To my knowledge, I have never preached from the Apocrypha in my ministry. (I have a bad memory, so somewhere in my distant past I may have attempted this before.) I don’t do this with any anxiety, but with a sense of excitement. We too often miss things because we don’t understand why the Apocrypha exists. It is used so rarely in ANY circles we have lost sight of its value. But since the Reformation we simply have not valued this part of our literature.

This Sunday, I will tell the story of the Maccabean revolt and the forming  of Hanukkah. The story of the revolt (in I Maccabees) is exciting. The sacrifice made by the people of God was tremendous. There are incredible lessons to learn.

So, off to the Apocrypha we go!