We hate to hear it, but life isn’t fair. We learn to live with this until tragedy strikes, we lose a job, or even a loved one. How do we make sense of the unfairness in life? As we continue our series this Lent on letting go of those things that keep us from picking up our cross and following Jesus, Fr. Ben Williams shares how we benefit from the unfairness of God’s grace in the gospel.

When Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, he was tempted by the devil to take the easy way out. This came after a 40 day fast when he was at his weakest point. This week marks the first Sunday of Lent, a season of fasting and penitence for Christians all of the world. Fr. Ben Williams offers some guidance in the practice of fasting as well as challenges us to identify the easy answers that keep us from following Jesus in our own lives.

Have you ever tried to convince someone of something you cannot prove? This was the constant predicament of the apostles and anyone who has desired to share the gospel. This Sunday marks the end of the Epiphany season by commemorating the Transfiguration of Jesus. The apostles Peter, James, and John experienced something on the mountain that day that they never got over. This week, Fr. Ben Williams encourages us to remember our own experiences with Christ as we persevere in the faith.

What does Jesus’ resurrection have to do with the unity of the church? This is the question St. Paul addresses in 1 Corinthians 15. As he addresses several questions that are dividing the Corinthian church, he grounds his arguments in the gospel: the death and resurrection of Jesus. This week, Fr. Ben Williams shares an encouraging word to remind the faithful that we are all splendorous wildflowers in the God’s garden of grace.

How can we say that the Church is unified when there is so much division? This is the question on St. Paul’s mind as he wrote 1 Corinthians. The church in Corinth had let their own personal interests get in the way of unity and he wanted them to understand that Christians are united by the one Holy Spirit. Therefore, they were to seek the good of the whole Body of Christ. This week, Fr. Ben Williams continues our series in the book of First Corinthians and explains why St. Paul regarded the spiritual gift of prophecy to be far more beneficial to the building up of Christ’s Church than any other gift.

Have you ever lacked something you needed? Have you ever cried out to God asking him to provide? What do you do when he seems to ignore your cries? This week, we continue our series in 1 Corinthians where St. Paul encourages the Church to supply what others lack. Christ has gifted his church to be his Body on earth so that “the members may have the same care for one another.” Join us as Fr. Ben Williams suggests that God has already provided what you lack through someone sitting on a pew nearby.

Where do you fit into the body of Christ? Are you a foot or a hand, eye or ear? The Apostle Paul says that we are all gifted by the Holy Spirit to participate in the life of the Church. This week, Matthew Wright delves into St. Paul’s teaching on spiritual gifts. Just like a choir, we are capable of far more together, as a body, than we are all alone. Where is your place in the choir?

What is the significance of Jesus’ Baptism? How does this even relate to us today? This week we begin the season of Epiphany, marked by Jesus’ baptism.  Fr. Ben Williams encourages us that this event is the beginning of a very good end, an end we are eagerly awaiting. Nevertheless, we continue to await his return. But our waiting is for the benefit of those who have yet to repent. Join us as we begin this important season in the Church calendar.

What could bring eastern mystics to seek Jesus, the newborn king of the Jews? And what does this miraculous visit mean for us today? This week, we celebrate the second Sunday in Christmastide with the coming of the magi. Anticipating the season of Epiphany, Fr. Ben Williams challenges us to receive those seeking Christ. Rather than fear seekers from afar like Herod, we are to usher them to the feet of the Savior.

Judgment and repentance are themes during Advent. Even so, the third Sunday in Advent is Gaudette Sunday, or the Sunday for rejoicing. As we continue to anticipate the coming of the birth of Jesus, we pause to be reminded of the joy he brings. This week, Fr. Ben Williams marks this midpoint of Advent to remind us that joy is on the other side of repentance.

Clutter in the house. Clutter in the yard. Clutter on the desk. Clutter everywhere. Just like our environments, our hearts can become cluttered, leaving little room for Jesus. This week, Fr. Ben Williams admonishes us prepare room for Christ during the Advent season by clearing the clutter of sin, anxiety, and triviality.

What is the season of Advent? Why do we spend a month preparing for Christmas? The church calendar gives us ways of participating in the life of Christ together. Advent is a season of preparing for the celebration of Christ’s birth by reflecting on our great need for a savior. Although Jesus’ first advent (his birth) has passed, we also look forward to his return, or second advent. This Sunday, Fr. Ben Williams explores the ominous, yet hopeful passages of Scripture assigned for the first of four Advent Sundays. Rather than fear the judgment that comes with Christ’s return, we can actively wait by growing in love and holiness.

Aren’t we supposed to love our neighbors? Aren’t we supposed to serve others? These questions arise when we see Martha serving the Lord and her guests only to be told that her sister, Marry, is doing the right thing by sitting at Jesus’ feet. This week, we wrap up our Hi, Neighbor, series with the end of Luke 10 and the story of Mary and Martha. Join Fr. Ben Williams as we are reminded that we simply join God in the work he is already doing. The work of mission still persists, but not at the expense of sitting at the feet of Jesus.

What does it mean to be sent by Jesus to prepare the way? How does the local church participate in Christ’s commission to make disciples of all nations? It all starts in the neighborhood. This week, we continue our series titled, “Hi, Neighbor,” where we’ve been exploring what it means to love our neighbors…literally. Fr. Ben Williams looks at the first “mission trip,” when he sent 72 disciples out to preach the kingdom of God. As we settle into a new neighborhood, where it can feel a bit foreign, we are reminded that Jesus sends us out to labor in the harvest as lambs among wolves.

When asked by a lawyer testing him how to receive eternal life, Jesus tells him to do what the Law tells him to do. It wasn’t enough to simply know the law, it has to be obeyed. This week, Fr. Ben Williams continues a sermon series titled, Hi, Neighbor. As we look at the Parable of the Good Samaritan a second time, we see that being a neighbor to others means meeting practical needs, sharing the gospel, and doing it all at our own expense. Join us as we look at Jesus as the ultimate example of what it means to be a neighbor to others.

What does it mean to love your neighbor as yourself? What is love, anyway? This week, Fr. Ben Williams begins a 4-week sermon series called, Hi Neighbor. Now that Mission Saint James has moved to a new neighborhood, we’ll be looking at what it means to be a neighbor. This week, we look at the parable of the Good Samaritan and ask what it means to be a neighbor.