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Matthew 28:1-10
Easter Day A
The world is about to turn! It is no longer the Sabbath and a new day and a new week is dawning. I just love that the NRSV describes the time with the -ing ending on dawn. Easter is meant for dawnings. We go from the quiet of the dawn to the shock of an…
Matthew 21:1-11
Palm Sunday A
Advent is the season of expectant waiting and hope, but could Palm Sunday be a mini-Advent of sorts? Through the first nine verses, there is clearly a hope and a building sense of anticipation about what is about to happen. Even when the questions come in verses 10-11, they come with a sense that things…
Matthew 4:1-11
Lent 1A
Comments, Questions, and Observations What sort of place is the biblical motif of “wilderness” to you? I added biblical intentionally there because I live in a beautiful part of the world where wilderness is part of enjoying recreation and everyday life. If you’ve ever visited Egypt, Jordan, Israel or Palestine, and retraced the steps of…
Matthew 17:1-9
Transfiguration Sunday
There is plenty of reason for Peter and the other disciples to misread the situation on the mountaintop because there is a lot that is eerily reminiscent of key experiences from their people’s story. The legacy lives in their bones and even if they weren’t there, what happened at these holy places is carried in…
Matthew 5:13-20
Epiphany 5A
How does salt lose its saltiness? Thinking about the salt as it is, one of the ways it will lose its potency is by diluting it, say in a large amount of water. As the salt dissolves and has more and more water added to it, its saltiness won’t be as strong. Or, salt that…
Matthew 5:1-12
Epiphany 4A
This series of promises known as the Beatitudes continues to speak with hope, comfort, and possibly a little challenge. Most of us don’t want to claim these promises as prizes or rewards, and future glory can be a small comfort during current tragedy and hardship. But remembering the one who speaks these words may just…
Matthew 4:12-23
Epiphany 3A
This is a different version, or perhaps we could say a similar story, to the discipleship calling narrative we had in the Gospel of John last week. Some of the same players are here though, even if in lesser roles: John the Baptist looms in the background and Andrew and his brother Simon Peter are…
Matthew 3:13-17
Epiphany 1A
Unlike in the other baptism accounts in the gospels, where Jesus is the one who has an epiphany of sorts, Matthew lets us know that John the Baptist witnesses the revelation of heaven. In Mark and Luke, the words that boom down are “You are my Son,” but here John hears along with Jesus, “This…
Matthew 2:13-23
Christmas 1A
Well this is a real “Merry Christmas!” story, isn’t it? While not all of us have had a warm and fuzzy Christmas, many of us have had the privilege and joy of spending time with loved ones, relaxing, and enjoying the holidays. This story shocks us out of the feel-goods and brings us back to…
Matthew 1:18-25
Advent 4A
We don’t know much about Joseph but what we do know is of pretty good quality. Even in our passage this week—where Joseph doesn’t even utter a word—we are given a number of positive characteristics to understand what kind of person Joseph is. Joseph is righteous; he also is not one to bear a grudge….
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