Category: Advent 2015
-
Christmas 2015 – The Psalm Passages
The Psalm Passage – The Week of Christmas: The Lord that has come “The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him, and consumes his adversaries on every side.…
-
Christmas 2015 – Gospel Passage
The Gospel Passage – The First Sunday After Christmas: Many years have passed since Jesus’ birth, although the gospel of Luke skips over those years. That is partly why I decided to wait until later in the morning to post this; although you may be reading it one after another. In any case, Jesus has…
-
Christmas 2015 – The Gospel Passages
The Gospel Passage – The Week of Christmas: Jesus is here! “In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from…
-
Christmas 2015 – The Epistles Passages
Today we are looking at the two Epistles Passages; the passage from Titus is part of Proper II, the portion of the lectionary for Christmas. The passage from Colossians is for the first Sunday after Christmas. The Epistles – Week of Christmas: We need Jesus “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our…
-
Christmas 2015 – The Old Testament Passages
The timing this year of Christmas, beloved reader, makes the passages of the Revised Common Lectionary, tumble one over the other. Friday of this week is Christmas, but Sunday is already the first Sunday after Christmas, and there are multiple sets of passages. Last year for this period of time I chose Proper I as…
-
Fourth Week of Advent – Christ now; but who then? And what of peace to all humanity? (The Old Testament Passage)
“But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought…
-
Fourth Week of Advent – Preparing, and being prepared, for Advent (The Gospel Passage)
“In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are…
-
Fourth Week of Advent – Hope on the way (The Psalm Passage)
“Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us! Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.” (Psalm 80: 1-3) It would…
-
Fourth Week of Advent – Jumping Ahead – For a Short Time (The Epistles Passage)
The theme of this lectionary year – confession, penance, and forgiveness – comes through in the Advent readings. Here the writer of Hebrews (thought to be Paul) has Christ explaining that it was his body that was offered as penance for humanity’s sin. That other offering did not satisfy humanity’s (or the Jews) long term…
-
Third Week of Advent – God has a plan (The Pseudo-Psalm Passage)
“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the Lord God is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2 – 3) As we come to the end of this third week of Advent…