September 21, 2025
15th Sunday after Pentecost – Byron Tindall
I usually like at least 2 weeks to prepare a sermon. Unfortunately, Father Mark’s untimely accident didn’t give me the time I like to spend on preparation. I’m grateful to the email “Sermons that Work” from The Episcopal Church for assistance this week.
Remember, Jesus used parables, or stories he made up, to make a point he wanted his listeners to understand. On occasion, a parable could have several meanings on different levels. I’m going to look at this example and first take it at its face value.
The Merriam-Webster website defines squandering as, “to spend extravagantly or foolishly: dissipate, waste.”
How was the manager squandering his master’s property? Rioterous living? Under the table payments to his cronies? Bad investments? We don’t have the slightest idea of how the steward was misusing and wasting his master’s property. It’s really not that important.
One of the things we have to keep in mind that in this parable, Jesus or God is not portrayed as the master.
I’m pretty sure that the manager would not have been looking forward to the meeting with his master.
Even after the confrontation, the dishonest manager continued to “cook the books” as the expression goes in order to gain acceptance with those with whom he dealt in the past. The manager was still looking out for number one.
The dishonest steward realized that he was only qualified to be a steward.
September 14, 2025
14th Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 19C – Mark Winward
“The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.” – 1 Timothy 1:15
Where were you 24 years ago this last Thursday morning? I remember exactly where I was. I was flying a small, rented plane on a perfect, sky-blue morning, heading to a diocesan clergy conference near Bar Harbor, Maine. Little did I know, as I was pre-flighting the aircraft at Portland International Jetport, that two radicalized Islamic extremists were departing from that same airport on a connector flight bound for Boston.
At that time, I was the Rector of Trinity, Saco—a small parish just south of Portland, Maine—and also a Naval Reserve Chaplain. Flying VFR under Boston Air Traffic Control, I was in touch with ATC when the announcements began. First, they reported a suspected hijacking somewhere in New England. Then came word of a ground stop on all aircraft in the region. For me, flying a rented Cessna in Maine, it seemed a minor inconvenience—until my passenger’s cell phone, ringing constantly, was answered. His wife told him an airliner had crashed into one of the World Trade towers. We could not imagine that there was a connection.
Then came the order: all aircraft, wherever they were, were to land at the nearest airport and stay there. Thankfully, the nearest field was the little grass strip where I had already planned to land near our clergy conference.
September 7, 2025
13th Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 18C – Mark Winward
“Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:25
Jesus’ words here aren’t exactly what we might call consoling. At first hearing, they sound harsh. He demands total allegiance, even above family, possessions, and life itself. And He drives the point home with vivid images—like the builder who first counts the cost of completing a tower, and the king who weighs his chances before going to war. But his message couldn’t be more clear: discipleship isn’t an add-on to life. It’s not a hobby. It’s not a spiritual side project. It is a whole-life calling. No wonder the crowds who followed Him would have been rattled—and that was exactly His intent.
Large crowds always come with mixed motives. Some may have gathered because they had seen Jesus feed thousands and were waiting to be fed. Others probably came because they had heard of His power to heal and hoped for their own miracle. Still others undoubtedly followed out of curiosity or excitement. But only a few were truly committed to this unconventional but inspiring wandering preacher.
If we think about it, we see that Jesus no more taught hating our families than He taught us to hate anyone. Just four chapters earlier in Luke, Jesus gives us the greatest commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
August 31, 2025
12th Sunday after Pentecost – Proper 17C – Mark Winward
“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed…” – Luke 13:13-14a
I didn’t appreciate what a big deal Jeep Fest is around here until this weekend! My family and I have been amazed to see the whole town practically shut down for this annual event. Now, it’s not the largest Jeep gathering—Jeep Beach in Daytona draws over 200,000 people each year while Jeep Fest brings in about 20,000—but the Sheriff’s JeepFest sets itself apart with mud runs, trails, and concerts, all to raise money for children’s charities. Of course, to fully participate, you really need a Jeep—and we do. But, just as a “dude ranch” isn’t a real ranch, our Jeep Grand Cherokee might best be described as a “dude Jeep.” It’s got the Trail-Ready package, but at over 200,000 miles, it won’t be doing much mudding anytime soon!
JeepFest draws crowds not only because of the events but also because of the camaraderie among Jeep owners. The best example of that is the little rubber ducks you often see on dashboards. The tradition began in 2020 in Ontario, when a Jeep owner named Allison Parliament left a small rubber duck on someone’s Jeep with a cheerful note to spread kindness during a difficult time. She called it “ducking.” Others loved the idea, and soon it went viral under the name Duck Duck Jeep.