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Have you ever wondered what Mark meant when he writes that Jesus taught with authority? The thought is; it is with integrity. Not about academics and book learning, but relationship. Not just someone else’s understanding but own thoughts and feelings, and choices.

It seems that the phrase which sticks in people’s mind is the part; I will make you fish for people, in whatever translation they remember. But is preceded by follow me. And last we heard Jesus saying to Philip, follow me as well. So why are we rushing to the second part?

Can anything good come out of Nazareth? We know from the continuation of the story that it does. But the question for us today is; can anything good come out of what we are facing today? With the isolation and restrictions and not being able to be with loved ones in nursing homes and hospitals. This to say nothing of front line workers, their sacrifice and doing the best they can keeping grocery stores and other essential businesses open and hospitals still caring for those in need of care.

The temptation from this Gospel is to talk about how we are like Jesus, called beloved by God. But there is more to this. What do we do with being called beloved? The idea of a new world, new creation seems to be the way forward. This bringing the feelings of hope, expectation but also fear of the unknown.

I cannot help wonder how wise were the three wise men? It took a dream to warn them not to return to Herod. You might think one of the three would have a sense Herod’s motives would have been suspect. But maybe the dream was a way for them to express their discomfort about what Herod was really going to do if he found the Christ Child.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts; let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. Colossians 3.15, 16

When asked what Christmas is about, most people especially children would say gifts. And there are gifts involved in another Christmas story we hear at Epiphany, the first Sunday in January, the part about the wise men bringing gold, frankincense and myrrh. But today we don’t have wise men we have shepherds, and at first glance are not bringing gifts or are they?

What am I a man doing talking about this pregnancy and birth today? Nancy is preaching next Sunday, so I will be the one today. Yet Brian McLaren in his book Finding our way again, lets me off the hook by quoting Paul in Galatians 4:19; My little children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.

John the Baptist is not the Light, and we are not the Light, but where do we go from here? How to we testify to the Light? Henri Nouwen sheds some light on this when he in his book “Spiritual Direction” points out three steps to ministry. There is a progression from one to the other, but how we experience this may be in a non-linear fashion.