The Adventurous Lectionary – November 17, 2019 – Pentecost 23 Isaiah 65:17-25 and Isaiah 13 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 Luke 21:5-19 Today’s readings join joy and novelty with admonition and concern. Isaiah presents a utopian vision, a new world brought about through divine providence; the Psalmist is taking a victory lap, praising God for God’s providential care; Thessalonians counsels faith accompanied by works and a commitment to moral and useful living; and the Gospel tells us to prepare for trouble and… Read more
November 6, 2019
The Adventurous Lectionary – November 17, 2019 – Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost
November 6, 2019 By Bruce Epperly
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November 6, 2019
Veterans Day and the Moral Equivalent of War
November 6, 2019 By Bruce Epperly
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Honoring Our Veterans with Lives of Sacrifice My mother was born on November 11, 1918, the day of the Armistice that ended World War I, the most devastating war in history up to that time. Her parents named her “Loretta Victoria” in honor of the allied victory. Twenty-five years later, my father fought in World War II, and served in Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa. He wore his uniform proudly, though, like most veterans of World War II, he was quiet… Read more
October 29, 2019
The Adventurous Lectionary – Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost – November 10, 2019
October 29, 2019 By Bruce Epperly
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The Adventurous Lectionary – Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost – November 10, 2019 Haggai 1:15b-2:9 Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 Luke 20:27-38 How do you respond to an irrelevant, gotcha, question? How do you respond to someone who simply wants to make a point, sound and fury signifying nothing except ill will – like many Facebook memes? Do you avoid the question altogether or transform an irrelevant question into an important truth? A campus chaplain I know noted that… Read more
October 25, 2019
The Adventurous Lectionary – Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost – November 3, 2019
October 25, 2019 By Bruce Epperly
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The Adventurous Lectionary – Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost – November 3, 2019 Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4; Psalm 119:137-144, II Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12; Luke 19:1-10 This week, we are challenged to ponder the nature of spiritual stature. The times call for large spirited people, welcoming and imaginative, able to look beyond the latest sound byte to see the broad expanse of history, able to go beyond fear and alienation in relation to the evils of our time to embrace the moral arc… Read more
October 16, 2019
The Adventurous Lectionary – October 27 – The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
October 16, 2019 By Bruce Epperly
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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost – October 27, 2019 Joel 2:22-32; Psalm 65; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18; Luke 18:9-14 God have mercy! This is the beginning and end of the spiritual journey. The tax collector’s prayer alerts us to the dynamic interdependence of life and our constant need of grace. There are no self-made persons. No one can make on her or his own. Our righteousness is not fully the result of our own efforts but… Read more
October 14, 2019
The Adventurous Lectionary – October 20, 2019 – Pentecost 22
October 14, 2019 By Bruce Epperly
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The Adventurous Lectionary – October 20, 2019 – The Twenty Second Sunday after Pentecost Jeremiah 31:27-34; Psalm 119:97-14; 2 Timothy 3:15-4:5; Luke 18:1-8. The Hebraic tradition sees life as the interplay of order and chaos, providence and agency, and alignment with divinity and turning toward self-interest. While ultimately God’s moral arc will prevail in the historical adventure, in the meantime the dynamic call and response regularly tilts toward and away from God’s vision, imagined in terms of the creative and… Read more
October 2, 2019
The Adventurous Lectionary – October 13, 2019 – The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
October 2, 2019 By Bruce Epperly
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The Adventurous Lectionary – October 13, 2019 – The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c, Psalm 111, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Luke 17:11-19 Healing was at the heart of Jesus’ ministry. Jesus healed persons, body, mind, spirit, and relationships. His healings transformed cells, souls, and social location. With its focus on two healing stories, this Sundays readings could be described by the phrase “the healing you need is right in front of you.” God’s healing presence abounds. God’s healing… Read more
September 25, 2019
The Adventurous Lectionary – Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost – October 6, 2019
September 25, 2019 By Bruce Epperly
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The Adventurous Lectionary – Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost – October 6, 2019 Lamentations 3:19-26, Psalm 137, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Luke 17:5-10 At the heart of this Sunday’s reading is the affirmation from Lamentations 3: “God’s mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is God’s faithfulness.” God’s is faithful despite life’s challenges. While today, many people want experiential religion – and this is important – experiential religion emerges from and needs to be balanced by a… Read more
September 19, 2019
The Adventurous Lectionary – Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 29, 2019
September 19, 2019 By Bruce Epperly
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The Adventurous Lectionary – Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 29, 2019 Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15, Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16, 1 Timothy 6:6-19 , Luke 16:19-31 Today’s readings could be captured by the South African phrase, “ubuntu” or “I am because of you.” In the context of social, economic, and racial divisions, ubuntu proclaims the essential unity of life and disastrous consequences of division for the oppressor as well as the oppressed. Jesus’ parable speaks of the apparently unbridgeable gulf between the… Read more
September 13, 2019
The Adenturous Lectionary – The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 22, 2019
September 13, 2019 By Bruce Epperly
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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 22, 2019 Jeremiah 8:18-9:1, Psalm 79:1-9, 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13 If you’re looking for a good time from the pulpit, you may want to stay home this Sunday or opt of preaching. At first glance, there is not a lot of joy in this Sunday’s lectionary readings. They seem appropriate for our current national situation, in which in the United States hate crimes and mass shootings have become… Read more
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