The Rev. Dr. Troy Troftgruben writes, "At some level, all temptation and testing boils down to a singular choice, between a life oriented around personal gain and fulfillment, and a life oriented around God. At each juncture of decision, we move closer or farther from one or the other orientation. Yet, in choosing fidelity to God, we discover our true identity. In saying 'no' to distractions, we identify more directly the importance of our relationship with God. And in the…
The Rev. Dr. Amy C. Schifrin writes, "Wear the cross of Jesus on your mind’s eye + this Lent, wear it on your lips +, wear it on your hearts +. Take the next forty days and lay your lives bare before God, not that he doesn’t already know what’s going on with you, but so that you might know that he is with you in all of it. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor…
Pastor Russell E. Saltzman writes, "Do you remember, or have you been told, how once at your own Baptism a community of Christ prayed over you that your light would shine for people everywhere that you might be like him? Like him, our transfigured Lord, a light in that darkness in which we try to survive. And with that he says to you no more than what he said to Peter, James and John: Get up. And do not be…
The Rev. Dr. Amy C. Schrifrin writes, "Love is, and love does, and when it finally takes ahold of us all those other things we thought were important will fade away, and our energies will be put to service in his name and for the sake of all for whom he died…and for whom he lives. Resurrection love we can call it, and without it, everything we do is in vain. But with it, even the mountains are moved and…
Dr. Leroy Huizenga writes, "Jesus here is presented as a good Jew. More than any other Gospel, Luke's Gospel emphasizes the continuity between Jesus and Judaism. Indeed, the setup for the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 involves Jesus saying that fulfilling the commands to love of God and neighbor--which his interlocutor quotes from Deuteronomy and Leviticus--is sufficient for salvation: 'Do this, and you will live' (10:28)."
The Rev. Dr. Amy C. Schifrin writes, "So he bids us to come to his wedding supper today, to eat this body that was broken when his hour had come, to drink this mercy that flowed from the cross and covered the whole world. He bids us come. At Cana in Galilee his mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.' Today he is telling you, 'Do this in remembrance of me.' Do this and live. Do this…
Dr. Nicholas Perrin writes, "Not only was John’s baptism of repentance and conversion (a provocative gesture in its own right), but it was also a baptism 'for the forgiveness of sins,' that is, for the sought-for result of forgiveness. John was claiming, in other words, to dispense that which up until that point was only procured in the temple: forgiveness. When you go around offering a baptism for the forgiveness of sins, you are implicitly saying, 'Whatever you are used…
Epiphany is traditionally celebrated on January 6 but is often moved to a Sunday; this year, January 6 happens to be a Sunday so for Catholics the feast is not shifted. Epiphany is the celebration of God in Jesus Christ made manifest to the world, represented by the Magi. The Gospel text for Epiphany, Matthew 2:1-12, is suggestive, presaging in subtle ways things good, bad, and ugly, showing that Jesus is a cause of division, encountering resistance from the beginning…
Pastor Russell E. Saltzman writes, "I am glad, even encouraged, to find out that Jesus was a normal kid, perfectly normal, pretty much like my kids were growing up; maybe like your kids growing up now. He wasn’t some goodie-goodie who didn’t know anything about people, about you, about me. Instead, as the Letter to the Hebrews points out, 'he was made like his brothers in every respect. . . .' (Heb 2:17). And this story tells me that even…
Dr. Joshua Genig writes, "So, take heart this day. In fact, have some fun today. The angels who spoke to the shepherds, speak to you as well. It’s as though you can hear them crying out this morning: 'This will be a sign for you. You will find a baby, wrapped in the swaddling clothes of bread and wine and lying on the altar, waiting to be placed upon the manger of your tongue.' The marked one, marked by what…
