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Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Friday Evening Service - 1/9/2026 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Sunday Morning Service - 1/11/2026 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

January 11, 2026: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard. Amen. Now, if you have been here these past few weeks of Christmastide and the Feast of the Epiphany, you would be right thinking that Jesus sure grows up fast, I mean we just celebrated his birth, then last week he's a kid being visited by Magi, and now he's a grown man! I mean, at this rate, a week from now should be Palm Sunday, right? Wrong. Well, sort of – Ash Wednesday is coming up in just a few weeks, so buckle up. Still, you couldn't be blamed for feeling a bit of lectionary whiplash right about now. Kinda the way you feel the day after Christmas when there's stuff in the stores for Valentine's Day, which I do NOT appreciate given that happens to be my birthday, and there is no need to rush it. But, back to the texts we heard today from the Gospel of Matthew and from Isaiah. In the gospel we here the story of Jesus' baptism. Left off of what we heard today, is what Jesus does just afterward. He is led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit where he encounters evil. And in the wake of all that has happened in our nation this past year, and most recently, this past week, it would seem a message we very much need today. I will speak more about that in a minute, but it is important to first underscore what we are hearing in today's texts – about Christ's baptism, yes, but also about our own. Our collect today, the prayer we offered at the beginning of this service, was this: “Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made…” This isn't just a dunk in some water – this is a contract with God – a covenant we make in the name of Christ, and that is sealed by the Holy Spirit. And in our passage this morning from Isaiah, we hear some of what that covenant requires of us. About the prophet, God says “I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” Now, think about that…and then hear again the vows we all make at baptism either for ourselves, or was made by our parents, and Godparents, and we later confirmed. We promise to “seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbor as ourselves, and striving for justice and peace among all peoples, respecting the dignity of every human being.” See, the thing is…when we are baptized, we are baptized into something…or really baptized into someone. It is an identity that comes with a calling – the calling to free the captives, fight for justice and peace, and to love and serve. We are baptized into a life of Christ – because we are the body of Christ alive in the world today. And as the body of Christ, we don't just leave the waters of baptism, grab a towel, and continue as though nothing happened. We do as he did after his baptism – we live the life we are called to live – a life of ministry in a broken world – a life of wilderness moments when we are challenged, and pushed to the brink. And Lordy, we are in the wilderness now. This past week our government continued its horrific, unconstitutional, racist, and cruel violence against the people of our nation. Renee Nicole Good, a US citizen and young mother of three, was gunned down while in her car by an ICE agent in Minneapolis this past Wednesday. Her wife, Becca Good, is left to care for their 6 year old son. The video of the attack is brutal to watch, and the lies about her and the incident by our government just add to the horror. Renee is not the first to be killed, or tortured, or imprisoned unlawfully. She sadly will not be the last. In fact, on Thursday, the very next night, two more people were shot by ICE agents in their vehicle in Portland. These are very dark days for our nation and for the world. Like many of you, I have been at more than one vigil in response – one of them just down the street from my home on the Newton Green– which is in the middle of a very red part of our Garden State. Like the other vigils, it was a community gathered in love amidst tragedy and hate. Sadly, even as we stood together, someone shouted out from a passing truck “ICE, ICE, Baby!” The cruelty of our President and his followers seems to be the point. Yet we were not deterred, and continued to stand together to be a witness to the horror that has taken yet another life. One of the things I have said at these vigils is that our faith is one that follows a man who preached love and peace, and was executed by the government because of it. Yet his resurrection taught us all that light will always overcome darkness, life is stronger than death, and love will always defeat hate. It is the only thing that can. Renee Good understood that truth. Her wife, Becca Good, said in a statement after her murder, said: “I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him. That the people who did this had fear and anger in their hearts, and we need to show them a better way.” Indeed we do. We must. Because love is the only way out of this long national nightmare. We must stand as a testament to the power of love – to heal, to restore, to change the world – because that is what we committed to in our own baptism. So, we will keep on fighting for the suffering Christ in our midst, never forgetting Renee and all the other victims. That is how we will change the world – one step, one vigil, one march, one act of kindness, one moment of courage at a time. But that does not mean the road will be easy for us. It certainly wasn't for Jesus. He had his time in the wilderness, and we are now deep within it too. Today, we are faced with a seemingly never-ending onslaught of cruelty by those who should be servants of the people. We are worn to the bone by the vitriolic hate our President, his team, and his supporters spew nearly hour by hour, all amid a daily avalanche of lies and purposeful misdirection by the ones we are supposed to trust. The purpose is to knock us off center and keep us so disoriented that we feel helpless, hopeless, and filled with rage. Why would they want this? It's simple really – it is so we respond with the same in kind. For evil knows that darkness will feed darkness, hate will fuel hate, violence will breed violence. They fan the flames to incite those who oppose them to be just like them, which will give them fodder to increase the violence in a never-ending cycle. And in moments like this, it is very tempting to give into it. Why not fight fire with fire – violence with violence, hate with hate. We feel so drawn to it, do we not, if we are honest with ourselves? But the thing is, we need to consider who tries to draw us to hate and violence. Remember what happened to Jesus in the wilderness – the evil one spoke to him – catching him when he was worn from his long journey in that place – and showing him a path forward that seemed so simple. If Jesus would only turn aside from God, everything would be great – he would be great – the evil one said. You could understand the temptation. I mean – he was promised he could turn stone into bread – that would solve all the hunger in the world. He could be made king over everyone – imagine today if you could take the power away from all the world's brutal dictators, including our own? Yet Jesus knew that isn't the path toward peace, toward wholeness, toward grace. It wasn't for him, and it most certainly isn't for us. To be clear – righteous anger at injustice is good and will propel us to act like Christ, and overturn tables of oppression. But anger rooted in hate will only lead to violence and a turning away from Christ – that can never be our way forward. No, not for those who are baptized into him. We are meant to choose another way. At that vigil the other night in Newton, the organizer wanted to close with the hymn Amazing Grace, but wasn't sure of the words. So, I stood beside her and helped lead everyone in singing those lyrics of redemption. One of those verses is: Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come; 'tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. Grace is God's gift to us, and it, not hate, will always lead us through the wilderness and to home – where we will be grounded in the knowledge and love of Christ, and renewed to live as we are called to live in our baptismal covenant. And folks – that will change the world. It really will. God's grace is how we will get through this. Love is how we will change it. After I spoke at the vigil in Newton, a young mother of two boys – a teen of about 14 years old or so, and the other about 10 – came up to me. The teen apparently had told his mom after listening to me that he wanted to go to church, and she – a person who had been harmed by her own church experience – wanted to know where I was a priest, feeling that it would be inclusive. Since our parish is so far from where this was, I told them of another one they should try. That conversation filled me with hope – to see young people yearning for a relationship with God. And it is certainly something seen a lot these days as church attendance by all ages is on the rise. I believe that this is a sign of the future of the church, as people seek a way forward, and they witness us living out our lives in Christ. Because so many people today are yearning for an alternative to the madness they are witnessing. In a world filled with conflict, violence, hate, war, poverty, and abuse of the environment – seekers hope to be connected to something they sense is larger than all of that – stronger than all of that – to a God that loves unconditionally, and a faith community that reflects that love openly, consistently, and with intention. They are looking for comfort and peace, yes, but most especially, they want to know that God loves them in a place that welcomes everyone, amid a world that wants to exclude them. That is why what we do here is so important. It feeds us in a time of deep hunger, but it also is food for the world. Here is where we are given the strength for our wilderness journey. Here we offer that food of life to others. Here we are reminded of our baptismal contract with God – a life of prophetic witness, rooted in the love of Christ, that calls us to speak truth, to act for justice, to stand for peace, to offer hope and love to a people in darkness. We have made a commitment to God to be the ones to speak up against those who traffic in hate and violence. To be the ones to stand against those who seek to oppress and marginalize. To be the ones to respond to hate with love and lies with truth. And especially to be the ones to counter the racist, homophobic, and sexist, words and actions by earthly rulers and proclaim in the streets, in the halls of government, in our churches, and everywhere in the world that God loves EVERYONE– NO EXCEPTIONS – and so will we. For like the prophet in Isaiah, and like our savior in whose name we are baptized, we too were given “as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” There are many in prisons now – dungeons of bigotry and oppression, poverty, hopelessness, loneliness, and addiction. This is not time to throw the covers over our head and attend the church of the Holy Comforter. This is not a time to tune out. This is not a time to not pay attention. This is not a time to forget who we are, and whose we are. This is the time for us to be who we were born and baptized to be – prophets of his light, grace, and love – God's beloved agents of transformation. And there is nothing – no President or other leader, no ICE agent or army, no person or organization, that can stop what we, together, and by God's grace, will bring about – the overturning of evil, and the restoration of the world. They may have killed Renee Good, but by the good in each of us, rooted in the love of Christ – we will prevail. Amen. For the audio, click below, or subscribe to our iTunes Sermon Podcast by clicking here (also available on Audible): Sermon Podcast https://christchurchepiscopal.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Sermon-January-11-2026-1.m4a The Rev. Diana L. Wilcox Christ Church in Bloomfield & Glen Ridge January 11, 2026 The First Sunday After The Epiphany 1st Reading – Isaiah 42:1-9 Psalm 29 2nd Reading – Acts 10:34-43 Gospel – Matthew 3:13-17 The post “The Good In Us” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

Feast of the Epiphany (trans.) – January 4, 2026: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. Today we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany.  The actual feast is on January 6th, and today would be the Second Sunday after Christmas.  Still, this year, the story of the magi's visitation to Jesus would have been a part of the text choices for today, so all good. Now, this feast, which occurs on Tuesday, ends our Christmastide – our twelve days of Christmas.  So, as I said in previous years, don't let anyone give you a hard time about still having the tree up.  Besides, they can be thankful you don't celebrate Christmas until Candlemas on Feb. 2,nd as some do!  Every year we tell the story of the Magi who travel from the East to bring gifts to the Christ child, and as it is good to repeat each time the origin of this story of the three wise guys. Matthew, the only gospel account of the magi, never tells us how many there were, or even if they were all men. But since Matthew mentions three gifts, later Christian tradition came to identify three of them. And in the late sixth century Armenian Infancy Gospel, the Magi are even given the names-Melkon or Melchior, Balthasar, and Gaspar. But just as we don't really know the names of the people who wrote the gospels, we also don't know the names of these folks, so call them whatever you want – Larry, Mo, and Curly –really up to you. This story is one that is celebrated not only because of gifts, but as a symbol that the child born to us at Christmas was for all the people of the world, because the sages came from lands so very far away. Whatever you name them, we know you can't call them “on time.”  As we hear today, Jesus was not a baby anymore, but a child, and living in a house.  Apparently, Waze or Google Maps was not available to these Eastern travelers.    Well, even if they were late, and brought really weird gifts to a young child, each year we like to tell the story of their visit…   Loud Knock Heard From The Back Ceremonial Music Plays As King Approaches King 1 presents Mother Diana with gift. Mother Diana opens the box, inside is a snow gauge.  Mother Diana reads the scroll aloud – “We saw a star and were guided by its light to the Christ child.  As we moved along, we needed to always check that we were still on the right path.  The truth is – While being too restricted is not good for anyone, taking an occasional measurement on your life journey does allow you to be sure you are still on the right path.  His life should be the measure you use.” Mother Diana rolls up the scroll and says, Thank you great sage!  While I love a beautiful snowfall, let's hope I don't need to use this too often.  Now, as I was saying…   Loud Knock Heard From The Back Ceremonial Music Plays As King Approaches King 2 presents Mother Diana with gift. Mother Diana opens the box, inside is Bluetooth speaker, and a scroll.  Mother Diana reads the scroll aloud – “We stopped along the way at the palace of King Herod.  He told us to return and tell him where we found the Christ child.  Yet we were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and went home by another way. The truth is – There is a lot of noise in the world, and many voices will try to tell you who you are, where you are to go or what you are to do.  Be sure you are listening to the right one.” Mother Diana rolls up the scroll and says, This is sooooo cool!  I can't wait to set this speaker up.   Now, as I was saying…   Loud Knock Heard From The Back Ceremonial Music Plays As King Approaches King 3 presents Mother Diana with gift. Mother Diana opens the box, inside is a wreath of bird food, and a scroll.  Mother Diana reads the scroll aloud – “We brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the baby Jesus.  Impractical?  Perhaps. But a symbol of who he was to be for the world – King, God, and Sacrifice.  Yet he was clear about the gift we are to bring in his name, and it was none of those things. The truth is – Food is essential for life, and the law of God in our time, and yours now, is to care for the stranger among us.  How you feed others is the gift of love you bring to Christ.”  Mother Diana rolls up the scroll and says… Wow – thank you great sage – I am so excited to think about this gift – it looks so pretty.  Let's see…three magi, three gifts, I guess we must be done.  So…   Loud Knock Heard From The Back Ceremonial Music Plays As King Approaches King 4 presents Mother Diana with gift. Mother Diana opens the box, inside is a mixing spoon and a scroll.  Mother Diana reads the scroll aloud – “The star awakened us to something important happening in the world, and Christ stirred us to new life. The truth is – There are important things happening in the world now too, and Christ desires us all to come to him, to follow him, to be him in the world. This is a time to be stirred up.”  Well, thank you great and final sage??? – You have given me a lot to think about.   Are we done?  [look around] Well, this is an assortment of cool gifts, right?  A snow gauge, a Bluetooth speaker, a bird food wreath, and a mixing spoon.  These Magi have given us something to really think about, haven't they?  The thing is, these all might be quirky gifts, but the magi did manage to come up with just what we need this year.  Especially in this time when it seems the world is spinning and we struggle to know where to go or what to do. Especially in this moment in the world where the voices of bigotry and hate are not only prevalent, they are coming from our nation's leaders. Especially now, when we hunger for righteousness, and hear the cries of the vulnerable who are starving for lack of shelter, food, and most especially – love. Especially now, when we are worn to the bone, but there is oh so much more work to do in the name of Christ. These gifts we received today can be a reminder to us all of who we are and whose we are, and what that means for us as we welcome the Christ child into our hearts. As we move through the world, there will be many who try to guide our paths. The measure of our lives will not be like measuring snow, which is needed only for a season, and tells us only what is true in a snapshot of time.  It will be how we measure up to our commitment to the Christ born to us that will be most important for us to keep in our heart and mind.  Here, at this table, and among other travelers in our faith, we are able to check-in, gauge our lives, and adjust as needed. This world is filled with so many angry and hateful voices, who will try to lead us to abandon the Jesus in our midst to the cross.  For he told us that he is in the immigrant, the sick, the poor, and the imprisoned.  But like those sages of long ago, we are meant to listen to his voice, not to these others.  How do we discern which is which?  His will always be the voice of compassion, generosity, kindness, and love.  We will always be reminded of that voice here too – in the scripture and at this table.  So many cry out in hunger – hunger to be seen, to be heard, to be fed, to be loved.  All of creation groans from our abuse and neglect too.  We feed on him here, so that we can feed him in the world.  The food of life that is Christ, is to strengthen us for the journey, that we may feed others, caring for them and all of creation by his love shining in us and through us. And finally, the world is too dangerous and dark for us to be silent, to be hesitant, or to hide away.  We must not only be stirred up, we must stir up the conscious of the world!  There is no time to waste, not a moment to spare. People are dying – physically, emotionally, spiritually – God's children – our sisters and brothers.  What is done to any one of them is done to Jesus himself.  We cannot sit here in the warmth of his love, and then ignore his pain when we leave.  If we do, we render Christmas meaningless for ourselves, and all the world. The wise folks brought Jesus symbols of who he was – gold for a king, incense for a deity, myrrh for a sacrifice.  Today they bring symbols of who we are as followers of that Christ child.  And just as that night so long ago changed everything, letting all the world know that God's love is stronger than hate, that light will always overcome darkness, and that death is forever defeated by life – by our lives lived in Him the angels continue to rejoice in heaven as he is reborn in each of us at Christmas, and every day we open our hearts to Him. So, with all that in mind, as I do each year I offer this quote by Michael Dougherty. “When the carols have been stilled, when the star-topped tree is taken down, when family and friends are gone home, when we are back to our schedules, the work of Christmas begins…to welcome the refugee, to heal a broken planet, to feed the hungry, to build bridges of trust, not walls of fear, to share our gifts, to seek justice and peace for all people, to bring Christ's light to the world.” May we, like the magi, be willing to follow where God leads us, trusting that there is always another path to take that will lead us out of darkness into light –His light.  May we know that we need no star, only an open heart, to see the God who yearns to love us – and wants so much to be in relationship with us.  And most especially, that once we receive the gift of Christmas, the Christ child, in our hearts, that we do the work of Christmas and share that light with the world.  Because it is we, not the magi, who are now meant to reveal Christ to a world who hungers for God's love.  Christmas isn't over…it's only just begun. Amen. Based upon a concept by the Rev. Phillip Dana Wilson – Used with permission. For the audio, click below, or subscribe to our iTunes Sermon Podcast by clicking here (also available on Audible): Sermon Podcast https://christchurchepiscopal.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Rec-001-Homily-Visit_of_the_Magi-2026.m4a   The Rev. Diana L. Wilcox Christ Church in Bloomfield & Glen Ridge January 4, 2026 The Feast Of The Epiphany (Trans.) 1st Reading – Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalm 72:1-7,10-14 2nd Reading – Ephesians 3:1-12 Gospel – Matthew 2:1-12   The post A Visit From The Wise Guys – 2026 appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Friday Evening Service - 1/2/2026 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Sunday Morning Service - 1/4/2026 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

New Year's Eve should be a time of celebration for most 18-year-olds. This would not be the case for Marina Boelter.Marina was a no-show at a New Year's Eve party, and as searches for her began to take place, it became apparent that there were several people in her life who might be capable of doing her harm.Eleven years later, this Bloomfield, Indiana, teenager remains missing.Where is Marina Boelter?Follow us on: Facebook: www.facebook.com/wherearetheypodcast Instagram: @thewherearetheypodcast Email me: Canwefindthem@gmail.com Join our online detective group at Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.patreon.com/wherearetheypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠Support our mission: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wherearethey⁠

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Sunday Morning Service - 12/28/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Christmas Eve – December 24, 2025; May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. This is the most wonderful time of the year, or so we are told by Johnny Mathis and others.  It really is though, even if the turkey didn't thaw out in time, the kids are hyped up on sugar and dreams of Santa Claus, and the in-laws are about to send you to a therapist's couch.  Yet sometimes when we think about Christmas, we get caught up in the Hallmark version of it – the lights, the carols, the cookies, and the gifts, that when we hear the story of that first Christmas, whether here at church or from Linus in A Charlie Brown Christmas, it seems so far away from who we are that we lose sight of what it means for us.  But the thing is, this story isn't as foreign to our lived reality as we sometimes make it – and that knowledge helps us to see something we need to know now.  The author of Luke, from where Linus and we get the birth story we usually hear on Christmas Eve, sets the scene for us in the midst of human history – it was when a certain ruler was in charge and had commanded a census of “all the world.” Now, just for context, things were difficult in those days – they were indeed a people who walked in darkness (though the prophet Isaiah was speaking about an earlier time).  The empire's taxes were hard, and most labored for their own food.  Poverty was crushing most of the people, while a small elite profited off of them and lived lavishly.  And there was political unrest caused by an appointed ruler, Herod, a larger than life sort, who the people  viewed with suspicion because of his ties to the empire.  This is the setting into which God chooses to enter, and there is a lot we can all resonate with in it to be sure – but more on that later. Back to the story itself – this census moves Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem, a journey of nearly 100 miles (with no trains, planes, or automobiles to get them there).  It also likely meant a lot of others were making similar journeys, so as the song goes – there may be No Place Like Home for the holidays, but the traffic really is terrific!  And then there is the problem of trying to find places to stay along the way.  I have to wonder if Joseph and Mary made their place in Nazareth an Air B&B, given all the folks traveling in the opposite direction. At any rate, all that travel must sound familiar to a lot of folks today who stood in long TSA lines, navigated bumper to bumper traffic, or was trying to figure out where to put everybody who made it home for the holidays.  Add to all of that is the fact that Mary is very pregnant!  Lordy – that's gotta be a tough trip. So, back to our Holy Family – they get to Bethlehem, and there is “no room for them in the inn.” Now, that may mean Joe forgot to make reservations (you know that meant a big argument later – right?).  But it wasn't like they had to go to a barn somewhere on the property.  Likely, because other guests already took over the host family's guest rooms, it was sort of like telling them they had to sleep on the old lumpy sofa in the unfinished basement. Homes in those days had a lower level where animals were brought in for the night and in cold weather.  That is where the host family had to send Mary and Joseph.  If you can imagine that for a moment – it means the house was filled with people – all there for the census taking one supposes.  That is a made for  Hallmark crazy time moment for sure, that many of you here likely know far too well.  And for this couple, who already had a lot going on, sleeping among the animals may have been the most peaceful part of their days – a respite from upstairs where perhaps Joe's crazy Uncle Roy was getting into it with Grandma Lucy, who had a bit too much eggnog.  At least the animals aren't likely to break out into a fight over politics.  From the animals point of view though, this was a nightmare. I mean, first this couple comes down, takes over two of their beds of hay, and dang it – then they have a baby (what a noisy mess) and worse – they put that little human on their food in their manger – yuk!  The animals were probably like – What the heck!  And as for the birth, you know that was crazy time at the OK Corral.  Women upstairs likely came down to help, making things a bit crowded; and birth scenes, even for the virtuous like Mary, are typically not quiet events, despite what the hymn says.  Giving birth then, and even today is joyous and noisy.  Sadly, it is also dangerous – for both the mother and the child.  And after all that – shepherds arrive to tell them that angels appeared in the sky and confirming what the angel had said to Mary at the beginning of this journey.  No wonder she pondered it all in her heart – before nodding off for a much needed nap. What a wild family story this probably became over the years, right?  I mean, can you imagine on the 10th Christmas, somebody saying – Hey Joe and Mary, remember that crazy year of the census?  And them saying back “Lordy what a time that was” as Joe grabs another eggnog and Mary chases Jesus and his siblings away from the presents. Seriously though – that was the Luke story.  Filled with very human stress, joy, and a bit of craziness – and all wrapped up in love.  The Matthew story was much less chaotic, but far more dangerous.  Mary was pregnant, but she and Joseph were engaged, not married – which in those days, and in some parts of the world today – means danger for Mary and her unborn child.  In a dream, Joseph is told by an angel not to discard her, but to marry her as planned.  After the baby is born, a few wise people from the East come to their house (with very impractical and odd gifts).  Then, Joseph has another dream where an angel tells him that King Herod is out to kill Jesus.  So ,the Holy Family become refugees.  They flee the danger in their homeland, cross over the border into Egypt, and stay there until Herod dies.  Thankfully for most, this story in Matthew is not as familiar to their Christmas gatherings as the one in the Gospel of Luke.  But it is to many in this country now, who fled from danger in their home countries, often with children and just the clothes on their backs, to come here for safety.  To them, this flight to Egypt is very familiar. So, if we really take in the story we celebrate tonight we may just find a place for ourselves in its familiarity.  Sure, we don't ride donkeys generally (although how cool would that be – well, except not from the donkey's perspective, I suppose).  We don't trudge for miles on all dirt roads (even if in NJ it feels that way), have farm animals on the first floor of our house, or have to travel for our government census (they kinda frown on that). And we don't typically see choirs of angels singing, have shepherds coming over with strange news, people bearing odd gifts knocking on our door, or an awe inspiring astrological phenomenon shining in the sky above (which I can guarantee meant that it was cloudy over New Jersey that first Christmas night, as it always is when there is something cool to see).   No, we don't have any of that on our Christmas to do or see list, but then again, it is not those things that matter anyway.  What makes this birth we celebrate so important to remember is the rest of it.  God chose to enter into the world through relationships of love – the love of parents for their newborn child, of a young couple starting their life together, of family, friends, and neighbors gathering in likely too small a space but somehow making it work.  This birth, that changed the world forever, begins among family relationships that are messy and wonderful all at the same time, and amid moments when we feel exhausted or lonely even in a crowd (as it must have felt for Mary, Joseph, or the shepherds sometimes). It is in the mundane, the mess, the fear, the joy, the hurt, and the longing – the ever day ordinariness and sometimes craziness of human existence – that God comes – choosing to connect heaven and earth in the form of a vulnerable baby, born to world weary parents, in a humble setting, amid a chaotic family gathering, to a people who walked in darkness.  Today we too are a people who walk in darkness – the deep night of bigotry and hate, oppressive governmental leaders, marginalized people, poverty and loneliness, violence and war. And here's the thing, we who live in a land of deep darkness, need to remember most of all this night – Jesus is being born now too, and we have a part to play in that birth.  Long ago, God chose Mary because God knew she had the courage to say Yes to that call, the faith to trust the Holy Spirit even when things got crazy, and the will to bring Jesus into a world in need.  And God chooses us to do the same now.  You, and you, and you, all you-all, are not spectators this night.  You are a part of the story.  The story that is happening now. You are the one God now calls to bring the light of Christ's love into the darkness.  You are the one that needs to trust the Holy Spirit amid the insanity of this time and place. You may not see angels flying around in the sky, or shepherds knocking at your door in the middle of the night, but you are meant to be a part of this story nonetheless.  You are meant to be Mary – bearers of Christ to those who walk in darkness. We all are. And perhaps Mary's need to ponder all of it in her heart makes a lot more sense to us now.  It is a lot to think about – more than whether the tie you got for your dad was a good idea or not.  Because while the gifts we give at Christmas will someday be put away and forgotten, this gift – to be Mary – to carry Christ's light within us, give birth to his love for the sake of others, nurture him in the world – it is the gift of a lifetime – and the call we all have.  And perhaps like her, we may be wondering: Why me? Why would God come into this crazy world at this time and place? Will I be able to do what God is asking me to do, and will it really matter? And when you need to ponder that, come here among your parish family, where you will be given what you need for your life journey, just as Mary was so long ago.  Remember that when she became pregnant as the Archangel Gabriel told her, she traveled to her cousin Elizabeth, who affirmed her call.  Here is where you too can take a moment from the busy-ness of the world to come among family and be affirmed about your life and in your call. The story of Christmas – of the birth of Jesus – is our story – of God active in our lives and in the world.  It reminds us that mystery and wonder abounds even in chaos, that healing and restoration come with humility and grace, that God's great love appears in the most unexpected ways, and bursts into our ordinary lives to bring freedom and justice for the oppressed, and to proclaim for all to hear that everyone is a beloved child of God – no exceptions.  And perhaps most especially, that God chooses us to help bring this all about. God chooses us to be Mary – bearers of Christ into the world. So let us all have a Mary Christmas!  M-A-R-Y and the other kind too. For then we may one day truly see peace on earth, and good will for all.  Merry Christmas Everyone! For the audio, click below, or subscribe to our iTunes Sermon Podcast by clicking here (also available on Audible): Sermon Podcast https://christchurchepiscopal.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Rec-001-Sermon-Christmas_Eve-11pm.m4a The Rev. Diana L. Wilcox Christ Church in Bloomfield & Glen Ridge December 24, 2025 Christmas Eve 1st Reading – Isaiah 9:2-7 Psalm 96 2nd Reading – Titus 2:11-14 Gospel – Luke 2:1-20     The post “Ponder This” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Friday Evening Service - 12/19/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Sunday Morning Service - 12/21/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

In this episode, host Brian interviews Kitty Bloomfield and Craig McDonald to explore the transformative benefits of pro-metabolic nutrition. They delve into Kitty's journey from restrictive dieting and health issues to adopting a balanced approach focused on carbs, protein, and fat, emphasizing real, whole foods. Craig provides insights into metabolic health, explaining the significance of carbohydrates for energy and the importance of strength training for muscle building and metabolic optimization. The discussion also covers overcoming binge eating and finding a sustainable, enjoyable way to eat while improving health markers like sleep, energy, and hormonal balance.    SHOW NOTES:       01:03 Kitty Bloomfield's Journey: From Restriction to Realization 03:13 Discovering Pro Metabolic Nutrition 04:45 Building a Business and a New Life 07:30 Craig McDonald's Perspective on Nutrition 11:10 The Importance of Individualized Health Metrics 25:41 Debunking Common Nutrition Myths 39:20 Balancing Competing Diet Worlds 39:55 Influencers and Health Issues 40:41 Personal Health Journey 41:31 Carbohydrates and Weightlifting 42:30 Understanding Carbohydrate Limits 46:36 Importance of Strength Training 57:59 Vegetables and Thyroid Health 01:06:06 Tracking and Eating Disorders   BEEF TALLOW PRODUCTS: NosetoTail.org Preorder the film here: http://indiegogo.com/projects/food-lies-post    Film site: http://FoodLies.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FoodLies   Follow along: http://twitter.com/FoodLiesOrg http://instagram.com/food.lies http://facebook.com/FoodLiesOrg    

  December 7, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. You'all know I love Hallmark Christmas movies.  However, there is nothing quite like the ultimate story we hear at this time of year – A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens.  And as much as I love Hallmark, they just do not compare in their remakes of that classic, to the ones that star Alister Sims or Sir Patrick Stewart.  Now, we are in Advent, not Christmas, so why do I bring this classic tale of Christmas up?  For the same reason I did many years ago when I was preaching on the texts for this Sunday – especially the one from Isaiah, because Dickens knew how to create a setting.  And, the truth is, while the movie adaptations are good, nothing is better than the actual book in telling that important part of the story.  I mean, isn't that nearly always the case – Lord of the Rings trilogy, Dune, the Chronicles of Narnia – I know, I am showing my fantasy/scifi side. Even the Harry Potter movies, while really good, were not as good as the books.  The same is very true for A Christmas Carol. The opening paragraph of this Dicken's seasonal classic makes one thing absolutely clear.  It reads, “Marley was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. Scrooge signed it: and Scrooge's name was good upon 'Change, for anything he chose to put his hand to. Old Marley was as dead as a door-nail.  Mind! I don't mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the Country's done for. You will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that Marley was as dead as a door-nail.” So, I guess Marley, old Scrooge's business partner, was very much dead?  Or, as we get from the coronor in The Wizard of Oz – Marley is “…not only merely dead, [he's] really most sincerely dead.” Clearly we do not need to ask, in our best Monty Python voice, “Is he dead yet?”  Marley is dead.  Got it.  But why all the fuss – why all the repetition? Well, as we continue in the story we realize that if we weren't quite sure about Marley being dead, than it throws off the basis for the very strange set of Christmas Eve visitations that result in a miracle of new life for Scrooge.  And it is this new life that is an important part of our Advent journey.  The life that grows out of death.  Now you might be thinking, isn't that Easter, not Advent?  Well, it is both, as will see in the passage from Isaiah, and also from St. Paul in his letter to the Romans (who quotes the very scripture in Isaiah we heard today).  The passage begins with this: “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.”  That branch, the passage continues, is the birth of a new leader – one who is righteous and faithful, who has compassion for the poor and the meek. Oh, how we yearn even today, for that. Now we often hear these words and think of Jesus, but Jews then and to today know these words as applying to King Hezekiah of Judah.  Still, everyone all over the world yearn for this type of leader – one who has compassion for her people, and knows they are not God, but are there to serve God's people.  The prophet's words remind all of us what is expected of those that lead the people of God.  And it is a proper metaphor for the incarnation too. So, let's get back to that stump, that leftover remains of a very dead tree.  A tree that, as Dickins would likely say, is as dead as a door nail.  Why is this imagery so important to the people then, or us now? Well, remember last week? The prophet was speaking of a vision of a new world where swords would be turned into plowshares?  Well, that hasn't come about yet.  The Assyrians were still a threat to Jerusalem, and had destroyed many a city in Judah and Israel.  In fact, in the chapter before the one we read from today, we hear about those rulers who oppress the people, turning aside the needy from justice, and robbing the poor and vulnerable.  It was a time of darkness for the people, where hope was far gone and everyone seemed like the walking dead.  The stump is a metaphor for the people who felt dead inside.  The shoot is the birth of a new leader who is righteous, faithful, and good.  That would be a miracle to those so worn down by the reality in which they lived. But the passage doesn't stop there.  This new life is beyond anything anyone has ever experienced – beyond even swords being made into plowshares.  It is what we have come to call the peaceable kingdom…where “The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid…” Of course, this image has been depicted in religious art, and is the stuff of poets.  But given the circumstances then and today, many of us might say, “The wolf might lie down with the lamb. But the lamb won't get much sleep!”  We greet these words with a big “Bah Humbug!' Not because we don't want it – oh we so dream it could be true.  No, we are skeptical because we have become so used to the very unpeaceable kingdom – war, violence, human trafficking, hate crimes, cyberbullying, and leaders who attack the people they are meant to serve, not to mention difficult times in our own lives. We can feel devoid of dreams like this because it can all seem too big to imagine – this time of peace and love for all.  It seems like a pipe dream. We can be so very weary from what life throws at us that we become like those people long ago – the walking dead.  Our faith withered so much that we keep a watchful eye, a bit like a lamb near a lion, for what might next prey upon us, and not for miracles of new life.  And so this prophetic witness of Isaiah is not only meant for those long ago, but for us too.  Maybe that is why St. Paul quotes the prophet in his letter to the Romans we heard a part of today.  He writes “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope….and again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.”” St. Paul is reminding the people in Rome, and now us, of the promise of Isaiah – that new life grows out of what seems to be very much dead, bringing hope to all.  And folks, as I said last week, hope is a most powerful force amidst the darkness of the world.  It is the stuff of transformation, and the heart of Advent.  Hope is the spark in the soul that can defeat the darkness, can overcome the strongest enemies, can make dreams – God's or our own – possible.  And hope is the root of joy. Now, to be clear, joy is not happiness.  Joy is not connected to external events.  Joy is the inner peace we carry knowing that no matter what life throws at us, God loves us – loves us enough to break into the darkness of our lives with the birth of Christ Jesus. But here's the thing.  This new vision of the world – this peaceable kingdom and life out of death – this hope and joy – well, we have a role to play in bringing it all about. St. Paul adds this instruction we heard today “Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you.”  This welcome isn't a polite greeting like we do at the peace, or we might when being introduced at a party.  That is far too tame.  The Greek used here is more on the lines of “fully embrace.”  And it isn't meant just for people we know well, or even like.  It is to fully embrace like Christ!  Or to put it in Christ's own words “love one another as I loved you.”  We are to be the counter-cultural witness to the goodness of God in how we treat one another, how we treat those who are different than ourselves, how we treat all of creation.  When we love as Christ loved us, we become the very sprouts of new life for a world that feels dead as a stump.  That is how we, by his incarnation in our heart, give birth to God's vision of love and peace. It happens one welcome – one full embrace – one moment of unconditional love at a time.  It is the hope of nations, and the promise of the child we await.  Think about the story of old Scrooge for a moment.  His transformation didn't come about because he got frightened out of his wits by a bunch of ghosts.  It started with a warning from Marley, to be sure, but what exactly was Marley telling him?  First, he told Scrooge that the chain he was wearing he forged in life, and that Scrooge's was just as long and growing ever still.  And when Scrooge said, “But you were always a good man of business, Jacob,” Marley shouted back – “Business!” “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!…At this time of the rolling year, I suffer most. Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode? Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me?” Then the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future arrive one by one. What did they show Scrooge?  Images of hell to scare him?  No.  They showed him love – love he once had for another person, love of the Cratchit family even amidst all their lot, love his nephew showed to him despite Scrooge's nasty clapbacks at him.  And the reader or viewer sees how the absence of love from others can deaden many a child of God. That is what the Spirits showed to Scrooge – love.  Love not based on being treated well, love not based on the circumstances of life.  Just love – that full embrace St. Paul implores us to give – that commandment of Jesus to us all.  It is the very thing that will bring forth the shoot of hope and joy from even the deadest of souls, including our own. So next time you are watching your favorite version of A Christmas Carol, remember this passage from Isaiah and the epistle of St. Paul to the Romans. Remember and see that even a soul as dead as Dickin's Mr. Scrooge may be given new life through the power of love. Remember too that this miracle of redemptive grace is for everyone – for you and for me.  It is the hope that will heal the world and bring about the beloved kingdom for us all, so long as we do our part to bring it about. And so I leave you with this, the two benedictions St. Paul includes in this part of his epistle.  Maybe they be something you can say each morning as you start the day – a reminder of Advent and what is possible by God's grace, when we share with others our hope and joy in love.  “May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Amen. For the audio, click below, or subscribe to our iTunes Sermon Podcast by clicking here (also available on Audible): Sermon Podcast https://christchurchepiscopal.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Rec-001-Sermon-December_7_2025.m4a   The Rev. Diana L. Wilcox Christ Church in Bloomfield & Glen Ridge December 7, 2025 Advent 4 – Year A 1st Reading – Isaiah 11:1-10 Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 2nd Reading – Romans 15:4-13 Gospel – Matthew 3:1-12 The post “The Power Of Love” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

In this mini-episode... we trade the 12:30pm coffee surge for a calmer tea routine. Catherine Montest helps to unpack caffeine timing, yerba mate culture, and simple ways to control the buzz. Then we pivot to a bright cranberry loaf suggestion from Baking Across America that pairs perfectly with any afternoon brew.If you're in the market to grab a cookbook from B. Dylan Hollis as a gift or for yourself, be sure to shop locally at one of our great independent bookstores like White Whale Bookstore in Bloomfield or Woolly Bear Books & Gifts in Carnegie. Support the showLiked the episode? We'd love a coffee!

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Friday Evening Service - 12/12/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Sunday Morning Service - 12/14/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Sunday Morning Service - 12/7/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Friday Evening Service - 12/5/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Mike and Chris sit down with Rich Bloomfield of Funkytown and Rob Brennan of Supermoon for a good old fashioned roundtable with some blind tasting thrown in for good measure. 

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Sunday Morning Service - 11/30/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Drag: A British History (University of California Press, 2023) is a groundbreaking study of the sustained popularity and changing forms of male drag performance in modern Britain. With this book, Jacob Bloomfield provides fresh perspectives on drag and recovers previously neglected episodes in the history of the art form. Despite its transgressive associations, drag has persisted as an intrinsic, and common, part of British popular culture--drag artists have consistently asserted themselves as some of the most renowned and significant entertainers of their day. As Bloomfield demonstrates, drag was also at the center of public discussions around gender and sexuality in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, from Victorian sex scandals to the "permissive society" of the 1960s. This compelling new history demythologizes drag, stressing its ordinariness while affirming its important place in British cultural heritage. Jacob Bloomfield is a Zukunftskolleg Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Konstanz and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent. His research is situated primarily in the fields of cultural history, the history of sexuality, and gender history. Jacob is the author of Drag: A British History (2023). His second monograph will be about the historical reception to, and cultural impact of, musician Little Richard. Isabel Machado is a cultural historian whose work often crosses national and disciplinary boundaries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Drag: A British History (University of California Press, 2023) is a groundbreaking study of the sustained popularity and changing forms of male drag performance in modern Britain. With this book, Jacob Bloomfield provides fresh perspectives on drag and recovers previously neglected episodes in the history of the art form. Despite its transgressive associations, drag has persisted as an intrinsic, and common, part of British popular culture--drag artists have consistently asserted themselves as some of the most renowned and significant entertainers of their day. As Bloomfield demonstrates, drag was also at the center of public discussions around gender and sexuality in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, from Victorian sex scandals to the "permissive society" of the 1960s. This compelling new history demythologizes drag, stressing its ordinariness while affirming its important place in British cultural heritage. Jacob Bloomfield is a Zukunftskolleg Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Konstanz and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent. His research is situated primarily in the fields of cultural history, the history of sexuality, and gender history. Jacob is the author of Drag: A British History (2023). His second monograph will be about the historical reception to, and cultural impact of, musician Little Richard. Isabel Machado is a cultural historian whose work often crosses national and disciplinary boundaries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/lgbtq-studies

Drag: A British History (University of California Press, 2023) is a groundbreaking study of the sustained popularity and changing forms of male drag performance in modern Britain. With this book, Jacob Bloomfield provides fresh perspectives on drag and recovers previously neglected episodes in the history of the art form. Despite its transgressive associations, drag has persisted as an intrinsic, and common, part of British popular culture--drag artists have consistently asserted themselves as some of the most renowned and significant entertainers of their day. As Bloomfield demonstrates, drag was also at the center of public discussions around gender and sexuality in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, from Victorian sex scandals to the "permissive society" of the 1960s. This compelling new history demythologizes drag, stressing its ordinariness while affirming its important place in British cultural heritage. Jacob Bloomfield is a Zukunftskolleg Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Konstanz and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent. His research is situated primarily in the fields of cultural history, the history of sexuality, and gender history. Jacob is the author of Drag: A British History (2023). His second monograph will be about the historical reception to, and cultural impact of, musician Little Richard. Isabel Machado is a cultural historian whose work often crosses national and disciplinary boundaries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

Drag: A British History (University of California Press, 2023) is a groundbreaking study of the sustained popularity and changing forms of male drag performance in modern Britain. With this book, Jacob Bloomfield provides fresh perspectives on drag and recovers previously neglected episodes in the history of the art form. Despite its transgressive associations, drag has persisted as an intrinsic, and common, part of British popular culture--drag artists have consistently asserted themselves as some of the most renowned and significant entertainers of their day. As Bloomfield demonstrates, drag was also at the center of public discussions around gender and sexuality in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, from Victorian sex scandals to the "permissive society" of the 1960s. This compelling new history demythologizes drag, stressing its ordinariness while affirming its important place in British cultural heritage. Jacob Bloomfield is a Zukunftskolleg Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Konstanz and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent. His research is situated primarily in the fields of cultural history, the history of sexuality, and gender history. Jacob is the author of Drag: A British History (2023). His second monograph will be about the historical reception to, and cultural impact of, musician Little Richard. Isabel Machado is a cultural historian whose work often crosses national and disciplinary boundaries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drag: A British History (University of California Press, 2023) is a groundbreaking study of the sustained popularity and changing forms of male drag performance in modern Britain. With this book, Jacob Bloomfield provides fresh perspectives on drag and recovers previously neglected episodes in the history of the art form. Despite its transgressive associations, drag has persisted as an intrinsic, and common, part of British popular culture--drag artists have consistently asserted themselves as some of the most renowned and significant entertainers of their day. As Bloomfield demonstrates, drag was also at the center of public discussions around gender and sexuality in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, from Victorian sex scandals to the "permissive society" of the 1960s. This compelling new history demythologizes drag, stressing its ordinariness while affirming its important place in British cultural heritage. Jacob Bloomfield is a Zukunftskolleg Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Konstanz and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent. His research is situated primarily in the fields of cultural history, the history of sexuality, and gender history. Jacob is the author of Drag: A British History (2023). His second monograph will be about the historical reception to, and cultural impact of, musician Little Richard. Isabel Machado is a cultural historian whose work often crosses national and disciplinary boundaries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies

November 23, 2025: May God's words be spoken, may God's words be heard.  Amen. For some, this is a day called Christ the King Sunday, but as I say every year, that is not a title he would have ever claimed.  As we heard in the Gospel, it was a title given to him by the oppressors who crucified him.  No, Jesus would not be happy with this King business I believe, Jesus is Lord is enough, and was for centuries for his followers, as Christ the King wasn't even a thing until 1925.  So, not Christ the King…but it is Advent. And we have practiced the original seven week Advent here at Christ Church since 2016, and as then, it seems so appropriate now, because Advent is about a people walking in darkness, but not a people without hope. The people are in crisis.  Many live in fear.  The country is divided against itself.  People don't know which way to turn, how to take the next step, what to do, because the leaders have failed them.  Certainly, this sounds like it is a time of darkness, and even very familiar – but I am not talking about the events in this country, at least not yet. I am talking about the passage in Jeremiah we heard this morning.  If you were in doubt about whether Advent, from a lectionary point of view, is seven weeks long, just look again at our reading today from Jeremiah and the Canticle. Jeremiah begins with a stern warning from God for those in power that because they have abused their people, because they have not care for their flock, they will meet with God's wrath.  Jeremiah had been speaking about the failure of leaders in the time of the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 587 bce.  And the passage ends with a very Advent-y verse “The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch…” God clearly was not happy with the shepherds who failed their sheep. One of the things that our faith, our scriptures, make abundantly clear, is the importance of shepherds.  And being a shepherd is about never forgetting that the focus of your work must always be on the welfare of the sheep. This is true, not only for those who watch over flocks, but for all kinds of leadership positions – from President to parent, from CEOs to church leaders.  We don't have to have lived in the Ancient Near East to understand what can happen when shepherds fail in their work.   We have borne witness to this in our lifetimes. Today, we can certainly understand what it must have felt like back in the days of Jeremiah to be a people divided, scattered, fearful of our leaders, and not sure what tomorrow will bring.  Our own nation's leaders have not only failed to be good shepherds, it is far worse than that.  They have actually turned on the sheep.  Our country – once a beacon of freedom and democracy to the world – has entered into the dark shadows of oligarchy and systemic oppression. The President has put masked troops in the street shooting tear gas and pepper balls into crowds of citizens, and callously throwing people, including clergy, onto the pavement – arresting them for the crime of free speech.  He is responsible for the execution of over 80 people without due process of law through drone strikes on boats in international waters.  He has had thousands detained, including zip tying children (let that sink in), again without due process of law, and even deported many of them to foreign prisons notorious for their human rights abuses.  He has dismissed the concern of over a thousand female victims of a child sex predator to protect his own hide, calling their abuse a hoax.  And his government has stolen affordable access to healthcare for the poor to give money in tax breaks to the rich and powerful. And while some may feel this is less important – it goes to his misogyny and eroding of the freedom of the press – the silencing of those who courageously try to protect the flock from predators.  He told one woman reporter who dared ask him a question, “Quiet Piggy!”  Then he held a meeting at the White House with Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, known for his brutality, including the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a US citizen, by having him chopped up while still alive.  When the President was asked about meeting with him by another reporter (also a woman) he called her “insubordinate.”  Insubordinate – as though he is a king who cannot be questioned.  And to another who asked directly about the murder of Khashoggi, he said “A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen.”  Things happen?  Sure, a guy walks into a bathroom and things like a bone saw just kinda happen to him. Seriously.  You can't make this stuff up.  These are dark days we find ourselves walking in, to be sure. And it could make anyone feel like just pulling the covers over their heads and praying that things will change.  That perhaps new leaders will emerge and make everything better in some distant future.  But, that would be like reading only parts of this passage from Jeremiah – the beginning condemnation of the current leaders in the first two verses, and the promise of a new leader in the final verses, when what we need most to pay attention to today is everything in between. Because if we focus only on the current predicament, and the hope of new leadership, we miss what God intends for us, and it is something so very needed now. After condemning the current leaders, God then says “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock, and…I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing.”  God declares “I will raise up shepherds…”  Well, guess where God gets those new shepherds?  From right within the flock!  God intends to call from among the sheep new shepherds. As one commentator noted, “While [Jeremiah] opens with judgment and closes with a promise of a future leader who will save and protect the people, the larger book of Jeremiah does not let us — the people — off the hook as we wait.” So, both sheep and shepherds have responsibilities to the full flock.  Everyone has a role to play, especially when we talk about our lives in Christ.  Some are called to a dedicated shepherd role.  Bishops are the shepherds for a diocese and Deacons assist in that work.  Priests are the shepherds for a parish or other type of faith community.  But what about the laity, the sheep?  Well, that's what we hear about in the Song of Zachariah, the canticle, or for Latin nerds, the Benedictus, chanted so beautifully this morning by our choir.  Zachariah, after the miraculous birth of his son John by his wife Elizabeth, had a lot to say.  Now, you can understand why when we remember what the angel Gabriel did to him before this.  See, back about nine months earlier, Zach was a priest, and it was his turn to serve in the temple.  This was not an every week thing.  There were a lot of them, and so maybe this was his one shot a year.  So, he's back there doing his priestly work, burning some incense, as you do, when the angel Gabe pops in to tell him “Hey Zach!  You and Liz are gonna have a baby!  You will call him John, and he will be a great prophet, who will proclaim the coming of the Lord.” Now, Zach was a bit skeptical, after all, he and Liz were getting on in years.  So, he says “Seriously?  How is that gonna happen?  My wife and I are already on Medicare for crying out loud.”  Gabe was not pleased.  “I am Gabriel – the best messenger God has!  I came all this way to give you this awesome news and you doubt me?”  Knowing priests love to talk, he made Zach mute until the baby was born.  Which tells you that if an angel appears, even in flames like the movie Dogma, keep your doubts to yourself. So, as we know now, Liz did get pregnant.  Her cousin Mary, the mother of Jesus, came to visit her, etc.  Fast forward to today's passage, and that baby was just born.  Zach's mouth was opened, and he wasn't holding back.  He told all that had gathered to celebrate this birth what this miracle child would do.  He told them that salvation was coming for all of them, and that John would be called a prophet, and prepare the way for the coming of Christ.  That's a lot right there for this newborn.  But there's more.  John's prophetic witness would shine light “…on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.” This prophet John, through his witness in the world, would give light where there is darkness, and guide others toward peace.  John would be a great prophet of God in a time of deep darkness.  He was also an example to us all, most especially now. John, a sheep of God's flock, was made for such a time as he lived.  And you know what? So are you.  So is every single one of you. It is in times such as when John was born, such as what we are experiencing now, that light is needed most within the shadows of despair, longing, fear, and hate.  And that is when God raises up prophets to carry the light of hope and love into a world of darkness and discord.  While it is true that some will do this in particular calls to ordained life – all of us are called to be John – to be the prophets that guide others to the way of peace.  And if you think about it, there is a shepherding quality to prophet work, right? If you are guiding others, you are a shepherd.  And in the church, as all are part of the priesthood of all believers, so each of you is called to be both sheep and shepherd.  That is our life as a part of the flock of God, most especially when the flock – the people of God, and the creation in which we dwell – are in danger, are being hurt, are living in fear.  Folks, is it clear that we are in Advent – both in the church and in the world.  And God is looking for prophets, for shepherds, to listen, to lead, and to love.  Forget looking to someone else to do it – look in the mirror instead. Because God is calling you – here, now. In Advent most of all, we know that in the darkest of times, the light will always come.  But it is up to each of us, following where the Holy Spirit leads, to be that light too – to be Christ's light shining in the world.  And one way we do that is by what we will do here today.  Later in this service, each of you will bring forward food for the those in need and your pledge cards – a commitment to stewardship of this place, out of which we bring the gospel message of hope to a world in need, and in which we are given restoration for our souls as we do this prophetic work of being shepherds in the world.  The food, for both humans and animals, is our commitment to caring for the folk of God. The pledges are a commitment to be the prophet our Creator needs today, and proclaim from the highest hills, and the lowest valleys, that God loves everyone – no exceptions.  They are a pledge to be the shepherd of a people who are lost, alone, or living in fear. They are a step in the longer journey of our life, and in the long history of shepherds and prophets of God. Long ago, God, through the prophet Jeremiah, lamented those called to be shepherds who failed their flock, who failed in God's mission and call for them, and declared that other shepherds would be raised up instead.  And they were to the hope of all creation. Long ago, John was born with a call to prepare the way for the One who would bring light into the world.  Today, we are the ones that God has raised up – born in baptism – not to prepare the way, but to be the way – to guide others, by the light of Christ shining in us and through us, into the path of peace. To be both the sheep of God's pasture, and the shepherd of others.  These are dark and dangerous times, and this will not be easy work.  And, so I want to leave you with these words of a 13th century woman who heard her own call to be a shepherd.  She cast aside all she knew and left the wealthy life of her noble birth to follow Christ.  She was Clare of Assisi, who started the monastic order known as the Poor Clares.  On her deathbed, St. Clare offered this blessing – words that still ring out through the centuries, serving as a reminder that we never do this work alone.  Christ is always our partner in our call.  And so I offer them now to you to take into your heart as you leave here today to be the shepherds, the prophets, who light the way and guide others into the path of peace, the ones God calls for the sake of the world: “Live without fear: your Creator has made you whole, always walks with you, and loves you as a mother. So, follow the good road in peace, and may God's blessing remain with you always.” Amen. For the audio, click below, or subscribe to our iTunes Sermon Podcast by clicking here (also available on Audible): Sermon Podcast https://christchurchepiscopal.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Rec-001-Sermon-November_23_2025.m4a   The Rev. Diana L. Wilcox             Christ Church in Bloomfield & Glen Ridge November 23, 2025 Advent 2 (7 Week Advent) – Year C Texts 1st Reading – Jeremiah 23:1-6 Canticle 16 2nd Reading – Colossians 1:11-20 Gospel – Luke 23:33-43   The post “Live Without Fear” appeared first on Christ Episcopal Church.

In this episode Rabbi Marc Katz is in discussion with Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin about his new book Inviting God In: A Guide to Jewish Prayer (Central Conference of American Rabbis Press, 2025), an engaging and insightful commentary on the Shabbat evening and morning services. Designed for students of all ages, from bet mitzvah to adulthood, the book's relatable tone and discussion questions meaningfully engage readers in the worship service they are leading or attending. In the book, Rabbi Salkin breaks down each prayer and ritual, helping learners connect to the service with fresh insight and knowledge. With a blend of humor and depth, Inviting God In shows how the ancient words of prayer still speak to the challenges and joys of contemporary life. Our discussion, not only touches on the main themes and ideas in the book, but about prayer itself and the role that ritual plays in helping Jews connect with God. Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin is the author of numerous books, including Righteous Gentiles in the Hebrew Bible: Ancient Role Models for Sacred Relationships and Putting God on the Guest List, winner of the 1993 Benjamin Franklin Award for the best religion book published in the United States. Rabbi Marc Katz is the Senior Rabbi at Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, NJ. He is the author of Yochanan's Gamble: Judaism's Pragmatic Approach to Life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this episode Rabbi Marc Katz is in discussion with Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin about his new book Inviting God In: A Guide to Jewish Prayer (Central Conference of American Rabbis Press, 2025), an engaging and insightful commentary on the Shabbat evening and morning services. Designed for students of all ages, from bet mitzvah to adulthood, the book's relatable tone and discussion questions meaningfully engage readers in the worship service they are leading or attending. In the book, Rabbi Salkin breaks down each prayer and ritual, helping learners connect to the service with fresh insight and knowledge. With a blend of humor and depth, Inviting God In shows how the ancient words of prayer still speak to the challenges and joys of contemporary life. Our discussion, not only touches on the main themes and ideas in the book, but about prayer itself and the role that ritual plays in helping Jews connect with God. Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin is the author of numerous books, including Righteous Gentiles in the Hebrew Bible: Ancient Role Models for Sacred Relationships and Putting God on the Guest List, winner of the 1993 Benjamin Franklin Award for the best religion book published in the United States. Rabbi Marc Katz is the Senior Rabbi at Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, NJ. He is the author of Yochanan's Gamble: Judaism's Pragmatic Approach to Life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

In this episode Rabbi Marc Katz is in discussion with Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin about his new book Inviting God In: A Guide to Jewish Prayer (Central Conference of American Rabbis Press, 2025), an engaging and insightful commentary on the Shabbat evening and morning services. Designed for students of all ages, from bet mitzvah to adulthood, the book's relatable tone and discussion questions meaningfully engage readers in the worship service they are leading or attending. In the book, Rabbi Salkin breaks down each prayer and ritual, helping learners connect to the service with fresh insight and knowledge. With a blend of humor and depth, Inviting God In shows how the ancient words of prayer still speak to the challenges and joys of contemporary life. Our discussion, not only touches on the main themes and ideas in the book, but about prayer itself and the role that ritual plays in helping Jews connect with God. Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin is the author of numerous books, including Righteous Gentiles in the Hebrew Bible: Ancient Role Models for Sacred Relationships and Putting God on the Guest List, winner of the 1993 Benjamin Franklin Award for the best religion book published in the United States. Rabbi Marc Katz is the Senior Rabbi at Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, NJ. He is the author of Yochanan's Gamble: Judaism's Pragmatic Approach to Life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

In this episode Rabbi Marc Katz is in discussion with Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin about his new book Inviting God In: A Guide to Jewish Prayer (Central Conference of American Rabbis Press, 2025), an engaging and insightful commentary on the Shabbat evening and morning services. Designed for students of all ages, from bet mitzvah to adulthood, the book's relatable tone and discussion questions meaningfully engage readers in the worship service they are leading or attending. In the book, Rabbi Salkin breaks down each prayer and ritual, helping learners connect to the service with fresh insight and knowledge. With a blend of humor and depth, Inviting God In shows how the ancient words of prayer still speak to the challenges and joys of contemporary life. Our discussion, not only touches on the main themes and ideas in the book, but about prayer itself and the role that ritual plays in helping Jews connect with God. Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin is the author of numerous books, including Righteous Gentiles in the Hebrew Bible: Ancient Role Models for Sacred Relationships and Putting God on the Guest List, winner of the 1993 Benjamin Franklin Award for the best religion book published in the United States. Rabbi Marc Katz is the Senior Rabbi at Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, NJ. He is the author of Yochanan's Gamble: Judaism's Pragmatic Approach to Life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biblical-studies

In this episode Rabbi Marc Katz is in discussion with Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin about his new book Inviting God In: A Guide to Jewish Prayer (Central Conference of American Rabbis Press, 2025), an engaging and insightful commentary on the Shabbat evening and morning services. Designed for students of all ages, from bet mitzvah to adulthood, the book's relatable tone and discussion questions meaningfully engage readers in the worship service they are leading or attending. In the book, Rabbi Salkin breaks down each prayer and ritual, helping learners connect to the service with fresh insight and knowledge. With a blend of humor and depth, Inviting God In shows how the ancient words of prayer still speak to the challenges and joys of contemporary life. Our discussion, not only touches on the main themes and ideas in the book, but about prayer itself and the role that ritual plays in helping Jews connect with God. Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin is the author of numerous books, including Righteous Gentiles in the Hebrew Bible: Ancient Role Models for Sacred Relationships and Putting God on the Guest List, winner of the 1993 Benjamin Franklin Award for the best religion book published in the United States. Rabbi Marc Katz is the Senior Rabbi at Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, NJ. He is the author of Yochanan's Gamble: Judaism's Pragmatic Approach to Life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/spiritual-practice-and-mindfulness

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Sunday Morning Service - 11/23/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Friday Evening Service - 11/14/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Friday Evening Service - 11/21/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Sunday Morning Service - 11/16/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus AFC Combined Youth Worship Service -11/22/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Interweaving memoir with Hebrew poetry, Going Out with Knots: My Two Kaddish Years with Hebrew Poetry (Jewish Publication Society, 2025) illluminates author Wendy I. Zierler's literary and personal Jewish mourning journey in the aftermath of unremitting personal loss. She begins with her story: the death of both her parents in one year; the challenges she faced as a woman saying Kaddish in an Orthodox synagogue; and her decision to teach a weekly class on modern Hebrew poems that addressed grief, prayer, and God wrestling. Each subsequent chapter delves into the works of a different modern Hebrew poet—Lea Goldberg, Avraham Ḥalfi, Yehuda Amichai, Rachel Morpurgo, Rachel Bluwstein, Ruhama Weiss, and Amir Gilboa—in the order in which she translated, interpreted, and taught their poems (many translated into English for the first time). Each poet, like Zierler, comes to writing deeply connected to Jewish tradition and yet at odds with it, too. Ultimately, Going Out with Knots reflects on how a woman living in a modern Orthodox community can claim a place in the male-centered rituals that Jewish tradition prescribes for mourning, and how immersion in modern Hebrew poetry can respond deeply to both communal (COVID-19, October 7) as well as personal losses, offering a new form of theology and Torah. Rabbi Dr. Wendy I. Zierler is Sigmund Falk Professor of Modern Jewish Literature and Feminist Studies at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in New York and the coeditor of Prooftexts: A Journal of Jewish Literary History. She is the author of Movies and Midrash: Popular Film and Jewish Religious Conversation and And Rachel Stole the Idols: The Emergence of Hebrew Women's Writing and coeditor of These Truths We Hold: Judaism in an Age of Truthiness. Rabbi Marc Katz is the Senior Rabbi of Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, NJ. He is the author of Yochanan's Gamble: Judaism's Pragmatic Approach to Life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Interweaving memoir with Hebrew poetry, Going Out with Knots: My Two Kaddish Years with Hebrew Poetry (Jewish Publication Society, 2025) illluminates author Wendy I. Zierler's literary and personal Jewish mourning journey in the aftermath of unremitting personal loss. She begins with her story: the death of both her parents in one year; the challenges she faced as a woman saying Kaddish in an Orthodox synagogue; and her decision to teach a weekly class on modern Hebrew poems that addressed grief, prayer, and God wrestling. Each subsequent chapter delves into the works of a different modern Hebrew poet—Lea Goldberg, Avraham Ḥalfi, Yehuda Amichai, Rachel Morpurgo, Rachel Bluwstein, Ruhama Weiss, and Amir Gilboa—in the order in which she translated, interpreted, and taught their poems (many translated into English for the first time). Each poet, like Zierler, comes to writing deeply connected to Jewish tradition and yet at odds with it, too. Ultimately, Going Out with Knots reflects on how a woman living in a modern Orthodox community can claim a place in the male-centered rituals that Jewish tradition prescribes for mourning, and how immersion in modern Hebrew poetry can respond deeply to both communal (COVID-19, October 7) as well as personal losses, offering a new form of theology and Torah. Rabbi Dr. Wendy I. Zierler is Sigmund Falk Professor of Modern Jewish Literature and Feminist Studies at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in New York and the coeditor of Prooftexts: A Journal of Jewish Literary History. She is the author of Movies and Midrash: Popular Film and Jewish Religious Conversation and And Rachel Stole the Idols: The Emergence of Hebrew Women's Writing and coeditor of These Truths We Hold: Judaism in an Age of Truthiness. Rabbi Marc Katz is the Senior Rabbi of Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, NJ. He is the author of Yochanan's Gamble: Judaism's Pragmatic Approach to Life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Friday Evening Service - 11/7/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Sunday Morning Service - 11/9/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Friday Evening Service - 10/31/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Sunday Morning Service - 11/2/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Sunday Morning Service - 10/26/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Friday Evening Service - 10/24/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

One of the constants of Jewish history is that Jews have learned from the cultures around them. But this exchange of information was not an easy endeavor. Not only did Jews speak a different language, but their cultural touchpoints were different. If they were to learn from the people around them, their translations had to be deliberate, sometimes taking creative license of create buy in among the Jewish community. Between the Bridge and the Barricade: Jewish Translation in Early Modern Europe (U Penn Press, 2024) by Iris Idelson-Shein explores how translations of non-Jewish texts into Jewish languages impacted Jewish culture, literature, and history from the sixteenth century into modern times. Offering a comprehensive view of early modern Jewish translation, Iris Idelson-Shein charts major paths of textual migration from non-Jewish to Jewish literatures, analyzes translators' motives, and identifies the translational norms distinctive to Jewish translation. Through an analysis of translations hosted in the Jewish Translation and Cultural Transfer (JEWTACT) database, Idelson-Shein reveals for the first time the liberal translational norms that allowed for early modern Jewish translators to make intensely creative and radical departures from the source texts—from “Judaizing” names, places, motifs, and language to mistranslating and omitting material both deliberately and accidently. Through this process of translation, Jewish translators created a new library of works that closely corresponded with the surrounding majority cultures yet was uniquely Jewish in character.Between the Bridge and the Barricade isn't just about translation. It's about how ideas spread, how people learn, how identity is formed, and helps explain how we got to the Judaism we have today. Iris Idelson-Shein Associate Professor of Jewish History at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Rabbi Marc Katz is the Senior Rabbi of Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, NJ. He is the author of Yochanan's Gamble: Judaism's Pragmatic Approach to Life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Sunday Morning Service - 10/19/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Friday Evening Service - 10/17/2025 1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Apostolic Fellowship Church of Christ Jesus Saturday Fellowship Service with New Hope Apostolic Church - 10/18/2025 Pastoral Appreciation Month  1153 Blue Hills Ave, Bloomfield, CT 06002 We can be reached by contacting us at AFCMedia@AFC-ct.com or calling us at (860) 242-3518

Former police officer and best-selling author of PIG LATIN Eric Tansey breaks down newly released bodycam and dash cam footage from a harrowing Memorial Day traffic stop in Bloomfield, New Mexico. What began as a routine stop over a broken headlight tragically escalated into the fatal shooting of Officer Timothy Ontiveros by Dennis Armenta. In this episode, Eric Tansey examines: Let's talk about the critical moments leading up to the shooting-- a non compliant suspect, patience by the officers, and finally fire and the split-second decision to return fire. The broader lessons about officer safety, tactical decision-making, and the impact of mental health issues in violent encounters. Tansey shares his unique perspective as both a former cop and author, offering insights into the stress, decision-making, and emotions officers experience during life-or-death situations.