Sermons

The Rev. Dr. Katharine C. Black
Exodus 34:29-35
Ps 99
2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2
Luke 9:28-36

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. AMEN.

The narrative of Jesus' Transfiguration connects his baptism with the Easter glory, but it's not as simple as just going from glory to glory. It's only a matter of weeks for us since the Sunday after the Epiphany when we heard about the baptism of Jesus. "Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."  That epiphany put Jesus on notice from the heavens of who he was. While he had come to be baptized along with others, the voice, the message, was to him alone. His baptism, early in his ministry and early in Luke's Gospel, announced something arresting to him. He'd come along with many people to answer John's call to a baptism of repentance. John had been wandering around, calling people to such a baptism, and his cousin had shown up in the large crowd who'd come to him. Nothing is made of that meeting in the narrative, but we always wonder about who said what to whom during this encounter.

The Rev. Dr. Katharine C. Black
Isaiah 6: 1-8 [9-13]
Psalm 138
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Luke 5: 1-11

The Lord will make good his purpose for me: O Lord your love endures forever. AMEN.

A poem:

"On the shore fish toss in the stretched nets of Simon, James, and John.
High above, swallows. Wings of butterflies. Cathedrals."

All the readings this morning focus on responses to God's call. In general the pattern of such calls is: commission (the call;) objection (not me;) reassurance (indeed, just you;) and some sign. Isaiah describes being overwhelmed by the presence of God in God's might, splendor and heavenly presence, and calling out, "Woe is me!" His objection acknowledges that he recognized in himself, a sinner, especially in the face of God. His absolution continues through a burning coal. Forgiven, he is sent out to teach people to mend their ways and attend to the Lord. He is describing the impact of coming in contact with the Lord. He understands in seeing God, the seraphs, and the heavenly experience that he's human, finite, and so small. He accepts the challenge, and understands that the sign of a new seed growing will be the slow time, when even a cut-down tree regenerates.

The Rev. Dr. Katharine Black, preaching
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Psalm 71: 1-6
1 Corinthians 13: 1-13
Luke 4: 21-30

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. AMEN.

What made people so angry at Jesus that day in the synagogue in Nazareth? "All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth." They liked what he said and heard it well, but then they reconsidered. He told them that they'd reject him because he was a local person, and then he added two little biblical stories, which filled those there "with rage." What was the series of three stories? Why did it set them off?

The Rev. Dr. Katharine C. Black
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm 19
1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a
Luke 4: 14-21

This day is holy to the Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. AMEN.

"The Lord has anointed me."

Both Nehemiah and Luke describe a person reading in a synagogue, "reading from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation." The shape of each story is similar, but the mood is somewhat different at the end of each. They sound a little different, and neither directs us into action, so the lectionary includes part of Paul's letter to those in Corinth. I'll comment as we go.

The Rev. Dr. Katharine C. Black
Isaiah 62:1-5
Psalm 36:5-10
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
John 2: 1-11

How priceless is your love, O God, your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.  AMEN.

"Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come." John's Gospel has Jesus challenge or dismiss his mother in this way, while also declaring the theological chronology that Jesus has not yet died, risen, and ascended, that the hour of his salvific work has not yet come. John's theme is more theological than narrative or historical, so even in this wedding scene with his mother, John wants to declare who Jesus is and when that epiphany is to be known to all.

The Rev. Dr. Katharine C. Black, preaching
Isaiah 43:1-7
Psalm 29
Acts 8: 14-178
LUKE 3: 15-17, 21-22

This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. AMEN.

"When Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

The Rev. Dr. Katharince C. Black, preaching
Isaiah 60: 1-6
Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14
Ephesians 3: 1-12
Matthew 2: 1-12

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD shall appear upon you. AMEN.

"Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we have observed his star, and have come to pay him homage. Eventually, when they followed his star and saw where it had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy."

The Rev. Dr. Katharine C. Black, preaching
Jeremiah 31: 7-14
Psalm 84: 1-8
Ephesians 1: 3-6, 15-19a
Matthew 2: 13-15, 19-23

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. AMEN.

The Christmas order of readings is usually this: Christmas Eve and Christmas: Luke's Christmas birth narrative, then the Sunday after that "In the beginning was the word, " then the next Sunday the Magi, counting as the Epiphany, and so the following Sunday is the baptism of Jesus. These are all elevated slightly mystical readings, which have metaphor and mystery, and a kind of hyper-churchiness to them. Moreover, because few churches are daily Mass churches any more, we miss the saints' days following Christmas, St. Stephen, St. John the Evangelist, and the Holy Innocents. Since, in this year, there is an opportunity to hear the flight into Egypt, it seems worth thinking about this whole week, and so I included the missing three verses to the Gospel, to include the Holy Innocents.

The Rev. Dr. Katharine C. Black, preaching

Isaiah 61: 10-62-3;
Psalm 147: 13-21
Galatians 3: 23-25, 4: 4-7
John 1: 1-18

Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God! How pleasant it is to honor God with praise!  AMEN.

Many collects are general, but today's is well aligned with its opening phrase: Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word. The lessons all spin around that idea of the incarnate Word, as around an atom's nucleus. Think of the big atom at one entrance to the Science Museum. Today's lessons go around that core phrase like those particles spinning around the center, with the center, elusively hard to see, and more elusive to understand. In Orthodox liturgies this opening hymn in John is the Easter Vigil's Gospel, emerging from the dark of Holy Week.

The Rev. Dr. Katharine C. Black, preaching
Isaiah 62: 6-12
Psalm 97
Titus 3: 4-7
Luke 2: 1-20

" Go tell it on the mountains, over the hills and everywhere; go tell it on the mountains, that Jesus Christ is born." AMEN.

Merry Christmas to you and to yours. It's wonderful to see you here, Merry Christmas. We went to Black Nativity last week, and it was fun, interesting, and wonderful. Many of the songs that make up that pageant were familiar Christmas carols, with different accompaniment than Jeffrey provides for us. Although familiar in word and tune, the songs were presented at a different speed, a slower more deliberate beat. Particularly noticeable was the deliberate pace of the leader's, "Go tell it on the mountain, over the fields, and everywhere. Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born."