In his last will and testament, Julius Caesar adopted Gaius Octavius, known as Octavian, his great nephew, as his son and heir, because he had no son of his own. But Julius had already taken time to teach Octavian politics, and had taken the young man on military campaigns, and the year before he was…
Think of the beautiful story that we just heard. Shepherds, attending to their flock, are suddenly confronted by an angel, and the glory of God surrounded them. And the angel tells them that the Messiah has been born, and that they would know it was the Messiah because the baby would be wrapped in rags…
Today is the last Sunday of Advent, and as you noticed, the theme for the day is Love. The reason that Love is one of the themes of Advent is Love is because of what scripture tells us. From the Gospel of John: God so loved the world, that he sent his only son, which…
Today is Guadete Sunday, which just means, “Sunday of Joy.” It’s the reason we wear these rose colored stoles – it’s a moment of celebration within what is meant to be a season of preparation and reflection. It’s the reason our NT reading today begins with the words, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I…
On January 1, 1953, Mildred Norman, of Pasadena, California, set out, on foot, to walk for peace. She began this journey after having experienced what she called a “spiritual awakening,” and she vowed to “remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace; walking until given shelter and fasting until given food.”1 Everywhere…
Just recently, I read a story about a man who suddenly remembered a friend of his who was in the hospital. He hadn’t seen the man in a while, and yet, he felt compelled to go and visit his friend. When he got to the hospital, he asked for his friend by name, and was…
Sometimes the most interesting thing I find about a particular Bible passage is what the Lectionary leaves out. Take today, for instance. In the Gospel, the last words come from Jesus, who has been having a conversation with Pilate. Pilate has been questioning him, and asking him about his kingship, because the leaders of the…
In October of 1893, the Chicago Evening Post first ran an article that contained the fictional character of an Irish Bartender named Mr. Dooley. This article, written by the journalist Finley Peter Dunne, used Mr. Dooley’s character to make satirical comments about the social and political issues of the day, and continued for years as…
I used to know someone who, when she saw things in the news that scared her, or if she ran across something frustrating or difficult, or when she confronted people she thought lacked common decency, then she would exclaim, “Oh Lord! Come and take us home, Jesus!” And sometimes, for added dramatic affect, she would…
Just recently I was watching a movie, and one of the main characters was running through the city, but stopped long enough to put a few dollars into a cup that a scruffy looking man was holding. “Hey! What’re you doing!” the man yelled. “That was my coffee!” “Sorry!,” the main character yelled back, “I…