The Adventures of Mo. Lauren and Fr. Kenny

Hello Friends!

The season of Easter has ended and now we are into Pentecost.  May 20th, we celebrated the Holy Spirit descending onto humanity.  What is the Spirit?  What forms does it take?  What is its function?  To hear more, take a listen:

Text: Acts 2:1-21 snd John 15:26-6, 16:4b-15

Sermon, Pentecost, Year B, May 20, 2018

You may have heard about our Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Michael Curry, preaching at the royal wedding on May 19th.  It was a wonderful sermon, and I quote a chunk of it in my sermon.  Here are links the Bishop Curry’s sermon:

Presiding Bishop Curry’s sermon VIDEO

Presiding Bishop Curry’s sermon TRANSCRIPT

Thanks for stopping by!

Rev. Lauren

Dear Friends,

This past Sunday was the last Sunday in Easter, and we heard part 3 of Jesus’ farewell discourse in the Gospel of John.  Here, Jesus prays to God for his disciples, because He knows that they will have a difficult time once he is gone.  What is Jesus’ prayer for the disciples (and us)?  Take a listen:

Text: John 17:6-19

Sermon, Easter 7, Year B, May 13, 2018

Thanks for stopping by, next Sunday is Pentecost!  Don’t forget to wear red!

-Rev. Lauren

Hello Friends!

This week’s excerpt from the Gospel of John continues directly from last week’s and is part of Jesus’ “farewell discourse” where He is telling the disciples how to live without Him present.  Here, we get Jesus’ great command, to love one another.  I wonder why this is so hard, especially in churches.  Often, hate is easier than love, it is easier to ignore something/someone than try to work it out.  Take a listen:

Text: John 15:9-17

Sermon, Easter 6, Year B, May 6, 2018

Thanks for stopping by!

Rev. Lauren

Hello Friends, I’m back!

I know it has been a while, but I have been quite busy on maternity leave with my baby boy.  Who knew that taking care of an infant was so time consuming? (except anyone who has had a baby before)  Anyway, I’m back at work and amazed at how much I can get done on so little sleep.

This past Sunday, April 29th, was my first Sunday back, and the reading from John is a great one.  In this reading we hear about how we are all in community together and rely on each other as branches rely on vines.  There is some judgment-y talk in this passage, but never fear, it is all about love…..

Text: John 15:1-8

Sermon, Easter 5, Year B, April 29, 2018

Thanks for stopping by, here is a picture of the baby:

-Rev. Lauren

Hello Friends,

This week, as we continue in the season after the Epiphany, we hear more call stories.  In Mark, we get the call of the fishermen, and for our Hebrew Bible selection, we hear part of the story of Jonah.  Most people only remember that Jonah gets swallowed by a big fish (or whale), but that is only a very small part of the story.  Check it out:

Text: Mark 1:14-20 and Jonah 3:1-5, 10

Sermon, 3 Epiphany, Year B, Jan. 21, 2018

Another bit of news, I will be having my baby this week!  So, this is my last sermon before 3 months of maternity leave.  I wish you all well in my absence, I will try to post periodically, but no guarantees.

See you in April!

Rev. Lauren

Hello Friends,

I’m back (for now) after the Bishop’s visit on Jan. 7th.  This week, we jump into the Gospel of John and learn about inviting people to check Jesus out.  It is as simple as saying “come and see.”  Come and see what God has done in my life.  If we do that, then maybe more people can see how God has affected their lives.  This is how we are to follow Jesus, and this is how churches grow.

Text: John 1:43-51

Sermon, 2nd Sunday after Epiphany, Year B, Jan. 14, 2018

As you may or may not know, I am pregnant!  I am in the last few weeks, as a matter of fact, and the baby could come at any time. So, this might be my last sermon for a while, or maybe it won’t.  You will just have to keep checking back in for updates.

Thanks for stopping by!

Rev. Lauren

Hi Friends!

Merry Christmas!  Don’t forget that Christmas lasts until Jan. 6th, so don’t take down those trees yet (unless they are all dried out and hazardous).  Anyway, on Christmas 1, we Episcopalians veer a little off the Revised Common Lectionary and read from the Gospel of John.  This is John’s version of the birth of Christ, but you will notice that Jesus isn’t in the story, in a physical way anyway.  John talks more about the meaning behind the birth of Jesus, His incarnation, and how we are suppoesd to react.  Check it out:

Text: John 1:1-18 

Sermon, Christmas 1, Year B, Dec. 31, 2017

Here is the article I quote by Thomas B. Slater

Next Sunday, Jan. 7th, the Bishop is coming to visit St. Anne’s, so no sermon from me, but I’m sure it will be an awesome day!

Thanks for stopping by,

Rev. Lauren

Hi Friends,

This year on Dec. 24th it was Advent 4 AND Christmas Eve.  This is a rare and strange occurrence.  At St. Anne’s, we honored Advent 4 with the story of the Annunciation at 9am, and then had our regular Christmas Eve services at 1pm and 10pm.  My parishioners were good sports in that I made them wait to decorate for Christmas until after the 9am service.  (I am a stickler about the “Christmas creep” in church-I mean do what you want at home, but not at church!).

Anyway, here are my 2 sermons from the 24th.  They sound a bit softer than normal, as I forgot to hit the record button while I was preaching live, so I recorded them at home, and luckily no cats interrupted.  Take a listen!

Advent 4: 

Luke 1:26-38

Sermon, Advent 4, Year B, Dec. 24, 2017

Christmas Eve:

Luke 2:1-10

Sermon, Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2017

Thanks for stopping by!

Rev. Lauren

Hello Friends!

I am back after 2 weeks off and what a great story to start with.  We hear about John the Baptist from the point of view of John the Gospel writer.  In John’s Gospel, John the Baptist isn’t known as a baptist, mostly he is know as a witness, someone who points to Jesus and prepares the way.  What can we do in our lives to point the way to Jesus?  How are our lives pointing to Jesus in either a good way or a bad way?  Take a listen:

Text: John 1:6-8,19-28

Sermon, Advent 3, Year B, Dec. 17, 2017

Next week is Advent 4 AND Christmas Eve!  A liturgical conundrum if I have ever had one.  We will still be having an Advent 4 service as well as Christmas Eve, hope to see you then!  Check out our schedule at stannes-billerica.org.

Thanks for stoping by,

Rev. Lauren

Hello Friends!

Nov. 26th was Christ the King Sunday, also the Last Sunday after Pentecost, so the last day of the church year, and our last Matthew parable for a while (phew).  Next week, Advent starts, but as I always say, don’t rush!  Today, we hear about the final judgment how the sheep will be sorted from the goats, but guess what…judgment is for God alone!  Take a listen:

Text: Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon, Proper 29, Year A, Nov. 26, 2017

I will be on vacation the next 2 Sundays, so don’t miss me too much, hehehe.

~Rev. Lauren

PS: The article from Janet Hunt that I quote is here.