Elizabeth and Zechariah prepare to receive one of the most precious gifts, the gift of a child. Zechariah was visited by an angel and he was terrified, but the angel tells him to not be afraid, for his prayers have been heard. Zechariah names the child John, and suddenly he
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Unexpectedly, miraculously, Persian King Darius takes pity on the Israelites who are captive in Babylon, a newly acquired part of his empire. Central to his setting them free is his direction, God’s direction, that they return to Jerusalem to resume worship in the Temple. Within the year, the Israelites are
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Isaiah 40:1-11 • Comfort, O comfort my people. The second Sunday of Advent brings us the proclamation that God is here to comfort us. God does this through acts of service. God is depicted as a shepherd who cares for and feeds the flock. God’s love is expressed through acts
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The Hebrew Bible affirms Josiah as one of very few good kings of ancient Israel. Alongside his desire to have a strong relationship with God which includes restoring the Temple to the worship of the God of Israel. Beyond this, Josiah is humble and actively concerned about the welfare of
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Psalm 36 • God’s steadfast love extends to the heavens We currently have all that we need to live lives of faith in the world. To serve one another is the greatest gift we can offer. We are called to act out of abundance, to trust in God and all
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We often associate prophets with people who are enraged and who call out the people on what they are doing wrong. In the passage from the prophet Hosea we do not hear anger. Instead we hear compassion and the unending love of God. In this passage God is portrayed as
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Having challenged King Ahab and Queen Jezebel for worshipping foreign gods, the prophet Elijah legitimately feared for his life and has been on the run for quite some time. God has spoken to Elijah in deep silence, so Elijah is now ready to try to convince the people to come
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1 Kings 12:1-17, 25-29 • Kingdom Divided In a time when there is much violence, and unrest, negativity, and division, as people of faith we are called to serve, and to live our lives in love. What happens when we do not listen to the wise ones in our midst?
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John 6:1-14 • Loaves and Fishes As the people gathered to listen to the teachings of Jesus, Jesus felt compassion. Jesus asked Philip, “Where are we to buy enough bread for these people to eat?” This question, we are told, was to test the disciples. This question comes from a
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The tribes of Israel have settled in the promised land and are becoming established there. Sons of these tribes have often married local women who have not grown up worshipping the God of Israel. Some family bonds are closer than others and choices, like Ruth’s, come to have far-reaching consequences.
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