Readings: Isaiah 60: 1-6; Ephesians 3: 2-3a, 5-6; Matthew 2: 1-12 Preacher: Sonja Livingston Last year, my husband convinced me to go to Mendon Ponds to see the Geminids, the strongest meteor shower of the year. To see the stars, we’d need to drive out late at night, in the cold and dark of mid-December. I’m fairly certain I grumbled while… read more →

Readings: Sirach 3: 2-6, 12-14; Colossians 3: 12-21; Luke 2: 22-40 Preacher: Sr. Barbara Moore In Jesus’ day, the concept of family was in many ways more expansive than it is today.  Often families lived close to or with each other; loyalty and roots were deep.  Betrothals (engagements) and wedding feasts were carefully planned and joined families together. John’s Gospel shares… read more →

Readings: 2 Samuel 7: 1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Romans 16: 25-27; Luke 1: 26-38 Preacher: Gloria Ulterino To what do we say Yes?  Now, that’s a challenging question, isn’t it?  It certainly must have been, for Mary, as well.  Here she was, a young teenager.  From a tiny, backwater town, of little account.  She lived in a home that looked like… read more →

Readings: Isaiah 61:1-2a,10-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8,19-28 Preacher: Deirdre McKiernan Hetzler What incredible joy Isaiah’s announcements must have brought to the ancient Israelites! After decades in captivity in Babylon. First, as we heard last week, God says “Comfort, oh comfort my people! Tell them their bondage is at an end!” And now, he brings news that one is coming to… read more →

Readings: Isaiah 40: 1-5, 9-11; 2 Peter 3:8-14; Mark 1: 1-8 Preacher: Brigit Hurley We’ve become accustomed to celebrating Advent by preparing our hearts for the arrival of Jesus, Savior of the world, in the form of a poor, helpless infant. For people unfamiliar with the nativity story, it must seem wildly imaginative that the Divine would enter the world in… read more →

Readings: Isaiah 63: 16b-17, 64: 2-7; 1 Corinthians 1: 3-9; Mark 13: 33-37 Preacher: Cathy Kamp “Be watchful. Be alert!” Jesus clearly tells the disciples in this conclusion of Mark’s apocalyptic discourse that they need to live always in the knowledge that they know not the day nor the hour when he will come again. I find myself viewing this Gospel… read more →

Readings: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17; 1 Corinthians 15: 20-26, 28; Matthew 25: 31-46 Preacher: Nancy DeRycke Wow!  I just opened the Scripture readings for today and found it hard not to think the readings were written in today’s world! Ezekiel speaks God’s warning to the “shepherds” of Israel, who took advantage of and did great harm, battering, not tending or providing safety… read more →

Readings: Proverbs 31: 10-13, 19-20, 30-31;  I Thessalonians 5: 1-6;  Matthew 25: 14-30 Preacher: Susan K. Roll On the first day of class in my seventh grade Home Economics class, the teacher went around and asked each girl in turn, “What does your father do?” and then, “What does your mother do?”  Almost all of us could say what our father’s… read more →

Readings: Wisdom 6: 12-16; 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18; Matthew 25: 1-13 Preacher: Sr. Karen Dietz When I read the scriptures for this Sunday, I am first of all, reminded of a famous quote of St. Agustine: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Second, I think of one of my… read more →

Readings: Malachi 1: 14b-2:2b, 8-10; 1 Thessalonians 2: 7b-9, 13; Matthew 23: 1-12 Preacher: Margot Van Etten A huge Question underlies today’s readings. Actually, it underlies every event in human history and is asked of every person, constantly. Including each of us.             Who or what is first in your heart? For the priests of Israel in Malachi’s day, the answer… read more →