FIRST READING Exodus 24:12-18 At Mount Sina, Moses experienced the presence of God for forty days and forty nights. The “glory of the Lord” settled on the mountain, and on the seventh day God called out to Moses. On the mountain God gave Moses the stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments. 12The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me…
3900 Winnetka Avenue N., New Hope, MN 55427
3900 Winnetka Avenue N., New Hope, MN 55427
Sermons on Epiphany
FIRST READING Deuteronomy 30:15-20 The Lord sets before the people of God a clear choice. Life and prosperity will come to the faithful; loss of the land will be the consequence of disobedience. Choosing life entails loving and holding fast to the Lord. Life in God’s presence presupposes the promise made to the ancestors. 15See, I have set…
FIRST READING Micah 6:1-8 With the mountains and the foundations of the earth as the jury, God brings a lawsuit against Israel. God has “wearied” Israel with a long history of saving acts. God does not want or expect lavish sacrifices to attempt to earn divine favor. Rather God empowers the people to do…
FIRST READING Isaiah 9:1-4 The northern tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali experienced the gloom of defeat by Assyrian military forces, but they are assured that their condition will be reversed when God makes a light-filled appearance. The joy they will experience will resemble celebrations of great harvests, because God will deliver them from everything…
FIRST READING Isaiah 49:1-7 Here the servant, identified as Israel, speaks for herself and describes her honored mission. Called before her birth like Jeremiah and John the Baptist, the servant is not only to restore Israel. The servant’s ultimate assignment is to bring news of God’s victory to the ends of the earth. God in faithfulness has chosen…
FIRST READING Isaiah 42:1-9 God’s servant is endowed with God’s spirit in order to bring justice to the nations. The servant will not exercise authority boisterously or with violence, nor will weariness ever prevent the fulfilling of the servant’s task. God’s old promises have been fulfilled; the servant’s new assignment is to bring light to the nations. 1Here is my servant,…
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…
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…