Texts for November 25th

     Friends in Christ, below are the lectionary texts that I will preach on the Sunday after Thanksgiving (November 25th).  I welcome your comments and feedback.  As always, feel free to give your insights and questions either publicly on this blog or privately via my email at smfearing@gmail.com.  Grace and peace, Stephen.

John 18:33-38

     Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’ Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’ Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’ Pilate asked him, ‘What is truth?’

Revelation 1:4b-8

     John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

     Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

     To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and madeus to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 
     Look! He is coming with the clouds;
          every eye will see him,
     even those who pierced him;
           and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
     So it is to be. Amen.

     ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, 

          who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.