Sermons by Rev. Jason S. Glombicki

The magi have fascinated Christians for thousands of years. They are depicted in 3rd century frescos in the catacombs of Rome and were carved into the façades of Chartres Cathedral in the 13th century. They were the subject of great artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, and Dürer. And most church nativity scenes, as well as at-home devotional nativities, would look incomplete without them. But’s it’s only twelve verses and two mentions in one gospel that have sparked our fixation…

Tonight, we heard the Lukan Christmas story. Yet tonight’s story was different from the typical retelling that combines Matthew and Luke into a single story. And this combination is nothing new. In fact, if you glance at the Neapolitan Creche on the bulletin cover, you’ll see an 18th century baroque masterpiece, blending Lukan shepherds and Matthean magi into a bustling scene…

Last week’s gospel introduced us to John the Baptist. We heard John’s message of repentance and its connection to the prophet Isaiah. But there wasn’t much meat about what repentance looks like, how it functions, or the purpose of it. But, this week is different as the story continued. We that heard the substance of John’s message was, as one colleague put it, “harsh, urgent, and concrete.”…