Tag Archives: Isaiah

Palm/Passion Sunday B: Meaning Shines Out From Steadfastness

Posted on March 24, 2021 by John

The readings for the Liturgy of the Passion: Old Testament      Isaiah 50:4–9a Psalm                    Psalm 31:9–16 New Testament     Philippians 2:5–11 Gospel                   Mark 14:1–15:47 or Mark 15:1–39 (40–47) Friedrich Nietzsche was a harsh critic of religious belief; but … Continue reading →

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Epiphany 5 B: Wait for the Lord, Not Just for the Vaccination

Posted on February 3, 2021 by John

There’s something ancient and eternal here. We are always tempted to modernize the message of the church—to speak in the most fashionable jargon of the philosophers, psychologists, sociologists, or “with it” youth on the streets. But Isaiah, chapters 40-55, makes … 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 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 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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Pentecost 20A: Used by Trump or by God?

Posted on October 13, 2020 by John

The alternative Old Testament Reading for this Sunday is Isaiah 45:1-7, where the Lord calls up Cyrus to be used as an instrument to subdue nations, strip kings of their robes, and open doors for the returning exiles.   And … Continue reading →

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Pentecost 8: Nothing Random in the Big Picture

Posted on July 21, 2020 by John

The second reading for this coming Sunday is Romans 8:26-39. It includes these verses: 28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew … Continue reading →

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Antidote for Complacency: Reflections of Sunday’s Readings

Posted on March 1, 2013 by John

The very first thing that caught my eye as I drove into Ann Arbor the spring of 1966 was that strange graffiti on a huge concrete retaining wall. Being in Greek I could not decipher it and perhaps for that very … Continue reading →

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Reflections: Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

Posted on February 2, 2012 by John

The first lesson this Sunday is from Isaiah 40, one of the most powerful portions of Scripture. It contains this:   21Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you … Continue reading →

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Advent to Ecstasy

Posted on November 30, 2011 by John

  Some people have a hard time with Advent. They see it as a giant wet blanket on the “holiday season,” much like, some folk think certain strands of Christianity itself cast a wet blanket on the enjoyment of life. … Continue reading →

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