Fifth Sunday of the Epiphany February 6, 2022 Isaiah 6:1-8 I Corinthians 15:1-11 Luke 5:1-11 I want to begin by asking a question we have all asked at one time or another. Why is preaching a part of every Sunday service? We might think that the answer is obvious. Perhaps we think that the pastor…
Feast of the Presentation January 30, 2022 Malachi 3:1-4 Hebrews 2:14-18 Luke 2:22-40 It may not seem like it, but this coming Wednesday is the day when winter is officially half way over. We are almost mid-way between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. All through history, calendar days that correspond to significant positions…
Epiphany III January 23, 2022 Nehemiah 8:1-10 I Corinthians 12:12-31 Luke 4:14-21 When you stop to think about it for a moment, the authors who contributed to the books of the Bible are a strangely mixed bag. Moses was a construction supervisor. Amos was a fruit-picker. Ezra was a secretary. Solomon was a king. Asaph…
Epiphany II January 16, 2022 Isaiah 62:1-5 I Corinthians 12:1-11 John 2:1-11 Communication across different cultures has always been a challenge. That’s why one of the first gifts to be given to the church at Pentecost was the gift of tongues: the sudden ability to communicate in a language unknown and unlearned by the speaker.…
Sunday after the Epiphany January 9, 2022 Isaiah 60:1-6 Ephesians 3:1-12 Matthew 2:1-12 Last Wednesday evening, we looked at some of the background of the story of the arrival of the Magi to pay their respects to the Christ-Child. We discovered the significance of the kingdoms of Midian, Ephah and Sheba mentioned in our reading…
Christmas II January 2, 2022 Jeremiah 31:7-14 Ephesians 1:3-29 Matthew 2:13-23 Dreams are mentioned in the Bible more often than you might think. The kings of the ancient world appointed experts in the interpretation of dreams as members of their court, and the kings of Israel and Judah were no exception. Dreams play an important…
Christmas I December 26, 2021 Isaiah 61 :10 – 62 :3 Galatians 3 :23-4 :7 John 1 :1-10 One of the most powerful emotions we experience at Christmas time is the need to feel that we belong somewhere. We remember our families and friends, our church communities, and we try to spend Christmas with those people we love the most…
Advent IV December 19, 2021 Micah 5:2-5a, Hebrews 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-45 The book of the prophet Micah is the sixth out of twelve books of the Hebrew Scriptures that are usually referred to as ‘the minor prophets.’ The ‘major prophets’ are all names we recognize immediately: Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, but most of us would…
Advent II December 5, 2021 Baruch 5:1-9, Philippians 1:1-11, Luke 3:1-6 Do you prefer to spend your vacation by the sea, or do you prefer to vacation in the mountains? Personally speaking I think that both have their charms, and I like to spend my vacation wherever I can. Unfortunately, the Bible has bad news…
Advent I November 28, 2021 Jeremiah 33:14-16 I Thessalonians 3:9-13 Luke 21:25-36 There are several Sundays in the Christian calendar that look forward to Jesus’ return. They begin around All Saints Day on the first of November, and continue through the season of Advent, which begins today. For those who relish instability and a…