Whoever you are and wherever you find yourself on your journey of faith, you are welcome here.
Sermons at St. James Episcopal ChurchSt. James Wichita sermons
Sermons
On this page you will find copies of past sermons.
We invite you to read through them and reflect on the words.
Legacy Sunday: Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost 9/26/21
Help us Lord to be masters of ourselves, that we may joyfully and consciously respond to and participate in your creation. Take our minds and think through them, our lips and speak through them, and take our hearts and set them on fire. My name is Tom Gossen and I...
Asking God for Wisdom: Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost 9/19/21
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord our Strength and Our Redeemer. Amen. In today’s scripture readings, wisdom and a life of service become two threads or themes that come through clearly. So, I will focus...
What Does It Mean?: Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost 9/12/21
One of the things which makes me feel old – and if not really old, then certainly not young – is talking to people, usually younger, who have a vocabulary full of pop culture allusions. For example, just recently Curate Dillon was in my office and we were talking...
Being Made Like Jesus: Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost 8/15/21
Just a few days ago, one of my best friends, Will, texted me out of the blue and asked “Of all the popular saints, which one is your favorite?” I pretty quickly thought of St. Francis. He was born to a wealthy family and led a pretty indulgent life. Without giving you...
The Impulse to Love: Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost 8/8/21
Recently I read a book about several boys who ran away from a Native American boarding school during The Great Depression. The boys, on the run, found themselves in one of the many Hoovervilles – settlements of homeless people often called “hobos” who lived along...
The Food of Eternal Life: Tenth Sunday after Pentecost 8/1/21
What a joyous occasion we are a part of this weekend, the baptism of Beckett Clark. Even though some or most of you here tonight won’t be present tomorrow at the baptism, you are a part of the community of St. James, and tonight you will remember and renew your own...
Mama Kay Was a Survivor: Celebration of the Life of Kay Hoffman 7/31/21
Mama Kay was a survivor. As the family and remembered Kay together, one refrain I heard was something I already knew: Kay was a survivor. We know when we call someone a ‘survivor’ that they’ve been through some hard times. By the time we get to be a certain age, we’ve...
Poverty, Planet, Peace: Ninth Sunday after Pentecost 7/25/21
Many of you know that I lived in Hawaii before I went to seminary. I was raised a Presbyterian in Oklahoma. I came to the Episcopal Church as an adult, it was at Epiphany Church in Honolulu. When I began attending, I heard the prayer that says: “… galaxies, suns, the...
What Can You Do for God?: Eighth Sunday after Pentecost 7/18/21
The theme that struck me when reading about Jesus and the disciples for today is how humans are disposed to be self-impressed and how easily we forget the central role of God in our lives. The Sunday before last Mark told the story of Jesus at home in his hometown and...
