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BAPTISM OF JESUS + MARK 1:4-12 Bible Background: John the Baptist appears and acts like one of the prophets. He attracts people from all over. John issues a call to serious repentance. People respond! Maybe John has tapped into a hungering for God; a hunger that people have for... Read More →

LUKE 2: SIMEON AND ANNA Bible Background: Luke has started his gospel with pairs of people: Zechariah & Elizabeth, Mary & Joseph, and now Simeon & Anna. He’s also included a series of ‘songs’ or poems that celebrate what God is doing: The... Read More →

MARY: FAVORED AND FAITHFUL + LUKE 1 Bible Background: The Narrative Lectionary leads us into the Gospel of Luke now through Easter! Luke’s gospel starts out with the angel Gabriel visiting old Zechariah, and announcing that he will father a son who is to be named John. In... Read More →

ISAIAH 61= COMFORT AND JOY! Bible Background: This is one of the ‘servant poems’ of 2nd Isaiah, commissioning God’s servant to be a bearer of good news. Christians will think of Jesus when we read these words. In fact, Jesus’ applied these words to himself... Read More →

Isaiah 40=Comfort! Comfort! Bible Background: Isaiah 40 marks a completely new section of the book, written to offer a word of hope for exiles who are returning to Jerusalem. (Scholars refer to chapters 40-55 as “2nd Isaiah”, because it appears that the book is the... Read More →

MARK’S “LITTLE APOCALYPSE” Bible Background: It’s a bit awkward that we jump into the Year of Mark near the end of his gospel, rather than starting from the beginning. But this passage fits the Advent themes of “waiting”,... Read More →

THE CHURCH YEAR IN 2 MINUTES! Churches that are Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, UCC, United Methodist, Episcopalian, Moravian, are known as ‘liturgical’ churches-which means we use a structured order of worship (with ancient roots), and we use a lectionary... Read More →

MATTHEW 25:13f = PARABLE OF THE TALENTS Bible Background: This is the 3rd of 4 ‘judgement/end times’ parables that Matthew places just prior to the plot to kill Jesus; the Last Supper; and events that follow. These parables seem to have some ‘shock-value’,... Read More →

Matthew 25 on “Being Prepared” Bible Background: Matthew 24–25 are two chapters on the end of time and the future coming of Christ. Scenes of judgement abound. Matthew makes clear that “no one knows the day or the hour”, and that staying faithful... Read More →

MATTHEW 5:1-12=BLESSED ARE… Bible Background: In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus’ standout teaching is summarized in the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7). We need not assume that this was all one ‘sermon’! That would be a lot of content! Moses went up on... Read More →