Faith in Progress

January 27, 2013 3 Epiphany, Year C Luke 4             My family couldn’t quite get ourselves to the Mall for the inauguration -- a little too cold, kids not quite at the right age to make it through.   And so we had front row seats, sitting on our comfortable couch, still in our pajamas, munching popcorn.   But I felt like we were doing our civic duty, still part of the momentous occasion, even watching from afar.   I love the pomp and circumstance of inaugurations.   Seeing the capital covered in flags and the Supreme Court justices in their black robes, hearing the patriotic hymns and the booming 21 gun salute.   No matter what we might think about any particular president, as Lamar Alexander pointed out, the peaceful transfer of power is proof that our country’s ideals are still in place.   And the inaugural address is by its nature a historical and powerful moment.   It is a president’s opportunity to introduce a vision and a mission with words that may someday be etched

Epiphany 2 – Baptism of Jesus January 13, 2013 Luke 3:15-17, 21-22   I used to have a very orderly family tree.   I could tell you who my family members were, and how they related to me, even the sort of tenuous ones, like Sarabeth and Ashley, the daughters of my father’s cousin.   But then my mom died and dad got remarried to wonderful Paula, who has a whole family of her own, and things have gotten a little trickier.   Recently I baptized baby Owen here.   Owen is my step-mother’s step-daughter’s grandson.   Holden, coming from divorced and remarried parents with half-brothers and step-siblings, said, “Welcome to the club – now you have a family bush rather than a family tree!”   It’s not as easy to keep track of exactly how we all fit together anymore, and yet, I know that we do fit together.   It’s not exactly how I would have thought of family 10 years ago, and yet there it is – my family.   And I think that understanding helps me this morning.   But more on that later