“The Gospel today is one of the harder, or perhaps harsher, ones in our

lectionary, and many preachers choose to address it by preaching from the

Epistle instead, with its familiar and comforting turns of phrase that seem

to be part of the very air we breathe. Peace that passes all understanding.

Truth, honor, justice, purity, and excellence as human attributes. We can

settle into those words like a comfortable old sweater, or a down comforter

on one of these cold mornings.”