By JANICE SIX Matthew 27:3-5: “When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. He said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he
Read moreBy JANICE SIX Peter waivers on the edge of night, attempting to remain anonymous as he awaits the verdict of the high priests. The very thing he vowed he would never do, he does. Pushed over the edge by a couple of observant servant-girls who remember seeing him talking to Jesus, Peter is called out. Shouting curses and swearing an
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By THE REV. DR. JANICE SIX “In a world filled with images of Jesus, this one made headlines. He [Jesus] stood in a stained-glass window wearing a simple white robe and a dark tunic. He held a staff in his left hand and with the knuckles of his right rapped gently on a large brown door. Wavy auburn hair fell
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By THE REV. DR. JANICE SIX The Women’s Rights Movement for women’s suffrage celebrated the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920, securing women’s place in the voting booth. In the ecclesiastical realm, God had already called women into the pulpit decades earlier— in some branches of the Christian family tree. One mover and shaker of
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By JANICE SIX It occurred to me that even though we define Advent as a time of preparing for the coming of Christ, the majority of our attention focuses on that which has already taken place: Christ’s birth, and Christ’s ongoing presence with us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, rather than preparing for the coming of Christ,
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By JANICE SIX A couple of years ago for Christmas my son and his wife gave me a framed quote from a song by the Avett Brothers. The quote reads, “Always remember there is nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name.” Whether speaking of our family name, or referring to our shared name as followers
Read moreBy JANICE SIX Vacation this year was a true get-away. No social media, no emails and limited use of the cell phone. I called it “Project Unplug” and for the month of June I was virtually off the grid. The thought of checking-out for a few weeks was appealing. It would be a return to the days when phones
Read moreBy JANICE SIX The Simpsons have been called on the carpet for the portrayal of the Indian-American character, Apu, who speaks with a thick Indian accent, and is less than ethical as the owner of the fictional Kwik-E-Mart, where he sells food long past its expiration date and rips off his customers. According to an article in the New York
Read moreBy JANICE SIX Easter morning, pastors will proclaim from pulpits all across this land, “He is risen!” and in response congregants will exclaim, “He is risen indeed!” Alleluias that have laid dormant since Ash Wednesday will arise in response to the magnificent brass, timpani drums, and voices united in song. As the congregation stands to sing “Christ the Lord is
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Spirit Of Abilene 