Author Archive for: goose52
Entries by Mark Lansberry
Make My Day – January 29, 2023
Scripture: Micah 6: 1-8 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of […]
Lighten Up – January 22, 2023
Scripture: Isaiah 9: 1-4 But there will be no gloom for those who were in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the […]
Above the Line – January 15, 2023
Scripture: Psalm 40: 1-11 I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise […]
Flip the Switch – January 8, 2023
Scriptures: Isaiah 60: 1-6; Matthew 3:13-17 Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. . . . Then you shall see […]
There is a Season for Every Purpose Under Heaven – January 1, 2023
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 On Epiphany, we embrace the light that is the Christ and the awesome journey that continues, sometimes in certainty and sometimes in doubt, sometimes in clarity and sometimes in confusion. As a covenant people, we make our declaration that when we have everything and when we have nothing, when we are of […]
Presence in the Midst of Loneliness – December 24, 2022
Scripture: Isaiah 9: 2-7; Luke 2: 1-20 What an “odd” church! What an “awed” church! A child is born with an odd (read “dubious”) heritage in an odd place (an animal shelter) under odd circumstances. But this is a “Prince of Peace,” a “Wonderful Counselor,” a “Mighty God.” Angels sing, people come from miles around, […]
Hope in the Midst of Hopelessness – December 18, 2022
Scripture: Isaiah 7:10-15; Matthew 1: 18-25 Nothing about this pregnancy was “usual.” Add to that signs and wonders and angel visits and the birth of Jesus can be called “odd” at best. But the message is clear — things can be born when you least expect it. So it is with hope. Be on the […]
Joy in the Midst of Despair – December 11, 2022
Scripture: Isaiah 35: 1-10; Luke 1: 46b-55 We wonder what one person, or one church, can do and we despair at the injustices of the world. When helplessness makes us feel weak in the hands or feeble in the knees, we are reminded of the power of the “lowly servants” as Mary’s prophetic voice rings […]
Love in the Midst of Hate – December 4, 2020
Scripture: Isaiah 11: 1-10; Romans 15: 4-13 The Hebrew word translated in the First Testament as “fear” is probably closer to our word “Awesome!” Those who are open to the awe of God will be delighted at the love they witness blooming where once was (literal) fear and hatred. Isaiah’s prophecy of unlikely combinations (wolves […]