Readings – Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:1-14; Luke 2:1-20 There is a French proverb that Voltaire was fond of stating- L’enemi du bien est le bien. (The perfect is the enemy of the good.) Winston Churchill wrote in a similar vein- Perfection is the enemy of progress. If we pursue only the perfect, we…
Readings – Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18; Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25 We are all most familiar with the birth narrative from the Gospel according to St. Luke with a visit by Gabriel, a visit by Mary to Elizabeth, a stable behind an inn, and a manger, with shepherds, and with angels singing. The birth narrative…
Readings – Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3: 1-12 I truly enjoy greeting you all as you arrive for worship on Sunday, and greeting by wave to those traveling north and south along Market Street. But did you know that until about two years ago I enjoyed watching the birds and squirrels…
Readings – Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44 Mr. Schmid. Mr. Schmid was my high school American History teacher, 10th grade, 6th period, next to the last period of the day. Each night we had a reading assignment for the next day’s class. We also knew that we better do it because he…
Readings – Jeremiah 23:1-6; Song of Zechariah; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43 How many here have been to Strasburg, Pa.? How many have taken the train from Strasburg? And where does that train take you? What is the destination? Paradise, Pa. It is about a 4 ½ mile ride through Amish farmland from Strasburg to the…
Readings – Isaiah 65:17-25; Isaiah 12:2-6; II Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke 21: 5-19 There was a time not far from here, counties to the east, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Carbon, Northumberland, when coal was king. The mines were booming; the railroads were hauling; the small towns were thriving. Many of us remember those times. And then the abandonment…
Readings – Daniel 7:1-3,15-18; Psalm 149; Ephesians 1:11-23; Luke 6:20-31 The composer of Psalm 149 began with: Sing to the Lord God a new song; sing his praises… let the children of Zion be joyful… …praise him with timbrel and harp… Let the faithful rejoice… A new song yet the composer reverted back to the…
Readings – Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4; Psalm 119:137-144; II Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12; Luke 19:1-10 This morning I will focus on the well-known passage from our Gospel according to St. Luke. It occupies an important position in this Gospel, being placed just before the final approach of Jesus to Jerusalem, and the Holy Week narratives that begin…
Readings – Joel 2:23-32; Psalm 65; II Timothy 4:6-8,16-18; Luke 18:9-14 In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. … the first day…the second day…the third…
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost Readings – Galatians 6: 14-18, Psalm 121, & Matthew 11: 25-30 In the tradition of St. Francis, the twelfth-century saint, there are three elements that are crucial. First, to know God, we just need to step into nature and soak in all the beauty, the majesty, and the glory. Second, everything…