All posts filed under: Year C

2,000 years later and I’ve finally figured out the Lord’s Prayer! (maybe) (ok, not really)

July 20, 2016
by rick
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Jesus / Lectionary / New Testament / Prayer / Year C

In the Gospel of Luke the disciples ask Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray,” and Jesus gives them a shorter-than-we’re-used-to version of the Lord’s Prayer. There’s a jillion sermons and books and journal articles and videos and blog posts about the content of the Lord’s Prayer, how important it is, how similar it is to other ancient Jewish prayers of Jesus’ day, etc. But, here’s the thing… I think we might just possibly be barking […]

flannelgraph: epiphany 3c

January 20, 2016
by rick
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flannelgraph / Uncategorized / Year C

About 600 years before Jesus, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem, killed most of its inhabitants, and took some of the survivors back to Babylon as slaves. Eventually the Persians defeated the Babylonians, and Nehemiah, a Jewish man, was the Cup Bearer to the King of the Persians. Nehemiah convinced the king to let the Israelites go, AND to provide enough money to help rebuild Jerusalem, its walls, and its Temple. Today’s lesson (Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10) […]

flannelgraph: baptism of Our Lord

January 6, 2016
by rick
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Epiphany / flannelgraph / Uncategorized / Year C

The first forty chapters of Isaiah offer words of warning and doom to the people of God who had gone astray and were about to be punished by the Babylonians. Our lesson today from Isaiah (Isaiah 43:1-7) is part of the second part of the Book of Isaiah which is written to people who had already been taken off to Babylon as captives. His message to them here is “do not fear.” The people of […]

flannelgraph: advent 4c

December 15, 2015
by rick
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Advent / flannelgraph / Uncategorized / Year C

Mary, pregant with Jesus, has left her home and gone to be with her older cousin Elizabeth, who happens to also be pregnant with John the Baptist (Luke 1:39-55). I tend to think that Mary comes to the home of Elizabeth and Zecharish to seek refuge from the her own small-town life where being an unwed pregant woman would have gotten difficult. She does not come timidly though, for she bursts out in song, singing […]

flannelgraph advent 3c

December 5, 2015
by rick
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Advent / flannelgraph / Uncategorized / Year C

The third Sunday of Advent is also known as “gaudete,” the Latin word for “rejoice.” It takes its name from the words of our epistle lesson today (Philippians 4:4-7), part of which was traditionally sung on the third Sunday of Advent when we are preparing for the impending joy of the celebration of the Incarnation. This is the day when the rose colored candle on the advent wreath is lit, and in some places rose […]

flannelgraph advent 1c

November 23, 2015
by rick
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Advent / flannelgraph / Lectionary / Year C

We normally think of Advent as a time to prepare for Christmas. And, it is. “Advent” means “the coming,” and it is indeed about Christ coming in Bethlehem… But, that’s not all it’s about. Because one of the tenets of our faith is that Christ will come again. And so, each Advent we begin with remembering Jesus’ second coming, before we turn our attention back to Jesus’ first coming. We see this theme in the […]

keeping it simple – a reflection on Luke 17:5-10

September 29, 2013
by rick
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Gospels / Jesus / Lectionary / New Testament / Religion / Year C

The following is a reflection on Luke 17:5-10, the Gospel lesson appointed for Proper 22C according to the Revised Common Lectionary. The apostles ask Jesus to “increase” their faith. For me, when a parishioner walks into my office and asks for help increasing and deepening their faith, I’m thrilled! I break out some good books, talk about their prayer life, get them signed up to serve Communion on Sunday… But Jesus? He brushes the disciples […]

squandering right – a reflection on Luke 16:1-13

September 10, 2013
by rick
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Gospels / Jesus / Lectionary / Money / New Testament / Religion / Status / Year C

The following is a reflection on Luke 16:1-13, the Gospel lesson appointed for Proper 20 C, of the Revised Common Lectionary. What’s the fastest way to make God laugh? Tell Him your long-range plans. Almost every year I plan this Sunday as a ‘welcome back’ Sunday where we have all the kids in church, and we have them come up and get involved in the sermon… I always envision a tear in every mother’s eye, […]

for real – a reflection on Luke 14:25-33

August 28, 2013
by rick
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Gospels / Jesus / Lectionary / New Testament / Year C

The following is a reflection on Luke 14:25-33, the Gospel lesson appointed for Proper 18C according to the Revised Common Lectionary. First of all, if anyone can get me the address of the lectionary compiler whose great idea it was to have the “hate your father and mother” and “give away your possessions” Gospel lesson hit on the first Sunday of the fall…that’d be great. I mean, for real? “Welcome back everybody, and especially welcome […]