Readings: Zephaniah 3:14-18a; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18 When I was pregnant with my oldest daughter my family held a baby shower for me. I usually only dress up when I have to or when I haven’t done laundry and don’t have anything else clean. And pregnancy was no exception for me. I still remember the dress I wore to the… read more →
Readings: Jeremiah 33:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 3:12—4:2; Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 My father was a funeral director. I grew up around the reality that all people die eventually. The earliest recollection I have of experiencing a personal death was that of my great grandmother whom I loved and called “Nonny.” I remember sitting next to Nonny and she would rub my neck… read more →
Readings: Daniel 7: 13-14; Revelation 1:5-8; John 18: 33b-37 Autumn is traditionally regarded as the season of the harvest. We reflect on how God’s blessings overflow across the land. During our Sunday worship, autumn is the season of spiritual gathering. Liturgically, the spiritual harvest began on August 15th with the Assumption of Mary who was the first person harvested through… read more →
Readings: Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10: 11-14, 18; Mark 13:24-32 Fifty years ago the Beatles sang, “Do you want to know a secret; do you promise not to tell?” In our Gospel for this weekend Mark the evangelist is letting us in on a secret as we read of Jesus sharing a secret with the disciples: There will be cosmic upheaval… read more →
Readings: 1 Kings 17:10-16; Hebrews 9:24-28;Mark 12:38-44 As I was reading articles about the creative and exciting work being done by people across the country to insure that we have a livable future, I thought of the two widows featured in today’s Scriptures. These women had next to nothing in terms of material wealth, but they were willing to risk… read more →
Readings: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; 1 John 3: 1-3; Matthew 5: 1-12a I have been privileged to be with my parents, dear family members and treasured friends as they put on their Crown of Glory and stepped into the kingdom. I am always in awe of the translucent glow that comes over the face of one going home. Death, the transition… read more →
Readings: Jeremiah 31:7-9; Hebrews 5: 1-6; Mark 10:46 -52 Mark tells us in today’s Gospel, that Jesus is leaving Jericho. He is heading to Jerusalem. And there is a blind man sitting “by the roadside.” We know this road, this road from Jericho up to Jerusalem. It is the road Jesus tells us about in the Parable of the Good… read more →
Readings: Isaiah 53:10-11, Hebrews 4:14-16, Mark 10:35-45 Today’s Gospel story of the disciples fighting about who will sit closest to Jesus reminds me of the media coverage Pope Francis’ recent visit, with the media always surprised at who was “sitting at the Pope’s side.” Members of Congress? Homeless people? The United Nations? Children with disabilities? Prisoners? It didn’t make sense… read more →
Readings: Wisdom 7:7-11, Hebrews 4:12-13, Mark 10:17-30 Recently, there was a story in the news about a young entrepreneur who announced that he was raising all the salaries of his employees to match his own—$70,000! A few months earlier, a college president had announced he was cutting his salary in order to give all college employees a raise. An obituary… read more →
Genesis 2:18-24; Hebrews 2:9-11; Mark 10:2-16 When I prepare to preach on a weekend I like to read the readings early on in the week and see what “jumps out” at me. Usually this same theme stays with me for the whole week and I often see things fall into place around it. As I reviewed this week’s readings early… read more →