There is power in the proclamation of the cross. The Feast of the Holy Cross is observed on September 14th to commemorate Constantine’s mother Helena’s discovery of the True Cross on that day in 330 AD. The feast sometimes features expressions of great devotion, such as kissing, bowing, genuflecting, participating in processions, and other forms…
Today in the Spirit: Proper 8B
Sometimes, in the three-year lectionary cycle, there is the opportunity for a Stewardship Sunday built right into the schedule of readings. This week is an example of that, though, oddly, it is not the Gospel reading taking the lead. Proper 8B is one of a few instances in the post-Pentecost ordinary season where we can…
Today in the Spirit: Proper 6B
The goodness our Lord seeks to work in us is that which serves his purpose to redeem the world and proclaim the good news.
Today in the Spirit: Proper 5B
At this early stage in the post-Pentecost ordinary season, we continue tracking Jesus through his early months of ministry in and around Capernaum of Galilee. For Proper 5B, the assigned Gospel reading out of Mark 3:20-35 gives us what appears to be two important teachings of Jesus delivered in one day: the first to religious…
Today in the Spirit: Proper 4B
In our walk with Jesus through the lectionary year, the “ordinary” (numbered) season “After Pentecost” generally begins with Gospel selections highlighting the teachings and events of our Lord’s life after the calling of the disciples (the calling itself being featured in Epiphany). As the Gospel of Mark exposes the reader early on to Jesus’ conflict…
Today in the Spirit: Trinity Sunday B
The Church of England, from its beginning, established Trinity Sunday as a principal feast on the church calendar, the Sunday following Pentecost Sunday (Whitsunday), and before the Sundays that followed during the long “ordinary” (numbered) phase of Sundays After Pentecost (or After Trinity). The assigned readings for Trinity Sunday are different in each of the…
Today in the Spirit: Pentecost Sunday B (Whitsunday)
“Pentecost Sunday already!?” While this might well be our reaction to the arrival of this feast day on the church calendar every year, we can only imagine how the disciples felt when Jesus ordered them to go to Jerusalem and wait until you are clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49). As they gathered…
Today in the Spirit: Easter 7B (The Sunday After Ascension)
As opposed to the Ascension Day readings, which center around the narrative of the event itself, the Sunday after Ascension Day (never Easter 7 as in the BCP 2019) assignments focus more on the implications of Christ’s ascending and taking the throne with the Father for the life of the believer. Particularly in Year B,…
What Do People Look For in a New Church? (Suddenly Surging Part 3)
(Part three of five in David Roseberry’s Suddenly Surging series on church growth.) A friend once shared a valuable lesson she learned from a performance review at her previous job. Although her position was secure, her boss wanted to address a specific personality trait that he found bothersome. When given a task, she tended to…
Today in the Spirit: Easter 6B
As much as any other set of readings for a Sunday, the Easter 6 schedule puts on display the influence the love of the Father God has over those who believe in the Son. The assigned Gospel reading out of John 15:9-17 sets the tone. After teaching his disciples, I am the true vine… and…
