So recently I had the happy honor of marrying a dear and lovely couple at the venerable and inspiring Rosecliff Mansion on the venerable Bellevue Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island – surely one of the foremost, if not first, wedding destination capital. Within a few days the groom sent me this stunning and humbling (well,… Continue reading
The little homily (homilette?) below was part of a Eucharistic service prepared to give thanks for donors to various projects to enhance our church and also to give thanks for those who actually did the work with mind and hand. My colleague, Bishop James Jelinek, preached on what is to come; I was asked to… Continue reading
It was great fun meeting Leslie and John and then subsequent conversations whether in person or by telephone. When we first met Leslie and I got into some straight talk about the value of a professional officiant over choosing a friend; I though my straight talk had lost them… but it didn’t and I am… Continue reading
The text for the sermon is below the audio, and the audio is of the early 8am service not the later 10am. Hearing both (!) I am intrigued about the ad lib differences in content… maybe this says something about me waking up and/or about the needs and aspirations of those present. I was so… Continue reading
Christine – Married 9/14/19 Great to work with! Alan was so great to work with from the beginning. He lets you tailor the ceremony to however you want, has done so many weddings so has great suggestions, and is super funny and a pleasure to work with. He kept our ceremony short and sweet but… Continue reading
August 25th (the day of the sermon) was a day of commemoration for the first “20 and odd” enslaved Africans brought to America 400 years ago. They began to establish the English Colony at Point Comfort, Virginia. Several were then transported to establish and build the Jamestown Colony. To commemorate African ancestors and their descendants… Continue reading
Newport Wedding: John & Leslie, Alan Neale Officiant
Oh this past Sunday I so much wanted to preach on a text from Amos but felt almost compelled to preach rather on the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Many in the congregation commented on the ancient allegory that I shared. I think it was during the sermon that I realized that not once was… Continue reading
The text of the sermon is below the sermon audio. This is the first sermon preached for three months since my radical heart surgery at the beginning of April. I’m learning not only the bounty of being free from death (for a while at least) but also the mysterious task of learning what it is… Continue reading
Alan, We cannot thank you enough for helping to make our day absolutely perfect. Every meeting was so welcoming and the ceremony was perfect. Everyone was raving about you and we couldn’t agree more. Thank you for being so accommodating, you made us so comfortable up there and for that we are forever grateful. Happy… Continue reading