Irreverently Reverend

  Christmas Eve In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists.  2  This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria.  3  Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled.  4  Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea.  5  He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant.  6  While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby.  7  She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom. 8  Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night.  9  The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified. 10  The...

  Ordinary Time So the Lord sent Nathan to David. When Nathan arrived he said, “There were two men in the same city, one rich, one poor.  2  The rich man had a lot of sheep and cattle,  3  but the poor man had nothing—just one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised that lamb, and it grew up with him and his children. It would eat from his food and drink from his cup—even sleep in his arms! It was like a daughter to him. 4  “Now a traveler came to visit the rich man, but he wasn’t willing to take anything from his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had arrived. Instead, he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the visitor.” 5  David got very angry at the man, and he said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the one who did this is demonic!  6  He must restore the ewe lamb seven times over because he did this and because he had no compassion.” 7  “You are that man!” Nathan tol...

  Advent II 1  Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.  2  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.  3  A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.  4  Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.  5  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." 6  A voice says, "Cry!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.  7  The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass.  8  The grass withers, the flo...

Christ the King Sunday 31  “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.  32  Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  33  And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.  34  Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  35  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  36  I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’  37  Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or ...