Category Archives: Reflections on Sunday Readings

Epiphany 2 B: “I and We” and the Assault on the Capitol

Posted on January 14, 2021 by John

The Second Reading for this Sunday is 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Those who stormed our nation’s Capitol on Epiphany, January 6, shouted many slogans: “This is our house!” “Stop the steal!” “Hang Mike Pence!” But they all can be boiled down … Continue reading →

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Epiphany 1 B: Listen to the Earth

Posted on January 4, 2021 by John

First Sunday after the Epiphany/Baptism of the Lord Psalm 29 is our Psalm for the First Sunday after the Epiphany, which is also the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This particular Psalm may have been chosen by those … Continue reading →

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Christmas 2 B: Recipe for a Pandemic New Year’s Eve Party

Posted on December 31, 2020 by John

I write this blog post on New Year’s Eve. Battle scarred by this year past you may be tempted to party like there’s no tomorrow. You may want to rip off your mask, hug a room full of strangers, drink … Continue reading →

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Christmas 1B: Deliverance and Division

Posted on December 24, 2020 by John

The Gospel for the First Sunday After Christmas, or the Feast of the Holy Family, is Luke 2:22-40. Jesus’ parents devoutly bring him to the Temple precincts in Jerusalem to take part in the rituals that the Law of Moses … Continue reading →

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Christmas Eve B: On Them Light Has Shined

Posted on December 23, 2020 by John

The First Reading for Christmas Eve is Isaiah 9:2-7, which starts with this oracle: 2The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. Here … Continue reading →

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Advent 4 B: Look Up to God And Down on None

Posted on December 16, 2020 by John

The Gospel Lesson for this Sunday is the Annunciation: Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that, though a virgin, she will bear the Son of the Most High God, the Messiah of the lineage of King David (Luke 1:26-38). The Psalm that … Continue reading →

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Advent 3 B: Smiling as Resistance

Posted on December 10, 2020 by John

This Sunday’s Readings Old Testament      Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11 Psalm                    Psalm 126 or Luke 1:46b–55 New Testament     1 Thessalonians 5:16–24 Gospel                   John 1:6–8, 19–28 My sainted former colleague, Pastor Paul Fuchs, used to jokingly tell of how … Continue reading →

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Advent 2 B: Plague Days as Messy Beginning

Posted on December 3, 2020 by John

It’s starting to look a lot like winter here on the farm. First things first: Out of bed just as dawn is breaking I fortify myself with warm clothes from head to toe, and brave the dark, cold and windy … Continue reading →

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Advent 1B Becoming the Answer

Posted on November 25, 2020 by John

Douglas Adams wrote hysterical science fiction, the humor of which sometimes hid gems of insights into the human condition. In his “Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe” series he told the story of how a society built a computer with a … Continue reading →

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Christ the King A: Surprises for Evangelicals and for All of Us

Posted on November 17, 2020 by John

Gospel Reading: Matthew 25:31–46 The climax of the church’s year is Christ the King Sunday. Believers remind themselves of ultimate things. To understand our Gospel Lesson we must realize the more things change, the more they stay the same. A … Continue reading →

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