Fourth Sunday of EasterYear ARCL The Gate and the Good Life By +Brian Ernest Brown, CWC We are completely surrounded by voices offering us a blueprint for a successful, secure, and happy life. Every time we turn on a screen, listen to a podcast, or walk down the street, we…
Companions on the Downcast Road
Third Sunday of EasterYear ARCL Companions on the Downcast Road By +Brian Ernest Brown, CWC There is a very specific kind of walk we take when things have gone completely wrong. It is the walk away from the hospital after receiving bad news. It is the walk back to your…
The Wound and the Witness
Second Sunday of EasterYear ARCL The Wound and the Witness By +Brian Ernest Brown, CWC We often think of peace as the total absence of conflict, stress, or noise. We think of it as a quiet vacation, a moment when all our bills are paid, our health is perfect, and…
He is Calling You by Your Name
Easter DayYear ARCL He is Calling You by Your Name By +Brian Ernest Brown, CWC Alleluia! Christ is risen! Today we arrive at the absolute hinge point of human history. We gather to celebrate a reality that changes everything about how we live, how we love, and how we face…
The Two Processions and the Choice of the Cross
Sunday of the Passion: Palm SundayYear ARCL The Two Processions and the Choice of the Cross By +Brian Ernest Brown, CWC Today we enter the holiest week of the year. It is a day of profound, jarring contrasts. We began our liturgy with the joy of palms, waving branches, and…
From the Valley of Dry Bones to the Open Grave
Fifth Sunday in LentYear ARCL From the Valley of Dry Bones to the Open Grave By +Brian Ernest Brown, CWC There is a specific kind of grief that feels entirely final. It is the moment when a door slams shut, a relationship completely shatters, a medical report comes back with…
Looking past the Surface into the Light
Fourth Sunday in LentYear ARCL Looking past the Surface into the Light By +Brian Ernest Brown, CWC We live in a world that is completely obsessed with appearances. We judge books by their covers, products by their packaging, and people by their resumes, their social media feeds, or their outward…
Wells, Deserts, and the Things that Truly Quench
Third Sunday in LentYear ARCL Wells, Deserts, and the Things that Truly Quench By +Brian Ernest Brown, CWC Every single one of us is thirsty for something. We might not always call it thirst, but we know exactly what it feels like. It is that persistent, restless ache inside of…
Leaving the Familiar and Starting Over
Second Sunday in LentYear ARCL Leaving the Familiar and Starting Over By +Brian Ernest Brown, CWC There is a profound human desire within all of us for security. We like to know what is coming next. We build routines, we stick to familiar paths, and we create comfort zones because…
The Hunger and the Whisper
First Sunday in LentYear ARCL The Hunger and the Whisper By +Brian Ernest Brown, CWC We have officially stepped into the season of Lent. And whenever we arrive at this point in the church year, there is a natural temptation to view Lent as a kind of spiritual boot camp,…