FIRST READING Exodus 34:29-35 Moses’ face shone with the reflected glory of God after he received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. The sight caused the Israelites to be afraid, so Moses wore a veil to mask the radiance of God’s glory, taking it off when he spoke directly with God. 29Moses…
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Sermons on Epiphany
FIRST READING Genesis 45:3-11, 15 The people’s return to Judah after the exile was marred by economic and political troubles. Nevertheless, the prophet declares, Jerusalem and Judah will be restored. God will rejoice over Jerusalem as a bridegroom rejoices over the bride, and the people are called to the celebration. 3Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father…
FIRST READING Isaiah 6:1-8 Through a vision in the temple, the eighth-century prophet Isaiah is called by God to announce judgment against Israel. Aware of his sinfulness and shortcomings, Isaiah is initially hesitant. But when God calls, Isaiah responds, “Here am I; send me!” 1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a…
FIRST READING Jeremiah 1:4-10 God calls Jeremiah to be a prophet and consecrates him in the womb. Jeremiah’s task is to preach God’s word amid the difficult political realities of his time, before the Babylonian exile. He is to make God known not only to Judah, but also to the nations. 4Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, 5“Before I formed…
FIRST READING Nehemiah 8-13,5-6,8-10 Near the end of Israel’s exile in Babylon, God promises to bring the people home. They need no longer be afraid, because the one who formed, created, and called them by name now redeems them from all their enemies. God declares them precious and honored, and God loves them. 1all the people gathered together into…
FIRST READING Isaiah 62:1-5 The people’s return to Judah after the exile was marred by economic and political troubles. Nevertheless, the prophet declares, Jerusalem and Judah will be restored. God will rejoice over Jerusalem as a bridegroom rejoices over the bride, and the people are called to the celebration. 1For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,…
FIRST READING Isaiah 43:1-7 Near the end of Israel’s exile in Babylon, God promises to bring the people home. They need no longer be afraid, because the one who formed, created, and called them by name now redeems them from all their enemies. God declares them precious and honored, and God loves them. 1But now thus says the Lord, he who…
FIRST READING Reader: Isaac Daniels 2nd Kings 2:1-12 Today’s reading centers on the transfer of power and authority from the prophet Elijah to Elisha. Their travels, which retrace the path of Joshua back to Moab (the place where Moses died) and the parting of the waters, demonstrate that Elisha and Elijah are legitimate successors of the great prophet Moses.…
FIRST READING Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Today’s reading is part of a longer discourse in Deuteronomy, an updating of the law for the Israelite community as the people wait to enter the promised land. Here Moses assures the people that God will continue to guide them through prophets who will proclaim the divine word. 15 The Lord your God will raise up for you…
FIRST READING Jonah 3:1-5, 10 The book of Jonah is a comedy starring a reluctant prophet who is given a one-sentence message: Nineveh will be destroyed in forty days. Much to Jonah’s dismay, the people of Nineveh repent. The point of the story is to get the reader to wrestle with the question “On whom should God have mercy?”…