The Sermon on the Mount: Everything You Need to Know About Your Life
(Posted January 31, 2020)
From Reverend Pat Kriss
To be interested in the changing seasons
is a happier state of mind than to be
hopelessly in love with spring.
- George Santayana, philosopher
Now, I’m not a “betting pastor,” but I’m willing to wager that most people, if I told them that Sunday is Groundhog Day, will know exactly what I’m talking about. However, if I told you that it is Candlemas Day, I’ll probably get a blank stare.
Actually, Groundhog Day and Candlemas Day are related. In German culture, the folklore about Candlemas day -- that it’s a day when clear weather predicts a long remaining winter -- somehow became combined with the Pennsylvania settlers’ favorite sleepy rodent. But Candlemas Day -- February 2 -- is special in itself. In case you ever wondered when Christmas officially ends, it’s on Candlemas, exactly 40 days after Christmas. (Forty is a recurring and significant number to the people of the Bible.) If your Christmas tree isn’t already gone, it’s time to bid it farewell before it bursts into flame.
Church Services on Sunday
Service begins at 10 a.m. All are welcome to worship with us.
But that’s not all. This Sunday represents something very special. It’s the day we observe Jesus’ very first entry into the Jerusalem Temple, for his dedication to God as an infant.
I find it particularly fascinating that the Gospel reading assigned for Sunday is the one that everyone loves and remembers: The Sermon on the Mount. Blessed are the merciful … Blessed are the pure in heart … Blessed are the peacemakers … We move from the dedication of a little baby to the epitome of his ministry: The most important lesson Jesus ever gave us. For contained in The Sermon is everything you need to know about living the way of life that God asks of us. The Sermon is even respected and studied in other religions like Islam.
So this Sunday, I can tell you, Jesus isn’t concerned whether the groundhog sees his shadow. Jesus is hoping that YOU will see YOUR shadow on Sunday, first on the way to church, and then as you go forth while trying to be the kind of person he wants you to be, the kind of person who brings the springtime of Christ’s love to a winter world. ----- Pastor Pat Kriss