Common Lectionary

Second Sunday of Advent (C), December 7, 2003 I Want to be a Friend! Philippians 1:3-11 It really doesn't matter what Personality Inventory test I take. I come out being friendly and needing friends. My wife tells me I never meet a stranger. I gather energy when I'm around p

First Sunday of Advent (C), November 30, 2003 Security in a Wild and Wacky World Luke 21:25-36 Marty Findley. Now I know that you don't know Marty, but I do. He was one of the adult parishioners in my first assignment after seminary graduation. We lived about two hours from Cincin

Proper 29 (B), November 23, 2003 The One We Can Trust Revelation 1:4b-8 As John takes up pen to write he begins to address those who feel defeated; those who are troubled and distressed; those whose faith is waning; those who wonder just when God will "right the wrongs". That is: Peopl

Proper 28 (B), November 16, 2003 Christ's Work And Our Part Hebrews 10:11-25 Imagine you lived near Jerusalem either shortly before or soon after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. How would this momentous event influence your faith? This might be the very setting for the w

Proper 27 (B), November 9, 2003 When Religion Goes Bad Mark 12:38-44 The French mathematician Blaise Pascal once said, "People never do evil so cheerfully as when they do it in the name of God." Indeed, religion can become a platform for all sorts of actions and attitudes that are immor

All Saints Sunday (B), November 2, 2003 Rendering to Caesar, Rendering to God Mark 12:28-34 During times of war and times of peace, Christians wonder what they owe to their government and what they owe to God. During our recent conflict with Iraq, this was no less an issue. The Los Angeles Time

Proper 21 (B), Sept. 28, 2003 It's Too Early to Say Esther 7:1-10 Was it Yogi Berra, the New York Yankee catcher who used to manage the New York Mets, who once suggested the profound piece of information, "It ain't over till it's over"? It looks like something good is coming and we are s

Proper 20 (B) September 21, 2003 Who is Great? Mark 9:30-37 On the journey to Capernaum, the disciples had been discussing greatness. Nothing really unusual about that. The conversation had been on which of them was the greatest. Nothing really wrong with that. Not really. There is a

Proper 19 (B), Sept. 14, 2003 Make Your Choice Mark 8:27-38 I understand heart bypass surgery is classified as elective surgery. Elective? The cardiologist says you need bypass surgery. If you elect not to have surgery you will suffer a heart attack, possibly death. Surgery could bring y

Proper 18 (B), September 7, 2003 Playing Favorites? James 2:1-10 I don't know if you saw it but there was a program on PBS called The Manner House. The idea of the project was to have a group of people live in an English manner house as though it were 1906, the waning years of the gilded age.