Category Archive

4th Sun in Ordinary Time • 2/1/15 • Leora Weitzman Deuteronomy 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Mark 1:21-28   Inhabited by fiery mountains, idols, and unclean spirits, today’s readings might not seem to belong in the modern world at all.  They will distance us still further if we use the first reading and the Gospel to emphasize the special role and power of the historical Jesus.  Although that may well be Mark’s intent, we will miss a very practical, personal message if we stop there. Consider the experience of the person who experienced healing.  I’ve always been captured by the unclean …

4th Sun in Ordinary Time • 2/1/15 • Leora Weitzman Deuteronomy 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Mark 1:21-28 Inhabited by fiery mountains, idols, and unclean spirits, today’s readings might not seem to belong in the modern world at all.  They will distance us still further if we use the first reading and the Gospel to emphasize the special role and power of the historical Jesus.  Although that may well be Mark’s intent, we will miss a very practical, personal message if we stop there. Consider the experience of the person who experienced healing.  I’ve always been captured by the unclean spirit’s …

I Samuel 3:1-20   The story of Samuel and Eli is an endearing one. We can all identify with a child’s nocturnal imagination that keeps him or her from sleeping. Imagining monsters under the bed, imagining someone coming in through the window, imagining a voice calling. Imagining whatever…shadows, things that go bump in the night. Rational conversation doesn’t help to turn off the creative mind! It doesn’t just happen to kids though. At any age we  have times when we can’t sleep and our minds are out of control. Three is the stuff of fairy tales. Goldilocks and the Three …

January 25 I Samuel 3:1-20 The story of Samuel and Eli is an endearing one. We can all identify with a child’s nocturnal imagination that keeps him or her from sleeping. Imagining monsters under the bed, imagining someone coming in through the window, imagining a voice calling. Imagining whatever…shadows, things that go bump in the night. Rational conversation doesn’t help to turn off the creative mind! It doesn’t just happen to kids though. At any age we  have times when we can’t sleep and our minds are out of control. Three is the stuff of fairy tales. Goldilocks and the …

4 January 2015 – Epiphany Sunday 1 Kings 10:1-13, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2: 1-12   The Queen of Sheba brings gold and precious stones to Solomon.  The Magi bring Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Paul brings “news of the boundless riches of Christ” to the Ephesians.  Having paid my property taxes and given my granddaughter pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, half-dollars, and dollars in equal amounts for each of her two piggy banks, I may not have much left to give you today.  Certainly nothing like the Queen of Sheba brought to Solomon or the Magi brought to Jesus.  And I …

4 January 2015 – Epiphany Sunday 1 Kings 10:1-13, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2: 1-12   The Queen of Sheba brings gold and precious stones to Solomon.  The Magi bring Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Paul brings “news of the boundless riches of Christ” to the Ephesians.  Having paid my property taxes and given my granddaughter pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, half-dollars, and dollars in equal amounts for each of her two piggy banks, I may not have much left to give you today.  Certainly nothing like the Queen of Sheba brought to Solomon or the Magi brought to Jesus.  And I …

Merry Christmas! It’s good to be back here with you today, praying – and singing.  I can’t seem to get enough that this week. Wednesday afternoon we slipped into a packed church with my parents, to a corner behind the trumpet, drums and the children’s choir at their parish. It’s the custom there for everyone to bring bells to ring during the Glorias, which adds to the festivity, and entertains the little ones. All quite lovely. But this is home. It’s hard to imagine Christmas without children. In case there is anyone here who hasn’t yet heard, our family’s movement …

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 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 (Quai-RIHN-ih-us) was governor of Syria. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her …

  Feast of All Saints and Souls, November 2, 2014               Holy Wisdom Monastery Revelations 7:9-17; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:;1-12            Patti La Cross Today’s worship has so much to take in! Truly evocative selections from the scriptures, and much ritual to follow.   Did you get some lift, just following the image of a global, victorious, massed robed choir of praise singers? Did you sense that we briefly joined their ranks for Psalm 34?   Singing is one image of the kingdom of God that we find coming through the Epistles in descriptions of early gatherings of followers of Jesus’ …