Author: Marta
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A Love Song
I went to grad school in English because I loved reading. More specifically, I loved the novel. I read and appreciated poetry and drama, but I loved the novel. I loved the depth, the breadth of possibility, the exploration of the human condition far beyond what anyone could safely—not to mention ethically—experience in the real…
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Popular Angels (Michaelmas)
When Jesus first meets Nathanael in John’s gospel, he promises him something extraordinary: “You will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” Angels are all over our scriptures. From Genesis to Revelation, from Jacob’s dream to Gabriel’s annunciation, from the songs of the heavenly host to…
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Talking and Listening (Pentecost)
A little while back I was watching some television show, and for some random plot reason or another one of the characters ended up in a monastery which was under a vow of silence. She was assigned to clean a wine vat with another resident, and there was a rather comical scene, because the vat…
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Lilies and Anxiety (Thanksgiving B)
Today, I feel called by the scripture to talk about anxiety. I think about anxiety a lot, to be frank—I’m a very anxious person, by nature. And the most fabulous—and resonant—definition of anxiety I’ve ever heard is that anxiety is using your imagination to be mean to you. Whoof. And yet… well… yes! Thing is,…
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Corpus Christi 2024
I’m going to give a bit of a meditation on the vows that we are not making tonight. The vows that we have just publicly announced our intention to take. As one of my mentors here tonight is wont to say: I’m going to give you an interpretation of our vows. It’s not the interpretation.…
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Proper 25A
May I speak to you in the name of the living God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit The last time I had the pleasure to speak with you, I cited today’s Gospel: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” “You shall…
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Propio 21A (Español): Cambia de Parecer
En nombre del Padre, y del hijo, y del espíritu Santo. Amen. Buenos Dias, y muchas gracias a todos por permitirme hablar con ustedes esta mañana en su iglesia tan hermosa. Desde el Marzo, es la primera vez en que estaba DENTRO de una iglesia. Gracias tambien, por Zoom y feisbuk, pero no es lo…
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Change Your Mind (Proper 21A)
In the name of our triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen. Good morning, thank you for having me here, and allowing me to speak with you this morning, in your beautiful sanctuary—the first sanctuary I’ve been in since March, and it feels nice. I moved to Boston for Graduate School in 2001. In…
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Proper 18A
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Whether or not we personally are very good at it, I imagine that most of us understand that one of the messages that Jesus shared with us was that of forgiveness,…
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Wednesday of Proper 12A
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: I can get pretty cranky about the uses of my name. A prime example of what makes me cranky is in Margaret Atwood’s novel, or the recent television series based on it: The Handmaids Tale. In this story, “The Marthas” is a collective title for…
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A Love Song
I went to grad school in English because I loved reading. More specifically, I loved the novel. I read and appreciated poetry and drama, but I loved the novel. I loved the depth, the breadth of possibility, the exploration of the human condition far beyond what anyone could safely—not to mention ethically—experience in the real…
-
Popular Angels (Michaelmas)
When Jesus first meets Nathanael in John’s gospel, he promises him something extraordinary: “You will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” Angels are all over our scriptures. From Genesis to Revelation, from Jacob’s dream to Gabriel’s annunciation, from the songs of the heavenly host to…
-
Talking and Listening (Pentecost)
A little while back I was watching some television show, and for some random plot reason or another one of the characters ended up in a monastery which was under a vow of silence. She was assigned to clean a wine vat with another resident, and there was a rather comical scene, because the vat…
-
Lilies and Anxiety (Thanksgiving B)
Today, I feel called by the scripture to talk about anxiety. I think about anxiety a lot, to be frank—I’m a very anxious person, by nature. And the most fabulous—and resonant—definition of anxiety I’ve ever heard is that anxiety is using your imagination to be mean to you. Whoof. And yet… well… yes! Thing is,…
-
Corpus Christi 2024
I’m going to give a bit of a meditation on the vows that we are not making tonight. The vows that we have just publicly announced our intention to take. As one of my mentors here tonight is wont to say: I’m going to give you an interpretation of our vows. It’s not the interpretation.…
-
Proper 25A
May I speak to you in the name of the living God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit The last time I had the pleasure to speak with you, I cited today’s Gospel: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” “You shall…
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Propio 21A (Español): Cambia de Parecer
En nombre del Padre, y del hijo, y del espíritu Santo. Amen. Buenos Dias, y muchas gracias a todos por permitirme hablar con ustedes esta mañana en su iglesia tan hermosa. Desde el Marzo, es la primera vez en que estaba DENTRO de una iglesia. Gracias tambien, por Zoom y feisbuk, pero no es lo…
-
Change Your Mind (Proper 21A)
In the name of our triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen. Good morning, thank you for having me here, and allowing me to speak with you this morning, in your beautiful sanctuary—the first sanctuary I’ve been in since March, and it feels nice. I moved to Boston for Graduate School in 2001. In…
-
Proper 18A
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Whether or not we personally are very good at it, I imagine that most of us understand that one of the messages that Jesus shared with us was that of forgiveness,…
-
Wednesday of Proper 12A
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: I can get pretty cranky about the uses of my name. A prime example of what makes me cranky is in Margaret Atwood’s novel, or the recent television series based on it: The Handmaids Tale. In this story, “The Marthas” is a collective title for…