Irreverently Reverend

  Advent III 57  When the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, she gave birth to a boy.  58  Her neighbors and relatives celebrated with her because they had heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy.  59  On the eighth day, it came time to circumcise the child. They wanted to name him Zechariah because that was his father’s name.  60  But his mother replied, “No, his name will be John.” 61  They said to her, “None of your relatives have that name.”  62  Then they began gesturing to his father to see what he wanted to call him. 63  After asking for a tablet, he surprised everyone by writing, “His name is John.”  64  At that moment, Zechariah was able to speak again, and he began praising God. 65  All their neighbors were filled with awe, and everyone throughout the Judean highlands talked about what had happened.  66  All who heard about this considered it carefully. They said, “What the...

  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)          ...

  Fourth Sunday after Epiphany “As I was on my way and drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from heaven suddenly shone around me.  7  And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’  8  And I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’  9  Now those who were with me saw the light but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me.  10  And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Rise, and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that is appointed for you to do.’  11  And since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus. 12  “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there,  13 ...