Break Open the Word

The Fifth Sunday in Lent, 21 March 2021   Jeremiah 31:31-34 Hebrews 5:5-10 John 12:20-33 Psalm 51:1-13 or   Psalm 119:9-16   The Collect   Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.   Background: Melchizedek    If we are going to talk about Melchizedek, then we must talk not only about his name and character but about El Elyon, whose priest Melchizedek was, and a bit about Abram as well. If you are interested in this character, who will appear in the Second Reading for today from Hebrews, you might want to look at  Genesis 14 , specifically at verses 18-20. Melchizedek was the King of...

  The Fourth Sunday in Lent, 14 March 2021   Numbers 21:4-9 Ephesians 2:1-10 John 3:14-21 Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22   The Collect   Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.     Background: The Serpent                The serpent plays a role in two of our readings for today – as a menace to people, as a sign of health and salvation, and finally as a reference in the Gospel. Such various roles befit the serpent who was a significant part of the cultural and religious life of the peoples of Egypt, Israel, Mesopotamia, Canaan, and Greece. In these cultures, the serpent was symbolic of wildly divergent ideas. It was the symbol of healing and fertility as well as c...