1st Lesson The prophet proclaims good news to a people in exile (Isaiah 40:1-8) Comfort, comfort my people! says your God.Speak compassionately to Jerusalem,and proclaim to her that her compulsory service has ended, that her penalty has been paid,that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins! A voice is crying…
Readings from the Scriptures (CEB) Luke 1:5-24a 5 During the rule of King Herod of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron. 6 They were both righteous before God, blameless in their observance of all the Lord’s commandments and regulations. 7 They had no…
Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’ (with thanks to Rev. Jim Tenford) Matthew 1:18-23 (CEB)18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary his mother was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn’t want to humiliate her, he…
Readings from the Scriptures Hebrews 10:11-25 NRSV And every priest stands day after day at his service, offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, “he sat down at the right hand of God,” and since then…
Readings from the Scriptures (CEB) Mark 12: 38-44 38 As he was teaching, he said, “Watch out for the legal experts. They like to walk around in long robes. They want to be greeted with honor in the markets. 39 They long for places of honor in the synagogues and at banquets. 40 They are the ones who cheat widows out…
Readings from the Scriptures (CEB) Mark 12:28-34 28 One of the legal experts heard their dispute and saw how well Jesus answered them. He came over and asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus replied, “The most important one is Israel, listen! Our God is the one Lord, 30 and you must love the Lord your…
Readings from the Scriptures (MSG) Mark 10:46-5 46-48 They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road. When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began…
Readings from the Scriptures (NRSV) Matthew 13:1-9 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A…
Readings from the Scriptures (CEB) Mark 10:17-31 17 As Jesus continued down the road, a man ran up, knelt before him, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to obtain eternal life?” 18 Jesus replied, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except the one God. 19 You know the commandments: Don’t commit murder. Don’t commit adultery.…
Readings from the Scriptures (CEB) Mark 10:2-16 2 Some Pharisees came and, trying to test him, they asked, “Does the Law allow a man to divorce his wife?” 3 Jesus answered, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a divorce certificate and to divorce his wife.” 5 Jesus said to them, “He wrote this…