Ever catch someone in a moment of guilt? Been caught yourself? Of course you have. That’s what makes Jesus catching his disciples after arguing about who among them is the greatest so rich (Mark 9:30-37). They knew they shouldn’t be doing it! After all, Jesus had just been talking about the suffering that he was willing to endure on their behalf, and on behalf of the world. And here they are fighting over who’s “the best.” […]
After blogging the lectionary for years, I’m retooling this blog to be a resource for people in the pews. Each week I’ll provide a short piece on both tracks of the Old Testament Lessons, the New Testament Lesson, and the Gospel Lesson. Then I’ll offer some discussion questions and intergenerational challenges based on the lessons. It will be in blog form, so you could copy+paste into a bulletin, and in half-sheet PDF, so you could […]
After blogging the lectionary for years, I’m retooling this blog to be a resource for people in the pews. Each week I’ll provide a short piece on both tracks of the Old Testament Lessons, the New Testament Lesson, and the Gospel Lesson. Then I’ll offer some discussion questions and intergenerational challenges based on the lessons. It will be in blog form, so you could copy+paste into a bulletin, and in half-sheet PDF, so you could […]
Like most preachers, I’ve been struggling with what to say this week. Struggling with what to say to others, when I am coming up painfully short with something to say to myself. And then, like a breath of fresh wind straight from the Holy Spirit, the families of the victims have begun to speak. And what’s the word we hear? Forgiveness. It’s unbelievable, isn’t it? We can come with ramped up anti-racism programs – and […]
Ezekiel 17:22-24 is the Hebrew Bible Lesson properly appointed for Proper 6B, Track 2 according to the Revised Common Lectionary. The king had abandoned the covenant that God had made with his people, and instead was looking to buttress himself with an alliance with the Egyptians. Instead of drawing strength from God, the king was looking towards the help of another nation. This does not please God. And, so judgment will follow. But, judgment isn’t all […]
Genesis 3:8-15 is the Hebrew Bible Lesson properly appointed for Proper 5B, Track 2 according to the Revised Common Lectionary. The story of the Garden in Genesis is the story of brokenness. And, as such, it’s a story that we know all too well. We know it in our bones. In the beginning, after God had drawn us out of the clay and filled us with His breath, God was right there with us. He […]
The following is a reflection on Matthew 2:1–12, the Gospel lesson appointed for the Second Sunday after Christmas, according to the Revised Common Lectionary. Sometimes the truth comes from the most unlikely of places. King Herod was a wicked, wicked man. He was guilty of the most despicable of crimes against humanity. And yet, his directive to the magi was spot on. Go and search diligently for the child. Was better advice ever given? It […]
A reflection on Matthew 22:34-46, the Gospel lesson for Proper 25a, according to the Revised Common Lectionary. Ilike digging into scripture to find the subtexts, the links to other texts and stories in another section of the Bible, and the cultural references that might not be readily grasped today. I love that so much, that when I’m preaching I too often spend the bulk of my time on that, and relegate the “so here’s what […]
A reflection on Exodus 33:12-23, the Hebrew Bible lesson for Proper 24a, according to the Revised Common Lectionary. God takes Moses, and he puts him in a little crack in a rock atop a mountain. God was going to pass by Moses, and God wanted to let Moses catch a glimpse of Him. So God passed by – but Moses wasn’t allowed to look yet. He wasn’t able to look until God had already passed. […]