Adventurous Lectionary – First Sunday in Advent – December 1

November 25, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – The First Sunday in Advent – December 1, 2024 Jeremiah 33:14-16 Psalm 25:1-10 I Thessalonians 3:9-13 Luke 21:25-36 These days, many of us are struggling to find hope for our nation’s and planet’s future. As we look toward the next four years, many of us visualize a slow-motion train wreck in the making, driven by a vindictive and authoritarian engineer bound and determined to roll back human rights, persecute enemies, imprison undocumented immigrants, and bully his... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Reign of Christ – November 24, 2024

November 17, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – Christ the King/Realm of Christ Sunday – November 24, 2024 Samuel 23:1-7 Psalm 132:1-12 Revelation 1:4b-8 John 18:33-37 Today’s scriptures invite us to consider God’s relationship to politics and culture as well as our own personal lives. If Christ is “king” or “ruler,” what does that mean in real life and everyday decisions regarding our domestic lives and political policy? Does the way of Christ have sovereignty in the affairs of nations? Should we model our... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Pentecost 26 – November 17, 2024

November 10, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Twenty Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – November 17, 2024 I Samuel 1:4-20, Psalm 16, Hebrews 10:11-25, Mark 13:1-8 Today’s readings elicit childhood memories. I grew up seeing a refrigerator magnet promising, “prayer changes things,” whenever I opened our family’s refrigerator. That affirmation has stayed with me all my life. I am a pray-er for things large and small. I have studied research on prayer and health, and believe that in mysterious and incalculable ways, prayer... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Pentecost 25 – November 10, 2024

November 4, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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Twenty Fifth Sunday after Pentecost I Kings 17:8-16; Psalm 146; Hebrews 9:24-28; Mark 12:38-44 On this Sunday after USA Election Day, congregations may be joyful, troubled, angry, split, or worried about the future of our nation. Some of us may be in shock, and even if the forces of division and destruction are defeated, we worry about violence, far beyond January 6, 2021, and know that the struggle for a more perfect union will continue. Many preachers will discard the... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Pentecost 24 – November 3, 2024

October 27, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost – November 3, 2024 Ruth 1:1-18 (3:1-5; 4:13-17) Psalm 146 Hebrews 9:11-14 Mark 12:28-34 Preaching is always contextual. You preach to a certain congregation, with a certain demographic and community, and at a certain time. Time is of the essence this Sunday: in two days, we will begin to receive the results of the Presidential election, leadership in the House and Senate, and state and local contests. This is a momentous time,... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Pentecost 23 – October 27, 2024

October 20, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost – October 27, 2024 Job 42:1-6, 10-17 Psalm 34:1-8 Hebrews 7:23-28 Mark 10:36-42 This week we conclude our journey with Job. Job is a challenging work, and one of the greatest texts in theological reflection. Job doesn’t answer our questions regarding the problem of evil, but it raises questions and reminds us of some of the wrong answers and the preacher’s task to “do no harm” as they reflect on life’s... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Pentecost 22 – October 20, 2024

October 14, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – Pentecost 22 – October 20, 2024 Job 38:1-7, 34-41 Psalm 104: 1-9, 24, 35c Hebrews 5:1-10 Mark 10:35-45 The readings for Pentecost 22 join the grandeur of God with the suffering of God and challenge us to recognize the wonder and fragility of each creature. They challenge us to reevaluate our values: to recognize that greatness involves our place in the universe as God’s creatures and our willingness to suffer for the well-being of others, to... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Pentecost 21 – October 13, 2024

October 6, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost – October 13, 2024 Job 23:1-9, 16-17 Psalm 22:1-15 Hebrews 4:12-16 Mark 10:17-31 This Sunday’s scriptures focus on the absence and presence of God. Good theology joins both the apophatic and the kataphatic approaches to knowing God. God is beyond our imagining and cannot be limited by our scriptures, ecclesiology, rituals, or doctrines. God is more than we can imagine. Yet, God is within all things, constantly providing us with insights... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Pentecost 20 – October 6, 2024

September 29, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Twentieth Sunday of Pentecost – October 6, 2024 Job 1:1; 2:1-10 Psalm 26 Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-10 Mark 10:2-16 This week’s readings begin with a reflection on the prelude to the Book of Job, one of the greatest and most challenging descriptions of both God and the human condition. Job is every man, every woman, and every person who faces unexpected and unanticipated life-changing suffering. Accordingly, it is appropriate to focus on the reality of suffering,... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Pentecost 19 – September 29

September 22, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 29, 2024 Esther 7:1-6, 9-10: 9:20-22 Psalm 124 James 5:13-20 Mark 9:38-50 This week’s lectionary readings are ambiguous. While the New Testament readings focus on healing, the Hebraic scriptures speak of God’s protection of the Jewish people at home and abroad. This latter issue is challenging in light of the expanding conflict between Israel and Hamas and Hezbollah. On the one hand, we cannot preach about Israeli exceptionalism, nor... Read more