The Adventures of Mo. Lauren and Fr. Kenny

Hello Friends!

I got a new computer, whoooo!  There are still a few glitches here and there, but so far, so good.  (I went for a desktop instead of a laptop this time.)  Anyway, we are at the end of Lent and at the start of Holy Week!

Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday and the reading of the Passion of Our Lord.  I love Holy Week.  It is the busiest time of the year for clergy (yes, more so than Christmas) but I find it invigorating.  The liturgies in Holy Week are beautiful, meaningful, and just a little bit strange to those who have never participated in them.  I hope that you too have a prayerful and Spirit filled week.  (click here for our Holy Week schedule, if you live in the area www.stannes-billerica.org )

Below is the link to my Palm Sunday sermon.  The passion of Jesus (the recounting of His last days) is very meaningful and holds a mirror up to us.  It shows us how easily we can get caught up with the crowd, with knee jerk angry reactions, with violence inciting rhetoric.  This is not the past, my friends, it is NOW, it is 21st Century America….

Sermon, Palm Sunday, Year C, April 14, 2019

The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ According to Luke

Thanks for stopping by!

Rev. Lauren

Hello Friends,

Unfortunately, my personal computer has decided to die!  This is the computer where I edit my sermons for posting.  Therefore, it might a little while before I can post again.  I hope to get the problem fixed soon.  Either way, I will be on vacation March 20-March 26th, so there won’t be a sermon for the 24th anyway.

As a treat, here is a photo of my little guy rocking some green for St. Patrick’s Day.

He is 1 now, time flies!  This cutie keeps me on my toes.

Here are the sermons I owe you, as always, please subscribe on YouTube to get them right away!  I’ll keep you posted on my computer issues.

Sermon, 3 Epiphany, Year C, Jan. 27, 2019

Sermon, 4 Epiphany, Year C, Feb. 3, 2019

Sermon, 5 Epiphany, Year C, Feb. 10, 2019

Sermon, 6 Epiphany, Year C, Feb. 17, 2019

Sermon, 7 Epiphany, Year C, Feb. 24, 2019

Sermon, Last Epiphany, Year C, March 3, 2019

Sermon, Lent 1, Year C, March 10, 2019

Thanks for stopping by!

Rev. Lauren

Hello Friends!

If you live in New England (or the Northeast in general) you probably know about the big storm we had over the weekend of Jan. 18-20.  Because of the snow/rain/ice, we cancelled church on Jan. 20th!  This is something I have never done before, but we thought it was the right thing to do.  So, there is no sermon for Jan. 20th (sorry!).

I know I have been behind in my sermon posts, so here are the ones that I owe you.  As always, if you want them right away, please subscribe to my You Tube page.

Sermon, Advent 4, Year C, Dec. 23, 2018

Sermon, Christmas 1, Year C, Dec. 30, 2018

Sermon, Epiphany, Year C, Jan. 6, 2019

Sermon, 1 Epiphany, Year C, Jan. 13, 2019

Thanks for stopping by,

Rev. Lauren

Hello Friends,

I have been remiss in posting and I do apologize.  (Sermons are posted weekly on YouTube if you want to subscribe there-links below.)  I have no excuse, just that time slipped away.

Here are my sermons for the last few weeks.  We are in the midst of Advent, the season of preparation for Christmas.  Don’t forget Advent, and don’t forget that Christmas is a 12 day feast that STARTS on the 25th.  Don’t toss your tree out on the 26th (St. Stephen’s Day, btw)! haha

Anyway, here are the sermons, and below a little treat for you.

Sermon, Christ the King, Year B, Nov. 25, 2018

Sermon, Advent 1, Year C, Dec. 2, 2018

Sermon, Advent 2, Year C, Dec. 9, 2018

Sermon, Advent 3, Year C, Dec. 16, 2018

Thanks for stopping by:

-Rev. Lauren

Hello and Happy Thanksgiving (if you celebrate it),

This past week was our last Markan reading for a while, as we will some be moving into Advent and a new church year. This is the apocalyptic section of Mark, and this reading has caused many people a lot of strife over the years.  Jesus seems to offer signs of the end of the world, but as far as signs go, t hey aren’t very clear and later He says that no one can know the hour.  So, what is this story really about if it isn’t about “the end?”

Note: I have some coughing fits during the sermon.  The dry air from the church boiler was getting to me.  I did not have time to edit it out (what with the baby and holiday), so think of it as if you are really there!

Text: Mark 13:1-8

Sermon, Proper 28, Year B, Nov. 18, 2018

Thanks for stopping by!

Rev. Lauren

Hello Friends!

Sorry for the very late post.  A look behind the curtain: at home I have a MacBook Pro and that is where I prepare my videos and edit if needed.  At work, I have a PC that is pretty bare bones, so I need to get my videos ready at home.  The problem is, at home is my almost 10 month son!  He comes first, so often the sermon posting comes last, it is a fact of life.  But I have some free time right now, so I will have 2 posts!

This text is the so-called story of the “Widow’s Mite.”  The widow is often held up as a positive example of giving, but she is anything but.  Take a listen:

Text: Mark 12:38-44

Sermon, Proper 27, Year B, Nov. 11, 2018

Thanks for stopping by!

Rev. Lauren

Hello Friends!

This week’s story from Mark gives us the Greatest Commandment!  (Yes, commandment’s have a hierarchy.)  In this week’s sermon, I try to give you some context, which isn’t new, but this time it is context about the Gospel of Mark itself, as nothing is produced in a vacuum.  Take a listen:

Text: Mark 12:28-34

Sermon, Proper 26, Year B, Nov. 4, 2018

Soon it will be Thanksgiving and then the Christmas run begins!  Don’t forget Advent.  If you are in my neighborhood, please come to our Community Interfaith Thanksgiving service.  Neighbors of all different faiths and denominations come together to give thanks, and eat yummy pot luck food.

Thanks for stopping by!

Rev. Lauren

Hi Everyone!

This week’s lesson is a famous one with the healing of Bartimeaus, the blind beggar.  This is a great story, not because of the healing, but because it shows us Bart as an example of faith and how to follow Jesus.  Meet Jesus, be transformed, go out and follow Him.

Take a listen:

Sermon, Proper 25, Year B, Oct. 28, 2018

Text: Mark 10:46-52

Don’t forget that this Sunday, Nov. 4th, Daylight Savings Time ends (or starts?).  Either way, if you live in certain parts of the US, you need to turn your clocks back 1 hour!  You wouldn’t want to be an hour early to church would you?

Thanks for stopping by,

Rev. Lauren

Hello Friends!

Oh man, I missed a whole week!  Sorry about that.  I always say that my baby is sick, well he was sick, but in a twist, I got sick as well!  So I had an ear infection last week and didn’t post my sermon.  So here we have 2 sermons, once from Oct. 14th and one from Oct. 21st.

Sermon, Proper 23, Year B, October 14, 2018

Text: Mark 10:17-31

Sermon, Proper 24, Year B, October 21, 2018

Text: Mark 10:35-45 

Thanks for stopping by!

Rev. Lauren

Hello Friends,

You may have noticed that I have not posted a sermon this week, that is because I did not preach this week!  Instead, we had a guest, the Rev. Canon Martha Hubbard who is the new Regional Canon for the Northern and Western Regions in our Diocese.  This is a new position which covers parish transitions, congregational development, and clergy support.  (Phew, what a title.)  Rev. Martha is visiting all the parishes in the region one by one (and we were first!).

Anyway, also on Oct. 7th, we celebrated St. Francis by blessing the pets, and it was a great day for it!  Many dogs came and got blessed, as well as photos or cats and even a fish!  Below are some photos and here is a link to St. Francis’ Wikipedia page.  I’ll be back next week with a fresh sermon for you!

-Rev. Lauren