A prayer for the first Sunday after the Epiphany

God. We know that you are telling a big story. Across lifetimes, across generations, you see how words to one prophet are true five hundred years later. In a first glimpse. And then are true thousands of years later. We are aware of our story. Which has frustrations that need to be addressed in the […]

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What counts as poor in spirit? (Matthew 5:1-2)

Jesus says “Blessed” nine times in the first few sentences of chapter 5. We look at this list, which is often called “The Beatitudes,” and we try to figure out what Jesus meant. Actually, I think, we try to figure out how we can be part of the list. We want to know because we […]

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Anticipation of the kingdom

When John was locked up, Jesus moved from Nazareth to Capernaum, a town at the top of the Sea of Galilee (a lake about twelve miles long and seven miles wide). It was a very short move. He started to preach, just like John: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” People were excited […]

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Forget?

Rich Dixon is here for the new year. +++ Let’s let go of last year with one of my favorite verses in Scripture. “Forget the former things;    do not dwell on the past.   See, I am doing a new thing!    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” I’ve used it many times when I speak, […]

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Jesus and John and the sermon.

When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, his most familiar sermon, he was working close to home. In fact, most of his life happened in a country the size of Vermont or New Jersey. He had been born in Bethlehem, a small town a few miles south of Jerusalem. He was taken to Egypt […]

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