by jakeowensby | Aug 18, 2023 | Following Jesus, Matthew 16:13-20, Proper 16 A
After Sunday worship at one of the congregations in my diocese, I met with the church’s leadership for the standard review of finances, attendance figures, evangelism strategies, and the like. One of the leaders was visibly angry. He said nothing until we came to the...
by jakeowensby | Aug 21, 2020 | Matthew 16:13-20
My maternal grandmother wore her white hair long, pulled back from her face, and falling straight down her back. She spoke broken English with a heavy German accent. Her name was Marie. And she loved me. My mother and I lived with her and my grandfather Josef off and...
by jakeowensby | Aug 25, 2017 | Matthew 16:13-20, Proper 16 A
Wearing a clerical collar and, as I recall, a black suit, I stood in line waiting to buy something at a drugstore near the church I was serving. A man directly in front of me turned around and asked, “Do you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?” Surprised that...