The Taste of Things X: Advent’s Hard Work
Newsflash: There is such pain in the world! It is not suffering in general that overwhelms me, but when it devolves into cruelty, brutality, and ruthless violence I feel cut…
Liberty to Captives and Release to Prisoners
Isaiah 61: 1-2a, 10-11 (RM) or 1-4, 8-11 (RCL); Psalm 126 or Luke 1: 46-50, 53-54 (RM) or 47-55 (RCL); 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-24; John 1: 6-8, 19-28. It was…
A Teaspoon of Neutron Star
Usually Advent stirs in me feelings of wonder and light – waiting in joyful hope. This Advent, I am more aware of the hovering presence of darkness and death, than…
Striking Words from Unexpected People
Isaiah 40: 1-5, 9-11 (RM) or 1-11 (RCL); Psalm 85; 2 Peter 3: 8-14 (RM) or 8-15a (RCL); Mark 1: 1-8. Really, sometimes you hear the most striking things from…
The Saviour is Coming!
Isaiah 63: 16b-17, 64: 1, 3-8 (RM in Canada) or Isaiah 63: 16b-17, 19b, 64: 2-7 (RM in U.S.) or 64: 1-9 (RCL); Psalm 80; I Corinthians 1: 3-9; Mark…
Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Advent A
Isaiah 7:10-14 (RM) or 10-16 (RCL); Psalm 24 (RM) or 80 (RCL); Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-24 (RM) or 18-25 (RCL.) Two weeks ago, I was sitting contentedly in a wonderful…
Reflection for the Third Sunday of Advent A
Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10 (RM) or 1-10 (RCL); Psalm 146; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11. Cousins. The depth of the relationship between cousins can vary from nonexistent to very close. In my…
Reflection for the Second Sunday of Advent A
Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72; Romans 15:4-9 (RM) or 4-13 (RCL); Matthew 3:1-12. If I were standing in front of you preaching (and not tapping away on a computer keyboard) I’d…
Reflection for the First Sunday of Advent A
Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:37-44 (RM) or 36-44 (RCL.) It’s the purple season for Roman Catholics, blue season for Protestants. It’s the standing-on-tiptoes-craning your-neck season (and not…