On the First Sunday after Christmas, the Revised Common Lectionary offers us the text known as “The Presentation of Jesus.” It’s Luke 2:22-40 and comes in four distinct scenes. The Presentation The scene is set for the Presentation with references to the Holy Family and the law of God. We tend to picture just three […]
The Annunciation — Luke 1:26-38 on Advent 3
On the Third Sunday of Advent, Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary gives us Luke 1:26-38. It is the story of “the Annunciation,” nine months before Christmas. But we are in December, chronologically only a week-and-a-half before Mary will give birth. It’s all good. Advent is an excellent time to think about the promise […]
Not the Light — John 1:6-8, 19-28
The discussion of John the Baptist as “not the light” but rather “a witness to testify to the light” is missing its context. In year C, the Gospel for the third Sunday of Advent is John 1:6-8 and 19-28, the parts of Gospel’s prologue about John the Baptist, and leaving out the parts directly about […]
The Wedding Banquet — Matthew 22:1-14
The Wedding Banquet: The Musical This Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 22:1-14) is known as “the parable of the wedding banquet.” It lives in my memory, and perhaps in yours as well, in the cheerful lyrics of the Sunday School song sung by happy little Lego figures in the video below. My wife and I actually used […]
A Definition of Forgiveness — Matthew 18:21-35
Sunday’s Gospel from the Revised Common Lectionary (Matthew 18:21-35) continues the same scene as last week, and leaves us with a remarkable, simple, working definition of forgiveness. If you are a regular reader of these weekly meditations, you know that I often point out places where historically we Christians have misconstrued the teachings of the […]
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