The Blessed Poor Luke 6:17-19,20-26   When you think of the poor, who comes to mind?  Perhaps you think of someone who is homeless.  Or, maybe someone on a street corner asking for change?  Maybe you thought of one of those commercials featuring starving children in some distant land?  Does anyone you know come to

Put Out into the Deep Water Luke 5:1-11 ESV   You may have grown up with them in your town: The factory workers and trades people after a long shift, headed home with their lunch pails and hard hats.  They were blowing off steam, cracking their knuckles, stopping for a smoke.  As kids, we watched

An Unacceptable Prophet Luke 4:21-30 (NRSV)   Today’s message comes to us around the midpoint of the Epiphany season. We have been traveling mostly with Luke this Epiphany season and today we will use Luke’s account to travel with Jesus as he returns to his hometown. Luke positions the narrative to correspond to the beginning

Jesus Declares Jubilee Luke 4:14-30 ESV   You have to imagine this scene as it first happened. This is probably a relatively small, humble setting. The synagogue would have been crowded and well-used, not unlike a lively rural church that smells like old coffee and Pine-Sol. The congregants are the oppressed, occupied people of Israel.