August 2nd Worship Service
The August 2nd Old Testament reading from the Revised Common Lectionary starts with Genesis 32:22-31, the story of Jacob wrestling with the angel/God, surviving and being renamed Israel.
I’ve always had a soft spot for Jacob. He is the second son of Isaac and Rebecca, Esau was the first born, immediately followed by Jacob who was holding on to Esau’s ankle. Jacob was a trickster/con man. While Esau was a hunter, who Isaac favored, Jacob was the planner. Jacob bought Esau’s inheritance from him for a bowl of portage. He and Rebecca tricked Issac’s into giving Jacob Esau’s First Born Blessing. Esau was out to kill Jacob because of everything he had conned Esau and Issac out of. With Rebecca’s guidance Jacob escaped Esau’s rage and left their home in Southern Canaan, and traveled about 600 miles to live with Laban, Rebeccas’ brother, in Haran. Jacob worked for Laban for about 20 years and in the process feel in love with his daughter Rachel. The agreement was if he worked for Laban for seven years he would be allowed to marry Rachel, but on the day of the wedding Laban switched Rachel for the older daughter Leah, because the oldest should be married first. Jacob worked another 7 years and finally got to marry Rachel.
Jacob worked for Laban for nearly 20 years. In the process he grew very wealthy with possessions of livestock, servants and goods. This began to cause conflicts and tensions with Laban’s sons. At the same time Jacob received a commandment from God that he was to return to Canaan, and his family, and assume the inheritance he had received from his father Issac, and grandfather Abraham, that they would be Patriarch’s of a great nation.
Jacob followed God’s commandment, but there were still the issues he faced with his brother Esau. Jacob prayed to God about his issues with Esau, and he sent gifts ahead to Esau asking for his forgiveness. In response he heard that Esau was traveling toward Jacob, with what seemed like an army to meet Jacob.
When Jacob and company arrived at the River Jabbok Jacob sent some of party, including his wives and children across the river, so that if Esau came upon then, at least they would be spared. That night a spirit, or angel, or perhaps God wrested with Jacob. By dawn neither had prevailed. Jacob held on to the being, refusing to let go until he received a blessing. The being told Jacob he had wrestled with God and had prevailed. The being gave Jacob his blessing, renamed him Israel, and tapped his hip giving Jacob a limp which lasted for the rest of his life.
Later Jacob meet his brother Esau, and it was a happy reunion. Jacob went on to settle in Canaan where he had 12 son from his two wives and two concubines. These 12 sons would become the founders of the 12 tribes of Israel. Esau in turn also became the founders of a great nation, the Edomites and supporting tribes such as the Amalekites.
Even though Jacob was self absorbed using tricks and cons to enrich himself, he still had a spiritual connection. Jacob’s connection to God goes back to when he was still in Rebecca’s womb. During her pregnancy Rebecca was experiencing great pain, and reached out to God asking what was going on. God told her there were two nations battling in her womb, and the older child would serve the younger child.
When Jacob was running away from Esau, when he overnighted in Luz (renamed Bethel) he dreamed of a ladder connected to heaven. At the top God was sending down angels to deal with issues on the earth, while other angels were climbing up returning from the work they had done on earth.
In his wrestling at the Jabbok River there were several things happening . Jacob had already turned to God asking for help with his relationship with Esau, in his humility recognizing that only God could provide the changes he needed to survive. In the encounter with the angel God was testing Jacob to determine if he still had the determination, fortitude and strength to carry on the legacy which had been passed down to him. That he refused to give up and surrender proved to God that he had the necessary strength. Resulting in God’s blessing. The broken/sprained hip from God was a reminder, moving Jacob from self reliance on his own abilities and now he needs to turn to God to move forward.
Join us for our August 2nd Worship Service.
Jacob Wrestles with the Angel, 1963 / Jacob’s Vision of the Ladder to Heaven, 1973 / Marc Cagall, Marc Cagall Museum, Nice, France
July 26th Worship Service
In 1517 Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five these on the church door in Whittenburg, German and the Protestant Reformation was underway. The Reformation seemed to change things almost overnight in Northwestern and Northern Europe. The Roman Catholics were pushed out of communities and the churches were taken over by Protestants. Following the directions of the Calvinist’s statues, paintings, sculptures, frescos, and stained-glass windows disappeared, and whitewashed walls became the new norm.
In many ways this was not a bad thing. There was an emphasis on education so people could learn to read the scriptures. We were able to embrace our God from the pulpit messages, and by observing God working in their lives and the lives of friends and family. But there is something about seeing the light shining through a series of images telling a story that sets the heart and soul on fire, while bringing peace and opening the mind, which brings us to Marc Chagall's stained glass windows.
The orangish/reddish window on the far left is the Prophets window which from the bottom to top has Elijah being taken away from Elisha and carried to heaven in a chariot, past a Cherb. Jeremiah resides on the top of the window as creation is formed around him.
Next in the blue window Jacob dreams of the ladder reaching into heaven, located at the top of the window. We also have Jacob’s battle with the angle where his leg is damaged.
In the Center, in a heavenly peaceful light green, is the Christ window with images of His life from His birth leading up to His crucifixion at the top.
Next is the yellow Zion window starts with David and Bathsheba near the bottom raising up to the angel trumpeting the start of eternity and the end of this world.
Finally on the far right is the Law window with Moses at the top presenting the ten commandments to his followers below, and Isaiah sending his message of peace to the world.
On the Left: Just sitting in the choir is an experience.
World renowned artist Marc Chagall (1887–1985), is famous for his paintings…but he has also designed stained glass windows (in collaboration with stained glass window maker Charles Marq of Reims, France) located in 86 locations around the world. We first connected with Chagall windows in Chartres Cathedral in Chartres, France, later in the Chagall Museum in Nice, France. We saw more stained glass in the Reims Cathedral in Reims, France.
On our trip to Switzerland, we saw these windows in the Fraumünster Cathedral in Zurich. Peter Vogelsanger, Fraumünster parish priest at the time, and the benefactors Lou and Heinrich Hatt-Bucher, asked if Chagall would design a stained-glass window for the church choir. Chagall and Marq put together 5 windows which were installed in 1970. To just sit in the choir and watch the sun bring the windows to life is akin to magic, and was some of the best time we spent time in Switzerland.
join us for our July 26th Worship Service.
Season After Pentecost (Ordinary Time)
On the first Sunday after Pentecost we begin the Season after Pentecost, a liturgical season which lasts until November 22, the last Sunday before Advent. The season does not follow a theme, like Advent or Easter, but tends to focus more on the teaching aspects of the Jesus’ ministry reaching out into early church history and theological issues of he early church as seen in the letters.
Examples include Jesus teaching through Parables, or his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew or His Sermon on the Plain in Luke. There are His Signs such as Turning the Water into Wine in John or raising of Juries’ daughter in Mark. The beginning of the church from the Book of Acts with Peter going into Samaria, or the conversion of Paul and his Missionary Journeys.
The Season after Pentecost, formally called Ordinary Time, this year will last for 26 Sundays, giving us time for a variety of looks into the early church, its organization, reformation, and Presbyterian Theology.
Marriage at Cana, 1303-5, Giotto, Scrovegni Chapel, Prado, Italy / jesus heals woman with hemorage, 12th-13th century, Cathedral of Assumption, Mosaic, Monreale, Sicily / Gift of the Holy Spirit Žitomislić Monastery Bosnia / Peter Save Yourselves, 1642, Charles Poerson, Notre-Dame, Paris, France / The Conversion of St. Paul, 1866, Gustave Dore, Private Collection
Join us for our July 12th Worship Service. Join us for our July 19th Worship Service.
Join us for our June 28th Worship Service. Join us for our July 5th Worship Service.
Join us of our June 14th Worship Service. This Father’s Day join us for our June 21st Worship Service.
Join us for our May 31st Worship Service. Join us for our June 7th Worship Service.
Easter
Eastertide/Pascha (Aramaic meaning Passover): We know it as the Easter Season following Lent. As Lent prepares us to reorder our lives, minds, and hearts to accept Jesus’ sacrifice, Easter is when we celebrate Jesus' rising from the dead, the fulfillment of God’s promises.
Easter is a moving season. Easter Sunday, the day Jesus rose from the dead, is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. Which means Easter Sunday can be any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. This year, it is April 5th.
The Easter Season lasts 50 days, ending on Pentecost, which falls on May 24th. Easter is the time Jesus spent with His disciples following his resurrection before His ascension to heaven. It was time for teaching and preparing the disciples for the task of creating God’s church on earth. During these 40 days, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, His mother and sister, His other followers as on the road to Emmaus. According to Apostle Paul, appearing to over 500 at one time (1Cor 15:6). It was a time of additional miracles, as in the catching of fish in John 21 or appearing behind closed doors in Luke 24 and offering His hand to Thomas.
This year, Jesus’ accession will be celebrated on May 14th. Ten days later, on Pentecost, we celebrate the disciples receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, which was promised to them by Jesus at the time of his ascension.
Easter is a period of celebration. As a community of believers, we remember the time the human Risen Lord walked among the people, fulfilling God’s promises to all people.
Pictures: The Resurrection of Christ, 1499–1502, Raphael, Sao Paulo Museum of Art, / Doubting Thomas, The Maesta Altarpiece, 1461, Duccio, Museo dell’Opera del Duomo Siena, Italy / Jesus Appears to Mary, Fra Angelico, 1425, Fresco, Basilica di San Marco, Florence, Italy / The Great Commission, at the Cathedral Parish of Saint Patrick in El Paso
Join us for our May 17th Worship Service. Join us for our May 24th Worship Service.
Join us for our May 3rd Worship Service Join us for our May 10th Worship Service.
Join us for our April 19th Worship Service. Join us for our April 26th Worship Service.
Join us for our April 5th, Easter Sunday Worship Service. Join us for our April 12th Worship Service.
Lent
We can look at Lent as a time Repentance, Renewal and Redemption. Lent is the six weeks starting with Ash Wednesday, February 18th, and lasting until Easter Sunday on April 5th. Lent is a time of preparation. It is our opportunity to prepare ourselves to receive the gift of forgiveness God gave us with the sacrifice of God, in human form (Jesus), on the cross.
But in order to receive that gift we first have to accept God’s love into our hearts. The process begins with Repentance. All of us have sinned, and by acknowledging our sins we have Repentance. It is through our Repentance that we ask God to help us become the people He needs us to be. And God always accepts true Repentance with forgiveness, which bring us to Renewal. Our mistakes are still there, but God has said for us to put them behind us and follow Him forward. And as we go forward following God’s guidance, we achieve Redemption.
This year Lent began last Wednesday, February 18th, and will last until the Saturday before Easter on Sunday April 5th. Lent is 40 days long which is remembrance of the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert (and the 40 days Elijah spent fasting n Mount Horeb 1Kings 19:8 ). Actually, there are 46 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter. Although there are different understandings on how to count the 40 days of Lent probably the easiest explanation is that the Sundays are not included in the 40 days.
This is an excelent time to look at the things Jesus did, His attitude toward the world and cuiture in which he lived, and how we can change our lives, and start to try and live the way Jesus wants us too.
Pictures: Upper lLeft: Jesus Tempted by the Devil, Spanish Fresco Metropolitan Museum of Art , the Cloisters Collection / Upper Right: Jesus and Samaritan Woman at Well, R1420, German Reverse Glass Painting, MET New York / Lower Left: Jesus Blesses Mothers and Children, Stained Glass Window in the Saint John the Baptist church in Zagreb, Croatia / Lower Right: Jesus teaching disciples, Fra Angelico, San Marco Monestary, Florence, 1400s
Join us for our March 29th Palm Sunday Worship Service.
Join us for our March 15th Worship Service. Join us for our March 22nd Worship Service.
Join us for our March 1st Worship Service. Join us for our March 8th Worship Service.
Join us for our Ash Wednesday Worship Service. Join us for our February 22nd Worship Service.
Epiphany
Epiphany comes from the Greek, and means manifestation or revealing. Starting on January 6 the season of Epiphany runs until Ash Wednesday, February 28th, and the start of Lent. The purpose of the season to recognize the time Jesus is acknowledged as the Son of God, the answer to God’s promise of redemption reaching back to the words of the prophets of the Old Testament.
Three Wisemen Visit Jesus, El Greco, 1568, Museo Soumaya, Mexico City
Simeon and Anna in the Temple, Rembrandt, 1669, National Museum, Stockholm
Recognitions comes in several instances. The most celebrated is the visit of the Magi following the heavenly star and bringing gifts to the Christ child. Other examples include the presentation of Jesus at the temple and being recognized by Anna and Simeon. Another example is Jesus’ baptism, first when he is recognized by John the Baptist, and again when coming out of the water the heavens open, the spirit in the form of a dove descends and the voice of God saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”
Baptism of Christ, Jose Ferraz de Almeida Jr, 1895, Pinacoteca do Estado de Sao Paulo, Brazil
Join us for our February 8th Worship Service. Join us for our February 15th Worship Service.
Join us for our January 25 Worship Service. Join us for our February 1st Worship Service.
Join us for our January 11th Worship Service. Join us for our January 18th Worship Service.
Christmas
It is the season of Christmas, December 25th - January 5th. We have spent the last four weeks preparing our hearts, minds, and soles to receive the gift God sent to His people, Himself to be sacrificed, that His people’s sins may be washed away, and they can be with Him, eternally. But why 12 days for the season?
The Christmas Season, also known as Christmastide, goes back to the Council of Tours meeting in 567 CE who proclaimed the 12 days between Christmas (the birth) and Epiphany (the Magi Recognition) as the Christmas Season. The main purpose is to celebrate. After the 4 weeks of fasting, introspection and preparation to receive Jesus into our lives, now is the time to celebrate our acceptance.
Significant events during Christmastide include: December 25: Jesus’ birth / December 26: feast of St. Stephen (Good King Wenceslaus) / December 27: feast of John the Apostle / December 28: feast of the Holy Innocents (children killed on Herod’s order) / December 29: murder of Thomas Becket 1170 (Archbishop of Canterbury) / December 30: remembrance of John Wyclif 1395 (translated the Bible to English…martyred because) / January 1: circumcision of Jesus / January 2: remembrance of Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah, 1945 Bishop of South India / January 4: remembrance of Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1821, founder of the United States parochial school system / January 5: Epiphany Eve, remembrance of the Desert Mothers (women ascetics living in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, Syria 4th & 5th century) / January 6: Epiphany begins, Magi visit (manifestation).
Join us for our Christmas Eve Service.
Join us for our December 28th Worship Service.
Join us for our January 4th Worship Service.
Photos: Death of the Innocents, Siena Cathedral, Siena Italy / Canterbury Cathedral, site of Thomas Becket murder, Canterbury, England
No one is sure when Advent, the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, came into the Christian schedule, but it was well established by the year 480, and so we have been celebrating the birth of Jesus, God’s gift to humanity, for well over 1500 years. Advent actually takes place on three levels. The first is the physical birth of Jesus in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. The second is the reception of Jesus into the hearts of the believers. Finally, there is the awaited presence of when Jesus returns to the earth and brings about the world of His desire.
Advent is celebrated in many ways. There is always the decorating of the church with a Christmas Tree, Christmas Wreathes, special programs and litanies, Christmas Cantatas, and almost in each church the lighting of the Advent Candles representing Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. The center candle, the Christ Candle is lit on Christmas Eve, and again on Christmas Day and the following Sundays during the Christmas Season.
It is our way of celebrating the birth of Jesus, God’s gift to a world in sin, and the source of our salvation. An event well worth celebrating, and preparing for.
Join us for our November 30th Worship Service. Join us for our December 7th Worship Service.
Join us for our December 14th Worship Service. Join us for our December 21st Worship Service.
ADVENT
