Meet Our Clergy
The Rev. Kelly Kirby
Rector
The Rev. Suzanne Barrow
Dir. Congregational Life
The Rev. Jan Scholtz
Deacon
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The Peaceable Kingdom (c.1833), oil painting on canvas by Edward Hicks (1780-1849), Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, Mass.
Read the Illuminations
Illuminations on the Lectionary readings for Pentecost 19A/Proper 22, Creation Season/Blessing of the Beasts, Sunday, October 4, 2026
First Reading: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20
When God commands, the people try to obey; but it isn’t always easy. Listen for this theme through Sunday’s readings. As St. Matthew’s celebrates the Blessing of the Beasts in memory of Francis of Assisi at the end of the Season of Creation, let’s reflect on Sunday’s Lectionary readings through the lens of creation care. In this first reading, the people establish their identity and their hope. Through Moses they receive the Ten Commandments and establish a lasting covenant that will guide their lives in relationship with God and others. Considered through ecological justice, the commandment to rest on the Sabbath extends sacred boundaries to animals and the land, reminding us that all creation needs to pause and rest.
Psalm: Psalm 19
God’s commandments are a wonderful gift, the Psalmist declares in this triumphant hymn as it begins with mighty praise for the beauty of all God’s creation. The commandments are a gift that shows God’s glory in such a shining light that all the heavens sing. Dissolving any barrier between divine revelation and the natural world, the Psalmist proclaims that all the skies reveal the work of God’s hand without need for human speech or words!
Second Reading: Philippians 3:4b-14
The verses just preceding this reading provide needed context: After Paul left Philippi, other Christians preaching a more rigid Jewish Christianity arrived and told the people of this Macedonian church that Paul’s teaching was wrong. They must strictly follow Jewish law, including purity laws and circumcision, in order to be Christians, these interlopers told this community of Gentile converts. Paul warned the Philippians to beware of these evil teachers. Now, he says, everything has changed: The old commandments mean nothing without Christ as the context in which to hear them. In his call to forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead, Paul invites all to embrace a simpler, more reconciled way of living.
Gospel: Matthew 21:33-46
Jesus, still arguing with the temple authorities, tells another challenging parable set in a vineyard: Its owner has gone to another country, hiring tenants to tend the vines for him. When he sends his slaves to get the produce, though, the tenants beat them up and kill them. They do the same to another group of slaves the owner sends after that. Then, incredibly, when the owner sends his own son, the tenants kill him, too! What, Jesus asks, should the owner do? Surely he will kill the evil tenants, the priests and Pharisees respond. But Jesus gives the parable a twist that we could read in ecological terms. Declaring that those who work to produce the fruit will be the ones who inherit the Kingdom of God, Jesus invites us to abandon the idea that we are absolute owners rather than temporary stewards of God's land.
First Reading: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20
When God commands, the people try to obey; but it isn’t always easy. Listen for this theme through Sunday’s readings. As St. Matthew’s celebrates the Blessing of the Beasts in memory of Francis of Assisi at the end of the Season of Creation, let’s reflect on Sunday’s Lectionary readings through the lens of creation care. In this first reading, the people establish their identity and their hope. Through Moses they receive the Ten Commandments and establish a lasting covenant that will guide their lives in relationship with God and others. Considered through ecological justice, the commandment to rest on the Sabbath extends sacred boundaries to animals and the land, reminding us that all creation needs to pause and rest.
Psalm: Psalm 19
God’s commandments are a wonderful gift, the Psalmist declares in this triumphant hymn as it begins with mighty praise for the beauty of all God’s creation. The commandments are a gift that shows God’s glory in such a shining light that all the heavens sing. Dissolving any barrier between divine revelation and the natural world, the Psalmist proclaims that all the skies reveal the work of God’s hand without need for human speech or words!
Second Reading: Philippians 3:4b-14
The verses just preceding this reading provide needed context: After Paul left Philippi, other Christians preaching a more rigid Jewish Christianity arrived and told the people of this Macedonian church that Paul’s teaching was wrong. They must strictly follow Jewish law, including purity laws and circumcision, in order to be Christians, these interlopers told this community of Gentile converts. Paul warned the Philippians to beware of these evil teachers. Now, he says, everything has changed: The old commandments mean nothing without Christ as the context in which to hear them. In his call to forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead, Paul invites all to embrace a simpler, more reconciled way of living.
Gospel: Matthew 21:33-46
Jesus, still arguing with the temple authorities, tells another challenging parable set in a vineyard: Its owner has gone to another country, hiring tenants to tend the vines for him. When he sends his slaves to get the produce, though, the tenants beat them up and kill them. They do the same to another group of slaves the owner sends after that. Then, incredibly, when the owner sends his own son, the tenants kill him, too! What, Jesus asks, should the owner do? Surely he will kill the evil tenants, the priests and Pharisees respond. But Jesus gives the parable a twist that we could read in ecological terms. Declaring that those who work to produce the fruit will be the ones who inherit the Kingdom of God, Jesus invites us to abandon the idea that we are absolute owners rather than temporary stewards of God's land.
Dimensions of Faith Lectures
Dimensions of Faith invites thinkers and writers to explore the interface of religion and culture, as we continue as a parish to challenge our minds and renew our spirits.
Upcoming Speakers: Jeff Chu, October 11, 2026
Previous Speakers Include:
Nadia Bolz-Weber / Diana Butler Bass / Sarah Bessey / Steve Crump Ruby Sales / Dr. Amy-Jill Levine / Marcus Borg / Sara Miles
Robert Putnam / John Dominic Crossan / Brian McLaren / Scott Gunn
John Philip Newell / Silas House/Bishop Marianne Budde / Elizabeth Schrader-Polzcer / John Dear / Dr. Lewis Brogdon / Bob Hower and Ted Wathen
Upcoming Speakers: Jeff Chu, October 11, 2026
Previous Speakers Include:
Nadia Bolz-Weber / Diana Butler Bass / Sarah Bessey / Steve Crump Ruby Sales / Dr. Amy-Jill Levine / Marcus Borg / Sara Miles
Robert Putnam / John Dominic Crossan / Brian McLaren / Scott Gunn
John Philip Newell / Silas House/Bishop Marianne Budde / Elizabeth Schrader-Polzcer / John Dear / Dr. Lewis Brogdon / Bob Hower and Ted Wathen
