Mike Angell

Jesus and Stranahan’s a sermon for July 28

I was home in Colorado recently, and while there I took a tour of Stranahan’s Whisky distillery. Stranahan’s is a Scotch style American whisky, a very fine whisky. At the end of the tour, they let you sample the product, and then in a stroke of marketing genius AFTER you have sampled the productContinueContinue reading “Jesus and Stranahan’s a sermon for July 28”

David, Salome, and Dancing with God

At the heart of today’s readings are two dances, two VERY different stories about dance. We have David dancing before the Ark of the Covenant, and we have Salome (who Mark mistakenly calls Herodias, which is her mother’s name. We know her name was Salome from Josephus, a Jewish historian of the time.) Salome dancesContinueContinue reading “David, Salome, and Dancing with God”

Faith and the American Dream

Today Jesus sets the bar pretty high, don’t you think? That last sentence is really the clincher: “Be perfect, you know, like God is perfect.”Really Jesus? You wonder how he thought the disciples would respond: “Oh, oh, now I get it. Be perfect, like God, that’s where we were going wrong. Thanks Jesus.”Now, I’m beingContinueContinue reading “Faith and the American Dream”

Vines and Roots

Luis asked me to preach today, and when I saw the Gospel reading I thought really? The parish wine expert is not going to tackle “I am the true vine?” I have learned a lot in my time so far as an Assistant at St. John’s…important life skills like: good wine does not come inContinueContinue reading “Vines and Roots”