Date: January 9/16, 2011
Liturgical Sunday: Epiphany
RCL Scripture: Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14; Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12
Sermon Title: What are our gifts?
Knox Presbyterian [audio:https://wordsfromthemiddle.ca/wp-content/uploads/110116_-_Knox1.mp3|titles=What are our gifts?]
St. Mark’s Presbyterian [audio:https://wordsfromthemiddle.ca/wp-content/uploads/110116_-_St_Marks1.mp3|titles=What are our gifts?]
January 4, 2011 I realize that Epiphany is most properly celebrated on January 6 but I am going to divert from the Lectionary very slightly and address Epiphany this Sunday. It isn’t the first time I have done something of this nature and I’ve never gotten into too much trouble before. I am very much looking forward to looking at the texts for this Sunday in light of our responsibilities toward our Saviour.
Barry
January 11, 2011 Well, last Sunday was one of the few Sundays that weather conditions have prevented me from making it to church to preach. That being said, I would like to pass on my thanks to both congregations for helping me make the best choice, the safest choice.
It may seem odd but we are going to stay with Epiphany for the Sunday coming up. We will be even more out of step with the Lectionary but we tend to miss Epiphany except for those rare years where it falls exactly on a Sunday. I am not trying to get out of the work of preparing by any means but rather looking forward to (re)visiting one of the high holy days in the church calendar, one that is often missed. I am looking forward to next Sunday and trusting that the weather will cooperate.
Barry
Knox Presbyterian [audio:https://wordsfromthemiddle.ca/wp-content/uploads/110116_-_Knox.mp3|titles=What are our gifts?]
St. Mark’s Presbyterian [audio:https://wordsfromthemiddle.ca/wp-content/uploads/110116_-_St_Marks.mp3|titles=What are our gifts?]
I am very much of two minds about commenting about this Sunday. My “first” mind says, just let what is be what it is and wait for comment. My “second” mind feels this strange need to discuss what I was trying to do and why I used a manuscript for the second Sunday after explaining at length why I frequently don’t preach from a manuscript.
In my ongoing spirit of full disclosure I want to note that I have preached this theme/topic/sermon before. I don’t think it was so wonderful in its manuscript state that it needed to be preached again but I am consistently shocked, and occasionally stunned, by my own ignorance of the church calendar (and by that I mean in a meaningful sense of “feeling” the seasons of the church year). I don’t for a moment think that anyone at Knox or St. Mark’s is in the same boat but I really felt that it was important to make sure that we visited Epiphany, even if we had to do it a LONG time after the actual date. Then when I looked to see what, if anything, I had said about Epiphany before I realized that this is what I wanted to say again. I used that old/previous/”experienced” sermon again because it said what I wanted to say today even though it was researched and written years ago. I take great comfort in the words of wisdom I received many, many years ago from a (now) very surprising source, that the issue in preaching is not novelty but truth.