Irreverently Reverend

  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...

  Ordinary Time These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham was the father of Isaac,  20  and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean.  21  Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife because she was barren, and the Lord granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.  22  The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is to be this way, why do I live?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.  23  And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb,     and two peoples born of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other;     the elder shall serve the younger.” 24  When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb.  25  The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle, so they name...

  Ash Wednesday             Shout out, do not hold back!   Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Today is Ash Wednesday, a day of remembering mortality, of talking about sins and penitence.   It is a gray day when the snow keeps coming and there are so many uncertainties about Ukraine and my voice is just not loud enough when the newscasters never stop talking. Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. This feels more like church—more like what we’ve made church into, at least.   We come to services to feel the ash drift down onto our eyebrows and be reminded that we are broken, we mortals who keep trying so hard, we humans who want to be loved. 2  Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;   What if we were a nation that practiced righteousn...

  Ordinary Time On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters;  5  but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.  6  Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb.  7  So it went on year by year; as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.  8  Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?” 9  After they had eaten and drunk at Shiloh, Hannah rose and presented herself before the Lord. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord.  10  She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly. ...