St. Agnes' Church, Cowan, Tennessee

08/30/2026

August 30, 2026: In last week's gospel we recalled how Peter declared Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of the Living God, and Jesus blessed him as the rock upon which his church would be built. Ironically, moments later, Jesus referred to Peter as "Satan" and, more descriptively, as a stumbling block. The strange irony is that Peter, for all that he witnessed and accomplished alongside Jesus, simply could not go along with the plan to go to Jerusalem. As we reflect further on this turn of events, we note that we too have some of Peter's tendencies. We too sometimes prefer to keep Jesus in the most positive light possible, and ignore what happened at Jerusalem. There is also a sad tendency in post-modern Christianity to uphold Jesus as a good teacher and healer, but stop short of declaring him as the Messiah and the Son of the Living God. The teachings from this lesson help us see more clearly the importance of focusing on Divine things, confessing Jesus' Messianic role, and not becoming a stumbling block as Jesus confronted in Peter. Take a moment with us to read and reflect on Matthew 16: 21-28.

August 30, 2026: Welcome to St. Agnes'! In last week's gospel we ...

08/30/2026

August 23, 2026: Take a moment to read Matthew 16: 13-20 and pretend that you are looking at a timeline. On this timeline note the times and circumstances where Jesus was given many names, titles and attributes - and some of these were given long before his Nativity. The fact that he was given so many names, titles and attributes led to some confusion as to Jesus' true identity. Mindful of this, Jesus asked the disciples, "who do people say that I am?" followed by "who do YOU say that I am?" And Peter's response that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of the Living God is more than just another name or attribute. Peter's declaration is a Divine revelation, and the timing of this changes the course of Jesus' ministry. From here Jesus commissions the church and her ministry begins to take form. Listen to this and think for yourself: who do you say that Jesus is? And, how does this Divine revelation call you into the faith, work and ministry of his holy church?

August 23, 2026: Welcome to St. Agnes'! Take a moment to read Mat...

08/16/2026

August 18, 2026: The woman from Canaan was desperate, and who could blame her? The illness of her child led her to make a complete spectacle and to break the cultural norms of her time. And Jesus, having just given a vital teaching to the disciples (while calling out the self-righteousness of the Pharisees) broke all expectations when he ignored her plea at first and then made light of her social standing afterward. In a strange and unexpected way, Jesus brought to light the woman's faith while also calling attention to his ever-expanding mission. Through this encounter, Jesus shows how his calling was not only to the lost sheep of Israel, but also to the Gentiles - the outsiders. This lesson challenges us in today's culture to see who our neighbor is and be part of the ever-expanding mission of the church. Take time today to read Isaiah 56: 1, and 6-8 and Matthew 15: 10-28 and then reflect with us on our calling as Christians.

August 18, 2026: Welcome to St. Agnes'! The woman from Canaan was...

08/16/2026

August 2, 2026: The story of the feeding of the multitudes is one of the more famous recollections of Jesus earthly ministry, and it's recalled in all four gospels. The timing of the story in Matthew is noteworthy. The feeding of the crowd happened in the aftermath of Herod Antipas' birthday party. Whereas Herod's indulgence in food, wine, and provocative entertainment resulted in the tragic death of John the Baptist, Jesus stands in contrast. From a scarcity of fish and bread, Jesus fed a multitude of people nourishing their bodies and opening the way to nourish their souls with the abundance of life in God. From scarcity came abundance. Jesus' ministry helps us see the parallels in our owns lives and in the life of the church throughout the world. Take time to read Matthew 14:13-21 and reflect with us on this powerful moment in earthly life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.

August 2, 2026: Welcome to St. Agnes'! The story of the feeding o...

08/02/2026

The altar flowers were given by Ray and Debbie Henley Keith in loving memory of Norma Kemper. We were honored to bless and commemorate Norma with a burial service and family gathering on August 1st. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.

07/27/2026

July 26, 2026: In this part of the season we cover a series of Jesus' teaching in parables. Our lesson today from Matthew 13:31-33 and 44-52 recalls parables Jesus told to illustrate the Kingdom of Heaven to his followers. We typically hold grand and extraordinary images of the Kingdom of Heaven in our minds, and those images are valid. However, these parables helped Jesus illustrate another vital view of the Kingdom that we too often fail to see. The Kingdom of Heaven shows up in ways that are subtle and less visible, but equally extraordinary. This view validates Jesus' proclamation that the Kingdom of Heaven is in fact near to us. We learn that the Kingdom of Heaven often shows up when we least expect it. We invite you to read and reflect on this vital teaching with us as we enjoy the depth of these beautiful parables that Jesus told.

July 26, 2026: Welcome to St. Agnes'! In this part of the season ...

07/23/2026

07/12/2026

July 5, 2026: You'll notice that we had some background noise in today's service and it wasn't the train - It was a sudden thunderstorm! Our lesson from Matthew encourages us to reflect on our childhood and how we often played games of pretend. Jesus made mention of that while trying to explain a two-fold problem among the people of Galilee he was teaching. There was a faction of people who heard John the Baptist's call to repentance. However, instead of seeing their own need for repentance, they chose to judge others. Likewise, there was a faction who had heard the teachings of Jesus, but failed to respond accordingly. Jesus equated this problem to one group of children playing together, and another group standing on the side and refusing to play. In addressing the problem, Jesus calls his followers to see beyond the division and see the need to proclaim the Kingdom of God. Take a moment to read Matthew 11:16-19 and 25-30 and try to see yourself in the story. Seeing yourself in the story, take a moment also to hear God's calling to share the good news of the Kingdom.

July 5, 2026: Welcome to St. Agnes'! You'll notice that we had so...

07/05/2026

June 28th was our last Sunday with Fr. Jurinesz Shadrach before his return home to Sri Lanka and to his ministry in the Anglican Church of Ceylon. We have truly enjoyed his time with us and many beautiful sermons! Our lessons today remind us of how so many vital teachings and encounters we see in the Bible happened on mountains. Genesis 22: 1-14 recalls how Abraham was tested by God on the mountain, and thence Abraham named the mountain "God will provide." There many other examples we can look at, namely the Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain top. We can also look at the challenges in our lives as our own mountains to climb. We learn how God is revealed on the mountain tops, but the revelations are lived out in the valleys. The valleys represent our everyday lives. Take a moment to read the lesson from Genesis as well as from Romans 6: 12-23 and Matthew 10: 40-42, and then listen and reflect on the mountains of your life and the challenge to live out your faith in the valleys.

June 28, 2026: Welcome to St. Agnes! This was our last Sunday wit...

07/04/2026

Lord God Almighty, in whose Name the founders of this country won liberty for themselves and for us, and lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn: Grant that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain our liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Book of Common Prayer, p. 242)