From the Book of Genesis, we hear the next part of the story of the people whom God has chosen and who have, in turn, chosen to follow God. Like most relationships, this relationship is complicated to say the least. On the run from a serious family rift, he has
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In the Genesis reading, we hear about how Isaac and his wife Rebekah engage with parenthood after fertility struggles. Sadly, even disappointingly, once children are born we hear how Isaac has not learned from his own family of origin about the importance of cultivating a good relationship between siblings. From
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One of the things that makes the scriptures of our faith so powerful is how they refuse to sugarcoat the history of the family of faith. Even the depths of humanity are remembered including Sarah’s demand that Abraham’s son Ishmael and his mother Hagar be banished. The reading from Matthew’s
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In his letter to a community of faith in Rome, Paul acknowledges that a life of faith in God will not be easy, but can be bearable and even, eventually, hopeful. Jesus began his work toward the renewed kin-dom of God and, even while he was still alive, he brought
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Once we have decided that we are on the best and right path to fulfill the divine hope for this world, is there anything left to do but travel on? If the answer is “yes”, we may have a problem.
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According to tradition, Jesus has been a public figure for three years. During this time, he has developed a reputation for being someone who taught with extraordinary authority. His interpretation of the teachings of his Jewish faith endeared him to everyone except the religious authorities. After a number of run-ins
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In the Genesis reading, we hear God speaking to Abram, a childless, Bedouin septuagenarian. God tells Abram that if he and his equally aged wife Sarai leave their current home and everything they know, God will make them into a great nation and a blessing to all families on earth.
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Acts 10:34-43 • Gentiles hear the Good News. Matthew 3:13-17 • Jesus and John the Baptizer. In the reading from the book of Acts (officially “The Acts of the Apostles”), after a persuasive vision from God, Peter, somewhat surprisingly, speaks in front of an unexpected audience: Romans, who, as Gentiles–those
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Luke 1:46b-55 • Mary’s song. Mary’s relative Elizabeth has just experienced her own 6 month in utero child leaping within her and has made the prophetic pronouncement that it was because of the saving, holy importance of the one soon to be borne by Mary. Elizabeth further states that Mary
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Jeremiah 23:1-6 • Destructive leaders are recognized–and replaced Luke 1:68-79 • God’s Promise Fulfilled Through the prophet Jeremiah God reminds the people that false, dangerous leaders are responsible for their exile, but they will not prevail. In their place, the promise is that God will raise up new leadership from
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