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Ephesians 3:1-12
Epiphany C
Comments, Observations, and Questions to Consider As many churches will do this Epiphany Sunday, my last church often celebrated the Epiphany of our Lord with a careful study of the story of the Magi in Matthew 2. Guided by that singular star in the western sky, those 3 wise men from the East represented […]
Isaiah 6:1-13
Epiphany 5C
[…] power undoubtable? This game of hide and seek that God plays with the human race makes it far too difficult to believe in God.” This season of Epiphany is a reminder that God has made himself visible and audible and tangible, but people still didn’t come to faith in large numbers in spite of […]
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Epiphany 5B
Comments and Observations On this fifth Sunday after Epiphany, this lesson from the epistles seems to have nothing to do with Epiphany, until we take a wider and deeper look. A review of the wider context reminds us that Paul is writing here to a church that is deeply divided—by the abuse of spiritual […]
Acts 8:14-17
Epiphany 1C
This snippet of early Christian history might seem unimportant, slim fodder for a sermon, and a peculiar choice for this first Sunday after Epiphany, until we see its place in the larger story of the Christian church. Then we’ll recognize it as one of the great turning points in the Gospel mission. That, in […]
Nehemiah 8:1-10
Epiphany 3C
[…] preachers, but what does it have to say to the average church goer? And what in the world does it have to do with this season of Epiphany? We can begin to unpack the wider meaning of this text by asking why the people spontaneously gathered for worship. What was the occasion? Well, it […]
Isaiah 60:1-6
Epiphany C
On this Epiphany Sunday, most preachers will choose the Gospel reading for their preaching text. Matthew 2 shows us the very first Epiphany of Christ to the world. Born in a barn in a far-off corner of the world, Jesus is worshipped and treasured by his parents and those shepherds and, if some carols […]
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Epiphany 3C
[…] is a serious problem, but I want to suggest that an even greater problem is the one Paul addresses in our text on this third Sunday after Epiphany. “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” said Abraham Lincoln, speaking about a nation divided over the issue of slavery. He was echoing Jesus, who uttered […]
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
Epiphany 2B
Comments, Observations, and Questions On this second Sunday after Epiphany, the lectionary reading from the Epistles seems to have little to do with Epiphany, unless we consider the behavior of the Body of Christ to be an epiphany of Christ’s own glory. If that is the case, then this text is very relevant, because […]
Psalm 50:1-6
Epiphany 6B
At first glance Psalm 50 seems an odd choice for the celebration of Christ’s Transfiguration. This last Sunday of the Epiphany season should be filled with talk of Christ’s glory finally revealed to his followers, as in the Gospel reading for today from Mark 9. The reading from the Epistles sings about the “glory […]
Isaiah 62:1-5
Epiphany 2C
At first I was puzzled by the Lectionary’s choice of this Old Testament reading for this second Sunday of Epiphany, but then I saw the light, literally. In verse 1 Jerusalem is told that “her righteousness shine out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch,” and, adds verse 2, “the nations will […]
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