Third Sunday After the Epiphany At-Home Service for Jan 24
In my grandmother’s house, taped to the inside of a cabinet door above the kitchen sink, was a tattered sheet of paper. Many years before I was born she received that mimeographed copy of a large circle. Inside the circle on that sheet of old paper were four letters: “T – U – I –T.” Whenever someone neglected to accomplish what should have been done saying, “I didn’t get around to it yet;” she would open that cabinet door. Then she would respond by pointing to the paper and saying, “Today is your lucky day; here is your round tuit!” My grandmother’s message was clear enough to make a lasting impression. We should get busy and start doing what we had neglected to do.
Follow along with the Third Sunday after the Epiphany at-home Service for January 24th.
Click here on the image below to view the at-home version of the service.
Pastor Rike’s Sermon
Despite expressing something similar to my grandmother, the passage read today from Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth contained much more grace. When Paul wrote, “the appointed time has grown short” he was referring to the period between the appearance of Jesus in humility – in the manger and on the cross – and the glorious appearance of Jesus with absolute power at the end. Paul framed the passage heard today with references to those two points in time. He called his audience to live faithfully from the moment the Good News of Jesus reached them[1] until the world passes away and is no more.[2] In other words, the life of a Christian is framed by the bookends of the story of Jesus. That story or narrative has sometimes been summarized this way: “Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.” The point Paul was making the portion of First Corinthians read today was that the story of Jesus makes all the difference in how a person lives.
Click here to read Pastor Rike’s entire sermon.
Video Options
Follow along with the service on video led by Pastor David Rike, with music performed by Randy Broker.
Click on the image below to view the video.
The Third Sunday after the Epiphany Service for January 24 includes: Hymn: O Jesus, I Have Promised, performed by Randy Broker
First Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
Holy Gospel: Mark 1:14-20
Sermon by Pastor David Rike
Hymn: Sent Forth by God's Blessing, performed by Randy Broker Prayers and Lord’s Prayer
Blessing