Adventurous Lectionary – Palm/Passion Sunday

March 17, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – Palm and Passion Sunday – March 24, 2024 Mark 11:1-11 Philippians 2:5-11 Mark 14:1-15:47 (or 15:1-47) This year, it feels like we have been in Jerusalem during Holy Week. We hear the bombs falling in Gaza and feel the grief of Palestinians and Israelis for the atrocities sanctioned by both sides’ leadership, we struggle with the continuing Russian attacks on Ukraine sovereignty, we overhear presidential candidates speaking positively about Hitler and Putin and mesmerizing the majority... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Lent 5 – March 17, 2024

March 10, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Fifth Sunday in Lent – March 17, 2024 Jeremiah 31:31-34 Psalm 51:1-12 Hebrews 5:5-10 John 12:20-33 As we lean toward Holy Week, we are confronted by questions of law, grace, and mercy. What is it like to have God’s law written on our hearts? What would it be like to have God’s presence as near as our heartbeat? For most of us, there is a gap between God’s vision and our behaviors and attitudes. The... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Lent 4 – March 10, 2024

March 3, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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Adventurous Lectionary – The Fourth Sunday in Lent – March 10, 2024 Numbers 21:4-9 Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 Ephesians 2:1-10 John 3:14-21 What is God like? What is God’s character? Is God for us or against us? Is God primarily punitive or graceful in nature? Can we trust God’s love or is there a “hidden” violent side to God, inspiring fear and not companionship? The readings for March 10 describe an ambiguity in divinity. Though they speak of divine rescue and... Read more

Third Sunday in Lent – March 3, 2024

February 25, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary -The Third Sunday in Lent – March 3, 2024 Exodus 20:1-17 Psalm 19 I Corinthians 1:18-25 John 2:13-22 Today’s readings focus on interdependent and potentially supportive relationships, with God, humankind, and the non-human world. Faith and ethics are built into the nature of things. The heavens declare God’s glory and God’s law is implanted in our hearts and communities. The readings embody a holistic faith that takes us beyond personal and individual piety in joining theology, ethics,... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary -The Second Sunday in Lent – Feb. 25

February 18, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Second Sunday in Lent – February 25, 2024 Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 Psalm 22:23-31 Romans 4:13-25 Mark 8:31-38 Lent is a time of spiritual reflection and growth. We face our temptations, recognize our weaknesses, and discover God in the wilderness of our lives. One of my favorite theological statements comes from First/Old Testament scholar and theologian Terry Fretheim who stated that it is more important to ask, “What kind of God do you believe in than... Read more

A Holy Lent and Spiritual Journey for Pastors

February 12, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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Ash Wednesday is on the horizon. The Season of Lent is upon us. In just a few days, we will gather to place ashes on congregants’ foreheads and embark on the Lenten journey. Lent, Holy Week, Advent, and Christmas are the most challenging seasons of the Christian year for spiritual leaders. During Lent, pastors usually have at least one more service or program each week and often spend extra time visiting shut-ins and giving home communions. We plan extra activities... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – The First Sunday in Lent

February 12, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The First Sunday in Lent – February 18, 2024 Bruce Epperly Genesis 9:8-17 Psalm 25:1-10 I Peter 3:18-23 Mark 1:9-15 Lent is a time of spiritual decluttering and creative transformation. A time of deepening our spirits and challenging everything, personally and politically that stands in the way of experiencing and sharing God’s abundant life. During Lent, we prune the branches of busyness and consumerism so that the light can shine through. We smash the idols of... Read more

Ash Wednesday Meditation -Tragic Beauty on Ash Wednesday

February 11, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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Embracing the Tragic Beauty of Ash Wednesday” Ash Wednesday is an opportunity to reflect on the tragic beauty of life. The philosopher Afred North Whitehead asserts that: “At the heart of the nature of things, there are always the dream of youth and the harvest of tragedy. The Adventure of the Universe starts with the dream and reaps tragic Beauty. This is the secret of the union of Zest with Peace: —That the suffering attains its end in a Harmony... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – The Tragic Beauty of Ash Wednesday

February 11, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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“Embracing the Tragic Beauty of Ash Wednesday” Ash Wednesday is an opportunity to reflect on the tragic beauty of life. The philosopher Afred North Whitehead asserts that: “At the heart of the nature of things, there are always the dream of youth and the harvest of tragedy. The Adventure of the Universe starts with the dream and reaps tragic Beauty. This is the secret of the union of Zest with Peace: —That the suffering attains its end in a Harmony... Read more

Be Transfigured! Transfiguration Sunday – February 11, 2024

February 4, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Transfiguration of Jesus – February 11, 2024 2 Kings 2:1-12 Psalm 50:1-6 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 Mark 9:2-9 Be transfigured! Become fire, as a North African abbot said to his companion! Our scriptures invite us to affirm the mystical aspects of faith. The great religions of the world emerged out of and were sustained by encounters with God. These moments of transcendence radically changed the lives of those who encountered the Holy. They were transfigured, and... Read more