Author page: wcwirla

Luke 9:28 / Transfiguration C / 10 February 2013 / Holy Trinity - Hacienda Heights, CA “But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.” Jesus said that to His Twelve, His disciples. He said that among some other things. He predicted His own death and resurrection: “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” He spoke of their own self-denial: “If any many would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” He talked about losing one’s life for the sake of the kingdom: “For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it.” He spoke of them not being ashamed of Him: “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of man be ashamed when he comes in His glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

Luke 4:31-44 / Epiphany 4C / 03 February 2013 / Holy Trinity - Hacienda Heights, CA “Talk is cheap,” we say. “Actions speak louder than words.” “Don’t just say it, do it.” We have our ways of saying that words don’t mean very much to us. Perhaps it’s because we’re surrounded by so many words. Talking heads on TV. Talk radio. Talk, talk, talk. Constant chatter cluttering our ears with static. When something is in plentiful supply, it tends to be cheap. No doubt about it. Words are a cheap commodity. It’s too bad we can’t run our cars on words, or at least on the gas accompanying words. Words would come a lot cheaper at the pump than gasoline.

Luke 4:16-30 / Epiphany 3C / 27 January 2013 / Holy Trinity - Hacienda Heights, CA There are but two hearings of the Word of God - faith and unbelief. There is no middle ground. No cool, detached critical view high up in the bleachers. It is either faith or unbelief. You either hear the Word of the Lord and rejoice in the goodness of God who has mercy on the sinner, or you deny the Word and despise the goodness of God and want to silence it.

The text is Luke 3:15-22. Preacher: Rev. Jeff Horn, missionary to Papua, New Guinea.

Matthew 2:1-12 / Epiphany C / 06 January 2012 / Holy Trinity - Hacienda Heights, CA Today is Epiphany. The “other Christmas,” the “Christmas of the Gentiles.” At the first Christmas it was a swaddled baby in a manger visited by shepherds called in from the fields by angels. In this second Christmas it is a young child dawdling around the feet of his mother in a house visited by “magi,” wise men from the east guided by a star. The first Christmas was for Israel; the second Christmas was for the world, the nations, the “goyim,” the Gentiles. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. (Isaiah 60:3)

Luke 1:39-45 / Advent 4C / 23 December 2012 / Holy Trinity - Hacienda Heights, CA Today’s Gospel reading brings together two very unlikely mothers-to-be. One is old enough to be your grandmother and perhaps even your great-grandmother. Her name is Elizabeth. The child, six months old in the womb, is John the Baptizer. The other woman is young, we’d still call her a “girl” I suppose, but in her day she was young woman ready to be married. Perhaps 16 or so. Her name is Mary.

Luke 7:18-35 / Advent 3C / 16 December 2012 / Holy Trinity - Hacienda Heights, CA "Are you the One who is to come or do we look for another?" The question comes from the darkness of a dungeon. The voice in the wilderness has been silenced, reduced to sending pairs of messengers to speak on his behalf. The prophet of repentance has been jailed for calling the king to repentance. Prophetic preaching is dangerous work. The one who came to bear witness to the light sits in darkness awaiting a certain martyr’s death.

Luke 3:1-14 / Advent 2C / 09 December 2012 / Holy Trinity - Hacienda Heights, CA When John appeared in the Jordanian wilderness in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when his voice was heard crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way o of the Lord,” when the Word of God came to John the son of Zechariah, it was the end of 400 years of silence.