives, though small, are never insignificant, because we know that God has joined us in them." The Rev. E. Suzanne Wille preaches on Christmas Eve (December 24, 2016). Readings: Isaiah 9:2-7, Psalm 96, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14. Image by sputnik (flickr.com/photos/hellosputnik/), distributed under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.

"I know you want to be safe; I'm asking you to break the rules for love." The Rev. E. Suzanne Wille preaches on the fourth Sunday of Advent (December 18, 2016). Readings: Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25. Image: Lawrence OP (flickr.com/paullew), distributed under a CC BY-NC 2.0 license.

"It was there in the parish hall, with a glass of sherry in one hand and a Christmas cookie in the other, that I was attacked by an owl. She screeched, 'Are you the preacher who compared our congregation to a fruitcake?'" The Rev. Michael Stichweh preaches on the third Sunday of Advent (December 11, 2016). Readings: Is. 35:1-10; Lk. 1:46-55; James 5:7-10; Matt. 11:2-11. Image: Eduardo Skinner, distributed under a CC BY-NC license (https://www.flickr.com/photos/eduardoskinner/).

Advent, Interrupted by allsaintsindy

"It's okay if we take some time in prayer to be ready for the next phase of our mission; in fact, it's an expected and wonderful part of the journey." Patrick Burke preaches on the first Sunday of Advent (November 27, 2016). Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44. Image: liz west (flickr.com/calliope), distributed under a CC BY 2.0 license.

"In Christ's kingdom, there is no contempt for the suffering, only love and solidarity; in his kingdom, there is lavish mercy and forgiveness. In his kingdom, there is true love - but it is a costly love." The Rev. E. Suzanne Wille preaches on the Feast of Christ the King (November 20, 2016). Readings: Jer. 23:1-6; Ps. 46; Col. 1:11-20; Lk. 23:33-43. Image: Lawrence OP (https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/), distributed on a CC BY-NC-ND license.

"For wherever lines are drawn or walls are built, Jesus is always with those who are being pushed out. That's where we are to be, too." The Rev. E. Suzanne Wille preaches on the Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost. Readings: Malachi 4:1-2a, Psalm 98, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, Luke 21:5-19. Image: Victoria Pickering (flickr.com/vpickering), distributed under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.

"If we're going to believe in the God of the Bible, the God of Jesus, we simply have to be willing not to know all the details." The Right Rev. Catherine Waynick, Bishop of the Diocese of Indianapolis, preaches on the twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost (November 6, 2016). Readings: Job 19:23-27a; Psalm 17:1-9; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17; Luke 20:27-38. Image: Lawrence OP (flickr.com/paullew), distributed under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.

“If you feel more sinner than saint, if your language is salty, if your temper is less than even, if vanity is your vice - don’t despair. You’re in good company." The Rev. E. Suzanne Wille preaches on All Saints’ Day (November 1, 2016). Readings: Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18, Psalm 149, Ephesians 1:11-23, Luke 6:20-31 Image- Amber(flickr.com/photos/amccy), distributed under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.

"Beloved, you are beautiful, I love you, and God adores you." The Rev. E Suzanne Wille preaches on the twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost. Readings: Isaiah 1:10-18, Psalm 32: 1-8, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12, Luke 19:1-10.

(Apologies that the recording of this week's sermon has some mic issues up till about 1:45 - hang in there!.) "...if we within Christian community draw lines between ourselves and others, as Biblical scholar David Lose writes, we're going to keep finding God on the other side." Brendan O'Sullivan-Hale preaches on the twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost (October 23, 2016). Readings: Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22; Psalm 84:1-6; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18; Luke 18:9-14. Image: Stephanie Harris.

"Some rough edges require softening, but the rough edges that keep us sharp and fierce enough to wrestle with God, to cry out for justice? Well, those, I think we'd better keep." The Rev. E. Suzanne Wille preaches on the twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost (October 16, 2016). Readings: Gen. 32:22-31; Ps. 121; 2 Tim. 3:14-4:5; Lk. 18:1-8. Image: Duarte JH (https://www.flickr.com/photos/duartejh/), distributed under a CC BY-NC license.

"How healthy is my ministry of care and concern for my family, my friends, my neighbors, my acquaintances?" The Rev. Brantley Alexander preaches on the twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost (October 9, 2016). Readings: 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c, 2:1-4; Psalm 111; 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Luke 17:11-19. Image: Cody Jones (www.codyljones.com), used with permission.

"The size of our faith doesn't matter. God matters." The Rev. E. Suzanne Wille preaches on the twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (October 2, 2016). Readings: Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4; Psalm 37:1-10; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10. Image: adamnsinger (flickr.com/77437968@N00), distributed under a CC BY-ND 2.0 license.

“We honor St. Michael and all the angels when we listen to God’s messages that we are called to do scary things that sound impossible now and will only sound like good news later." The Rev. E. Suzanne Wille preaches on the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels (September 25, 2016). Readings: Genesis 28:10-17, Revelation 12:7-12, John 1:47-51, Psalm 103.

"When leaders offer bold visions, encouraging their people to struggle against the odds for something larger than themselves, they give us hope and life." The Rev. E. Suzanne Wille preaches on the 16th Sunday after Pentecost (September 4, 2016). Readings: Deut. 30:15-20; Ps. 1; Phil. 1-21; Lk. 14:25-33. Image: fourthandfifteen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/chelmsfordblue/), distributed under a CC BY license.

"So what are we to learn from this wily manager's approach, which is dishonest all the way around, and from the commendation of it, that we, too, ought to make use of dishonest wealth?" The Rev. E. Suzanne Wille preaches on the 18th Sunday after Pentecost (September 18, 2016). Readings: Amos 8:4-7; Ps. 113; 1 Tim. 2:1-7; Lk. 16:1-13. This sermon incorporates ideas from Barbara Rossing (workingpreacher.org)and Sarah Dylan Breuer (sarahlaughed.net). Image: Jason Comely (https://www.flickr.com/photos/rinkjustice/), distributed under a CC BY license.

"We can take the Shepherd and the Woman as images for a God who never, ever, stops searching for us, no matter how lost we are - feeling distant from God, struggling with illness or addiction, beset by some grief that won't let us go..." The Rev. E. Suzanne Wille preaches on the seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (September 11, 2016). Readings: Exodus 32:7-14; Psalm 51:1-11; 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-10. Image: Kelly Garbato (flickr.com/smiteme), distributed under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.