January 29, 2012
Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
In the scriptures the word is announced through prophets who speak for God, and later through Jesus who teaches with authority. The church continues to proclaim the gospel of God’s great love for humankind. We gather around Christ, the Word made flesh, to hear that God is gracious and full of compassion. It is the authority of the gospel that enables us to announce a prophetic word of judgment and mercy to the world in which we live.
(from Sundays and Seasons, Augsburg Fortress 2011)