Author: Rev. Jeffrey Tooke

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

https://sacredquest.substack.com/p/advent-3a-when-god-breaks-in In our readings for this Third Sunday of Advent, we hear that John the Baptist is in prison. John’s disciples come to Jesus, hoping that he is the one John spoke of as the one who would come after him. Jesus does not confirm this for them directly. Instead, he tells John’s disciples, “Go… Read more

https://sacredquest.substack.com/p/advent-1a-recognizing-the-wonder We begin the season of Advent and a new liturgical year this Sunday. Through Advent, we are reminded of the long history during which people waited for the coming of God among them, waiting for the justice and compassion foretold to become present here in their midst. We are not unlike our ancestors in… Read more

Our readings at Trinity are Philippians 4:4-9, the poem “Things to Know When Waking” by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer and Luke 23:33-43. Our readings invite us to recognize our present moment as a kind of exile and to choose the hard, hopeful work of building the Beloved Community that God has already chosen for us. https://sacredquest.substack.com/p/christ-the-king-chosen-by-god-we Read more

Our readings at St. Mark’s in North Tonawanda today are Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22; Psalm 86: 1-6; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18; and Luke 18:19-14. We examine our stance before God and one another as we prepare our hearts to stand rightly towards the coming Kingdom of God in today’s world. https://sacredquest.substack.com/p/proper-25c-standing-toward-the-kingdom Read more