Sermons by Rev. Jason S. Glombicki (Page 28)

Each year, we hear the same story. But, this year, verse 19 grabbed my attention. That is, “Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.” When I hear this phrase, it’s usually with an image like the one we see on the screen. Where Mary seems so peaceful with her hands folded, and Jesus looks oh, so clean…just after birth. To me, this doesn’t seem like a scene directly after a teenager gave birth to a bastard child in an animal shed. Just saying…

Last week, we began a new lectionary year that focuses on the gospel of Mark. Last week, we also had a much better preacher, Bishop Curry. And Bishop called our attention to Jesus’s words in Mark’s gospel to “keep alert” and “keep awake” (Mark 13:37). Keep awake and be ready. Keep alert and look for the time. Then, today, we jumped back to the beginning of Jesus’s ministry. To the very first verse of Mark. To “the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ” (Mark 1:1)…

Today’s gospel picks up where we left off after last week’s parable with the bridesmaids and the lamps. Today’s parable is a bit more complicated, and it’s difficult to interpret. But, Biblical scholars remind us that parables aren’t direct and oftentimes, they don’t prescribe. Parables are meant to describe some kind of reality, to invite us into the story, and to “do” something to us. So what does today’s parable describe, invite, and do? Well, it depends on how you look at it…