September 8, 2024
16th Sunday after Pentecost – Bill Harkins
Proper 18, Year B
The Collect of the Day Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Gospel: Mark 7:24-37 Jesus set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone…
Dear Sister in Christ:
It must seem strange to be getting a letter some 2000 years after your courageous encounter with Jesus of Nazareth.
September 1, 2024
15th Sunday adter Pentecost – Bill Harkins
Proper 17, Year B
The Collect of the Day
Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.Amen.
The Gospel: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
When the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.’ You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.” Then he called the crowd again and said to them,
August 25, 2024
14th Sunday after Pentecost – Ted Hackett
John 6:51-58
It’s nice to be back up here …
As many of you know I have been pretty much out of circulation for a few months…
As we age we become like old cars…
The parts wear out…
Some they can replace…
Some they can fix for a while…
And some just…
have to give out!
I won’t waste your time with details…
Corner me privately if you want and I’ll bore you with my ailments
But to the matter at hand…
the Gospel readings…
The last two Sundays…and today…Our Gospel readings are from the 6th chapter of John…
They are really quite mystifying if you read them closely…
Now that’s partly because these readings, are from three different sources…
John had at least three different traditions to deal with…
All of them dealing with the Eucharist…
Three different Churches…
Probably all in the region of Ephesus in what is now Turkey…
There were probably several Christian communities around Ephesus…it was a pretty big city…
And each may have had slightly different traditions by the year 95 when this Gospel was written…
John wrote this Gospel in part to unite these communities…to keep them from arguing…
August 18, 2024
13th Sunday after Pentecost – Byron Tindall
Ephesus
The city of Ephesus is located in the western part of what is now Turkey, across the Aegean Sea from Athens, Greece. Back when this letter was penned, Ephesus was a major commercial center and the capital of the Roman province of Asia. It needs to be noted that this is not the same as the present-day continent of Asia.
Ephesus was no small wide spot in the Roman Empire. It boasted an amphitheater that seated nearly 25,000 spectators. It was also home to the magnificent Temple of Artemis mentioned in Acts 19:27. This edifice was also known as the Temple of Diana.
According to the Acts of the Apostles’, Paul visited Ephesus on his second missionary journey as well as on his third journey. During that third journey, he stayed in the city for two to three years.
There is some disagreement between Biblical scholars as to whether or not Paul actually wrote the Letter to the Ephesians. A good case can be made for saying that Paul did write the letter. A just as strong position is available to those who say someone else is the author. I’ll not get into that discussion any further at this time.
Ephesus, prior to the introduction of Christianity, was what we would call a pagan city. The arrival of Christianity caused “no little disturbance” among the residents who made their living with practices deemed demonic or idolatrous by Christians.