Christmas

Christmas Eve

Year B Isaiah 62:6-12 Psalm 97 Titus 3:4-7 Luke 2:8-20 May the words of my mouth O God…  speak your truth… It’s not yet midnight…  it’s not yet December 25th…  but we can still say…  can still legitimately say…  Merry Christmas… that’s because based on the Jewish calendar…  Christmas actually began at 5:13 this afternoon… you see… according...

What’s in a name?

Rev. Alexander Steward January 1, 2023 Luke 2:15-21 Grace and peace to you from our Triune God. Here we find ourselves on the doorstep of a new year. The possibilities lay out in front of us, ours to grasp and run with. There are challenges we have yet to face and even some we...

Brighter than a Supernova

It feels a bit odd to write an Epiphany article on the heels of Christmas because we’re still in the midst of Christmastide. But even in the days after Christmas, it may be helpful to explain why “Jesus born in Bethlehem” (Matthew 2:1) is something we experience in Holy Communion. Bethlehem literally means “house...

Under the Surface

Year C Isaiah 52:7-10 Psalm 98 Hebrews 1:1-4 John 1:1-14 May the words of my mouth O God…  speak your truth… I didn’t want it to be John’s Gospel tonight…  not on Christmas Eve…  I wanted the familiar stories about Mary and Joseph… and inns…  and mangers…  and oxen and sheep…  and a baby…  and shepherds in the...