February 15, 2016 - Sunday, St. Valentine’s Day, was the First Sunday in Lent.  A 40-day period of prayer and reflection leading up to Easter, Lent is celebrated by most Christians around the world.  The Sundays in Lent are not actually part of Lent but are seen as “little Easters.”  

January 31, 2016 - Sunday was the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany.  The Epistle Lesson is St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.  The 13th Chapter ends, “And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”  We know that sometimes before love can take hold there must be healing.  I relied on the book, The Gospel According to Harry Potter.  In the seven book series there are numerous Christian allegories.  By the end of the first book, Harry knows that the greatest thing in the world is love.

Sunday was the Third Sunday after the Epiphany.  The Old Testament Lesson was Nehemiah 8: 1-3, 5-6, 8-10.  Ezra brought out a scroll of the Torah and read words of hope to a defeated, beaten, subjected, hungry people.  The words of hope were not only welcomed but vitally necessary.  When Ezra finished he stepped down from the makeshift pulpit and walked among the people carrying the scroll.  The people reached out to touch the Holy Book of Israel and no longer felt as hopeless.  No, their multitude of problems still existed but they were once again given hope.

January 11, 2016 - It was a cold start Sunday morning. Everyone at church sure appreciated Fannie coming last night and turning on the heaters. We are in the season of the Epiphany. Today traditionally is “the Baptism of our Lord” Sunday. All four of the Gospels tell of Jesus’ baptism by John. After his baptism and his forty days off by himself, Jesus’ ministry begins. Some historians say that Jesus’ ministry was only a year long, but most believe it was three years. So little is known about this time that it is hard to tell just how long it was.

December 28, 2015 - Sunday was the First Sunday after Christmas. Traditionally this Sunday is about the childhood and family of Jesus. There are only three episodes dealing with the childhood of Jesus: His parents presented him as an infant at the Temple ; the wise men came to see this Jesus; the third is the one that serves as today’s Gospel. Jesus is around twelve or thirteen, making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem with his family. I sure wish there was more about the young Jesus.