January 2024 – A Preacher’s Ponderings

Idols and demons

Fourth Sunday after Epiphany; 28 January 2024; Epiphany 4B (RCL); Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Psalm 111; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Mark 1:21-28.

Burton Mack points out that Jesus’ first public act in Mark’s Gospel is the exorcism of a demon from a man in the synagogue. This sets up the struggle between Jesus and the synagogue at the very outset of the Gospel, and shows Jesus as a man of power, more effective than the power of the synagogue. This might have been good for propaganda in the ancient world, but tragic ever since.

Decision

Third Sunday after Epiphany; 21 January 2024; Epiphany 3B (RCL); Jonah 3:1-5, 10, Psalm 62:6-14; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20.

The first thing I noticed about the readings for this week is that they are all short. And abrupt. Jonah’s sermon in Nineveh has to be the shortest, most successful sermon in historical record — eight words long, and the whole city repents and sits in sackcloth and ashes. Jesus calls Andrew and Simon, James and John, and without question, they leave their nets and fishing, and follow — abruptly. Paul tells us the time is short, and certainly the people in the other readings seem to have heard that message. Act now.

Angels of God

Second Sunday after Epiphany; 14 January 2024; Epiphany 2B (RCL); 1 Samuel 3:1-10; Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; John 1:43-51.

What a mish-mosh of readings for this week. I suppose the 1 Samuel and the Gospel both address the issue of the call of God, but the 1 Corinthians sticks out uncomfortably like a sore thumb. I’ve chosen to leave off the optional verses of the 1 Samuel reading, so as not to have to explain the crimes of Eli’s sons, although the whole story does give insight into the role of the priesthood in the religion of ancient Israel. On the other hand, the passage from John’s Gospel is an important set-up for the outcome of the Gospel.

Baptized in the Spirit

First Sunday after Epiphany; 7 January 2024; Epiphany 1B (RCL); Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 29; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11.

I’ve always had a hard time figuring out what the authors of the New Testament meant by the phrase, “the Holy Spirit.” Part of that difficulty comes from the fact that sometimes it appears with the definite article, and often without it. With the definite article, the phrase refers to some specific thing; without it, to what exactly? perhaps a quality, or some ‘stuff.’ Equally confusing is the word being translated “Spirit” – pneuma, which can also mean (always mean?) “breath.” We recognize this as the root for many words in English having to do with the lungs.