Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

In Deuteronomy God promises to raise up a prophet like Moses, who will speak for God; in Psalm 111 God shows the people the power of God’s works. For the church these are ways of pointing to the unique authority people sensed in Jesus’ actions and words. We encounter that authority in God’s word, around which we gather, the word that trumps any lesser spirit that would claim power over us, freeing us to follow Jesus.

First Reading:  Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Psalm:  Psalm 111
Second Reading:  1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Gospel:  Mark 1:21-28
Liturgical Color: Green

Third Sunday after Epiphany

Sermon by Pastor Jeffrey Ingold
Gospel: Mark 1:14-20

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Third Sunday after Epiphany

Stories of the call to discipleship continue as the Time after Epiphany plays out the implications of our baptismal calling to show Christ to the world. Jesus begins proclaiming the good news and calling people to repentance right after John the Baptist is arrested for preaching in a similar way. Knowing that John was later executed, we see at the very outset the cost of discipleship. Still, the two sets of fisherman brothers leave everything they have known and worked for all their lives to follow Jesus and fish for people.

Sec­ond Sun­day after Epiphany

All the baptized have a calling in God’s world. God calls not just the clergy but also the youngest child, like Samuel. The story of the calling of Nathanael plays with the idea of place. Nathanael initially dismisses Jesus because he comes from Nazareth. But where we come from isn’t important; it’s where—or rather whom—we come to. Jesus refers to the story of the vision of Jacob, who called the place of his vision “the house of God, and … the gate of heaven” (Gen. 28:17). Jesus says he himself is the place where Nathanael will meet God.

First Read­ing: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 [11-20]
The call­ing of Samuel
Psalm: Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17 (Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 NRSV)
You have searched me out and known me. (Ps. 139:1)
Sec­ond Read­ing: 1 Corinthi­ans 6:12-20
Glo­ri­fy God in your body
Gospel: John 1:43-51
The call­ing of the first dis­ci­ples
Litur­gi­cal Color: Green

Bap­tism of Our Lord
Sermon by Pastor Jeffrey Ingold
Gospel: Mark 1:4-11

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First Sun­day of Christ­mas

From the beginning, by virtue of our baptism, we are called Christian.

We were “Christ-ened” at the font. Bearing his name, we share the same Father and are invited to address him intimately: Abba! Jesus bears our sins in humble obedience to the will of the Father. Today we pray that the mind of Christ, whose name we bear, would be our own. It is a good way to begin, again, another year.

Name of Jesus

By Jewish law, every baby boy was circumcised and named on the eighth day of life, so on the eighth day of Christmas the church celebrates this event in Jesus’ life. The keeping of the covenant as well as Jesus’ name are signs of God’s salvation given to us through him.

First Read­ing: Isa­iah 61:10–62:3
Clothed in gar­ments of sal­va­tion
Psalm: Psalm 148
The splen­dor of the LORD is over earth and heav­en. (Ps. 148:13)
Sec­ond Read­ing: Gala­tians 4:4-7
Chil­dren and heirs of God
Gospel: Luke 2:22-40
The pre­sen­ta­tion of the child
Litur­gi­cal Color: White

Bap­tism of Our Lord

Our re-creation in baptism is an image of the Genesis creation, where the Spirit/wind moved over the waters. Both Mark’s gospel and the story in Acts make clear that it is the Spirit’s movement that distinguishes Jesus’ baptism from John’s. The Spirit has come upon us as upon Jesus and the Ephesians, calling us God’s beloved children and setting us on Jesus’ mission to re-create the world in the image of God’s vision of justice and peace.

First Read­ing: Gen­e­sis 1:1-5
God cre­ates light
Psalm: Psalm 29
The voice of the LORD is upon the waters. (Ps. 29:3)
Sec­ond Read­ing: Acts 19:1-7
Bap­tized in the name of the Lord Jesus
Gospel: Mark 1:4-11
Rev­e­la­tion of Christ as God’s ser­vant
Litur­gi­cal Color: White