Lent 1 · Mark 1:9-15 · March 1, 2009


Lent 1 · Mark 1:9-15 · March 1, 2009

By Travis J. Scholl This is the second time in this liturgical year we have encountered Mark’s account of Jesus’ baptism by John. The first was on the Baptism of our Lord, January 11. There, the baptism ends the pericope, preceded by John the baptizer’s ministry in the wilderness. Here, it prefaces Jesus’ own journey ..


Second Sunday after Christmas · Luke 2:40-52 · January 4, 2009


Second Sunday after Christmas · Luke 2:40-52 · January 4, 2009

By Gerhard Bode Liturgical Setting The Gospel reading for the Second Sunday after Christmas again locates Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in the Jerusalem temple—twelve years after Jesus’ presentation there as an infant. The boy—Jesus’ return to his “Father’s house” re-identifies him as the promised Messiah in the person of God’s own Son, and anticipates the ..


Advent 2 · Mark 1:1-8 · December 7, 2008


Advent 2 · Mark 1:1-8 · December 7, 2008

By Jeffrey A. Oschwald Advent 2 presents us with the New Testament doorkeeper par excellence: John. This should make it very easy for the preacher to connect this week’s message with the previous week’s and so build on the theme. Instead of using the same format for these “Helps,” however, I would like to focus ..


Advent 1 · Mark 13:24-37 · November 30, 2008


Advent 1 · Mark 13:24-37 · November 30, 2008

By Jeffrey A. Oschwald One of my greatest Advent frustrations over the years has been an ongoing encounter with a fundamental misunderstanding of the season’s purpose. Whether introducing the season to people unfamiliar with it, searching for materials to use in the classroom, or planning our own family Advent celebrations, I have for years seen, and ..