James R. Neal

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The uncomfortable path of truth

February 19, 2020February 19, 2020 / jamesrneal / Leave a comment

Delivered for Noon Prayer, 2.19.2020, at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Enid, Okla., in observance of the Feast of Frederick Douglass (20 February). “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” That line, from our very brief Gospel reading today, is one of the most popular quotes from Scripture. But, what … Continue reading The uncomfortable path of truth

Listening to Creation

February 11, 2020 / jamesrneal / 1 Comment

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the … Continue reading Listening to Creation

Be the bridge of reconciliation

February 10, 2020February 10, 2020 / jamesrneal / Leave a comment

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation." 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 One of the first people I met in nursing home ministry was Bruce, … Continue reading Be the bridge of reconciliation

Good news — You may now be dismissed

February 7, 2020 / jamesrneal / Leave a comment

This past Sunday was the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord — recalling Joseph and Mary presenting the infant Jesus at the Temple (Luke 2:22-40), to dedicate him, as their firstborn, to God. I love this feast day because it includes one of my favorite passages from Scripture, the Nunc dimittis, or Song of … Continue reading Good news — You may now be dismissed

Answer the call, and be present, in love

January 14, 2020 / jamesrneal / Leave a comment

Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is … Continue reading Answer the call, and be present, in love

The Holy Name that Saves

January 1, 2020January 2, 2020 / jamesrneal / 2 Comments

This sermon was delivered for the Feast of the Holy Name, Jan. 1, 2020, at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Enid, Oklahoma. Today we remember the Feast of The Holy Name, known in other traditions as the Feast of the Circumcision. This feast day recalls the bris for Jesus – the traditional Jewish ceremony in which … Continue reading The Holy Name that Saves

Advent — Our Journey Back Into the Garden

December 9, 2019December 9, 2019 / jamesrneal / Leave a comment

At this time of year, with Christmas just a few hectic weeks away, any discussion of inner peace may seem abstract at best. If the shopping and cooking and decorating and wrapping and many social obligations don’t get your peace, then a family member is sure to bring up politics at the dinner table and … Continue reading Advent — Our Journey Back Into the Garden

Blessed are you, the Church Militant

November 3, 2019November 3, 2019 / jamesrneal / Leave a comment

This sermon originally was delivered on Nov. 3, 2019 in observance of the Feast of All Saints, at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Enid, Okla. Who is a saint? As we gather here in a sanctuary named for St. Matthew, that may seem an odd question. Certainly, all the canonized saints are included in this definition … Continue reading Blessed are you, the Church Militant

The true meaning of the day after Halloween

November 1, 2019November 1, 2019 / jamesrneal / Leave a comment

For many, today is a day to sort through the sacks of candy the kiddos brought home, perhaps liberate a few of the choicest morsels for Mom and Dad, and set the rest aside to be thrown out sometime around Christmas. But, other than the obvious excuse to eat way too much candy, why do … Continue reading The true meaning of the day after Halloween

‘Who am I?’

October 23, 2019October 23, 2019 / jamesrneal / 5 Comments

Note: This originally was delivered at Noon Mass at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Enid, Okla., on Wednesday, 23 October 2019. Unraveling our identity in Christ, with St. James I want to thank Fr. John for giving me the opportunity to preach on the Feast of St. James, since he is the source of my given … Continue reading ‘Who am I?’

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Work in progress. Margarita glass or champagne bowl. .
A selection of Catholic, Celtic and other designs, hand etched in up-cycled wine bottles to make functional chalices with decorative bases. These chalices can be used for your favorite beverage, for flowers or other decorative uses. All sales support Holy Cross ministries to the homeless and nursing home residents. See link to our shop in the bio. .
Hail Holy Queen. I’ve been wanting to do this design since I started. I’m happy with how she turned out. #etchedglass #artisan #virginmary #catholic #oldcatholic
This is getting ready to happen. Really excited about etching this piece. Guesses on the design? #glassart #artisan #catholic #oldcatholic
I haven’t finished as many pieces as I wanted for the Red Brick Food Truck and Art Festival tomorrow, but I have some pieces, like this one, I really like. And I’ll have 25 pages of designs with me Saturday to take custom orders. All sales support Holy Cross ministry to the homeless, prisoners, poor and nursing home residents. #glassart #ministry #upcycle
Arrrrrn’t you coming to the Red Brick Food Truck and Art Festival this Saturday? #beerstagram #glassart
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