Scriptures and Prayer for the Second Sunday of Advent

Old Testament: Baruch 5:1-9 or Malachi 3:1-4

Psalter: Luke 1:68-79

Epistle: Philippians 1:3-11

Gospel: Luke 3:1-6
___
Out of the embrace of mercy and righteousness, you have brought forth joy and dignity for your people, O Holy One of Israel. Remember now your ancient promise: make straight the paths that lead to you, and smooth the rough ways, that in our day we might bring forth your compassion for all humanity. Amen.

Saturday at the Cinema: Why I Have Coffee with People Who Send Me Hate Mail

What Does It Mean to Keep Christ in Christmas?

Another Christmas season is upon us and thus another episode of the "War on Christmas" where the cast of many characters fight the nefarious forces "out there" that are bound and determined to undermine the central focus of Christmas, which is Jesus. Let me say at the beginning of this post that I think many Christians undermined keeping Christ in Christmas long before we started having words over the words of greeting we wish each other at this time of the year, but that's another post for another time.

So how do we keep Christ in Christmas?

There Will Come a Day a Hundred Years from Now: A Political Poetic Ponderment

There will come a day a hundred years from now when church historians will gather around a table and look at our time. They will sift through old newspapers and antiquated videos and make their judgment.

Scriptures and Prayer for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost (Reign of Christ)

Old Testament: 2 Samuel 23:1-7 or Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14

Psalter: Psalm 132:1-12, (13-18) or Psalm 93

Epistle: Revelation 1:4b-8

Gospel: John 18:33-37
___
Almighty God, you remembered the oath you swore to David and so established a glorious realm of salvation through Jesus of Nazareth, his heir. Train our eyes to see your righteous rule, that, standing firmly in hope before the powers of this world, we may heed your voice  and be constant in your truth. Amen.

Saturday at the Cinema: Ponderments on the UM General Conference 2019

My interview with Henry Neufeld.

Scriptures and Prayer for Thanksgiving Day

Old Testament: Joel 2:21-27

Psalter: Psalm 126

Epistle: 1 Timothy 2:1-7

Gospel: Matthew 6:25-33
___
Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

An Eternal King to Reckon Time: Some Thoughts on the Liturgical Calendar and the Reign of Christ

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; John 18:33-37

Daniel 7 recounts a portion of a vision the Prophet had, according to 7:1, "in the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon." In the ancient Near East time was often reckoned according to the reign of monarchs. Whereas we would date the calling of Isaiah to the year 751 B.C., the Prophet himself simply recounts his calling as taking place in "in the year that King Uzziah died" (Isaiah 6:1). When it came to the calendar monarchs mattered.

Knowing this is critical for understanding the Book of Daniel. That the Jews in exile now reckoned their own time by the reign of their oppressor kings was a constant and bitter reminder that they had no earthly king of their own because they had no homeland of their own. And they had many years and more than a few monarchs by which they were forced to reckon time, not only in exile but after exile being ruled by foreign powers in their own homeland.