Text: Mark 1:21-46 (Jesus heals many people) Jesus heals. This is both a summary of the Gospel reading we just heard and a hope that many of us have when we are suffering. Today I reflect on what the phrase “Jesus heals” might mean. Unlike the people mentioned in today’s Gospel reading – a person … [Read more…]
Text: Mark 1:1-20 (baptism of Jesus, temptation, call of first disciples) “The time has come. The kingdom of God is at hand!” These are the very first words spoken by Jesus as he begins his ministry in Galilee. They are bold words; words that could get one in trouble; and they do. Jesus’ first public … [Read more…]
Text: Isaiah 60:1-5 (“Arise, shine, for your light has come!”) Does anyone else here remember the 1986 Canadian rock hit “I’m an Adult Now?” This past Wednesday as I contemplated writing a Reflection for Epiphany and putting it in the context of my ancestry, the title “I’m An Adult Now” came to my mind. So, … [Read more…]
Text: Luke 2:21-40 (Jesus presented at the Temple) “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!” This line, taken from the anti-slavery anthem “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” was the last sentence of the last speech given by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. almost 50 years ago. As … [Read more…]
Text: Luke 2:1-20 (the birth of Jesus) Was 2017 a good year for you? As always, I found much to love in pretty much every day of the year now passing, even as I found it filled with many things I didn’t like. But whether you felt extra showered by blessings or extra aware of … [Read more…]
Text: Luke 2:1-20 (the birth of Jesus) Some churches and faith traditions don’t sing. One wing of the Reformation argued that only the 150 Psalms of the Hebrew Bible could be sung in church. Happily, most churches sing and this one is no exception. For many of us, singing is the most important part of … [Read more…]
Text: Luke 1:26-56 (the miraculous conception of Jesus) “You have deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places.” Every December, we hear these words of Mary as she prepares to give birth to Jesus. Her words connect Christmas not just to birth and light, but also to hopes that justice … [Read more…]
Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:5-11, 16-18 (“Pray without ceasing”) Every Advent, the following debate surfaces: is Christmas secular or religious? Today, we are in the middle of Advent, a season that includes the four Sundays before Christmas. And while the retail and entertainment industries try to conflate Advent and Christmas, they are two distinct seasons. Advent … [Read more…]
Text: Mark 13 (“the Little Apocalypse”) One of our highest spiritual goals is to wake up. This is a theme found in today’s apocalyptic reading. Jesus tells his friends to stay awake to the possibility of disaster, judgement, and salvation. Keep watch! Stay alert! Stay awake! says Jesus. OK. But what will help us accomplish … [Read more…]
Text: Exodus 3:1-5 (Moses and the burning bush) Have you ever encountered something so startling that it makes you stop in your tracks? When Moses passes by a burning bush that is not consumed, he stops, looks, and listens; and he hears a voice telling him that he is on holy ground. I imagine we … [Read more…]