January 22, 2012

Scripture: Mark 1:14-20

Many years ago I was doing the children’s message – about Jesus calling his first disciples. And, I was going on and on about Jesus and Peter, Andrew, John and James.  How Jesus walked up to them while they were fishing and said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of people – of men and women.” And I had a fish net - one of those little ones on a long stick and I was trying to demonstrate – or so I thought - how they – the kids - were going to catch people now, instead of fish, and how they were going to be disciples of Jesus and get other people to follow them and started getting complicated, but still I thought I was doing a really good job.  When I finally got to the end I asked “Does anyone have any questions?”   To which my son, my own flesh and blood, Nathan, raised his hand, and said, “I don’t get it.”  At which point, I said, “I don’t either.”  And then I dismissed them all to church school.

December 18, 2011

Scripture: Luke 1:26-38

²⁶In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³²He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”