When we talk about stewardship in the church you can see people’s eyes sort of glaze over. They pat their wallet to make sure it is safe and secure, and they begin to look at their watches to see how quickly they can escape. Today’s gospel is a continuation of Luke’s Sermon on the PlainContinue reading “7 Epiphany 2022”
Category Archives: Epiphany
6 Epiphany 2022
When we think of the Beatitudes, our minds generally go to Matthew’s description of Jesus preaching the Sermon on the Mount not to Luke’s description of the Sermon on the Plain. I have no idea if these were two distinct sermons that Jesus preached and someone took notes or if more likely they are illustrationsContinue reading “6 Epiphany 2022”
4 Epiphany 2022
This morning we hear Paul’s beautiful chapter on love from 1 Corinthians 13. It is lovely just by itself and I often hear it read at weddings or see it put on posters but there is a lot about the context of this passage that really helps us understand why Paul wrote this and whatContinue reading “4 Epiphany 2022”
3 Epiphany 2022
Who is Jesus of Nazareth? This is a question that comes up over and over as we study scriptures. Those who have been participating in our Wednesday evening study of the gospel of Mark will hear Jesus ask the question “Who do you say I am?” in this week’s readings. Those who have been participatingContinue reading “3 Epiphany 2022”
Last Epiphany (Transfiguration) 2021
As I read today’s passage out of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, I had to read it twice, because the first time I totally misconstrued what he was saying, and it made me realize some of the difficulties individuals who have been participating in our C S Lewis study are having with the Screwtape Letters.Continue reading “Last Epiphany (Transfiguration) 2021”
5 Epiphany 2021
Freedom and obligation. The late teens and early twenties are an exciting and scary time for most people. Driver’s licenses, dating, jobs and/or college, marriage, apartments, voting, drinking, military service, bank accounts, taxes just to name a few. There are a host of things that you were not allowed to or didn’t have to doContinue reading “5 Epiphany 2021”
4 Epiphany 2021
“I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” (Mark 1:24) Today’s Gospel reading begs the question, “Who is Jesus?” and beyond that “Who is Jesus, to me?” When I read current articles about or by the Church, I find all sorts of information about what we are doing or what needs to beContinue reading “4 Epiphany 2021”
3 Epiphany 2021
This morning, we continue the theme of “call” that we began last week. It is an important theme for Epiphany which is the time we celebrate God’s word being extended to the Gentiles. I think it is important to identify what it means to be called or chosen. I often hear the concept of beingContinue reading “3 Epiphany 2021”
1 Epiphany 2021
I have always been cautious to avoid preaching my opinion and have tried to stay focused on the gospel. When I strongly voice a particular interpretation of some passage, I try to tie it back to ancient, respected theologians or clearly state that this is just my personal understanding of a passage. I do notContinue reading “1 Epiphany 2021”
2nd Sunday of Christmas 2021
We cover a lot of historical time in our liturgy this week. Thirty years give or take a year or two. Christmas we heard Luke’s version of the Nativity and on Sunday we got John’s theological poetry concerning the incarnation, but by next Sunday we will be looking at Jesus’s baptism, so today we willContinue reading “2nd Sunday of Christmas 2021”
The Rev. Beverly Patterson 