Author: Rev. Jeffrey Tooke

Lent 2A: So Close to Seeing – by Rev. Jeffrey Tooke In preparing for our Gospel today, I was struck by something a bit unexpected. This is a passage that I’ve read many times over the years, with familiar words and phrases, but this time, two lines caught my attention in a new way. The Read more

Ash Wednesday: Marked by Ashes, Called to Listen Today, with Ash Wednesday, we begin the season of Lent in the life of the Church. We have just completed our journey through the season after Epiphany–a season centered on revelation: on the revealing of who Jesus is, who God is, and, by extension, who we are. Read more

Epiphany 5A: Not a Command, But a Promise In our Gospel today, Jesus tells us that he is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, that not a single part, not a single letter, not even a stroke of a letter will pass away until the law is fulfilled. And I think that when Read more

Epiphany 3A: Be the Shamash – by Rev. Jeffrey Tooke On this Sunday, still within the season of Epiphany, our attention is once again drawn to revelation: revelation of who Jesus is, and by extension, of who we are called to be. Our reading tells us that Isaiah proclaimed, “The people who sat in darkness Read more

Epiphany 2A: Come and See – An Invitation to Abide In our reading today, two of John’s disciples find themselves intrigued when they hear John suddenly exclaim, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” Something in that moment catches their attention. Something stirs their curiosity, and so, they begin to follow Jesus. They wonder what Read more

Epiphany 1A – Baptism of the Lord: The Maturing of our “Yes” In Matthew’s account of the Baptism of Jesus, there is a brief exchange that can be missed. When Jesus comes to John at the Jordan, John hesitates and then says, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Read more

Epiphany: A Season of Seeking – by Rev. Jeffrey Tooke The celebration of Epiphany, and the season that unfolds around it, is often centered on revelation: the revelation of God, the revelation of Jesus, and the revelation of the Christian community. Epiphany presses against the boundaries of our familiar horizons, breaking in with moments of Read more

Crossing the Threshold of a New Year This time of year is often filled with a quiet mixture of melancholy and anticipation. As we close one year and stand at the edge of another, we remember the many endings and beginnings that have shaped us. We hold close the family and friends who are not Read more

Christmas 1A – Witnesses to the Light On this first Sunday after Christmas, we are given another look at John the Baptist, the one who came to testify to the light that has come into the world. Once again, we are reminded that his role was to witness to the light, to “the true light Read more

 Our readings at Trinity Buffalo today are Isaiah 7:10-16, the poem “Making the House Ready for the Lord” by Mary Oliver, and Matthew 1:18-25. We explore Emmanuel – the promise that God does not remain distant or abstract, but comes close in our waiting, as we stand on the threshold of Christmas. https://sacredquest.substack.com/p/advent-4a-emmanuel-god-with-skin Read more