Neli ML

  Betsey Moe Holy Trinity Sunday 26 May 2024   Romans 8:12-17 12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are obligated, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,17 and if children, then heirs: heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if we in fact suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. John 3:1-17 1 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with that per

Pentecost 2024 Acts 2:1-21 Rev. Neli Miranda   The feast of Pentecost was one of the great Jewish feast days, instituted in the Old Testament. It was called the Feast of Harvest or the day of the first fruits; it was celebrated 50 days after Passover, hence its name Pentecost in Greek. It was a celebration of the beginning of the early weeks of harvest when the Israelites presented an offering of new grain to God. Among other things, two loaves of bread which were offered by the priest before God.   The first fruits’ day celebrated the Mother Earth’s gifts for a people who, having been slaves, now lived in freedom and enjoyed the fruits from a generous land. This was a celebration of freedom and abundance. The celebration of the Feast of Pentecost, the day of the first fruits in Jerusalem is the great scenario of the arrival of the Holy Spirit upon the first community of Jesus’ disciples. In the book of Acts, we read that “ when the day of Pentecost had come, the community of

  Seventh Sunday of Easter John 17:9-17 Rev. Neli Miranda   According to our Christian tradition, this past Thursday we celebrated the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to the Holy Scriptures, occurred forty days after his glorious resurrection. The Ascension Day reminds us of Jesus’ victory over the evil earthly powers that kill the righteous and try to destroy life; however, in the face of such evil, God responds with Justice and Life and raises Jesus from the tomb. Thus, Jesus ascends victoriously, after having resisted and overcome evil human powers. According to the Holy Scriptures, for about three years Jesus walked with his disciples and called them to form a new people, a new community, the seed of the Kingdom of God. So, Jesus was their friend, teacher, spiritual guide, and priest. Now Jesus must depart, and the community must grow, mature in faith, and live according to Jesus’ teachings. Today’s Gospel is read in this context of Jesu

Sixth Sunday of Easter John 15,9-17 Rev. Neli Miranda   Today’s Gospel is imbued with a beautiful word that appears six times in this passage, LOVE!! The Greek word for “love” is agape, the highest form of love , and it is used to refer to God’s love for humans. Agape refers to a sacrificial, unconditional, and deliberate love not an emotional love; it emphasizes the intentional action of loving rather than a feeling of love. After describing himself as the “True vine” and encouraging his disciples, the branches, to abide in him, Jesus expresses that the intimate love relationship he has with his disciples is based on the love— agape —the Father has for him, and calls his disciples to abide, remain in his love. Jesus’ disciples have experienced so far, the agape, the divine love embodied in Jesus, and now they are asked to live according to it, to enter the agape community. Jesus says that there is only one way to abide in his love and that is keeping his commandments, “ If you keep