Today we celebrate Baptism of the Lord's Sunday and Holy Communion. Isaiah 43:1-7 reminds of to remember who we are.

Today as we celebrate Epiphany, we come to the end of Paul's letter to the church at Philippi and discover that Paul has had his own epiphany!

Today we learn why Paul was writing this letter to the church but it is a minor point compared to his encouragement to lead a life worthy of the gospel and to be joyful!

In the third chapter of Philippians, Paul provides his credentials. If our salvation depended upon our credentials, Paul would be at the head of the line. Credentials provide certainty, not faith. Paul had to let go of certainty to create space to grow spiritually. We do, too.

In the second chapter of Philippians, Paul reminds us who we follow. We follow a God who humbled himself, took on human flesh, and lived among us. As he came to live humbly among us, so we should live humbly with each other. After all, we are all being refined.

This morning we begin a new series with Paul's letter to the church at Philippi. This is a love letter to this church and today offers hope for us all.

Every sermon series on Leviticus should conclude with a sermon on Jubilee, found in the 25th Chapter of Leviticus. We do not have evidence that this command was practiced but if it had been, it would have been revolutionary. This idea of God making everything right every fifty years was not abandoned. It evolved into a eschatological promise that we call the Day of the Lord or the Second Coming of Christ. Jesus, in Luke 4:14-21, refers to it in his sermon in Nazareth as the Year of the Lord's Favor.

I broke a 25 year streak and spoke about election politics from the pulpit this week. Why? Because not talking is not leading us to a better understanding. In humility, I admit there were legitimate concerns shaping the election that did not have my attention. There are legitimate concerns others have that are also being ignored.  We have legitimately elected a president by popular vote and electoral college vote and we need to respect this process but we all have to get out of our echo chambers and talk to one another. 

Chapter 17-26 in the Book of Leviticus is known as the Holiness Code. Chapter 17 spells out the sacredness of blood as life and Chapter 18 outlines the sexual ethics of the time. We will spend most of our time in Chapter 19 which reads like an extended version of the Ten Commandments but it is really about healthy communities. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are all community based faiths. We walk this road together and to do so, there are definitely some guidelines.

Have you ever used the term "scapegoat"? Did you know it comes from the 16th chapter of Leviticus? Let's explore the depth of God's mercy and all that God has done for us through Jesus Christ!