Every January, the Orthodox Church reads the first seventeen verses of the Gospel according to Matthew. The text is Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus Christ, beginning with Abraham. Some years ago, the emphasis on this text within the Church’s lectionary befuddled me. How are we supposed to draw spiritual nourishment from this long list of obscure names?

Grab your sweetheart and celebrate “Groundhog Day” with a free meal of barbeque ribs and all the fixin’s when everyone “Gathers at the Table” Monday, Feb. 2 from 5:00 to 6:30 in the Saratoga Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall at the corner of Third and Bridge Streets.

When it comes to finding our place in this world, let’s consider two categories. The first one, let’s call “floating down the river.” Imagine someone napping in a small boat without a compass or a paddle and not caring about where they are going. Having a spectator mentality, they have yet to understand the importance of having an intentional direction and instead settle for just hoping for the best.

If you love the flavors of a classic bacon cheeseburger but want something warm, filling, and perfect for feeding a crowd, bacon cheeseburger casserole is the answer. This dish combines savory ground beef, crispy bacon, melted cheese, and burger seasonings and bakes it into a hearty, family-friendly meal that’s simple to prepare and endlessly customizable.

This past Sunday, January 11th, was observed in many western liturgical churches as the First Sunday after the Epiphany. The word “epiphany’ means to “show forth” or to “manifest.” During the season after the Epiphany, the Gospel lessons include stories that show us Jesus’ divinity. The Feast of the Epiphany, January 6th, is the day when we commemorate the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus.