Looking into the lectionary January 7, 2018 — Baptism of the Lord Genesis 1:1-5; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11 On the first Sunday of a new year, we remember Jesus’ baptism. Mark, as usual, is..
Looking into the lectionary 1st Sunday after Christmas Day — December 31, 2017 Isaiah 61:10-62:3; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:22-40 Christmas 1B Mary and Joseph are law abiding Jews. Simeon and Anna, too, exhibit faithfulness, obedience..
Prayers for the moment Christmas prayer: “Make us eager…” "Make us as eager as the shepherds to leave our familiar fields to go and see the One who has come to save the world," writes Jill Duffield.
Looking into the lectionary 4th Sunday of Advent – December 24, 2017 Isaiah 9:2-7; Luke 2:1-20 Advent 4B Advent 4 falls on Christmas Eve this year and choices have no doubt been made about..
Looking into the lectionary 3rd Sunday of Advent – December 17, 2017 Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28 Advent 3B Good news to the oppressed. Bind up the brokenhearted. Liberty, release,..
Hymns Seasonal hymns by J. Barrie Shepherd Beloved Presbyterian poet J. Barrie Shepherd has crafted hymns for Advent, Christmas and welcoming in the new year set to familiar Christmas tunes..
Hymns Silence Falls – Advent hymn A new hymn for Advent by Paul Hooker. Your hymn purchase includes downloads of a PDF of the lyrics scored with the..
Looking into the lectionary 2nd Sunday of Advent — December 10, 2017 Isaiah 40:1-11; 2 Peter 3:8-15 ; Mark 1:1-8 Advent 2B Punctuation matters. Maybe you’ve seen those T-shirts and mugs that read: “Let’s..
Prayers for the moment Responsive Advent prayer of confession As Advent dawns again, O God, we lament that hateful chants, violence, and death have marked our streets. Lord, have mercy! God..
Looking into the lectionary First Sunday of Advent — December 3, 2017 Isaiah 64:1-9; Mark 13:24-37 Advent 1B Let’s start with the most basic of questions as we kick off Advent this year: Do..