Posts by The Rev. Frank M. Spadafora
A Heart For Others (Luke 10:25-37)
When I went to Reformed Episcopal Seminary … a 100 years ago … it was located at 43rd and Chestnut Street in West Philadelphia. Suffice it to say … the neighborhood was not the best … and there were people being mugged … reports of break ins … people being held up at gunpoint.…
Read MoreInto the Wilderness (St. Matthew 4:1-11)
A few years ago I was at America’s Keswick for a conference when the State of New Jersey considered legalizing marijuana — which is now a reality. The very thought of that brought a lot of concern to the staff at Keswick — especially it’s President and CEO. The reason for the concern was…
Read MoreThe Call to Repentance (Joel 2:12-17 & St. Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21)
I have told you before that I used to go to our Southern Diocese for Board of Foreign Missions meetings. In attending their worship services, the tradition in that Diocese … when taking the offering … was to actually to present their tithes and offerings. The people would get up out of their pews and…
Read MoreJust the facts, ma’am (Luke 18:31-43)
We all know that as we get older, we tend to forget more things than we used to. I have a comic of an old man on his knees, praying, “I have left undone those things which I ought to have done, because I lost my list of things to do.” That is a variation…
Read MoreWhat’s There to Boast About? (2 Corinthians 11:19-31)
For many years I served on the Board of Foreign Missions for the REC. Once a year we would travel to South Carolina to Summerville … the headquarters of the Diocese of the Southeast. The hotel that we stayed at was across from a large Walmart. At that time there were no Walmarts near where…
Read MoreIn God’s Time (St. Matthew 20:1-16)
So … the Eagles won the Super Bowl last week in decisive fashion. I realize that I am in the middle of Raven’s and Oriel country and I don’t know a whole lot about Baltimore or DC sports teams … because even though I’ve lived in New Jersey for the last 42 years … I…
Read MoreThe Tares in the Wheat (Matthew 13:24-30)
I don’t have many hobbies … I don’t hunt … fish … or play golf. Perhaps that’s the reasons that I haven’t retired. One thing that I do like to do … if able … is to visit Cathedrals and Old Churches. If I am traveling … I try to make it a point to…
Read MoreNew Beginnings (Mark 1:1-11)
Human nature does not like change … throughout my ministry I have tried to emphasize that change is the only thing that is constant is change. Change is going to happen. For example … I had prepared everything for worship last week … and then we had the weather reports. In my younger days ……
Read MoreThe Source (Proverbs 8:22-36)
Many people across our country have been watching the devastation caused by the fires in Southern California … which have been described as apocalyptic. Entire sections of towns and cities have been completely destroyed. As I was preparing my sermon over 10,000 homes and businesses have been destroyed. The fire has burned over 37,000 acres…
Read MoreOne of Many (St. Matthew 2:19-23, Isaiah 61:1-3)
2024 is behind us. For some of us 2024 was a very difficult year. For me … a day doesn’t go by when I don’t think about my daughter … actually multiple times a day. But then … I am thankful that she is no longer in any pain and that she is in…
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