Sermon Given at St. Timothy, Signal Mountain Epiphany | January 6, 2019 Isaiah 60:1-6 Text of the sermon is below; a video of the sermon is here (sound improves in a few seconds in). We saw the photograph for the first time five years ago. It was taken in 1965, a black and white image. Most of the photograph is hidden in darkness. In the center, there is a group of bodies, all lined in silhouettes. There is one adult, a college girl,

A Reflection on COP 24 By Andrew R. H. Thompson, environmental ethicist at Sewanee and delegate to the 24th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland, December 2-14 “Was it worth it?” I was asked this question, in one form or another, on various occasions after I returned from the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP 24) in Katowice, Poland. COP is the United Nations’ annual meeting to negotiate concrete steps and commitments among nations to try to slow climate

On the third Sunday of Advent at St. James, Knoxville, more than 30 prayer shawls were given to children as an expression of love for them. The shawls were made with the colors of the seasons of the church year. More than 20 of these were made by Mother Mildred Teets. “We pray that, in these somewhat difficult times for children and families, they may feel the love of Christ and St. James surround them, as surely as the shawls

Grace Point Camp & Retreat Center is thrilled to announce it has been awarded the Jane L. Pettway grant! The grant will be used to establish the new Osprey Outdoor Education Center (OEC). Renovations are underway in the old barn to convert the space into a fun and functional learning center. Children and youth will learn environmental stewardship through field trips, workshops, group activities and hands-on experiences with the natural world. The OEC will feature reptiles and animals native to

Sermon Given at St. James, Greeneville First Sunday in Advent 2018 | December 2, 2018 Luke 21:25-36 From the beginning, we have fretted over the end. This morning, in St. Luke’s Gospel, we have a reflection from Jesus about the end. And his words might cause us to fret. For some of us, the end should always be written out in bold and big letters – THE END. But whenever I consider the second coming of Jesus along with the

Homily Given at the Installation of the Reverend Brett Backus as Rector of St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church, Farragut, Tennessee The Reverend Dr. Howard J. Hess | November 28, 2018 I. Introduction: New Beginnings: Journeying with Father Brett. Father Brett, approximately ten years ago, you and I began our journey together as brother priests. To bring everyone up to speed, the story began like this. You were traveling through, not to, Knoxville where you had visited with your Bishop and your

Interfaith Climate Vigil – Meditation from the Rev. Claire Keene November 18, 2018 at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church, Knoxville Last summer I went with my brother to Scotland, where our Scots-Irish ancestors hailed from before moving to Ulster and then to the colonies. We walked on hillsides and valleys, watched the wind blow rain, fog, and clouds across our group and the landscape we had come to explore. We visited sites that had meant much to many peoples, across millennia—ley

Sermon Given at St. James, Knoxville 26th Sunday after Pentecost 2018 | November 18, 2018 Mark 13:1-8 “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” Amen. “It’s the end of the world as we know it. It’s the end of the world as we know it. It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.” When I was in college, the musical group, R.E.M., was a big deal. During my sophomore year, they came

Sermon Given at St. Mark, Copperhill, November 11, 2018 Mark 12:38-44 First, let me say it would be quite tempting to suggest that the Gospel lesson on the widow’s mite is St. Mark’s way of saying to remember to turn in your pledge card. Remembering to turn in your pledge card is greatly appreciated, but it is not the point of this morning’s Gospel. Rather, I would ask that you allow me to describe a couple of scenes for you,