Sermons

The Rev. Dr. Katharine C. Black
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm 19
1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a
Luke 4: 14-21

This day is holy to the Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. AMEN.

"The Lord has anointed me."

Both Nehemiah and Luke describe a person reading in a synagogue, "reading from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation." The shape of each story is similar, but the mood is somewhat different at the end of each. They sound a little different, and neither directs us into action, so the lectionary includes part of Paul's letter to those in Corinth. I'll comment as we go.

The Rev. Dr. Katharine C. Black
Isaiah 62:1-5
Psalm 36:5-10
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
John 2: 1-11

How priceless is your love, O God, your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.  AMEN.

"Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come." John's Gospel has Jesus challenge or dismiss his mother in this way, while also declaring the theological chronology that Jesus has not yet died, risen, and ascended, that the hour of his salvific work has not yet come. John's theme is more theological than narrative or historical, so even in this wedding scene with his mother, John wants to declare who Jesus is and when that epiphany is to be known to all.

The Rev. Dr. Katharine C. Black, preaching
Isaiah 43:1-7
Psalm 29
Acts 8: 14-178
LUKE 3: 15-17, 21-22

This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. AMEN.

"When Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

The Rev. Dr. Katharince C. Black, preaching
Isaiah 60: 1-6
Psalm 72: 1-7, 10-14
Ephesians 3: 1-12
Matthew 2: 1-12

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD shall appear upon you. AMEN.

"Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we have observed his star, and have come to pay him homage. Eventually, when they followed his star and saw where it had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy."

The Rev. Dr. Katharine C. Black, preaching
Jeremiah 31: 7-14
Psalm 84: 1-8
Ephesians 1: 3-6, 15-19a
Matthew 2: 13-15, 19-23

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. AMEN.

The Christmas order of readings is usually this: Christmas Eve and Christmas: Luke's Christmas birth narrative, then the Sunday after that "In the beginning was the word, " then the next Sunday the Magi, counting as the Epiphany, and so the following Sunday is the baptism of Jesus. These are all elevated slightly mystical readings, which have metaphor and mystery, and a kind of hyper-churchiness to them. Moreover, because few churches are daily Mass churches any more, we miss the saints' days following Christmas, St. Stephen, St. John the Evangelist, and the Holy Innocents. Since, in this year, there is an opportunity to hear the flight into Egypt, it seems worth thinking about this whole week, and so I included the missing three verses to the Gospel, to include the Holy Innocents.

The Rev. Dr. Katharine C. Black, preaching

Isaiah 61: 10-62-3;
Psalm 147: 13-21
Galatians 3: 23-25, 4: 4-7
John 1: 1-18

Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God! How pleasant it is to honor God with praise!  AMEN.

Many collects are general, but today's is well aligned with its opening phrase: Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word. The lessons all spin around that idea of the incarnate Word, as around an atom's nucleus. Think of the big atom at one entrance to the Science Museum. Today's lessons go around that core phrase like those particles spinning around the center, with the center, elusively hard to see, and more elusive to understand. In Orthodox liturgies this opening hymn in John is the Easter Vigil's Gospel, emerging from the dark of Holy Week.

The Rev. Dr. Katharine C. Black, preaching
Isaiah 62: 6-12
Psalm 97
Titus 3: 4-7
Luke 2: 1-20

" Go tell it on the mountains, over the hills and everywhere; go tell it on the mountains, that Jesus Christ is born." AMEN.

Merry Christmas to you and to yours. It's wonderful to see you here, Merry Christmas. We went to Black Nativity last week, and it was fun, interesting, and wonderful. Many of the songs that make up that pageant were familiar Christmas carols, with different accompaniment than Jeffrey provides for us. Although familiar in word and tune, the songs were presented at a different speed, a slower more deliberate beat. Particularly noticeable was the deliberate pace of the leader's, "Go tell it on the mountain, over the fields, and everywhere. Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born."

The Rev. Dr. Katharine C. Black, preaching
Isaiah 62: 6-12
Psalm 96
Titus 3: 4-7
Luke 2: 1-20

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. AMEN.

Merry Christmas. Joy to you and yours on this special occasion. It's been an odd Christmas season, at least for me. It seemed to me that hints of Christmas hawking stuff began just after Labor Day, and by Columbus Day was battering us. Stores had Christmas decorations, but few shoppers. Strangely there were parking spaces on Charles St. and even in Harvard Square-bad economic indicators, but then it snowed. And there was some progress in Copenhagen, and maybe there really will be some Health Care bill. The snow came last Sunday, and we all stayed home for much of the day, and recouped. The people I saw in stores this week weren't frantic, they were excited and cheerful doing happy shopping, or just wandering around. Somehow the frenetic quality of the season, which advertising and stores push at us faded, and people were Christmas shopping to look or buy with considerable pleasure. People were cheerful, and not much rushed, and many of us are enjoying the short Christmas season of just this week. There were fewer parties for many and we've all spent less, bought less, wanted less, shopped less, and I think, felt better. When all Christmas carols were the piped in music in October, I complained, but the Christmas mix in the car yesterday, sounded wonderful and fresh. The "more" of months of saying Christmas was nearly here was less, and the pleasure of the "less" of these post blizzard days has been more, More is less, and less is more.

The Rev. Dr. Katharine C. Black, preaching
Micah 5: 2-5a
The Magnificat - Luke 1: 46-55
Hebrews 10: 5-10
Luke 1: 39-55

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. AMEN.

While Advent 3 is always John the Baptist's Day, 4 Advent is always our Lady's. That makes sense: get to know someone's mother before her child is born, introduced, and welcomed.

The Rev. Dr. Katharine C. Black, preaching
Zephaniah 3: 14-20
The First Song of Isaiah - Isaiah 12: 2-6
Philippians 4: 4-7
Luke 3: 7-18

Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. AMEN.

Rejoice! Gaudete, in Latin, sounds out so boldly from Paul's letter to the Philippians-so why is John the Baptist shouting at us, calling us vipers? This is Rejoice Sunday, named for the antiphon from this Epistle that traditionally began Advent III. Rejoicing permeates the readings, but there is John shouting, scolding at people, railing against them, and then, claiming it's all good news. How are we to put these opposites together?