Chris Yaw

Welcome! I’m an Episcopal priest serving a congregation in Metro Detroit... With a passion for gun safety... A zest for online Christian formation... A zeal for video blogging... A budding writer... A heart for those who have unintentionally harmed... A commitment to workforce housing... A love for marrying people... And a wonderful wife, three kids, and a cat... If we have common interests or not, I'd love to connect with you.

Presentation Is Everything

The common Christian dream is to one day, be presented before the holy presence of God as a commendable and worthy servant

What do we yearn to present, other than a life of kindness, generosity, selflessness, forgiveness, and love!?

We want to be truth-tellers, merciful, helpers for the poor, impediments for the bullies! And walk in humility in all that we do!

And shape the contours of that day of presentation by what we do on this day which is unfolding before us.

How are we living honest, charitable, gracious, merciful, and caring lives? As we seek to love and serve God in and around us?

This weekend, we will hear this story of Mary presenting Jesus at the temple .

Here is our example, of a life fully yielded to God, to love, In dedication to the highest cause of goodness, humanity knows!

It brought awe and wonder to those who witnessed it! May our deeds of love and caring that we do today, bring similar adoration.

Uncomfortable Words, Courageous Faith

This week a cherished, prayerful friend and Episcopal colleague gave an Inauguration Week sermon at the Washington National Cathedral that made headlines.

Bishop Mariann Budde asked President Trump to put his feet into the shoes of LGBTQ Americans and law-abiding, but illegal U-S immigrants, and to lead with mercy.

These words fell on uncomfortable ears. Certainly it would have been easier to preach on the unlimited love of God or the grace of being an American.

But Bishop Budde, who had been planning her address for the last year regardless of who was president - saw her work as a serious endeavor that demanded serious words.

So she outlined three attributes of Christian leadership, honesty, humility, and dignity, then challenged the president, administration, and you and me.

This Sunday our Gospel tells us how Jesus began his ministry by speaking uncomfortable words to powerful people on behalf of the vulnerable.

It's an example to us who follow him.
How are we doing that?
How are we being called to do that?

Never Alone

Before long, if not right now, you will hear those voices: your finances are insufficient, your job is on thin ice, your relationship with your person is getting rocky...

...and it may seem like something big is about to go down the tubes.

Never forget that God knows this, and God is there to, at the very least, go down the tube with you - and even on occasion, turn the whole thing around.

That's what happened at a wedding reception in Cana of Galilee when the bar ran out of drinks, threatening to shame the hosts, disappoint the guests, and totally embarrass the newlyweds.

But then Jesus steps in, turns water into wine, saves the day, and says something much bigger:

Something really compelling about the groom, (God) the bride, (God's people), and what this relationship is all about.

You and I are not the only ones present at this celebration we call "life."

And when things go south, there's a spouse who walks with us who has the power to bring redemption out of ruin.

What happened at Cana happens all the time.

Don't think you're in this alone.

There's One very close to us who is ready to comfort and even save.

Hey Pearl!

When Isaiah 43 says:

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you!," who is God talking about?

How about where Isaiah says: "When you pass through the deep and treacherous waters, I will be with you?"

Or: "When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned?"

Or: "You are precious and honored in my sight and I love you?"

Today you may be tempted to believe God doesn't care about you, has other things to do, or has forgotten about you!

Don't entertain those thoughts for a second!

You are invaluable, irreplaceable, and a pearl of great price! Let us never forget that our spirits are like radios that need to be tuned in to the right channel, Isaiah 43 is God's broadcast, let's listen to that.

Chris Yaw

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Chris Yaw

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