Tag: wilderness

  • Preaching Paths 7 December 2025 Advent 2 Year A

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Once again, as is customary on the Second Sunday of Advent, John the Baptist strides into our December landscapes of twinkling, colored lights like an unwelcome guest at a party. He is dressed in the shaggy pelt of a camel. He prefers locusts to Christmas sweets (Mt…

  • Preaching Paths 15 December 2024 Advent 3 Yr C

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Only in Advent Year C do we spend two weeks in the company of John the Baptist. Last week’s Gospel reading, which began with Luke’s roll call of earthly power brokers, announced that the world-shaking Word of God came not to the mighty but to a prophet…

  • Preaching Paths 8 December 2024 Advent 2 Yr C

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary No Gospel writer devotes more attention to the figure of John the Baptist than Luke. Matthew, Mark and John bring John the Baptizer onto the scene abruptly, without preamble. He appears in the wilderness along the Jordan River, preaching the imminent coming of the reign of God…

  • Preaching Paths 18 February 2024

    Sally A. Brown, Professor Emerita, Princeton Theological Seminary Most of the verses comprising today’s lection, Mark 1:9-15, are familiar. We’ve encountered vv.9-11, Jesus’ baptism and divine commission, on the Sunday of Baptism of Our Lord. John the Baptist’s arrest and the inauguration of Jesus’ preaching ministry were read on Epiphany 3B.  Today’s new material, vv…