Author: Rev. Jeffrey Tooke

Proper 11A: The Field Within Us – by Rev. Jeffrey Tooke When we look at today’s Gospel, we may be tempted to hear it in much the same way that we hear Jesus’ story about the sheep and the goats. There are good people and bad people. There are the righteous and the unrighteous. There… Read more

A reflection on the readings for the Fifth Sunday After Pentecost Proper 8A2: A Cup of Cold Water – by Rev. Jeffrey Tooke Over these past few weeks, we have been listening to Jesus’ sending discourse in Matthew’s Gospel. These passages help us to understand who we are as disciples, especially as we learn to… Read more

Proper 7A2: The Cost of Being Sent – by Rev. Jeffrey Tooke Over the past couple weeks, we have been hearing about being sent. We heard about the call of Matthew, the tax collector, and we heard about the sending of the twelve disciples, who were told to take nothing with them but to trust… Read more

5th Sunday of Easter: The Back of His Head Our reading today from the Gospel of John comes in the middle of what is often called Jesus’ farewell or departure discourse. He’s trying to prepare the disciples for what is about to happen…for the reality that he will not be physically with them much longer.… Read more

Maundy Thursday: A Reminder in the Towel Last weekend, we celebrated something really joyful. We celebrated the ordination of a new deacon. It was a good day for the Kingdom and a good day for the Church. It was one of those moments where you could really feel it: the sense of calling, of a… Read more

Lent 5A: “Unbind Him, and Let Him Go” In today’s Gospel, we hear the story of Lazarus. Standing before the tomb, Jesus cries out, “Lazarus, come out!” And when Lazarus emerges, still wrapped, still bound, Jesus says something striking: “Unbind him, and let him go.” Not just raise him. Not just bring him back. But… Read more

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