Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12 Preacher: Irene Goodwin We have been told that the Magi were of a priestly caste, people of above human intelligence, astrologers or kings. Why would these gentile foreigners journey to find a new King of the Jews? We read that a star in the sky told them something new and important was happening.… read more →
Readings: 1 Samuel 1: 20-22, 24-28; Colossians 3: 12-21; Luke 2: 41-52 Preacher: Susan Howard The interconnection between making our voices heard and the loosening of the Holy Spirit to act in the world is the key to the dynamics of change. From a cursory reading of today’s texts one might imagine that the purpose of the Feast of the Holy Family… read more →
Readings: Micah 5:2-5a; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-45 Preacher: Deirdre McKiernan Hetzler This lovely gospel narrative, beautifully pictured in art, is so familiar to us, isn’t it? We could recite it from memory, couldn’t we? I’d like to look at the story by way of a couple of themes it brings to mind. First, God’s faithfulness to those who trust in God.… read more →
Readings: Zephaniah 3: 14-18a; Philippians 4: 4-7; Luke 3: 10-18 Preacher: Gloria Ulterino Shout for joy! Be glad and exult! Today’s readings simply reverberate with joy, seeping into every cell of our being, overflowing out to all we meet. But some might say, “Really? You’ve got to be kidding! Where is such joy to be found? Have you forgotten the pandemic? … read more →
Readings: Baruch 5: 1-9; Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11; Luke 3: 1-6Preacher: Susan K. Roll Close your eyes for a moment and think of the biggest, deepest, most unexpected, heart-pounding O.M.G. pothole you have ever driven over … or around … or into. My candidate for worst pothole came up unexpectedly on a highway in post-Soviet Lithuania. Fortunately my friend who was… read more →
Readings: Jeremiah 33: 14-16; 1 Thessalonians 3: 12- 4:2; Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36Preacher: Sr. Karen Dietz “Hope” is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul – and sings the tune without words and never stops at all. -Emily Dickinson ‘May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we… read more →
Readings: Daniel 7: 13-14; Revelation 1: 5-8; John 18: 33B-37Preacher: Christine Nowak Kvam It would seem that a feast like Christ the King must go back many centuries in Church history to an entirely different era. Surprisingly, this feast is less than 100 years old. Rather than being a product of the heyday of monarchies, Christ the King is more… read more →
Readings: Daniel 12: 1-3; Hebrews 10: 11-14, 18; Mark 13: 24-32Preacher: Cathy Kamp In October, my daughter Laura and I were blessed to travel to Cape Cod to visit with my cousin Beth. Growing up on Long Island, Beth and I spent a lot of time together making treasured memories. As new moms, we spent many weekends with my daughters… read more →
Readings: 1 Kings 17:10-16; Hebrews 9: 24-28; Mark 12: 38-44 Preacher: Nancy DeRycke No one is a justa! We’ve probably heard the story of the kiddo who, because of the prayer, thought God’s name was: “Our father who art in heaven, HAROLD be thy name!?”There are many kinds of names, but the one name God doesn’t like is “justa.” (That… read more →
Readings: Deuteronomy 6: 2-6; Hebrews 7: 23-28; Mark 12: 28B-34Preacher: Sr. Joan Sobala From long hearing, most of us are familiar with Jesus’ saying, “I have come not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it.” Jesus identifies the meaning of his life with the full flowering of the Law. And yet, in the Gospel of Mark, in the short… read more →