Will Vaus

Change… in some ways, none of us like it. But in other ways, we do enjoy change. Change for the better is always good. And change that is part of a rhythm is especially welcomed by human body and soul. That’s what we have in the celebration of the church year—change in rhythm. We change from one season to the next, Advent to Christmas to Lent to Easter, but we also revisit the same seasons every year. Our Gospel reading for today from Matthew 1:18-25 is all about change, change for the better. Listen for God’s word to you… Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah   took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.   Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.   But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Josep...

What do you do when you have spiritual doubts? Where do you go for answers? In our lectionary reading for today from Matthew 11:2-11, we see no one less than John the Baptist having doubts about the very person he spent his life preaching about and preparing others to receive. I believe this passage gives us guidance about what to do when we doubt. Listen for God’s word to you… When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shake...