Listen to it all if you care to, and note there are links to a number of the handouts used.

(I thought of this when I was reading the previously posted article. It is only very slightly edited from its orignial form as a post on the blog in 2004–KSH).

Andrew Adam covers an absolutely taboo topic with some helpful comments, including this truth:

One of the problems at the seminary level is that very few people preach a half-decent sermon in their first dozen, two dozen, perhaps hundred sermons. Overall, the standard of preaching in the Episcopal Church is pretty low, so some people preach sermons that aren’t nearly as bad as the average; but most folks need more than three or four practice sermons in seminary to make significant strides toward fluency and grace in preaching.

I [Kendall Harmon] would submit that the question ought to be why the Episcopal Church is not repenting over our pitiful preaching. Most Episcopal preachers today think they are terrific, and in most cases they aren’t good at all, or worse than that.

And repent and pray for better preaching, and for better preachers, in ECUSA. Heaven knows we need them–KSH.

Listen to it all if you so desire.

You can find the audio here, it may be listened to directly or downloaded as an MP3 file.

Listen to it all; it is based on John 15 verses 9 and following.

Wow. It was really super. Watch it all.

O Heavenly Father and gracious God, I thank you for the gift of this new day, and acknowledge that you are the One who can do far more abundantly than all that I could ask or imagine. Grant that today I may so run with perseverance the race that is set before me, that the wind of the Holy Spirit may be at my back and your son Jesus Christ would be my forerunner, to lead me faithfully to be who you desire me to be and to do that which you are calling me to do. Amen.

–Kendall Harmon

Listen to it all; it is based on 1 John 1 the opening few verses.

Listen to it all.

Above all the gospel accounts of Easter compel our attention. “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” One version of this wonderful day begins with a voice of negation, a crucial question which many people never answer. Are we looking for love in all the wrong places? Are we clinging to earthly things and forgetting those things which do not pass away?

Then we hear “come and see.” To see with the full eyes of one’s heart is a rare thing indeed. So many times in life we look but do not see, do not perceive as God perceives. The power of the post-resurrection narratives is that each person is met on his or her terms. What wondrous love is that, as the Holy Spirit by his power opens our eyes.
The dynamic does not stop with the question and the call to see, however. If we really see who God is and his power to change lives and transform them into the likeness of his glory, we cannot keep it to ourselves.

Where I served my curacy in South Carolina, we had many Clemson football fans; they root for the Tigers whose color is orange. One day I visited a family devoted to Clemson and, I kid you not, even their toilet seat cover was orange. Bless them, they loved to tell the story of a particular University. One wonders whether an Easter people have a similar passion to share Jesus’ love for the world.

He is risen. Why? Come. See. Go. Tell. Alleluia.

”“The Rev. Canon Dr. Kendall S. Harmon is the host of this blog

Listen to it all should you have such an inclincation.

Not everyone had the capacity of the willingness to suffer through the audio, and now through the kindness of some very hard working individuals you can read a transcript if you are interested.

You may find part one there and part two is here.

Listen to it all should you so desire.

There is no way I can do justice to how I truly feel about losing our cat of eighteen years and a bunch of months and going on nineteen years. When we moved back to Summerville, South Carolina, in 1993 from Oxford, England, we got her from the SPCA.

So many things changed, but except for our faith and our family, she was the only constant, friendly, joyful, content, present, glad to be alive and part of it all. The world is a sadder place because she is gone, but we are all the better from having been given God’s gift of Sprightly–KSH.

Check it out if you wish to listen to this recent sermon.

Part one is here and part two is there. You are encouraged to take the time to listen to (suffer through?) it all.

Please note–these are both audio files. The time begins with a short Q and A to introduce me to those present before the questions shift to the subject at hand. Note, too that Bishop Kee Sloan of Alabama was invited by the Dean, Frank Limehouse, to come, which he (graciously) chose to do. During the time, Dean Limehouse invited Bishop Sloan to speak, and he chose to do so. This covers a wide range of recent events/developments and will be of broad interest to many blog readers–KSH.

Check it out if you wish to listen to it.

Listen to it all should you so desire.

Listen to it all should you wish to.

Listen to it all should you wish to.

I am back at it today after a time for a more Christmas and Epiphany focus and some (needed) time with family. There is a lot of catching up to do–KSH.

The whole family (two parents, three children) is gathering with my father for New Years, along with my brother and his wife.

I am keeping blogging on the light side with a Christmas focus, tentatively planning to return to “normal” blogging around Epiphany. The exception I am making is for major news, such as the Nigerian church bombings earlier in Christmas, or the Ordinariate news in the last two days–KSH.

Our wonderful oldest daughter Abigail, with Temah, our Toy Maltese.

May I take this opportunity to wish all blog readers a blessed and happy Christmas 2011–KSH.

Listen it all if you so wish.