Mike Angell

St. Francis and the Importance of Caring

On St. Francis Day, we lean into this slightly strange ritual of blessing animals. And I’d invite you to think about all of your teachers in the caring way of God. Who, or what, teaches you to care? How do you conquer the cynicism of our world? How do you find balance to your anxiety and care for yourself? How do you care for your neighbors? How do you muster the care our community and our planet needs? “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

A Capable Wife? A Woman of Valor? Who are you becoming?

Sermon for Sunday: I think “a capable wife” really needs a better translation for our day, because we all need some “women of valor” around us. We all need women and men who show us how to become better Christians, how to be gentle with ourselves We need women like Rachel Held Evans and heroes like Huck Finn who how to become better human beings. How to make difficult decisions. Who are you becoming?

What is a savior for?

https://soundcloud.com/holy-communion-ucity/what-is-a-savior-for?in=holy-communion-ucity/sets/sermons We’re starting off the program year this Sunday, with one of the toughest Gospel stories. This encounter between Jesus and Peter on the road, it’s not easy to read. The story is tough because it centers around the identity of Jesus as savior. Specifically, this Gospel causes us to ask: Why do we needContinueContinue reading “What is a savior for?”

The Cloud and the Question of Purpose

https://soundcloud.com/holy-communion-ucity/the-cloud-and-the-question-of-purpose The first warm Virginia evening in Spring of my Junior year at seminary, I arrived in the historic chapel a few minutes before Evensong. I came early so I could get my preferred place in the worn seats of the choir. When I walked in, I saw the cloud. My seminary’s chapel was notContinueContinue reading “The Cloud and the Question of Purpose”