The gospel story for today is one of the stories about Jesus gathering his disciples. As the organization grew from one itinerant preacher to 12 and the 70 and then thousands, the needs for the Church also grew.… Read the rest “Offering Meditation for Epiphany 2b – 14-January-24”
The gospel story for today tells about Philip bringing his brother Nathaniel to meet Jesus. As we come to the Table, remember that the invitation that Philip brought to Nathaniel extends to us all, for we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. … Read the rest “Table Meditation (Gospel) for Epiphany 2b – 14-January-24”
What do you do when you learn about something really important? [wait for answers]
One thing I do is tell other people about it, especially if it's something really good.
In the gospel story for today, Jesus not only tells some of the people he knows about God's love, but he also asks them to help him to tell other people.… Read the rest “Children’s Moment (Gospel) for Epiphany 2b – 14-January-24”
This morning we remember the baptism of Jesus which marked the beginning of his earthly ministry. At this Table, we remember his death, which marks it's end. In both cases, the events show Jesus' obedience to God's plan "so that all righteousness could be done." … Read the rest “Alternate Table Meditation (Gospel) for Baptism of Christ B – 7-January-24”
The wisemen brought three gifts to Jesus. Gold, the metal of kings, incense, used by priests in worship, and myrrh, used in preparing the dead for burial. That third gift was a symbol that Jesus death would have great meaning. … Read the rest “Table Meditation (Gospel) for Ordinary 1b – 10-January-21”
As we remember both Jesus' baptism and our own today, we consider what it means to dedicate our lives to serving God and others in the way of Jesus. One of the things it means is supporting this congregation through our abilities, our time, and our financial resources.… Read the rest “Alternate Offering Meditation for Baptism of Christ B – 7-January-24”
If you had something really important to do, what would you do to start? Today, we're going to hear about the baptism of Jesus, which is the way Jesus started his ministry. That means that Jesus thought baptism was important enough for it to start his ministry.… Read the rest “Alternate Children’s Moment (Gospel) for Baptism of the Lord B – 7-January-24”
The wisemen brought three gifts to Jesus. Gold, the metal of kings, incense, used by priests in When the wisemen came to visit Jesus, they brought some gifts. The Bible tells us that they gave gold, frankincense, and myrrh.… Read the rest “Children’s Moment (Gospel) for Epiphany B – 7-January-24”
The gifts that the wisemen brought may seem exotic to us, gold, incense, oil, but they were actually quite practical for a family on the move in those days. All of them could be exchanged for money in any marketplace they visited, and the money could go for food, shelter, and other necessities.… Read the rest “Offering Meditation for Epiphany B – 7-January-24”
When Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple to dedicate him, they were doing their part to see that the work of God in the world was done. When Simeon and Anna praised God for seeing Jesus and then told people what they knew, they were doing their part to see the work of God in the world was done.… Read the rest “Offering Meditation for Christmas 1b – 31-December-23”