Posts

Please Hold for an Available Representative: Matthew 5:43-6:13

  Ordinary Time:  Series on the vows of The United Methodist Church 43  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  44  But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  45  so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.  46  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  47  And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the gentiles do the same?  48  Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 6  “Beware of practicing your righteousness before others in order to be seen by them, for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2  “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as...

Saul and Ananias: The Hurt We Give: Acts 9:1-19

  Ordinary Time; Pride Sunday Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest  2  and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.  3  Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.  4  He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”  5  He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.  6  But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”  7  The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one.  8  Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus....

Numbered among the Twelve: Numbered with St. Matthias: Acts 1:10-26

  Ordinary Time 10  While he was going away and as they were staring toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood next to them.  11  They said, “Galileans, why are you standing here, looking toward heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you saw him go into heaven.” 12  Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a sabbath day’s journey away.  13  When they entered the city, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. Peter, John, James, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James, Alphaeus’ son; Simon the zealot; and Judas, James’ son—  14  all were united in their devotion to prayer, along with some women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. 15  During this time, the family of believers was a company of about one hundred twenty persons. Peter stood among them and said,  16  “Broth...