"My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power." (1 Corinthians 2:4)
Preaching is one of my greatest joys. I love breaking open the Word for people in a way that connects them to their own spirituality and helps God transform their everyday lives. Growing up outside the church, I had very little contact with conventional ways of understanding Scripture, so my sermons reflect my honest wrestling with what the Spirit is saying to us today through these texts.
My sermons tend to connect with people who have been hurt by the church, see themselves as outsiders, or belong to groups (like women, people of color, and LGBTQ folk) that have historically been oppressed by Christendom (the fusion of imperial nationalism with Christianity).
A few years ago, a parishioner at Holy Cross sent me an email that said: "Thank you for your sermon about hospitality. It really made me think, and I think it really struck a chord with my wife, who is Hindu, and has always been a bit wary of churches. When you said that church-going people often seem to take pity on new visitors or non-Christians--that really rang true; and that perhaps it's actually the visitor that can bring something of value to the church and its people."
While I was in the ordination process, I had the opportunity to preach at a variety of congregations. From a small, rural congregation to a mid-size urban black parish to a growing suburban church, I've had experience adapting my message to the needs, concerns, and expectations of the people.
In my current parish in Wyandotte, a middle-class suburb of Detroit, I find myself mainly preaching about how nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ and how we are called to find unity in diversity.
You can see recent sermon videos on St. Stephen's Facebook page. Look for our worship videos, and scroll about 10-15 minutes in.