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Lent 1- Jesus is tempted by the Devil

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Genesis 2: 15-17, 3: 1-7; Psalm 32; Romans 5: 12-19; Matthew 4: 1-11 Lent is 40 days (minus Sundays) in imitation of the 40 days Christ spent in the wilderness. 40 is a symbolic number that represents preparation. So, this is a time for Christ to prepare for his public ministry. He is led into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil and he is tempted in three ways. I thought it might be interesting to consider how some of the Church Fathers looked at this. (There were Mothers, but they didn’t really write anything that we still have). Generally, The Church Father saw Scripture as having a layered interpretations. So you could read a passage literally, which means the plain meaning of the text- (we might say the surface reading). Then there was the moral sense, which was a way of applying the passage to the individual believer’s life, often this meant a moral lesson learned. And the spiritual sense is a symbolic way of reading the text that might connect with other parts of Scripture...
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Ash Wednesday

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  Joel 2: 1-2, 12-17; Matthew 6: 1-6, 6-21 As you know, Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent. Lent was originally a time for people to prepare for baptism at Easter. In the early Church, these were people who were leaving Paganism. We tend to think of Pagans as a bunch of nature worshipping hippies. But when you look into it, there was some pretty dark stuff happening there. (There’s stuff that just isn’t even right for me to repeat here.) So, those who were coming to be baptized had to be prepared. They were going to be washed outwardly, but they also need to be washed inwardly, and part of that was learning a new way to be in the world. This is sometimes called a Phronema- this means something like “mindset”. When Paul talks about having the “mind of Christ” in Philippians 2, this is what he is talking about. It is a new way of seeing the world. It means replacing old patterns of thinking with new ways of thinking. It means replacing old assumptions with new assumptions. … It takes...
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Transfiguration

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Exodus 24: 12-18; Psalm 2; 2 Peter 1: 16-21; Matthew 17: 1-9 Today we have reached the end of the season after Epiphany. As we’ve talked about before, “Epiphany” comes from a Greek word meaning something like “manifestation”. And throughout this season we have seen Jesus’ true identity being manifested. In our Gospel reading today, we see another manifestation of who Jesus is. They see Jesus transfigured. His face is changed and his clothes become white and radiant. He looks like a heavenly being, which is of course who he is. He came from heaven. He existed before his own birth. … Right before our Gospel reading today, Jesus asks his disciples the question,  “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”  And they answer,  “John the Baptist, others say Elijah; and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets” (Matt 16:13-14).  This question is the central question of the season after Epiphany- ‘who is Jesus?’ Jesus then asks them a more important question. ...
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Light, Salt, and Law- Matt 5

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  Isaiah 58: 1-12; Psalm 112: 1-10; 1 Corinthians 2: 1-16; Matthew 5: 13-20 In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus tells us what it means to be citizens of the Kingdom of God. Jesus describes a person who is not controlled by the destructive force of anger; who treats lust as seriously as adultery; who doesn’t abandon their spouse (in a culture where that would leave them very vulnerable); he describes a person whose word can be trusted without extra oaths and contracts; who doesn’t seek revenge; who loves their enemies; who gives to the needy secretly without needing to be recognized for it; who doesn’t serve money as the most important reality in life; who is not anxious about the necessities of life; and who doesn’t judge others because they recognize they still have much to correct in their own lives. … This is what a citizen of the Kingdom of God is like. Jesus is describing the way of life for those who want to be his disciples. … The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer thought ...
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What kind of person is invited into the kingdom? Matthew 5

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Micah 6: 1-8; Psalm 15; 1 Corinthians 1: 18-31; Matthew 5: 1-12 The season after Epiphany is about manifestation. This is what we have been talking about on Sundays. We see things about Jesus that were previously hidden. … In last week’s Gospel reading, Jesus began to gather the Apostles who would come to reconstitute the 12 tribes of Israel. We also read that Jesus called people to repent, saying that the Kingdom of Heaven has come near. To be citizens of this new kingdom means a different way of being- a different way of thinking and acting- which is why we are called to repent. Repenting means to change our mindset. … Today’s Gospel reading begins the Sermon on the Mount, which is chapters 5-7 of Matthew. It is an answer to the question: What is a citizen of the kingdom of God like? Our readings today speak about a life aligned with God. We read in Micah,  “what does the LORD require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8)....
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The Kingdom of Heaven has Come Near- Matt 4

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Isaiah 9: 1-4; Psalm 27: 1, 5-13; 1 Corinthians 1: 10-18; Matthew 4: 12-23 The season of Epiphany is about manifestation. We see things about Jesus that were previously hidden. The Magi witness the Christ-child as the King of the Jews. When he humbly submits himself to Baptism in solidarity with broken humanity, Jesus is revealed as the Son of God, and we witness the presence of the Father and the Spirit. John the Baptist reveals that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. … The true identity of Jesus is being revealed. The prophet Isaiah says,  “the people dwelling in darkness / have seen a great light, / and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, / on them a light has dawned.”   Matthew applies the words of Isaiah to the arrival of Jesus. Jesus is the light that has dawned for a a people dwelling in the region and shadow of death. The Messiah has arrived, he is the true king, … and he is the Son of God, and he is the Lamb o...
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Lamb of God

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Isaiah 49: 1-7; Psalm 40: 1-12; 1 Corinthians 1: 1-9; John 1: 29-42 The season after Epiphany is about Jesus being revealed. As we go through this season, we will see glimpses of who Jesus really is. Last week Pastor Fergus described the manifestation at the Baptism of Jesus. … Today we read about what John the Baptist experienced when Jesus was baptized. God reveals to him that there is something deeper about Jesus. He is told that as he is baptizing, he will see the Holy Spirit rest on someone. This would be a sign to him about who this person is. John says,  “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him”.  John points to Jesus saying,  “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" What might have come to mind for people when John used the phrase “Lamb of God”? As Anglicans, we are encouraged to pray Morning and Evening Prayer every day. … That rhythm is based on the daily Temple sacrifices. As a part of morning and e...
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