2 Advent.A.19
Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13
The Rev. Melanie L. McCarley
One of the great symbols of Christmas is the tree. The beauty of the evergreen needles, the smell. It’s lovely, particularly when it is decorated, sparkling with lights, covered in ornaments; and about those ornaments on your tree. Isn’t it true that many of them tell a story of some significance to your family: “First Christmas Together”; “A New House”; a Baby or a cherished pet.
Proper 20.C.2019
Luke 1:1-13
The Rev. Melanie McCarley
Proper 19.C.2019
Luke 15:1-10
The Rev. Melanie McCarley
The parables Jesus tells in today’s Gospel are about joy. A shepherd has compassion for a single errant sheep and leaves the ninety-nine in order to find and rescue it. Later, we are told that a woman searches diligently for a coin until it is discovered. Understandably, we tend to focus on issues of being lost and of being found. But what I believe is so often missed is the common denominator of joy that finds itself expressed best in the context of community.