Category Archives: Christmas

Epiphany

February 12th Epiphany Lectionary Readings

Aside

Collect: The Sixth Sunday After Epiphany

O God, the strength of all who put their trust in you: Mercifully accept our prayers; and because in your weakness we can do nothing good without you, give me the help of your grace, that in keeping your commandments we may please you both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen.

Deuteronomy 30: 15-20, . . . Moses presents the people with their choice: love and obey the Lord and find life, or turn away to other gods and know death.

(or Sirach 15: 15-20) . . . man instruction in responsibility of human beings for their own actions.

Psalm 119:1-8 . . . a delight in the Lord’s statues, seeking to keep all the Lord’s commandments.

1 Corinthians 3: 1-9 . . . an admonishment for bickering and division

Matthew 5: 21-37 . . . a concern about the heart of human behavior.

Rev. Rachel May, Pastor of Boulevard United Methodist Church in Richmond, Virginia, preaches a sermon called “Deal with It,” based on Matthew 5:21-37. May struggles with the prohibition against “swearing falsely,” and finds in it–and in murder, adultery, and divorce–an unwillingness to deal with conflict. “So, deal with it,” Jesus says. “Just deal with it.”

A written commentary on the whole “Sermon on the Mount,” including  and explanation of each the Beatitude,  by GRACE COMMUNION INTERNATIONAL

 

Epiphany

February 5, 2017 –The 5th Sunday After Epiphany

Aside
Collect:  Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen

Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12) . . . This is a denunciation of those who only act at their religion.  There is a promise of the Lord’s favor for those who genuinely repent (strive towards a more loving mind-set — “Metanoia”)  and care for the needy.
Psalm 112
1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16) . . . Paul teaches the Corinthians that the wisdom of God is very different from the wisdom in which humans pride themselves. (God’s wisdom is “Metanoia” promises.)
Matthew 5:13-20 In this lesson we learn that disciples are like salt and as light to the world.  They are to live even more righteously than pious scribes and Pharisees.
“Light Up the World” A You-Tube delivery by Father Michael Renninger, Pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia,
Epiphany

January 29 — Themes 0f Jesus’ Public Ministry

Aside
Collect: Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Micah 6:1-8 . . . God contends with the people of God, reminding them of the saving acts done for them and instructing them in the good that God expects.
Psalm 15 . . . the virtues of those worthy to worship
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 . . . God’s way of using what is weak and lowly–even what the world regards  as foolish–to accomplish the divine purposes.
Matthew 5:1-12
 . . . The Beatitudes, explained by Grace Communion International.
. . . A Fool? by William S. Bennett
Epiphany

3 Epiphany: Urgency and Repentance

Aside

Collect: Third Sunday After Epiphany

Give me  grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of my Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that I and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works;  who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen.

Isaiah 9:1-4 . . .  a new time of restoration . . . a hymn of thanksgiving and hope offered at the birth of a new king in Jerusalem.

Psalm 27: 1, 5-13 . . . a song of trust and confidence in the Lord.

1 Corinthians 1: 10-18 . . . set aside any differences for the sake of your common calling.

Matthew 4: 12-23 . . . repentance, calling for discipleship and healing the sick

Sermon: Fish-food for People  . . . Walk in the light!  Change your ways!  Become who God made you!  and:  Follow me!

My Father in heaven . . .  hollowed be your name,  your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.  Give me today my daily bread. Forgive me my sins as I forgive those who sin against me.  Save me from the time of trial,  and deliver me from evil.  For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen

Insight into the  Lord’s prayer

 

Epiphany

The 2nd Sunday After Epiphany

Aside

Collect: The Second Sunday After Epiphany

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illuminated by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and forever. Amen

Isaiah 49:1-7  . . . the servant of the Lord reflects movingly on his mission — its sorrows and frustrations — and God’s high calling and promise to be with him.   

Psalm 40: 1-12 . . . a prayer for forgiveness and a song of thanksgiving . . .
1 Corinthians 1:1-9 . . . a thanksgiving for the church’s growth in Christ.
John 1:29-42 . . . John’s disciples become followers of the Lamb.
Three Days with Jesus by Dan Clendenin
Behold the Lamb  from The “Preachrblog”
Epiphany

The 1st Sunday After Epiphany:

Aside

Collect: The Baptism of the Lord

Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan proclaim him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and he Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting.  Amen

Isaiah 42:1-9 . . . the mission of the Lord’s servant, the one whom God has chosen to bring forth justice and salvation.

Psalm 29 . . . The LORD shall give strength to his people;  the LORD shall give his people the blessing of peace.

Acts 10:34-43 . . . the good news that Jesus began to proclaim after his baptism.

Matthew 3:13-17 . . . After His baptism the Holy Spirit is manifest.

A Sermon For the Feast of Epiphany  by Linda Strohmier.

and/or

The  Baptism of the Lord  by James T. Batchelor

 

The Epiphany Collect

O God, by the leading of a star you manifested  your only Son to the people of the earth: Lead us, who know You now by faith, to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen.

Christmas, Epiphany

The Epiphany Feast Day

Aside 245 Comments
The 12th Day of Christmas

Collect: The Epiphany

O God, by the leading of a star You manifest Your only Son to the people of the earth: Lead us, who know you now by faith, to your presence, where we may see Your  glory face to face; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen

Isaiah 60: 1-6   The Prophet envisions the end of exile and the glorious restoration of Jerusalem.  The invitation: God’s great glory can rise for us.

Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14  May fears that paralyze the people rise up from the depths into your light!  “From injustice and oppression, You redeem their life, and precious are they in Your heart.”

Ephesians 3:1-12  . . .  the revealed mystery that Christ’s salvation extends beyond Judaism to include all people.  “So through the church the wisdom of God in its rich varieties might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”

Mathew 2:1-12  The wise men of the east (Gentiles) guided by a star, came to visit the child born to be king.

 

When a Star Isn’t a Star – An Epiphany Sermon

Collect: The Last Week of Christmas

O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of Him who humbled Himself to share our humanity, Your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen

Christmas

“The Holy Name”

Aside

Collect: The Holy Name

Eternal Father, who didst give thine incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be the sign of our salvation: Plant in every heart, we beseech thee, the love of him who is the Savior of the world, even our Lord Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Numbers 6:22-27

Moses, by God’s command, instruct those set aside for priestly ministry to bless Israel, putting God’s own name upon them.

Psalm 8

Galatians 4:4-7

God gives us a new status, as adopted children.

(or Philippians 2:5-11)

Luke 2:15-21

Today’s gospel tells the story of the naming of Mary’s baby, Jesus—“the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb” (Luke 2:21).

A sermon on, The Traditional Catholic Liturgy: “Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus.”

Collect: 2nd Sunday of Christmas

O God, who wonderfully created, and yet more wonderfully restored, the dignity of human nature: Grant that we may share the divine life of him who humbled himself to share our humanity, your Son Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen

 

 

Christmas

Christmas Day III

Aside

Collect: Proper 3

Grant, O Lord, that the course of this world may be peaceably governed by your providence; and that your Church may joyfully serve you in confidence and serenity; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Isaiah 52:7-10

A time of great joy is when the Lord saves his people and brings deliverance to Jerusalem.  The Message: “God is leading you out of here;”  out of where? say “the prison guided by sin;” might that work?

Psalm 98

“O sing a new song, for Love has done marvelous things . . . Let Love reign over the world with truth and justice bring order and balance to all of creation.”

Hebrew 1:1-4,(5-12)

God has spoken byway of His Son.  Jesus is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. . . .  Christmas represents or symbolizes) to me, each year, an invitation for Zion to be likewise.  Allegorically speaking, I see myself as Zion.  Through the year God comes to Zion every Sunday and Saint Day service by way of the Eucharist.

John 1:1-14

“And the word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only /son, full of grace and truth.”

Christ’s Titles of Honor; His Coming: His Incarnation; and the Revelation of His Glory

A sermon on John 1:1-14, by Martin Luther from his Church Postil, 1521-1522

[The following sermon is taken from volume I:171-223 of The Sermons of Martin Luther, published by Baker Book House (Grand Rapids, MI). It was originally published in 1906 in english by Lutherans in All Lands Press (Minneapolis, MN), as The Precious and Sacred Writings of Martin Luther, vol. 11. The original title of this sermon appears below. The pagination from the Baker edition has been maintained for referencing. This e-text was scanned and edited by Richard Bucher, it is in the public domain and it may be copied and distributed without restriction.]

CHRIST’S TITLES OF HONOR AND HIS ATTRIBUTES

I. CHRIST’S FIRST TITLE OF HONOR AND ATTRIBUTE – – HE IS THE WORD

II. THE COMING OF CHRIST.

III. CHRIST’S INCARNATION.

IV. THE REVELATION OF CHRIST’S GLORY.

Wow, this is a lot!  The Death, Life, the Trinity, an invitation to an allegorical/unitive sense of scripture reading depth, and an invitation to the feast of which we are invited — all in one long sermon.  So the question is, how do we get comfortable with understanding and accepting the invitation?

Well, maybe some contemplation on this document might be a good place to start.  Perhaps a good project is to follow Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem in the path of Liturgical year “A.”  Ordinary time after the Epiphany feast is deciding time.  If we accept the invite, Ash Wednesday is begins the clock.   Let’s see where we are this time in Liturgical year “B.”

Martin Luther wrote this in the 16th century.  I can’t help but wonder how his message got lost.  Is it because we stopped wanting to know?

Collect: After Christmas Day(s)

Almighty God, you have poured upon me the new light of your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in my heart, may shine forth in my life; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

 

 

Christmas

Christmas Day

Aside

Collect: Proper 2

Almighty and merciful God, in your goodness keep us, we pray, from all things that may hurt us, that we, being ready both in mind and body, may accomplish with free hearts these things which belongs to your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen

Isaiah 62:6-12 . . . an expression of great expectation and rejoicing: salvation comes to Jerusalem

Psalm 97 . . . The awesome Lord and Ruler who brings judgement and light to the righteous.

Titus 3:4-7 . . . a summary of the story of our salvation.

Luke 2:1-20 . . .  the story of the birth  of Jesus amid humble circumstances.

A YouTube Sermon:  Jesus, what a Christmas Promise, by Scott UMC

The Angels’ Sermon is the Christian’s Song –  A documented Sermon by Pastor Rolf Preus

After Reading these Christmas sermons (day 1 and day 2), and having some idea about this Liturgical Season’s teaching and purpose, I hear  God’s voice inviting me to come consciously home. I heard it today and I heard it yesterday.  I’ll hear it tomorrow, and the rest of this Christmas season.   I feel I am hearing  John the Baptist, in the wilderness, asking me to bring my shadows to the fore.  I feel compelled to confess my sins and give thanks (The-general-thanksgiving prayer) and begin my personal purification process, anew.