The Marriage of Benjamin Orris and Sophia Aini

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Let this be said of the Orris household: “They keep no record of sins. With them is forgiveness. With them is grace, the grace of YHWH, Haniyah.”

In the moment of crisis, though, can you really forgive? Can you really forget? Can transformation happen?

Only by the command of Jesus. In our Gospel, there is failure. The wedding is falling short. “They have no wine.” This symbolizes the collapse of joy. The problem is brought to Jesus. This is always the solution.

But He seems far away. He rebukes His mother. He seems cold, distant….

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Christmas Midnight 2023

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“When all was still, and it was midnight, Your almighty Word, O Lord, descended from the royal throne.” That’s the antiphon for Christmas Midnight. By itself, it’s serene, much like this service. There’s something joyously peaceful about assembling here when all through the town not many creatures are stirring, and celebrating the first liturgy of Christmas while everyone else is nestled all snug in their beds.

“When all was still, and it was midnight, Your almighty Word, O Lord, descended from the royal throne.” The context, however, is not so serene. It comes from the Wisdom of Solomon, and it describes the beginning of the tenth plague, bringing death to all the firstborn in the land of Egypt….

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Baccalaureate Vespers 2019

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After sitting through dozens of graduation speeches that were a terrible waste of time, the brilliant educator and critic Neil Postman wrote the sort of commencement address he wished would be given but never is. In it he talks about two groups of ancient people, the Athenians and the Visigoths. This is because, Postman said, you soon must align yourself with the spirit of one or the spirit of the other. You must choose between the Athenians or the Visigoths.

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