we live in the moment of the light of Christ come into the world. In worship, we heard the story of Luke’s “Sermon on the Plain” with its blessings and woes; we heard Paul circle about resurrection, faith, and Christ and how if we say there is no resurrection then our faith is for naught. […]
As we approach the end of the season after the Epiphany, we hear stories in worship about how God calls and reaffirms the calls placed on our lives. Sometimes God comes to us like the story of Isaiah – with great pomp and grandeur that takes our breath away. Sometimes God comes to us in […]
Today in worship we heard readings and a reflection on the fractured church and lack of tolerance in Jesus’ time and in the new Church in Corinth. The cross section of readings today spoke to our calling to be witnesses and prophetic for God in the world (Jeremiah) and the assurance that God alone is […]
As we continue our journey this Epiphany season we are invited to spend time reflecting on how God is being made clearer to us day by day. Sometimes clarity comes, like Jesus shows us, through a simple direct statement “the promise made by the prophets has been completed in me” and other times, like we […]
In worship we considered what we think it means to be bathed in God’s light and sacrament. But not just to be bathed in, but to actively share God’s light and sacrament. Our scripture reminded us today that we need both space and independence to function in the way God calls us to function; but […]
Through our worship and the practices observed this Epiphany season, we are reminded of the grace we have received and God’s providence. We hear about the act of an epiphany – becoming aware of the presence of something already present. The Psalmist reminds us of both the immenseness of God – the ability to make […]
As we worship and hear the lessons for the Feast of the Epiphany we can be struck by the themes of light and awareness. We hear the worshipful and worship-filled interaction between the prophet Isaiah and his people, between Paul and his church in Ephesus, and the Magi from the east (not kings but wise […]
Our lessons bring us the message of hope: that one will come to be savior, redeemer, and the one who brings peace. We were reminded that the times of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph are not unlike our present time. There are those who have and those who don’t and a lot who are chugging along. […]
In worship today, we were overwhelmed with Mary’s Song (the Magnificat) – it appeared in three instances in worship, twice in scripture readings and once in the Advent Wreath liturgy. Mary and Elizabeth were coupled with stories from Micah and the letter to the Hebrews – the old way isn’t what saves us; the new […]
In worship we picked up the theme of being joyful and rejoicing. Our Gospel today brings back John the Baptist and his railing at the Israelites “You brood of vipers” and the direction that all we need to do is be hospitable, loving, and generous. There’s no magic formula, just connection with our community as […]