January 24, 2016 (full size gallery)
Snow and ice has affected the church over the last two years
Last year we cancelled services for the first week in March, 2015 due to ice. Also last year snow in Lent 1 caused cancellation of the Shrove Tuesday Pancake supper and Ash Wednesday service last year on Feb. 18. This year it was snow – and lots of it – for Jan 24, 2016 on Epiphany 3. Hopefully we can get it over now before activities pickup in early Feb., 2016
While we are not having services today Jan 24, 2015 at St. Peter’s, the National Cathedral in Washington is holding 1 service which you can watch online at at 11:15 or ondemand later.
3 years ago the lectionary readings for 3rd Epiphany were the same and here is the video from the Cathedral’s service Jan 27, 2013
3 years ago here at St. Peter’s here was the sermon which featured a can of cat food and an army stole to be blessed
"I’d like to begin the sermon with this can of cat food and today’s collect. Please look for today’s collect on your bulletin insert, and let’s pray together the contemporary version of the prayer.
Let us pray.
“Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Now, how can this can of cat food represent the glory of God? That’s a question for you to think about in the context of this sermon.
In the gospel according to Luke, the first recorded words of Jesus as an adult begin with the commentary on the scripture from Isaiah that he reads in his hometown synagogue.
And this first sentence begins with the word “today.”
Today—today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.
Luke tells us that today, this very day, the age of God’s reign is here, and that God’s promises are being fulfilled. Fred Craddock says that Jesus never allows today to become yesterday, or slip into a vague someday. TODAY, Jesus says, this scripture has been fulfilled, is being fulfilled, and will continue to be fulfilled in your hearing.