Supposing Him to be the Gardener

Sermons, from the Canon to the Ordinary in the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania and the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York. Why call it Supposing Him to be the Gardener? Because Mary Magdalene, on the first Easter, was so distracted by her pain that she failed to notice the Divine in her midst. So do I. All the time. This title helps me remember that the Divine is everywhere--in the midst of deep pain as well as in profound joy. And everywhere in between.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Proper 21c The Rich Man Has No Voice

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+How do you like that Gospel—-Heaven, Hell, awesome comfort, eternal torment. Real uplifting. When I heard this gospel 50 years ago—when I w...

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Until all are at the table none of us can eat. Proper 17c St Mark's Erie

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In the 1960’s and early 1970’s back in my hometown of suburban Chicago, teenagers attended a group called Fortnightly. Oh how I remember wat...

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Straighten Up and Fly Right. Proper16c Aug 25, 2019

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Proper 16c Straighten Up and Fly Right +I don’t know too much about horses. But Pete did. She showed horses throughout her childhood ...

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Proper 15c Talkin Bout a Revolution

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Such an uplifting message from Jesus in today’s Gospel right? I promise to break that reading open in a bit, but to get there we need ...

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Belief is what we hold onto so that when we lose our way, our belief will hold onto us. Proper 14c St Paul's Springville, NY

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“Yes Lord, I believe.”A friend of mine always says this when he receives communion. It’s a compelling response to receiving the sacrament. ...

Sunday, August 4, 2019

Only when we take this personally will we act purposefully.

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From Colossians: “But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not...

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Going off script with God July 28, 2019 Proper 12

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I remember, soon after I was ordained, my mother asking me to offer grace before a family dinner. I was in town because a very close family...

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About Me

The Rev'd Canon Cathy Dempesy-Sims: I am an Episcopal Priest who serves the Diocese of Western New York as the Canon for Connections (Canon to the Ordinary). I was widowed in November 2017. My wife and I had been married two months shy of 5 years. For years "Pete" had horses and then she added donkeys and then she added goats. And always, always there were dogs. IN the late summer of 2018 I am working toward inventing a new life for myself. One thing will not change: my love for preaching, my love for helping people makes sense of what is by hearing what was in a new way. Especially at this time in my life, I welcome your prayers for me, for my son Patrick and for my dogs (who are my faithful companions) Louie and Purnie (short for Calpurnia) . Supposing Him to be the Gardener is a shout out to Mary Magdalene, my hero.

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