3rd Sunday after Epiphany Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Psalm 62:5-12; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20 The calls of Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John are nothing like the ones from Phillip and Nathanael last Sunday. If it was necessary for the Baptizer to send Phill in the direction of the Messiah and for Nate to be …
The Word This Sunday – 01.14.24
2nd Sunday after Epiphany 1 Samuel 3:1-20; Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; John 1:43-51 Besides being observed as a Christian church festival on January 6, marking the end of the 12 days of Christmas, Epiphany can be the manifestation of a divine being – hence the encounter of the Magi with the infant Jesus …
The Word This Christmas – 2023
Nativity of Our Lord Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:1-20 Oh, Immanuel – God with us, how we needed thee. The wait for better things is over! We are prisoners of gloom no more. You have come down, announced by the multitude of celestial hosts, to meet us once more in the valley …
The Word This Sunday – 12.17.23
3rd Sunday of Advent Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Psalm 126;1 Thess. 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28 There is a lot of identity searching when the Revised Common Lectionary moves to the gospel of John on this 3rd Sunday of Advent. Our favorite messianic herald, John the Baptist, has caught the attention of the authorities by “testifying to …
The Word This Sunday – 12.10.23
2nd Sunday of Advent The Nativity Scene at Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine - December 2023 Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; 2 Peter 3:8-15a; Mark 1:1-8 The voice of one crying in the wilderness comes to us on this 2nd Sunday of Advent both as a prophetic poem about the restoration of the exiled …
The Word This Sunday – 12.03.23
1st Sunday of Advent Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37 As we begin a new liturgical year this Sunday, we shift our focus in the gospels from Matthew to Mark. The major themes may seem repetitive as they echo those of November: turmoil, the gathering of the elect, uncertainty, and watchfulness …
The Word This Sunday – 11.26.23
Christ the King Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Psalm 95:1-7a; Eph. 1:15-23; Mat. 25:31-46 The time has come. In the third of the November parables about the coming of the Son of Man, he is finally here in the fullness of his glory. He gathers everyone and separates the sheep from the goats and the wheat from …
The Word This Sunday – 11.19.23
The Word This Sunday – 11.12.23
24th Sunday after Pentecost Amos 5:18-24; Psalm 70; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13 For the remainder of November, the Revised Common Lectionary presents us with three parables in the Gospel of Matthew about the return of Jesus and the judgment it may bring to God’s people. All are significantly challenging, each in its own way. …
The Word This Sunday – 11.05.23
All Saints Sunday Revelation 7:9-17; Psalm 34:1-10, 22; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12 Christians of the Lutheran Tradition take another break from the Revised Common Lectionary when we celebrate the All Saints Festival. On Reformation Sunday, we learned that God plays no favorites. There is no distinction. We are all sinners who have fallen short …
Bridging Faith 