“Whom Should I Fear?”
Psalm 27
by AMN
Many times over the course of my life, I became overwhelmed and fear overtook me. Anxiety set in and I began to think that my life was over and that was not going to be able to overcome. Continue reading
Lectionary
Lectionary: Epiphany 2A
Isaiah 49:1-7
Psalm 40:1-12
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
John 1:29-4
The words of the prophet Isaiah contain four “servant” songs, and today we read from the second one. Each of these songs assumes the guise of The Servant of God, and praise God for all that has been, is being, and will be done. But who is the servant? Continue reading
Lectionary: Baptism of Christ A
Acts 10:34-43
Peter preached that “God shows no favoritism”. We certainly serve an inclusive God. “Come all those who are tired and heavy laden” seems to be what we all want to hear in this busy world.
I live in a very sheltered world and at times I feel insignificant. I also live in a world of loneliness and deep regret. Could God actually care or even use me still? His word assures me He does and it’s funny how the least of us can actually be used by God.
Lectionary: Christmas Eve/Day December 24/25
by Hugh Brown
“The Announcement”
Luke 2:(1-7),8-20
“He’s here!”, announced the angel of the Lord. This great proclamation made to a unique and unsuspecting audience. Shepherds. The true embodiment of the Savior of the world.
David, a shepherd before he was king, wrote in Psalm 23,
“The Lord is my shepherd…” Continue reading
Lectionary: Advent 2A
by AMN
Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
“Relief of Judgment”
This psalm was initially a prayer for the young King Solomon when he replaced his father David on the throne. In this psalm, there’s an outline of how he is to govern the kingdom of Israel. The poor are to be rightly judged, the children of the needy are to be saved, and the oppressor needs to be broken (v. 4).These are all things that Christ exercised in his ministry on Earth. The first two come easy to followers during the holiday season and forgotten even faster when it’s over. What about breaking the oppressor in pieces?
Lectionary: Advent 1A
ADVENT 1
November 27, 2016
Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 24:36-44
Happy New Year!
Here we are, on the first Sunday of Advent, beginning a new liturgical year as we prepare once again for our Christmas celebration. Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, giving us the longest possible Advent season. That doesn’t seem very remarkable, except that it has put our Sunday worship right on the tail-end of Thanksgiving. I believe it is significant, even important, that in our worship we are able to give thanks, and to let that be the prelude and celebration of our new year.
Continue reading
Lectionary: All Saints C
by AMN
Luke 6:20-31
One of the misconceptions of walking in faith and being imitators of Christ is that all of our problems just vanish when we accept Jesus to be our Lord and Savior. In the passage, and so many other passages in the four gospels, Jesus says the contrary to that topic. We as saints of the church of Christ, have to be ready to expect hatred, rejection, mockery, slander as we continue to be ambassadors of his blesses kingdom. Continue reading
Lectionary: Proper 23C / Ordinary 28C / Pentecost +21
by CM
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7
When a child is born into this world it is a result of actions commenced by a myriad of individuals, none of whom happen to be the child. Of course, there are the parents but we often overlook the fact that there are four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, and the number continues to increase as the generations go back. Each coupling is accompanied by a particular chain of events which brought these two people together. In some cases, continents were travelled and oceans were crossed. All of the countless events took place and have brought forth the present life which is recognized as the person you see looking back at you from the surface of a mirror. And just as you didn’t have control over the circumstances that brought forth that event, the circumstances we find ourselves in over the course of our lives are, for the vast majority of them, equally beyond our control. The one exception is the choices we make in the circumstances. Continue reading
Lectionary: Proper 22C / Ordinary 27C / Pentecost +20
by AMN
Lamentations 3:19-26
One of the lowest experiences in my life is the day that I got found guilty in September of 2002. I had just went through an unjust legal process and just like Jeremiah, all my strength and hope was gone. I wanted to just crawl into a corner and die.
Who would’ve thought that I would still be here fourteen years later, let alone be productive for God’s sake? The verse that rings true the most in my heart is verse 22: “It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” Verse 23 goes on to say,”they are new every morning.”
I have faced many more obstacles on this track we call life and there’s one thing for sure, God is always there. When I think about all my troubles and fears and how I thought I would not make it, I realize that God had my back all along.
There’s going to be pain and there’s going to be anguish during the course of your life; but you don’t have to go through it alone. Trusting, hoping, and faithfully waiting on the LORD will get you through those hard times. If God call allow me to flourish behind concrete walls and steel bars, he can do wonders for you.
Thank you, heavenly father, your everlasting mercy and compassions are upon me daily. Please allow me to use them to bring about the praise and glory that you deserve. Amen.
Lectionary/Poem: Proper 20C / Ordinary 25C / Pentecost +18
“O my comforter in my sorrow, my heart is faint within me” Jeremiah 8:18
God Is Our Comforter
He has given us His Holy Spirit to carry us across the desert sands of all our trials.
Prison Lectionary 