tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102850102011-12-18T11:30:00.943-05:00. . . an occasional record of the musings, questions, and other commentary of an Episcopal priest who loves her church!The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.comBlogger2681100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-52700471489916136122011-12-18T11:30:00.002-05:002011-12-18T11:30:00.967-05:00

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The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-45370338711422276602011-12-11T11:30:00.003-05:002011-12-11T11:30:01.959-05:00

Sermon Preached at St. Mark's Episcopal ChurchThird Sunday of Advent, Year BJohn 1:6-8, 19-28 “Who are you?” the priests and Levites ask.  John replies, “I am not the Messiah. . . . I am not Elijah and I am not the prophet.”  “If you are not the Messiah, Elijah, or the prophet” they ask him, “Why then are you baptizing?”[1]  A footnote in The New Oxford Annotated Bible states, “John was

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-48339432492581328082011-11-27T11:30:00.001-05:002011-11-27T11:30:01.971-05:00

Sermon Preached on Sunday, November 27, 2011at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church – EvanstonAdvent 1, Year B Superbowl Sunday offers America the high point in the advertising year. To be sure, a number of us, tune in for the football game, but even more, I suspect, are waiting to see the next Budweiser Clydesdale ad, a new hit from the eTrade baby, and, after last year’s game, are wondering if

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-77721682719959126912011-11-06T11:30:00.001-05:002011-11-06T11:30:00.112-05:00

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The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com01509 Ridge Ave, Evanston, IL 60201, USA42.045366 -87.688139999999989.953997000000001 -147.45376499999998 74.136735 -27.922514999999976tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-49394561470081071902011-10-23T11:30:00.003-04:002011-10-23T11:30:01.147-04:00

Sermon Preached at St. Mark's Proper 25 A / Matthew 22:34-46 At this year’s diocesan convention, The Rev. Stephanie Spellers will be the keynote speaker.  A few years ago, I attended one of her workshops called “Radical Welcome: Practical New Tools and Ideas.”[1]  The workshop began with participants  responding to two prompts: (1) what do you think of when you hear the word “radical” and (2)

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-32420742499437313632011-10-16T20:20:00.000-04:002011-10-16T20:20:39.607-04:00

Sermon Preached at St. Mark's Episcopal Church Sunday, October 16, 2011 Proper 24A - 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; Matthew 22:15-22 This morning’s gospel passage is a familiar one and, at tax time and during election season, an oft-cited one.  “Render unto Caesar. . . ” Say just these three words at a party and you’ll likely find yourself in the middle of a debate about the separation of church and

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-79528575324097619542011-10-12T12:14:00.000-04:002011-10-12T12:14:06.046-04:00

Sermon Preached at St. Mark's Episcopal Church Sunday, October 9, 2011 - Proper 23 (Exodus 32:1-14)  How quickly we forget. How quickly we grow impatient, or are distracted by what’s right in front of us. “So Moses went down to the people and told them.  Then God spoke all these words: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have

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Sermon Preached on September 25, 2011 St. Mark's Episcopal Church - Evanston Revelation 22:1-5 The Book of the Revelation – also called The Apocalypse of John – is perhaps one of the most challenging texts in the Bible.  The word “apocalypse” itself seems to be part of the problem.   It is popularly defined as “the complete final destruction of the world.”  A definition which Hollywood seems to

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Sermon Preached at St. Mark's Episcopal Church Evanston, Illinois - 4 September 2011 Genesis 2:4b-22 and Acts 17:22-28 For the four Sundays in September, St. Mark's will be celebrating The Season of Creation.  I wish I could say that we are doing this because, as rector, I was recently motivated to "go green" or that I've been on an ecology-kick all summer or - well, quite frankly, I wish I

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-53421009974365799142011-06-02T09:16:00.000-04:002011-06-02T09:16:48.467-04:00

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The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-41046607903969554152011-05-22T11:00:00.005-04:002011-05-22T11:00:03.079-04:00

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The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-33097365796901238942011-05-08T11:00:00.017-04:002011-05-08T11:00:04.986-04:00

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The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-60972468160346732762011-05-01T11:00:00.000-04:002011-05-01T11:00:05.763-04:00

Sermon Preached on the Feast of St. Mark St. Mark's Episcopal Church - Evanston, IL May 1, 2011 (transferred from April 25) For the Scripture Readings, click here. Have you seen the St. Mark’s lion? It appears on this drawing which typically hangs in the volunteer office.  Volunteer Office Bethlehem Chapel My Office I found it on this artwork which hangs in Bethlehem Chapel.  And I even

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The Sunday of the Resurrection Year A (John 20:1-18) Preached at St. Mark's Episcopal Church (Evanston, IL) We hear the story every year. Each year we read the story from a different gospel, but the plot line remains essentially stable as it pertains to that first Easter morning: the tomb is empty, Jesus has conquered death, Christ is Risen, Alleluia! Alleluia! He is risen indeed, Alleluia! To

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-19125322660539815712011-04-21T20:30:00.001-04:002011-04-21T20:30:01.091-04:00

Sermon Preached on Maundy Thursday at St. Mark's Episcopal Church (Evanston, IL) John 13:1-17, 31b-35 “Dinner’s ready! Wash your hands!” This was the familiar call to supper in my childhood home. The call was typically followed by the three of us – my brother, my sister, and me – pushing and shoving our way to the faucet and the soap in the bathroom and then scrambling to the dinner table. I’m

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Sermon Preached at St. Mark's Episcopal Church April 10, 2011 - Lent 5A (Ezekiel 37:1-14) Do any of you remember the 1998 movie, “Patch Adams”? The film, starring Robin Williams as Patch, is based on the book Gesundheit! Written by the real-life Patch Adams (born Hunter Doherty Adams), founder and director of the D.C.-based Gesundheit! Institute, a not-for-profit health care organization that

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-11071711604495888632011-04-03T11:00:00.002-04:002011-04-03T11:00:01.953-04:00

Sermon Preached at St. Mark's Episcopal ChurchApril 3, 2011 Year A - Lent 4 - John 9:1-41 Vicki Garvey, our Canon for Christian Formation in the Diocese described our Lenten journey through the lectionary as a giant sandwich. The bread is made up of Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness – a story we hear on the first Sunday in Lent - and the Passion – the story we will hear read on the Sunday which

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Sermon Preached March 27, 2011 St. Mark's Episcopal Church - Evanston Lent 3A - John 4:5-42 Jews and Samaritans do not get along. Both Luke’s gospel story of the Good Samaritan and today’s gospel reading, the story of the Samaritan Woman at the Well, make this quite clear. What is not necessarily clear on a first reading of these stories is that the animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans

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Sermon Preached: Lent 2A St. Mark's Episcopal Church Evanston, Illinois I’m in the middle of two books right now. The first is an older book – written about 30 years ago by a Jesuit priest, John Kavanaugh . It is called Following Christ in a Consumer Society: The Spirituality of Cultural Resistance. In it he describes two forms – the commodity form and the personal form. The Commodity Form is

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-8607170504825482492011-03-09T19:35:00.003-05:002011-03-09T19:35:00.274-05:00

Sermon Preached March 9, 2011 - Ash Wednesday St. Mark's Episcopal Church (Evanston, IL) Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent – a season which takes us from this day through to Easter. It is 40 days long (we don’t count the Sundays) and is linked to Jesus’ time in the wilderness.[1] The Reverend Margaret Jones calls Ash Wednesday “a wake-up call.” She writes: “Ash Wednesday

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Sermon Preached at St. Mark's Episcopal Church Evanston, Illinois Transfiguration Sunday - March 6, 2011 My New Testament professor at Boston University, J. Paul Sampley, referred to the period of time in which we live as Christians – that time between the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus and the long-awaited Second Coming - as a period of “walking between the times.” Over the past

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-84459407973393751542011-02-14T22:02:00.000-05:002011-02-14T22:02:35.999-05:00

A Personal Reflection Prepared after a Day of Packing I wonder if we don't expect enough of God? I wonder if we suffer from a failure of imagination. These questions stem from a day spent navel-gazing  (sorting through papers, organizing "stuff," and making decisions related to our upcoming move to Illinois - what to save, what to donate, what to pitch and what must absolutely be in the car

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-31726321593962601432011-02-06T17:08:00.000-05:002011-02-06T17:08:49.641-05:00

Sermon Preached at St. Mary's Episcopal Church on the occasion of my last Sunday Sunday, February 6 / Fifth Sunday after Epiphany Matthew 5:13-20 On Friday, I was following an interesting conversation on a clergy list-serv to which I subscribe. It concerned Jesus’ reference to salt in this morning’s gospel: “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-27580480505388094782011-01-26T21:40:00.000-05:002011-01-26T21:40:45.475-05:00

Sermon Preached at St. Brendan the Navigator Roman Catholic Parish Stone Harbor, NJ Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Isaiah 58:6-10; Psalm 96:1-13; Acts 2:42-47 When I hear the passage from the Acts of the Apostles, I take great comfort in imagining this ideal church in Jerusalem – a picture of peace and harmony, excitement, awe and wonder. Hearing about the devotion of these early followers

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Second Sunday of Advent - Year A - Isaiah 11:1-10, Matthew 3:1-12 Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church (Villas, NJ) December 5, 2010 To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file. Reference:

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Today is "Black Friday" - a day when millions of Americans will spend millions of dollars on gifts for millions of people and, at the end of the day, millions of people will still be without the many, many things they need - clean water - shelter - clothes - healthy food - access to education The list could go on. . . Two years ago, Andrea and I discovered The Advent Conspiracy - a group of

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Christ the King Sunday - Year C - Jeremiah 23:1-6, Luke 23:33-43 Sermon Preached at St. Mary's Episcopal Church (Stone Harbor, NJ) November 21, 2010 To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file. Reference: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (NRSV): 15See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. 16If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-33891025233476703232010-11-16T16:44:00.001-05:002010-11-16T16:44:35.596-05:00

Proper 28 C - Luke 21:5-19 Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church (Villas, NJ) November 14, 2010 To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file.

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-63875486173501422752010-11-03T16:24:00.003-04:002010-11-16T16:40:43.488-05:00

Sermon preached on the Feast of Richard Hooker, Priest (1600) November 3, 2010 Being a Christian today is not easy. On days when you or I might be tempted to forget that truth we have only to look to The Christian Century or scan the headlines of Religion Online to be reminded of the conflicts that divide our churches: sex abuse scandals, the blessing of same sex unions, disputes over property

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Proper 25 C - Luke 18:9-14 Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church (Villas, NJ) October 24, 2010 To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file.

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-73221779142252925392010-10-19T22:17:00.000-04:002010-10-19T22:17:15.453-04:00

Proper 24 C - 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church (Villas, NJ) October 17, 2010 To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file. References: Herbert W. Chilstrom, "The Issue Behind All Issues: The Authority and Interpretation of the Bible," Hein Fry Lecture, (Northwest Synod of Wisconsin, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 2006).  The

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Proper 23 C - 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Luke 17:11-19 Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church (Villas, NJ) October 10, 2010 To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file.

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-61044608897984677892010-10-09T13:37:00.000-04:002010-10-09T13:37:29.157-04:00

I was blessed for many years to not know hatred first hand. While I was not popular as a child, I did not feel hated. I was in my mid-twenties before I recognized that I am a lesbian. Perhaps that is why I made it through primary and secondary school - and, indeed, college - without taunts or bullying. It was not until a few years ago that I encountered hatred directed at me firsthand - hatred

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Proper 22 C - Lamentations 1:1-6; Psalm 137; Luke 17:5-10 Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church (Villas, NJ) October 3, 2010 To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file. In my sermon, I reference Bede Jarrett. He was a popular English Dominican who lived from 1881-1934(1937?).  The actual quote which I was attempting to parapharase is:  "The world needs

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Sermon Preached at St. Mary's Episcopal Church 19 September 2010 / Proper 20C (Luke 16:1-13) To download an audio version of this sermon, click here. Imagine walking into church one day – or the grocery store or your child’s school or a local pub – I guess what I’m trying to say is location doesn’t matter. But for the sake of expediency, imagine walking into church one day and receiving a $1

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Proper 19 C - 1 Timothy 1:12-17; Luke 15:1-10 Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church (Villas, NJ) September 12, 2010 To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file. Reference: "Mystery of Mercy,"  Back Home (2003), Caedmon's Call

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Proper 18 C - Jeremiah 18:1-11; Philemon 1-21; Luke 14:25-33 Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church (Villas, NJ) September 5, 2010 To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file.

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Click here to read the article from The Press of Atlantic City (thank you Caitlin Dineen and Danny Drake). My comments: This is a story about people: those who receive and those who give. As we began our collections of backpacks and school supplies this year, I began contacting schools. As a result, I received this response from Mary Margaret Lynn, Principal at Ocean Academy: We would be very

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Proper 16 C - Jeremiah 1:4-10 Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church (Villas, NJ) August 22, 2010 To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file. The section in the sermon which references the incarnation was inspired by a comment in Lesser Feasts and Fasts on the Feast Day of William Porcher DuBose.

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-24812945968616328762010-08-15T19:52:00.002-04:002010-08-15T22:32:03.239-04:00

Today's reading from Hebrews with its "sound byte" list of stories of faith led me to a sermon about the importance of Biblical literacy.  My iPod, as it turns out, was not charged and I, therefore, did not record the sermon; however, I thought it might be nice to provide a link to some of the "classics" of our faith as delimited by the author(s) of Hebrews: THE EXODUS / THE PROMISED LAND"By

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Proper 13 C - Luke 12:13-21 Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church Villas, August 1, 2010 To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file. [My apologies for the delay in posting this]

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-28509412333635555042010-08-09T13:33:00.000-04:002010-08-09T13:33:57.176-04:00

AKMA Adam writes in response to the NY Times article on Clergy-Burnout that this issue (like so many before it) is much more complicated than presented (now, in fairness to the NY Times . . it was an Op-Ed piece, not a scholarly article). A portion of AKMA's response follows (full text available here). "Once it became conventional wisdom that clergy were not vaguely superhuman angelic beings

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Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church Villas, NJ July 25, 2010 Proper 12C - Luke 11:1-13 To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file. Some Resources on Prayer: Harold M. Schulweis, "To Whom We Pray ad For What" in For Those Who Can't Believe: Overcomung the Obstacles to Faith (New York: Harper, 1994), pp. 29-43. Margaret Guenther, The Practice of Prayer,

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-17884493504991742672010-07-11T11:00:00.005-04:002010-07-11T23:34:27.347-04:00

Sermon Preached at St. Mary's Episcopal Church Stone Harbor, NJ July 10 and 11, 2010 Proper 10 C - Luke 10:25-37 To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file. We live in a litigious society. If you don’t believe me, just Google the phrase “have you been injured in an accident” and see what you find. I found 60,400 results most of which seemed to be links to lawyers and law firms

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-27567331238810761232010-07-06T23:20:00.000-04:002010-07-06T23:20:47.578-04:00

Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church Villas, New Jersey 6th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 9) - Year C July 4, 2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file. For the Scripture readings, click here.

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-24834531070659896622010-06-21T13:18:00.000-04:002010-06-21T13:18:04.919-04:00

Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church Villas, New Jersey 4th Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 7) - Year C June 20, 2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file. For the Scripture readings, click here.

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-4560500586678910982010-06-16T12:58:00.000-04:002010-06-16T12:58:20.045-04:00

Click here to donate: Wildwood/Ocean City Lock Up: Pastor Debra I've been "invited" / "nominated" to serve in a lock-up to help the MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association - - - a.k.a. "Jerry's Kids") raise money to provide monies for Clinics - expert specialized medical care Research - cutting-edge investigation into treatments and cures Support - help obtaining equipment and coping with challenges

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-72381381541537009702010-06-06T21:06:00.000-04:002010-06-06T21:06:17.021-04:00

Sermon Preached at St. Mary's Episcopal Church Stone Harbor 2nd Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 5) - Year C June 6, 2010 To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file. For the Scripture readings, click here. References: Loyal Rue, Religion Is Not about God: How Spiritual Traditions Nurture Our Biological Nature and What to Expect when They Fail (New Brunswick: Rutgers University

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-87823909833314378232010-06-04T19:12:00.002-04:002010-06-04T22:34:26.999-04:00

According to Diana Butler Bass, as reported by Daniel Burke of the Religion News Service, 150 years from now scholars will look at The Two Pentecost Letters [I am inclined to capitalize these words as scholars now capitalize the words "Luther's 95 Theses" as perhaps one day they will carry the same historical weight] as the moment when the Anglican Communion broke apart. While none of us will

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-67239072749031070332010-05-30T22:15:00.005-04:002010-05-30T22:55:07.356-04:00

Sermon Preached on Trinity Sunday St. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church (Villas, New Jersey) May 30, 2010 ************************************************ To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file (or copy and paste the following url into your web browser: http://www.box.net/shared/2io43bf6z7). Trinity Sunday – a celebration in the church’s calendar since 1334. Trinity

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-13199225180561083392010-05-09T22:47:00.000-04:002010-05-09T22:47:00.898-04:00

Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church Villas 6th Sunday of Easter - Year C -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file (or copy and paste the following url into your web browser: http://www.box.net/shared/zuujry33e3). For the Scripture readings, click here or copy and paste the

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-36984208150778092062010-04-25T21:12:00.000-04:002010-04-25T21:12:14.817-04:00

Sermon Preached at St. Mary's Episcopal Church Stone Harbor 4th Sunday of Easter - Year C To hear this sermon, click here and download the audio file. For the Scripture readings, click here.

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-25501591974475430792010-04-04T00:00:00.003-04:002010-04-04T22:17:31.145-04:00

Sermon Preached at The Great Vigil of Easter (Romans 6:3-11)     audio file available, click here. St. Mary's Episcopal Church (Stone Harbor, NJ) April 3, 2010 Practice Resurrection!!! If ever there was a cry to live a resurrected life in the here and now it can be found in Paul’s letter to the church in Rome – “you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” The

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-63874222861670379272010-04-02T20:31:00.003-04:002010-04-04T22:19:11.195-04:00

Reflection Offered on Good Friday, April 2, 2010    For an audio file of this sermon, click here. St. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church (Villas, NJ) Today we are invited to enter the most pain-filled aspect of the Christian story, the darkest moment of our life together in Christ - a day that calls us to remember Jesus’ final march through Jerusalem, a death march to the cross. In some

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-43776646097857313712010-03-22T22:27:00.000-04:002010-03-22T22:27:52.146-04:00

"The Lead" at The Episcopal Cafe today, written by Wesley J. Wildman and Stephen Chapin Garner, reminds that "Divine love shines when you stay connected, especially when it feels like a major effort to do so. Strive for the spiritual maturity to place love ahead of personal comfort and your church's witness will flourish." In light of last night's health reform debate in the House of

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-6873865573126634002010-03-12T22:06:00.003-05:002010-03-12T22:38:47.360-05:00

This morning I had the opportunity to celebrate the 8th birthday of Volunteers in Medicine of Cape May County -a clinic that provides free healthcare to the county's uninsured and underserved. I am in my 3rd year as a trustee on the VIM Board of Trustees, but what never ceases to amaze me are the number of dedicated volunteers that keep the organization running. More than 14,000 patient visits

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-19467241250196356792010-03-06T20:42:00.005-05:002010-03-06T22:05:48.999-05:00

Here are some nuggets from the 226th Diocesan Convention of the Diocese of New Jersey which took place yesterday and today in Cherry Hill, NJ. The nuggets are from Bishop George Councell: On Mission: Survival is not a mission - we need to receive God's missionary who is Jesus and become missioners ourselves. On Church Growth: Our work is to feed the sheep, not count the sheep - but denial is

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-38723601765825890552010-02-28T12:25:00.000-05:002010-02-28T12:25:00.682-05:00

Sermon Preached at The Episcopal Church of the EpiphanyVentnor City, New Jersey2nd Sunday in Lent (Year C)Philippians 3:17-4:1; Psalm 27As part of my Lenten discipline this year, I have been rereading Philip Kenneson’s book, Life on the Vine. The book offers a challenge to Christians to evaluate the cultural virtues or fruits by which we live out our relationship to Christ with one another and

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-89997025202795374432010-02-14T12:00:00.000-05:002010-02-14T12:00:01.959-05:00

Sermon Preached at St. Mary's Episcopal ChurchStone Harbor, NJFebruary 14, 2010 - Transfiguration (Year C)When you are standing on a mountain it is easy to see where you’ve been. And, if you hiked up the mountain, it is even easier to feel where you’ve been. You can see the end of the trail emerging through the woods or the rocks. Maybe you can see the lake at the base of the mountain where you

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-40745508571502021392009-12-29T11:39:00.003-05:002009-12-29T11:51:46.043-05:00

Did I ever tell you that Mrs. McCaveHad twenty-three sons and she named them all Dave?Well, she did. And that wasn't a smart thing to do.You see, when she wants one and calls out, "Yoo-Hoo!Come into the house, Dave!" she doesn't get ONE.All twenty-three Daves of hers come on the run!This makes things quite difficult at the McCaves'As you can imagine, with so many Daves.And often she wishes that,

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-21930471922202079322009-10-25T21:45:00.005-04:002010-03-21T18:00:11.035-04:00

Sermon Preached at the Celebration of Ministry at St. John the Evangelist - New Brunswick, New Jersey Mark 10:35-45     For an audio file of this sermon, click here. First of all, let me just say what a great privilege and honor it is to have been invited to preach at the installation of my good friend and former Seabury classmate’s installation. Fr. Matthew and I spent 2 years together at

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-25057708400335821452009-09-11T19:42:00.002-04:002009-09-11T19:45:46.320-04:00

Speech delivered to Atlantic District ECW (Diocese of New Jersey), September 8, 2009The Mission statement for the 2006 – 2009 Episcopal Church Women National Board is “centered in congregations, the Episcopal Church Women (ECW) empowers women to do Christ’s ministry in the world.” Since 1871, women of the Episcopal Church have been organizing what were once known as Women’s Auxiliaries and later

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-26969926525485768492009-08-06T22:37:00.003-04:002009-08-06T22:44:29.392-04:00

Sermon Preached at 101st St. Pavillion (Stone Harbor) and St. Barnabas (Villas)August 1 / 2, 2009Proper 13 – Year BPaul exhorts the church in Ephesus “to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called” and reminds these early Christians that “each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift . . . to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-90991823999786148892009-05-24T23:43:00.003-04:002009-05-24T23:51:41.932-04:00

Sermon Preached on Sunday, May 24, 2009 atSt. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church (Villas, NJ)Easter 7B (John 17:6-19)In this morning’s gospel, we are given the unique opportunity to eavesdrop on a most intimate prayer – Jesus’ prayer on the night of the last supper. In this prayer, Jesus stands in a between-time place – preparing to depart from the world and, at the same time, preparing to

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-91949207581201434132009-03-14T19:35:00.003-04:002009-03-14T19:44:45.605-04:00

Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church15 March 2009Lent 3B (John 2:13-22)A lot of people describe the difference between the Old and New Testaments of our Bible as the difference between an angry God and a loving God. The Old Testament, I often hear, is filled with stories of a God who threatens to strike people dead and, in some cases, actually does so! But the New Testament

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-18432530558375711512009-03-07T20:23:00.003-05:002009-03-07T20:34:31.399-05:00

Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas (Villas, NJ)March 8, 2009 - Lent 2BTwo roads diverged in a yellow wood,And sorry I could not travel bothAnd be one traveler, long I stoodAnd looked down one as far as I couldTo where it bent in the undergrowth;Then took the other, as just as fair,And having perhaps the better claim,Because it was grassy and wanted wear;Though as for that the passing thereHad worn

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-77838322325496557142009-02-15T19:54:00.004-05:002009-02-15T19:59:18.829-05:00

Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas by the Bay Episcopal Church (Villas, NJ)Epiphany 6B (2 Kings 5:1-14), February 15 2009 Bell rings.A song.Pray.Scripture.Sermon.Pray.Announcements.Offertory.Communion.A song.Go Home.{repeat next week}I don’t know about you, but sometimes for me worship becomes a series of steps that are so well-rehearsed and well-known that I sometimes forget to participate. I mean,

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-62439460236387716952009-01-28T21:27:00.004-05:002009-01-28T22:03:31.234-05:00

I arrived in Grand Rapids, Michigan a couple of hours ago. And, I must say, "it's great to be home!" Now, let me explain. I've never been here before. But, from the woman working at the information booth who helped me get in touch with the shuttle service for my hotel, to the security guard who let me stay inside to stay warm (it's 20 degrees here - more on that in a moment), to the shuttle

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-4637064353614661202008-12-30T09:53:00.003-05:002008-12-30T10:00:22.456-05:00

Sermon Preached Christmas Eve 2008St. Mary's (Stone Harbor) and St. Barnabas-by-the-Bay (Villas)The man I knew as Grandpa when I was a young girl was actually my mother’s step-father. Grandpa Stanley was a second-generation Polish-American. He had siblings – I don’t know how many and I never met any of them. He was a man of few words, a not-particularly successful small dairy farmer in Wisconsin;

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-87133281940858366652008-11-05T16:43:00.002-05:002008-11-05T16:51:48.969-05:00

I am ecstatic about the election of Senator Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America. I was briefly disappointed that I had moved away from Chicago some 15 months ago - but then I remembered the traffic, the pollution, and the fast-pace of life and got over it! However, as delighted as this presidential outcome makes me, I am equally disgusted by the passage of

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-57349618272641774412008-09-27T19:50:00.003-04:002008-09-27T20:06:50.610-04:00

Sermon Preached at St. Mary's Episcopal ChurchStone Harbor, NJProper 21A (September 28, 2008)I never knew my great-grandmother Bertha because she died when I was an infant, but I do know she made the best shortcake biscuits in the world. I know this because she passed the recipe down to my grandmother who passed it down to my mother who passed it down to me. And, not wanting you to feel left out

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-74917560463451488002008-09-25T20:02:00.002-04:002008-09-25T20:18:34.783-04:00

Today I had hoped the world's attention would be focused on the United Nations and the Millennium Development Goals (the MDGs). We are beyond the half way point in time and not nearly that close in terms of results in eradicating extreme poverty around the world by 2015. But today's media attention is focused, instead, on the Wall Street crisis.** I do not mean to be crass, but it seems to me

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-7240037335261435562008-09-07T19:46:00.002-04:002008-09-07T19:59:33.853-04:00

What follows is a summary - in a less structured manner - of this morning's sermon themes (preached at St. Barnabas - Villas).The lectionary reading from the Hebrew Scriptures today comes from Exodus:This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance. (Exod. 12:14).The first

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-60927431716063818092008-07-27T16:32:00.002-04:002008-07-27T17:19:03.579-04:00

A few days ago, I was reflecting on the myriad of kingdom images Jesus provided for his listeners (the Gospel reading for the 11th Sunday after Pentecost). I had hoped for some feedback from my readers; but, having none, I went instead down the path of the Old Testament reading in which Laban agrees to sell his youngest daughter Rachel to Jacob in exchange for 7 years hard labor. After 7 years,

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-31701160345354537852008-07-22T18:48:00.003-04:002008-07-22T19:04:41.105-04:00

The gospel for this Sunday has a myriad of images for the kingdom of God. . . it is like a mustard seed, it is like yeast, it is like a treasure in the field, it is like a valuable pearl. And, early in the week, my mind is swirling in all of these images. Following are some of my thoughts - more random (or, at least, less polished) than usual. But, I am always interested in my readers thoughts

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-55713120405675687322008-07-15T13:07:00.003-04:002008-07-15T13:38:50.533-04:00

What's on my mind as I think about a sermon for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost?Last week as I drove across Stone Harbor Boulevard near the Wetlands Institute, several adults (one dressed as a turtle) held signs reminding passers-by to "slow down for turtles." And, in this part of New Jersey, it is not uncommon to see a motorist pull over by the side of the road to help (i.e., carry) a turtle

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-60939606363769968312008-05-24T22:00:00.003-04:002008-05-24T22:16:31.637-04:00

Sermon to be Preached at St. Mary's, Stone Harbor on Sunday, May 25, 2008Pentecost 2AAs I read this morning’s gospel with its easy moral, “strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things [food, drink, clothing] will be given to you as well” I began to imagine how very differently it must be heard in places around the world who have so very much less than we do.

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-47741579936067872582008-05-20T14:57:00.004-04:002008-05-20T15:10:13.956-04:00

Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas, VillasTrinity Sunday, May 18, 2008Where do babies come from? It’s a well-known truth that babies are delivered by storks. And not just human babies. If you’ve ever seen the movie Dumbo then you know that even baby elephants are delivered by storks. According to a National Public Radio report, this legend about storks bringing babies goes back to pagan times –

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-38750364431064807552008-04-26T22:52:00.002-04:002008-04-26T22:55:34.308-04:00

Bible study at The Branches – the center of our partnership with St. Barnabas in Rio Grande - ends each week with a brief service of Night Prayer or Compline. Typically we use the service found in the Book of Common Prayer, but last Monday, we instead used a service adapted from John McQuiston’s Prayerbook for the 21st Century – a book that is unique for its use of images, images that are

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-36813507739115477832008-04-18T15:24:00.002-04:002008-04-18T15:34:21.840-04:00

I've often read this story of Stephen and "assumed" that the reader is supposed to identify with Stephen. . .but I was struck this week by the possibility that we are not the Stephens of the story but rather, those who would throw the first stones.On Sunday, I am going to try to make a connection between Horton's ability to hear the Who's down in Who-ville and Stephen's ability (openness) to

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-77733098070459643922008-04-13T22:03:00.003-04:002008-04-13T22:08:56.325-04:00

More and more, I have been preaching without notes (something I was absolutely 100% certain - and I said so many times in seminary - that I would never do). Turns out (a) I enjoy it and (b) my parishioners seem to prefer it. Huh! Go figure! I guess John A. Dally was right. . . not a surprise (his being right).Part of what has allowed me to risk being vulnerable in this way is the love I have for

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-56860345782332393702008-04-08T23:49:00.003-04:002008-04-08T23:56:25.797-04:00

I preached this sermon on Maundy Thursday (March 20th, 2008) at St. Barnabas - at a combined service of St. Mary's (Stone Harbor) and St. Barnabas (Villas). Despite The Book of Occasional Services' admonition that we not emphasis the Passover Seder aspect of our Maundy Thursday experience, we did, in fact, "set the stage" that way. As a result, I felt it was important to preach about the both/and

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-26517440619205093992008-04-07T00:05:00.003-04:002008-04-07T00:10:23.198-04:00

Sermon Preached at St. Mary's Episcopal ChurchEaster 2A (March 30, 2008)Diana Butler Bass, a Senior Fellow at the Cathedral College of the Washington National Cathedral in DC published a book in 2004 called The Practicing Congregation: Imagining a New Old Church. In it, Butler Bass builds on the work of Brooks Holifield and provides a description, in broad strokes, of the history of American

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-18471627635621911562008-03-29T21:23:00.003-04:002008-03-29T21:31:15.549-04:00

Sermon Preached at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, March 22nd and St. Barnabas-by-the-Bay Episcopal Church, March 23rd (Easter Vigil and the Sunday of the Resurrection)“To see Christ is to see God and all of humanity. This mystery has evoked in me a burning desire to see the face of Jesus.” These words of Henri Nouwen begin a chapter on his experience of Andrew Rublev’s icon of Christ – an icon

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-50873779730128627232008-03-21T22:26:00.002-04:002008-03-21T22:28:38.020-04:00

I got my tongue tied up a bit today saying, "It shouldn't matter whether you are stray or gate. ""Stray and gated" --- I think that sums the issue up nicely

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-52485881866225081962008-03-12T23:34:00.001-04:002008-03-12T23:40:57.968-04:00

Sermon preached March 2, 2008 at St. Barnabas (Villas)Lent 4A[Shine flashlight around fully lit room]Andrea and I frequently watch CSI – Crime Scene Investigation – on CBS. There are actually three different CSI programs – the Monday night version takes place in Miami, the Wednesday night version takes place in Las Vegas, and on Thursday nights, it’s CSI New York. Each one has a slightly

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-51174855249000753612008-03-09T22:11:00.002-04:002008-03-09T22:14:41.710-04:00

Language is so totally limited! For example, I walked the dog tonight, I looked up. The stars were so . . . and the moon was a sliver but it looked full because you could see its outline, like an eclipse, only not - like a cloud covering it, only clearer, like. . . And, while all of this was going on, occuring, just being . . . I was overcome by sadness, flooded really. My cat is dying and the

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-79096914097523893562008-02-17T22:27:00.004-05:002008-02-17T22:35:26.289-05:00

Sermon Preached on February 17, 2008 (Lent 2A)St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Stone Harbor (NJ)Ah, John 3:16 – the bumper stickers, the painted signs on the sides of buildings, the banners held up at football games. Who cannot help but fall in love with the sentimental words of John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-83582061524465382152008-02-16T18:03:00.002-05:002008-02-16T20:46:30.245-05:00

Sermon Preached Lent 1A (Feb. 10, 2008)St. Barnabas-by-the-Bay, VillasI’ve often wondered where we could go today in order to have an experience like Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness. When I posed that question to my clergy colleagues at our weekly Bible study, one of them commented that Henri Nouwen had a similar question when he mused that the only desert America once had has become cluttered

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-74556540110033804372008-02-16T17:55:00.006-05:002008-02-16T18:02:28.355-05:00

Sermon Preached on the Last Sunday after the Epiphany (Feb. 3, 2008)St. Barnabas-by-the-Bay Episcopal Church (Villas, NJ)During the season of Epiphany – this year, a very short season, because of the early date of Easter – our Scripture readings focus on the revelation of the true nature of Jesus as the Son of God. A focus that helps to prepare us for the 40 day journey that follows – our journey

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-10925810572269661802008-01-22T19:13:00.000-05:002008-01-22T19:17:56.696-05:00

Sermon Preached on January 13, 2008First Sunday after the Epiphany - Year AThe first Sunday after Epiphany traditionally includes the story of Jesus’ baptism at the Jordan. All four Gospels include the story. And, here in Year A of the three year lectionary cycle, we read the account from Matthew. Because of this reading, our prayer book indicates that this Sunday is one of five days in the

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-87988972381638825932008-01-11T11:19:00.000-05:002008-01-11T11:39:09.402-05:00

This YouTube video was made by Marcia Blake, a woman whom Andrea and I had the pleasure of meeting for the first time on a trip to Santa Fe. At the time, Marcia was the webmaster for a local Episcopal church. I had contacted her to ask that my seminary be added to their church's website. Marcia responded and thus began an e-mail friendship.Marcia has MS. And her testimony is a reminder to all

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-58838810941502170262008-01-02T18:20:00.000-05:002008-01-02T18:35:46.534-05:00

Today's news in New Jersey -whether or not this state which was one of the last of the northern states to abolish slavery ought to issue an apology. An NBC 10 poll (which I put little stock in but which peaked my curiosity) indicates that 88% of New Jersey-ans say "no" and only 12% say "yes."** One person interviewed said, "what does it hurt to apologize?" My knee-jerk response to that is, "

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-47343827779238138982007-12-23T21:12:00.001-05:002007-12-23T21:37:37.608-05:00

On Friday night, Dec. 21st, a group of ten from St. Mary's and St. Barnabas car-pooled up to Church of the Ascension in Atlantic City to experience our first ever Hip-Hop Mass. And, my friends, if ever you have the opportunity to experience the Eucharist Hip-Hop style, I urge you to do so.Guest preacher, Pastor Gary Melton, explained in his sermon the "rationale" for bringing hip-hop into the

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-51167222865559425052007-12-22T22:10:00.000-05:002007-12-22T22:24:31.028-05:00

Sermon Preached on Advent 2A atSt. Barnabas-by-the-Bay Episcopal Church“Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” These words from Paul’s letter to the Romans seem so simple, so straightforward, so obvious, that it may seem odd that I want to focus on them this morning. And yet, there are many ways in which we can show welcome or lack of welcome to

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-12131184122067326922007-12-22T22:06:00.001-05:002007-12-22T22:09:41.149-05:00

Sermon Preached on Advent 1A (December 2, 2007)At St. Barnabas-by-the-Bay Episcopal Church (Villas, NJ)How many of you have completed your Christmas shopping? Is there anyone who hasn’t started yet? For many of us, the beginning of Advent, marks the start of the last minute shopping sprint as we count down those precious few weeks and days before Christmas arrives and eager faces sit around the

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-25093437581402058642007-11-19T22:09:00.001-05:002007-11-19T22:19:47.338-05:00

Sermon Preached November 18, 2007St. Mary's Episcopal Church - Stone HarborProper 28CThere was a skit on Sesame Street that I really loved as a kid. It went something like this. One of the grown-ups, maybe Luis, is sitting on the steps of 123 Sesame Street reading a story to the kids. After awhile, one of the Muppet monsters walks by carrying a sign that he reads aloud – it says, “The end is

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-19035706497981171622007-11-17T10:29:00.000-05:002007-11-17T10:39:33.372-05:00

Sermon Preached November 11, 2007Proper 27C / Veteran's Day A couple of weeks ago, we heard in Luke’s gospel, a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector. Now today, we are introduced to a group of Sadducees. Just who were these people and why were they so often critical of Jesus’ ministry? The Pharisees and the Sadducees were two of the best-known Jewish sects. They were around since at least

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-43672320297453099372007-10-28T17:20:00.000-04:002007-10-28T17:30:50.096-04:00

Sermon Preached at St. Barnabas-by-the-BayToday - Proper 25C (22nd Sunday after Pentecost)The nature of our prayer came to my mind this week as I was reading the short prayer of the tax collector in today’s gospel: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!”[1] The normal prayer stance of the early Jewish church was with arms outstretched toward the heavens ["orans"], but this tax collector, so ashamed

The Rev. Debra K. Bullockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17333284791411866824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10285010.post-67951927026398019042007-10-24T19:07:00.000-04:002007-10-24T19:12:14.056-04:00

Sermon Preached at St. Mary's, Stone HarborProper 24C - October 21, 2007Last Monday night at our Journey in Faith class, we discussed a fictitious scenario - Joe’s dilemma. The story went like this:“As assistant department manager, Joe has become aware that his boss, the department manager, has recently been submitting to the divisional general manager monthly reports that “stretch the truth” so

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