Readings: 1 Samuel 26: 2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-23; 1 Corinthians 15: 45-49; Luke 6: 27-38 Preacher: Marilyn Catherine “Love your enemy!”  I have enough trouble loving the one who is good to me.  Little irritations push my buttons and send me off.  Insignificant disparities offend my sensibilities. Too often I sit and stew, licking my scratches, silently scripting a drama where I… read more →

Readings Jeremiah 17: 5-8; 1 Corinthians 15: 12, 16-20; Luke 6: 17, 20-26 Preacher: Sr. Barbara Moore We folks living in upstate New York see beauty in our trees even on the coldest of days.  They are covered in a white snow dress and seem to resist the bitter cold.  But no matter the season, the Scriptures make use of their… read more →

Readings: Isaiah 6: 1-2a, 3-8; 1 Corinthians 15: 3-8, 11; Luke 5: 1-11 Preacher: Meghan Kellogg As I prayed over the readings, a song started to emerge in my head and before I knew it, I was singing out loud “The Call.” If you are unfamiliar, it’s a piece by Ralph Vaughan Williams composed using George Herbert’s poem, “The Call,” as… read more →

Readings: Malachi 3: 1-4; Hebrews 2: 14-18; Luke 2: 22-40 Preacher: Deni Mack Today we heard the prophet Malachi tell us God said, “I am sending a messenger to prepare the way before me.” God did send us John the Baptist and many prophets before him to prepare the way for Jesus, the savior of the world.   Malachi also asks us, Who can stand when he… read more →

Readings: Nehemiah 8: 2-4a, 5-6, 8-10; 1 Corinthians 12: 12-30; Luke 1: 1-4; 4: 14-21 Preacher: Sue Howard I still have my Christmas tree lights hanging from the eaves, a tree lit on the front porch, and the banister bedecked with cardinals, lights, and bows. I can’t stand to let the darkness of winter creep in. I hope it’s a joyful… read more →

Readings: Isaiah 62: 1-5; 1 Corinthians 12: 4-11; John 2: 1-11 Preacher: Sr. Joan Sobala In the bleak winter months of the early 1950’s, before Lent began and there seemed no reason to celebrate, the Parish of St. Hyacinth in Lackawanna N.Y. held a mock wedding. My grandfather, Valentine, was the principal organizer. He rented a hall and then left all… read more →

Readings Isaiah 42: 1-4, 6-7; Acts 10: 34-38; Luke 3: 15-16, 21-22 Preacher: Sonja Livingston  While thinking about the week’s readings, I tried to imagine John the Baptist living in our time. This wasn’t an easy task. Even more than his camel’s hair clothing, diet of locusts and wild honey, and full-throated insistence that God is near, I suspect John’s humility… read more →

Readings: Isaiah 60: 1-6; Ephesians 3: 2-3a, 5-6; Matthew 2: 1-12 Preacher: Susan K. Roll Have you ever set out to give one gift and found yourself giving something very different? I don’t just mean under the Christmas tree or stuffed in a stocking.  It might be a gift of our time or presence that takes us, and perhaps the recipient,… read more →

Readings: Sirach 3: 2-6, 12-14; Colossians 3: 12-21; Luke 2: 41-52 Preacher: Nancy DeRycke There’s a fable about 2 folks walking around a market who spot a vegetable stand with a sign “God’s Vegetables.” They run over and say to God: “Finally, we’d like some perfect vegetables (beans, broccoli…).” God says: “Sorry, I only sell seeds.” Today’s readings say that in… read more →

Readings: Micah 5: 1-4a; Hebrews 10: 5-10; Luke 1: 39-45 Preacher: Gloria Ulterino I was there.  At the home of the priest Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, that is.  A dozen or so years ago now, on pilgrimage to Israel with some 30 other women. On this one particular day, we headed to the “hill country,” as it’s called, just outside… read more →