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…
Harvest Thanksgiving / Christ the King November 21, 2021 II Samuel 23:1-7 Revelation 1:4-8 John 18:33-37 Our readings today are not the readings set for Thanksgiving. They are the readings set or the last Sunday in the season of Pentecost: the feast of Christ the King. The feast day of Christ the King was introduced…
Pentecost XXV November 14, 2021 Daniel 12:1-3 Hebrews 10:11-25 Mark 13:1-8 I have to admit to being a little hesitant about the ‘end times’ passages in the Bible. Because of the way in which they have been used by certain preachers, they are more likely to frighten people than they are to encourage them. They…
Twenty fourth Sunday after Pentecost November 7, 2021 Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17 Hebrews 9:24-28 Mark 12:38-44 The story of the widow who put her last pennies into the temple collection plate is a Sunday school favorite. It lends itself to dramatization, and Sunday school teachers can use lots of visual aids to help teach the story.…
All Saints Sunday October 31st 2021 Wisdom of Salomon 3:1-9 Revelation 21:1-6a John 11:32-44 The great Brazilian writer and theologian Rubem Alvez was born in Boa Esperança, Minas Gerais. In his book of essays On Time and Eternity, he speaks about funerals and the importance of stories. “Every burial is a planting. That’s what Jesus…
Pentecost XXII October 24, 2021 Job 38:1-7 Hebrews 5:1-10 Mark 10:35-45 Have you ever read a book or seen a film that has disappointed you with an unsatisfactory ending? I hate the feeling of being left in the lurch by an author or a screenwriter. You have stuck with the book or the film through…