Exodus 24:12-18; Matthew 17:1-9
"A Sanctuary in the City… Living Faith"
General Series (Page 3)
Seventh Sunday after Epiphany; Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18; Matthew 5:38-48 – How do I make a difference?” It’s what the Bible is all about in good times and bad. In the beginning, at creation, the Holy One puts humans like you and me in the Garden of Eden. To till and keep it. To nurture balanced and abundant life in all creation. The rest of the story isn’t perfect bliss. People mess up. There are consequences, and circumstances beyond our control. And God loves through it all.
Sixth Sunday after Epiphany; Genesis 2:4b-25; Matthew 5:13-16 – It probably began for us all with something like stickers and finger paints, crayons and markers. As toddlers, before we really speak, we make the crazy squiggles and circles, and tentative strokes on paper. Maybe random lines or dots. Before we conceive of anything particular we’re trying to express, our personalities start to show in how we work—with controlled detail, or unbounded exuberance.
Isaiah 58:1-12; Colossians 3:12-17, 4:2-6 – Jesus began with building relationships. He called disciples as new friends and followers. Family, he called them. His first act of ministry was forming community. Beyond ourselves alone, faith in God gets fulfilled in relation with others. Amid our different personalities and activities, we all need connections in our way.
Psalm 63:1-9; Matthew 4:18-5:12 – Habits, routines, patterns, for good or not so good, they are conscious choices we make, at least at first. We shape our days, our preferences, our priorities. Which flavor? How much time do I need? Do I answer now or not? And after a while, we know they can turn into more thoughtless behaviors which shape who we are. How much time we spend. How we feel after we eat. How we really connect or slip into greater distance. We humans are creatures of habit. What matters are patterns we choose and priorities we pursue.
Third Sunday after Epiphany; Matthew 12:9-23; 1 Chronicles 11:15-19 – Our nation has inaugurated a new president. The peaceful transfer of power – no small matter in this widely unsettled world – has been achieved yet again, keeping our 241 year run intact. And for this, we should all be deeply thankful. And yet, significant divisions remain among the citizenry. Some citizens are elated; others anxious. Some dismiss ongoing chaotic rhetoric as just words; others are fearful those words may become policy.
Baptism of the Lord Sunday; Isaiah 42:1-9; Matthew 3:13-16 – Living faith begins with knowing God in Christ and knowing who we are. The foundation for faithfulness is identity formation. It’s the oldest and most often repeated story we tell.
Epiphany Sunday; Isaiah 60:1-6; Matthew 2:1-12 – They sought complete fullness of Holy Love in human life. Emmanuel. Salvation. A Messiah for all society. Over the ages, we’ve embellished details of their spiritual quest with our interpretation and imagination. Three kings – Gaspar, Melchior, Balthazar, representing Persia, India, Arabia arriving on the 12th day after Jesus’ birth. From that distance their camels must have been turbo-charged!
Rev. Larry Boutelle Isaiah 63:7-9; Hebrews 2:10-18 Content to come.
The Rev. Dr. Seth E. Weeldreyer Sunday, November 13, 2016 Isaiah 65:17-25; Luke 6:20-36