Irreverently Reverend

  Christmas Eve Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in t...

  Third Sunday after Epiphany For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.  13  For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14  Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many.  15  If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.  16  And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.  17  If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be?  18  But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.  19  If all were a single member, where would the body be?  20...

  Ordinary Time 15  Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise,  16  making the most of the time, because the days are evil.  17  So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  18  Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,  19  as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts,  20  giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ . (NRSV)               A friend of mine introduced me to the song “Joy” in college, playing it on a CD in her well-worn Honda Fit while the sun slid down behind the railroad tracks.   I didn’t get it—didn’t like it, at first.   The lyrics are jarringly at odds with the chord progression and the whole thing felt right at the edge...

  Third Sunday of Easter See what kind of love the Father has given to us in that we should be called God’s children, and that is what we are! Because the world didn’t recognize him, it doesn’t recognize us. 2  Dear friends, now we are God’s children, and it hasn’t yet appeared what we will be. We know that when he appears we will be like him because we’ll see him as he is.  3  And all who have this hope in him purify themselves even as he is pure.  4  Every person who practices sin commits an act of rebellion, and sin is rebellion .  5  You know that he appeared to take away sins, and there is no sin in him.  6  Every person who remains in relationship to him does not sin. Any person who sins has not seen him or known him. 7  Little children, make sure no one deceives you. The person who practices righteousness is righteous, in the same way that Jesus is righteous. (CEB)          ...