Nehemiah 8:1-10 ; Luke 4:14-21 Last week I reminisced a bit about the old days when the churches were full on most Sundays – when the ushers were responsible for helping you find a place to sit, when Sunday school classes were bursting at the seams, both children and adult – like the photo above! It isn’t like that anymore. The last time I remember people flocking to houses of worship as though it meant something important to them was in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. They didn’t exactly fill the sanctuaries, but that was a time when many people returned to church after a period of absence. It was a time when casual worship-goers came in looking more purposeful than usual, like they were actually looking for something that mattered. It was a time when we were startled out of our complacency; a sharp reminder that we are not […]
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Gathered In
Isaiah 60:1-6 ; Matthew 2:1-12 Today is the day of Epiphany, also known as Three Kings Day. Although the gospel of Matthew doesn’t actually say they were kings. Americans don’t get into it with the same energy as others do, but Epiphany is a big day in some parts of the world, with a whole collection of traditions around it. The king cakes, where something is hidden inside and whoever gets the piece with the prize becomes the king. Or, in some cultures it means you get to pay for the cake. There are places where children dress up as kings and go door to door singing songs and collecting sweets – sort of a cross between caroling and trick-or-treating. Epiphany, in some places is the day when gifts are exchanged – not on Christmas Day, but Epiphany Day. It marks the end of the Christmas season, 12 days long. Epiphany, like […]
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