Pastor's Reflections & Various SermonsMonthly faith reflections and other ponderings and sermons from the pastor.
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 “All the colors of the rainbow, all the voices of the winds, every dream that reaches out, that reaches out to find where love begins, every word of every story, every star in every sky, every corner of creation lives to testify... From the mountains to the valleys, from the rivers to the seas, every hand that reaches out, every hand that reaches out to offer peace, every simple act of mercy, every step to kingdom come, all the hope in every heart will speak what love has done. For as long as I shall live, I will testify to love. I’ll be a witness in the silences when words are not enough. With every breath I take, I will give thanks to God above, for as long as I shall live, I will testify to Love.” ~ Testify to Love Dear siblings in Christ,
Many of you know I really enjoy playing drums, but I’m not sure if you know that my foray into playing drums wasn’t one that was initially fostered by my family. When I reached the grade when I could learn a band instrument and I expressed my desire to learn percussion, my parents insisted I learn a “real instrument” first, so then I chose trumpet and a few years later jumped to French horn. Between those years of learning the trumpet and French horn, my home congregation had added a contemporary worship service and the original drummer of the worship band was going to head off to college soon and the band would soon be in need of a drummer, and finally my mother (Director of Music & leader of the worship band) agreed that I could finally start learning to play the drum set so that I could take over as the church drummer. For much of my time from Jr. High thru college, I played the drums during worship, and moved over to playing the djembe to add musical color when another drummer joined the band. And honestly through those years there was much worship music that I either got a bit tired of, or that I really enjoyed playing. There were some songs that I grew to have such appreciation for, that they wormed their way into having a special place in my heart that I find myself missing being able to play and sing every so often. One of these beloved songs was Testify to Love. It was originally written and recorded by the contemporary Christian band Avalon back in the ‘90s. I always felt this song painted such a beautiful picture of God as Love and that all of creation (including us humans) bears witness to this love, not necessarily in words, but by actions of love and peace put out into the world and through every part of creation being able to truly live into its beautiful self just as God created it to be. Back in the day, I never paid too close attention to the various popular Christian bands, I just enjoyed playing/singing (fairly theologically sound) worship music at church. So when the song Testify to Love was just rereleased a few weeks ago, I was surprised to learn a bit more background history of the band that first made this song a hit. I wasn’t necessarily shocked by what I learned but was surprised I don’t remember hearing about it before. This recent rerelease of the song has two of the original band members, Michael Passons & Mellissa Greene, along with country music artist, Ty Herndon. In the early 2000s Michael Passons came out as gay and then he was kicked out of the band even while Testify to Love was still such a hit in the worship music scene. So the band and their record label who put out a song that was all about God’s unconditional love throughout creation fell short of fully living into what they sang. This is not a shocking reveal when it comes to LGBTQIA+ stories in religious (especially Christian) spaces. There has been so much harm and damage done to so many in the name of religion through the years. I know many peers and acquaintances that have experienced much religious trauma (some having endured the tortures of conversion therapy) by the hands of those who said they loved them. Many experienced this trauma just for being brave enough to begin to live openly as the person God created them to be, which just happens to be different than the image of the “perfect daughter/son” that those around them had envisioned they would grow up to be. I first heard of the rerelease of Testify to Love on TikTok, where I saw many posts explaining a bit of the background sharing Michael’s story and mentioning a Substack post by Mellissa Greene, titled “Testify to Love: finally tells the truth.” She shared about her journey from being a band member of Avalon, to becoming one of Michael’s fiercest allies, to being a part of this rerelease of this beloved song. From the many social media posts that I have seen share and speak about this new version of Testify to Love, it is clear that it is resonating deeply with so many, especially with those who grew up in the church but for various reasons have left. Many shared of how they were either on the receiving end of religious trauma or had witnessed it as a reason for leaving, and that this song coming out now, is acting as a healing balm to parts of their soul that had been so hurt in the name of religion. With both Michael and Ty being openly out gay men as the lead singers in this version, singing proudly, testifying to the unconditional love that God gives to all of creation and that all of creation being exactly who and what God created it to be, reflects this love back to God and to all of creation. The song finally feels like it’s fully living into its message. In our world today, where so many in positions of power are yet again trying to demonize, dehumanize, and take away the hard fought rights of LGBTQIA+ individuals, and go as far as to label those of us who are LGBTQIA+ and those who support us as terrorists, there is something profoundly beautiful that this song has risen to the top spot of the streamed Christian Music Charts. In response to such an outpouring of love for this song Michael & Ty said this in a video to fans, “[This song] has become an anthem for people who were told they didn’t belong in faith spaces. I hope this becomes a reminder that there is room for all of us at the table of the Divine. God’s love was never meant to be locked behind fear, behind shame, or anyone’s permission.” I invite you to join in the joy that is this song and Ty, Michael, & Mellissa’s version of Testify to Love a listen. As we are at the start of June, the month that so many celebrate with pride the person who God created them to be, I pray that each of you, all of your loved ones, and every single person in the world will one day be able to truly live freely and openly as the people God created you to be without the fear of harm being done against anyone for doing just that. Until that day comes, I will continue to testify to the unconditional love of God by openly being the drumming, queer, woman pastor that God created me to be. So, who did God create you to be? Know that God loves you unconditionally no matter if you are living fully into that person yet or not. God’s Peace, Pastor Tamara Siburg
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. ” - Genesis 2:15 Dear siblings in Christ,
I doubt at this point it will come as a surprise that I consider myself a bit of a tree hugger. Yes, part of this is probably due to the fact that I grew up not only in an area with such beautiful natural landscapes, but that even the yard of my childhood house was on a very wooded property that had a gentle babbling creak running through it. Where at night I would sleep with my windows open and be lulled to sleep by the sound of the creak, the reselling leaves, and the frogs and other creatures adding their voices to the night song. I also have vivid memories of enjoying going to the occasional outdoor worships in a wooded property that was gifted to my home church, where there was a salmon spawning stream running right along the worship area and during spawning season hearing the splish splashing of the fish. I grew up running through those woods, making forts, climbing trees, and playing hid and seek with my brothers and friends. This and the fact that my father spent much of his career in the field focused on ecological issues, particularly that of water conservation, I understandably grew up feeling very connected to the great outdoors and try to take the call to care for the earth and all of creation seriously. As I mentioned in a recent sermon, I recently went to a continuing education conference, the Institute of Liturgical Studies where this year's theme was “Creation Groans”. It was there at the Augsburg Fortress vendor table that I was drawn to and then bought the book Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees by Beth Norcross and Leah Rampy. In this book the authors encouraged their readers to take time outside as part of the spiritual practices while reading the book, they encouraged the reader to go out and find a “teacher tree” to spend time with, to observe, and to ask it questions and ponder the possible answers. As I was reading, I didn’t actively go out to a tree but I couldn’t help but think of a couple of my favorite trees from the backyard where I grew up. Throughout the book the authors shared various ways that the trees and all the other organisms including various animals work together and share their resources amongst each other helping aid in the health of the whole forest, and how we as humans who did not take time to learn from our indigenous neighbors how to be a part of and honor creation, we have had a way of thinking we know best for what the forest needs, when in reality our best efforts have turned out to harm the forest, when at times it might have been better for the forest if we just got out of the way and let nature do what it does best, it finds a way to survive and thrive and continue being in relationship with all others in the forest. Trees thrive best when they are surrounded by other trees and organisms, a lonely tree just like a lonely person is not good for its overall health. We are meant to be in community not just with fellow humans but with all of creation, using creation as an example of this type of communal, coexistent, collaborative community, that God commanded us to not exploit and deplete but to care for, “to till and to keep it.” Another topic that came up in conversations throughout the conference, was that of the legislation what was currently being discussed by the Senate while I attended the conference. This particular legislation would make it easier to dismantle the protections in place for federal lands that had been previously protected from mining, like that of the Superior National Forest that would impact the watersheds that flow into places like the Boundary Waters up in northeastern Minnesota. I personally have yet to visit the Boundary Waters but I have heard of it’s majestic beauty and know I would love to spend some time up there one day, but I can’t help but think what this legislation taking away protections from federal lands such as national forests and such, will do to not only the health of the forests, but the overall health of the earth and it’s environment and ultimately to the health of our fellow humans. It’s no secret that Iowa is one of the states with the highest rise in diagnoses of cancer, and I have seen articles cite that this is partially due to the pollutants from our industries of factories and farming getting into our soil and water systems, so we can see first hand in our local neighbors just how when our environment is impacted, it effects us. As I was reminded in the book I mentioned earlier, trees and plants have a way of helping to trap harmful pollutants before they can get into our water systems but the more we allow for the destruction of the forests the less natural protection from pollutants we will have. I really don’t want to imagine a world where forests and the wonder of the natural beauty of creation is harder to find and come by. So I guess, this kind of became a love letter to the beautiful world that God created and called good, the earth that God so loved and commanded us humans to be caretakers and stewards of, where we over history have not done a great job in doing just that, but that I have hope that we might still have hope to work for the preservation of what we still have before it is too late, so our young ones may also know and experience the beauty all around us well into the future. Will you join me in affirming our call as fellow created beings to take care of, “to till it and keep it”, and to live into the relationship with all of creation that God originally intended us to have? I hope you each can find some time to get out and enjoy the beauty of creation all around us as well. God’s Peace, Pastor Tamara Siburg  “There is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Godself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Godself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.” 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 Dear siblings in Christ,
Here we are at the start of the Easter season now that it is finally starting to consistently feel like spring while we can find ourselves getting wrapped up in the excitement and shininess that is this glorious season full of the promise of resurrection, new life, and renewal. And since growing up, Easter was always one of my most favorite holiday’s and the only day I would willingly and happily get up before the sun to be able to participate in the sunrise service at my home church because there is something that just feels so magical in the way the sun starts to light up a space as it continues to rise in the early morning. And when it comes to Easter in recent years, I still often feel this excitement we I see signs and glimpses of this promised resurrection life full of new life and renewal that we can see all around us if we just take time to notice it blooming all around us. But this year, at least for me, seems to hit a bit different. It feels a bit heavier, and I feel the need to look for and find those glimpses of the promised new life and renewal for the sake of our world just a bit more intentionally. There’s just so much pain and suffering that disproportionally effects the poorest and most vulnerable amongst our fellow children of God caused as side effects by the powers that be and the policies, wars, and actions they take. Perhaps that’s not that different of a reality to the way the world was during that first Easter so long ago, when so many were hoping for a messiah to save them from the terror of oppression that the Roman Empire ruled over them with. And so as we take time this season to proclaim the Easter greeting, “Alleluia! Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!” we are reminded that we proclaim it a world that is still very much trembling with violence, terror, and grief. The joy of resurrection meets us not apart from the suffering of the world, but right in the midst of it. Even as we celebrate new life, we are keenly aware of the ways our neighbors are suffering hear in our own country and throughout the world. Like how here in this country both our trans siblings and any of our neighbor suspected to not be citizens are having their human rights and dignity denied through legislative policies being put forward as well as the ways in which people, including countless young children, are being inhumanly rounded up and detained in sub-humane conditions. Or how throughout the world, certain powers (especially that of our own leaders) continue to support or instigate the destruction of so many innocent civilians (again many of whom are children) as well as so many beautiful, historical, and or holy spaces for so many people through the continued bombings throughout the world and the various blockades put in place to keep the much needed aid and assistance from getting to those most in need of it. These places where wars, conflicts, and violent polices show up in the world continue to devastate communities across the whole world, these are places where fear has not yet given way to peace, and where innocent civilians continue to bear the unbearable weight of destruction caused by the earthly powers that be. And here’s the thing, Easter does not ask us to ignore this reality that there is still so much pain and destruction to just focus on the joy and the spirit and the far off promise of our eventual resurrection, but instead Easter draws us more deeply into it. The risen Christ still bears the wounds of the cross. Resurrection does not erase suffering, it transforms it. When we look upon a world so full of war and violence, we are not seeing something beyond God’s concern, but we see precisely where Christ is present, among the wounded, the grieving, the displaced, and the terrified. Every person caught in violence, every child living in fear, every family torn apart is held in God’s loving gaze. Those impacted by the choices of the powers at be are not merely collateral damage, they are beloved in God’s eyes, and their suffering is never justified by God, when God was the one to send Jesus and teach us to care for our neighbors no matter who they are. This Easter season, in a time when there are many people who say they are Christians and claim that the destruction, terror, and war being waged on our neighbors both near and far is justified or ordained by God, we must continue to resist and speak out against these horrendous narratives because God so loved the whole world. And we must continue to speak up against the belief that certain wars and global conflicts are necessary and should be seen as signs of the end times coming near or that they are all a part of a divine plan that is all tied up in an extreme misread and misinterpretation of Revelation bound up with the ideas of the rapture which are not even biblical. This whole idea of rapture and divine violence is not what the hope of Easter is all about. The resurrection of Christ is not about the fulfillment of destruction, but the defeat of it. The book of Revelation is not a prophecy predicting the great cataclysmic destruction of the world, but instead it was a vision and deep and profound hope given to a community of oppressed people with the promise that one day the powers of empire and violence will no longer prevail but instead that God’s justice and peace will finally be true for all of creation (I recommend checking out Barbara Rossing’s book The Rapture Exposed for further reading on this topic). To suggest that war must happen and should be a welcomed sign for God’s power and love in the world is a contradiction to the risen Christ who appears to his disciples saying, ‘Peace be with you.’ To believe that violence, destruction, and war are required is to turn from the very heart and meaning of the gospel Jesus came and shared with the world so long ago. Easter proclaims something far more radical than hatred, violence, and war, it proclaims that life is stronger than death, that love is stronger than hatred, and that God’s future is not built on the suffering of the innocent, but on the restoration and renewal of all creation, which includes all of us humans being restored into right relationship with each other. So we can be left asking ourselves in today’s world, how exactly are we being called to live as the resurrected Easter people that we are? Perhaps some of the ways in which we are called to live are to be witnesses to life in a world that so often chooses death, to continue pray for the peace of God to finally and fully be known, while we pray for the Spirit’s guiding to work towards making God’s peace on earth a reality while we advocate for justice and protection of the most vulnerable while refusing to accept violence as an inevitable, while we work to give as generously as we can in ways that support those whose lives have been upended by war, terror, and violence in their communities, embodying Christ’s compassion and love in tangible ways to all our neighbors. And I pray that we each are able to practice seeing, truly seeing the belovedness of every single human being no matter who they are, where they were born, or what religion they practice as fellow beloved children of God, even while the earthly powers that be continue to try to divide us into categories of ‘us’ and ‘them’. Easter teaches us that there is no ‘them’ in God’s eyes. There are only beloved children, each one named, claimed, and precious to God. The empty tomb of Easter is not a sign that suffering is necessary but instead it is a declaration that suffering and death do not have the final word and that God’s way is by far different than the ways of earthly powers. God’s Peace, Pastor Tamara Siburg  “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35 Dear siblings in Christ,
We are now over a week into our Lenten journey. As we continue through this season so often marked by acts of individual introspection and various spiritual practices of giving up this or that, as a way to help us focus more clearly on God and where in our lives we might be called to repent, to make a change and to turn back to God, it is important to remember that our call as Jesus’ followers lead us to participate in Lenten practices that go beyond our own individual piety. For our Lenten journeys are not meant to be done in isolation but in community, for God created us as communal beings, and it is because of our communal-ness that we have been given the various commandments for how we are called to live with each other, with creation, and with God. And in the above passage, we hear one of the last commands that Jesus gives to his disciples within the gospels. And this command is to love not power but to love people, to love others, to love each other much like other commands Jesus gives throughout the gospels, and it is through our love that we will be known as Jesus’ disciples. During a time when there seems to be so many people who say they are Christians but struggle to follow Jesus’ commands to love neighbor, enemy, each other, and God we can be left asking what does it mean to love one another? And how do we share and show this love to others? This command from John 13, comes from the assigned gospel passage for Maundy Thursday, where before Jesus gives the command, he takes time to wash each of his disciples feet, including that of Peter who will go on to be instrumental with spreading the good news of Jesus within the events as told in the book of Acts and Judas who Jesus knows will soon betray him and turn him over to the powers that be to be executed on the cross for all to see. Jesus gave his love freely throughout his life, giving us many concrete examples of how to share and show love to others. Like how in response to the question ‘who is my neighbor?’ Jesus shared the story of the good Samaritan, how the one who was most despised because of where they were from is the one to lend help, care, and love to the one in need while others looked the other way and ignored the need of another (Luke 10:25-37). Or how Jesus shared within a parable that ‘truly I tell you, just as you did it to the least of these you did it to me” in response to the question of when have they seen him hungry and thirsty and gave him food and drink, or seen him as a stranger and welcomed him, seen him naked and clothed him, sick and cared for him, or in prison and visited him (Matthew 25:34-45). Jesus reiterates that it is how we treat the least of us, in other words, how we show our love and care for the vulnerable, the marginalized, and often the most dehumanized amongst us, that this is how we not only love one another but how we love Jesus and God as well. Jesus shared his and God’s love through feeding, healing, and caring for the physical needs of others. And amongst his acts of love, included that of flipping the tables of oppressive systems, like how in Mark 11:15-18 & Matthew 21:12-13, Jesus flipped the tables and benches of money changers and the sellers of the sacrificial animals, who were exploiting those who came to the temple to worship God for their own finical gains. There are so many examples from Jesus’ own life and teachings, as well as examples from our fellow children of God throughout time and space of how we can share and show the love Jesus’ commands us to share out in the world. And so as we continue through Lent, I encourage you to take some time to truly look at our world and in our communities, to see where people are not being treated with love, where people are being dehumanized and hurt by the powers that be and the systems in place, and ask yourself, how might I, how might we respond with God’s love? How might we be in need of repentance, of changing something in our live to better respond with love to all people? How are we being called to act so that all will truly know we are also Jesus’ disciple by our love? Trust that even when at times when it might be difficult to share love with others, that because God first loved you, and called you a beloved child, that it is from God’s love for us that we are able respond out in the world with our own love that was first given from God. God’s Peace, Pastor Tamara Siburg
“‘I was hungry and you gave me food… I was a stranger and you welcomed me’… ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food…when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you’… ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these siblings of mine, you did it to me.’” - Matthew 25:34-40  An image captured during Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965 [3] Dear siblings in Christ, The world feels heavy right now. I know I’m not alone in feeling this, especially when we look around and see the sheer violence being perpetrated against our fellow human beings, our fellow children of God, not just throughout the world but right here in our own backyard. For a lot of reasons this past year has felt heavy and hard and it seems to have gotten even more so just this past month, as government sanctioned agents continue to terrorize communities seemingly without restraint, escalating to murdering law abiding citizens in broad daylight in front of countless witnesses. Based on the volume of videos shared, especially coming from Minnesota, we would be hard pressed to say that these agents are just going after undocumented criminals (being undocumented is only a civil offense not a criminal one), but it seems clear that they are there trying to send a message of the force and power of the current empire while disregarding the constitutional rights of both citizens and non-citizens alike. And the sad reality is, this kind of treatment and brutality is not completely new to this country. Our Black and Brown siblings have been experiencing treatment like this since before the birth of this nation. It’s just now, we have witnessed this horror happening by the government to people who look more like the majority of our congregation so it is easier to imagine ourselves in their shoes, we can more easily empathize with those being beaten, we can almost feel the pain and trauma that their bodies must hold after weeks of bearing witness. After story upon story of the horrors, we might either feel the urge to look away because we can not bear seeing another person beaten, another child taken, another neighbor shot dead or we might run the risk of being desensitized to these horrors and begin to accept this as our new reality. And here as followers of Christ, I must implore you to not lose sight of the humanity and God’s divine image in each person. As Jesus once said “just as you did it to one of the least of these siblings, you did it to me” after being asked when we have seen him hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, or in prison. Every single person is to be treated as if they are Jesus, that we see Jesus especially in the faces of those who the empire, the powers that be, deem to be the least of us and the most expendable. We cannot look away. So many compare our reality today to that of Nazi Germany but the reality is Nazi Germany learned much of the foundation of their tactics from how we Americans had treated those we deemed the least of us, through our horrific study of eugenics as well as the laws of the Jim Crow era [1, 2]. So when we look for moments in the past, we needn’t look to another country's history. As we are heading into February, a month dedicated to Black history, and as we are seeing more and more places throughout our country being stripped of the historical markers of the brutal realities of this country’s own past of slavery and the fight for civil rights, I can't help but think of the first attempted march across the Edmund-Pettus bridge in Alabama in March of 1965, and how it became known as Bloody Sunday. This was a moment where the country had to reckon with the truth of how horrifically some of our siblings in Christ were treated and because that peaceful march was met with such brutality and the fact that it was documented for the whole country to see, that it changed the tied, so many people from all over the country came to Alabama to join future marches, even after seeing what could happen to them. I remember learning much of this history in my elementary music class, having a short unit at age appropriate levels each year from 1st-6th grade, watching the Disney movie based on Ruby Bridges experience as a 1st grader attending an otherwise all white school, along with other movies based on events within the civil rights movement. And I remember wondering how could anyone not stand up for and with those being brutalized and how could people, especially people of faith do such horrors to others, both people of color and the white individuals who walked shoulder to shoulder demanding better of their leaders and this country. Perhaps the most simple answer as to why people of faith can do such horrendous things to fellow children of God, as seen now and all the way back to the time of slavery in this country, that even though most if not all who perpetrated such violence claimed to be Christians have actually taken God’s name in vain. To be followers of Christ, using cheery picked verses and passages of the bible to support their claims that they are superior to those they deem lesser, they take God's name in vain by claiming such horrific atrocities are done in God name and with God’s blessing. They bastardize the truth of God and God's love, claiming it is only for the few for those they deemed powerful enough, or right enough, or white enough, or so on. Jesus, a brown skinned Palestinian Jew, said “just as you did to the least of these siblings, you did to me.” Just as we allow the atrocities to happen to the least of these, we allow them to happen to him. Just as we look away from the violence happening to the least of these, it is still done to him. And so again, I urge you to not look away in the face of the terror and violence our fellow children of God are experiencing but instead listen to the Spirit’s guiding on how you are being called to respond faithfully in this moment. I want to share a poem I wrote for a final project in an elective seminary course, American Genocide: African American History and Theology, in the spring of 2019. Perhaps I should update it a bit someday but it still feels pretty relevant. It is titled Don't Look Away Don’t look away. You want to look away You don’t want to see that suffering, It’s brutal, but you weren’t the one inflicting it, so why should you bear witness to it? Don’t look away The broken, burned, drowned, hung, mutilated, shot bodies seared into your mind The strange fruit within our society Of our societies creation Don’t look away They are your siblings They are part of God’s creation just as you are The very creation we are called to be stewards of, to care for Don’t look away Remember the ships upon ships of trafficked persons across the ocean Remember that this country is built on the backs of these persons Witness to the “strange fruit” throughout the time and space of this nation Don’t look away Emmett Till, Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin, Mary Turner, They are people, they have names, they had lives It is too late for them Don’t look away Remember these atrocities happened and still happen Bring them to light It’s not too late for the living Don’t look away Demand change to the systems that let this carnage happen Words are a start, But words are just words, action is needed Build relationships that grow love in the hearts of those who fear and hate Don’t look away At this moment in time, in our world, in our country, as Christians, as followers of Christ Jesus, we might be left asking, how can we respond? What is the most Christ-like way to respond? What am I willing to risk or put on the line? How uncomfortable am I willing to be to truly follow Jesus’ teachings to love God, love our neighbors, and love our enemies to truly see Jesus in each other, especially those facing the most violence and terror? God’s Peace, Pastor Tamara Siburg [1] The Impact of Racist Ideologies: Jim Crow and the Nuremberg Laws, Holocaust Museum Huston, https://hmh.org/event/the-impact-of-racist-ideologies-jim-crow-and-the-nuremberg-laws/ [2] How the Nazis Were Inspired by Jim Crow, by Becky Little, August 16, 2017, https://www.history.com/articles/how-the-nazis-were-inspired-by-jim-crow [3] 'Spider' Martin's newly restored photos reveal firsthand the racist violence on March 7, 1965 in Selma, Alabama, Briana Ellis-Gibbs, https://sncclegacyproject.org/bloody-sunday-restored-photos-show-the-violence-that-shocked-a-nation/  Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23 - 12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: |
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