The last Sunday of Epiphany is called Transfiguration Sunday. Epiphany is the season of Light in which we have thought about how Jesus, the baby of Bethlehem, is also the Light and Life of the world. It’s easy to see why this Gospel story is a good one to climax Epiphany. Here we have Jesus as the Light, clearly and plainly (even if only revealed to the three chief disciples). It may be hard to see the Light of the World in the baby or toddler worshiped by the Magi, but witnesses of the Transfiguration, couldn’t miss God’s glory revealed.… Continue reading →

The first words of the Gospel Lesson are: “You have heard that it was it said of old…but I say to you.” The last words are: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Jesus, in this section of the Sermon on the Mount has been teaching about how to read, understand, and live based on the scriptures. He has contrasted those who would simply carve the Bible’s words, and certain interpretations of them, in stone forever, with those who follow what he is teaching and “fill these words full” of contemporary meaning with God’s guidance. He’s said he had no… Continue reading →

Soon it’s Valentine’s Day. This day takes a hit as being invented by the greeting card industry to sell its wares. But, in spite of all that, it is a day that celebrates love and if churches can’t do that (albeit with our own spin on it), then we’re in sad shape. The Bible uses the word love quite a bit in both testaments, and the love it celebrates in many ways is not primarily a feeling (as you know), but describes an action that people take to embrace, affirm, nurture, and identify themselves with the needs and values of… Continue reading →

It was good to see the sun for a couple of days last week (and again today). Although winter came late, since it did, we’ve had a long patch of cold, snowy, icy, weather. I like the four seasons, including winter, but somewhere in the month of February each year, I begin to get ready to transition into something gentler and calmer. I could say the same thing about the headlines of late. I know that we are divided in how we might feel about what’s going on, but I, for one, don’t see that we have much better relations… Continue reading →