Sermons by Vicar Paisley Le Roy (Page 2)

The holy Gospel is meant to be an all-encompassing experience of sight and sound. Skip to 15:16 to listen to the holy Gospel and watch Vicar Paisley’s sermon!

Today we hear the words of the High Priestly Prayer. The prayer that is the end of Jesus’ Farewell Discourse that we’ve been exploring the last couple of weeks. Directly after this chapter, Jesus will be betrayed by Judas, he will be crucified, and he will rise. We know this because we are still in the Easter season and on this day we continue to boldly proclaim “Alleluia! Christ is Risen” “Christ is Risen indeed! Alleluia!” The repetition of this Easter Proclamation has been, for me, balm for the journey as I have navigated these last couple of months. A time where we haven’t been able to be in our church building, decorated in white paraments and Easter lilies. A time where we haven’t been able to do Wicker Park Lutheran’s favorite thing – to welcome those into the Body of Christ through the Sacrament of Baptism. And so today, I am grateful for these resurrection words that begin our service and for Jesus’ prayer on the disciple’s behalf – on our behalf – in today’s Gospel…

On this fifth Sunday of Easter, we seem to have gone back in time to Maundy Thursday. To back up just one chapter, Jesus has washed his disciples’ feet, has told them about the necessity of his death, has told them one among the disciples will betray him, has given them the new commandment to love one another just as Jesus has loved them, and, finally, foretells Peter’s betrayal of Jesus on the night of his crucifixion…