Epiphany 3C

Contrary to what our contemporary culture may tell us, the Christmas season does not begin sometime after Halloween and conclude with returning unwanted presents on December 26. Rather, the Christmas season has its own cycle, beginning with Advent, moving through Christmas, and continuing with Epiphany. This is similar to the pattern with Easter: the Lenten…

They’re rioting in Africa. They’re starving in Spain.There’s hurricanes in Florida and Texas needs rain. The whole world is festering with unhappy souls.The French hate the Germans; the Germans hate the Poles.Italians hate Yugoslavs; South Africans hate the Dutch,And I don’t like anybody very much. But we can be tranquil and thankful and proud,For man’s…

Our scripture readings are arranged in a three-year Lectionary cycle. The readings themselves were chosen by some committee years ago. Sometimes, the Lectionary is accused of being too rigid. It is not flexible enough, so goes the argument, to be relevant to our daily lives. Yet, what could be more appropriate than a lesson referring…

It’s January now. Here in New England we’ve hunkered down for whatever contingencies winter might visit upon us. The last needles have fallen off the Christmas trees, costumes from the Nativity pageant are stored away for next year, miniature outdoor lights have been unplugged, and the whole Yuletide season is receding into memory. Outdoors, snowplows…

“Now you are the body of Christ and individual members of it.”I Corinthians 12-27 Because of the long tradition of American individualism, most of us have a hard time really understanding how the Bible sees us. How of have you heard someone say, I can worship God better in nature than I can in church?”…