The Adventurous Lectionary – The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost – August 13, 2023

Last updated on: August 11, 2023 at 9:28 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – August 13, 2023 – The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28; Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22; Romans 10:5-15; Matthew 14:22-33 Today’s passages probe the nature of divine providence, or the movements of divine intentionality, in our lives. Providence is often seen as deterministic and compelling; it may also be seen as open-ended and an invitation to agency and creativity. The very assumption of providence in an ambiguous world raises many questions. Is God the sole cause of... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 6, 2023

Last updated on: July 30, 2023 at 7:30 am By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – August 6, 2023 – The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 13:14-21 Everyone needs a blessing, a sense of belonging, a experience of mattering, an affirmation of selfhood. We need a blessing from our parents and significant others, and we need a blessing from God. To be blessed is to be right with the world and feel at home in our skin. It is to be affirmed and loved just... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – July 30, 2023 – Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

Last updated on: July 23, 2023 at 7:09 am By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – July 30, 2023 – Ninth Sunday after Pentecost Genesis 29:15-28 Psalm 105:1-11 I Kings 3:5-12 Romans 8:26-39 Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 Pentecost is the season of divine revelation and profound giftedness. Spirit moves in all things, awakening us to a democracy of inspiration, whose inspiration includes us. God’s abundance is strewn everywhere, for all to experience, in every time and place and those who are attentive to it will experience wisdom and the ability to discern their... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Eighth Sunday in Pentecost – July23, 2023

Last updated on: July 16, 2023 at 5:33 am By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost – July 23, 2023 Genesis 28:10-19a Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24 Romans 8:12-25 Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Today’s readings proclaim that he world is chock full of divinity. We live in a God-filled universe; that is the practical meaning of divine omnipresence. You can encounter the holy in the most unlikely places. Thin places, joining heaven and earth, abound for those for whom the doors of perception have opened. Life is messy, but it... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – July 9, 2023

Last updated on: July 2, 2023 at 3:31 pm By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – July 9, 2023 – Fifth Sunday after Pentecost Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67; Psalm 45:10-17; Romans 7:15-25a; Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 We are anxious people in need of God’s peace. We are an unsettled church and nation in need of a unified and cooperative spirit. We need words of grace that calm and inspire as we face the challenges of post-Covid church, national disunity, and planetary threat. “Come to me all who are weary and are carrying heavy... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – July 2, 2023

Last updated on: June 25, 2023 at 4:33 pm By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – July 2, 2023 Genesis 22:1-14; Psalm 13; Jeremiah 28:5-9; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42 This week’s stories are all challenging, spiritually, ethically, and relationally. We need to take exception to the story of Abraham and Isaac to be faithful to the God of grace, believing that “God’s request” is unworthy of any God worthy of worship. Following Christ is ultimately about a life-giving lifestyle, not violence or fear, whether that violence... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – July 2, 2023

Last updated on: June 17, 2023 at 5:25 pm By Bruce Epperly

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Adventurous Lectionary – The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – July 2, 2023 Genesis 22:1-14; Psalm 13; Jeremiah 28:5-9; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42 This week’s stories are all challenging, spiritually, ethically, and relationally. We need to take exception to the story of Abraham and Isaac to be faithful to the God of grace. Following Christ is ultimately about a life-giving lifestyle, not violence or fear. To be honest, I am unsure what to do with the passage related to Abraham and... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Third Sunday after Pentecost – June 18, 2023

Last updated on: June 10, 2023 at 6:06 pm By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Third Sunday after Pentecost – June 18, 2023 Genesis 18:1-15, Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19, Romans 5:1-8, Matthew 9:35-10:8 Taken together, this Sunday’s readings paint a portrait of a holistic faith involving the interplay of hospitality, healing, and mission, whether we are in ordinary time, living with the challenge of post-pandemic congregational life, or in the middle of protesting injustice. Without having to invoke supernatural causation, they ask us and our congregations to expect surprises when we... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Second Sunday after Pentecost – June 11, 2023

Last updated on: June 4, 2023 at 7:07 pm By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Second Sunday after Pentecost – June 11, 2023 Genesis 12:1-9; Psalm 33:1-12; Romans 4:13-25; Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 Today’s scriptures chart a journey toward wholeness. Although it is seldom cited as a healing story, Abraham’s story – like that of Matthew’s – involves the healing of purpose. The wholeness that comes when you discover your life’s vocation for the season of life in which you find yourself. Abraham and Sarah are people of a “certain age.”... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Trinity Sunday – June 4, 2023

Last updated on: May 26, 2023 at 8:51 am By Bruce Epperly

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Adventurous Lectionary – Trinity Sunday – June 4, 2023 Genesis 1:1-2:4a; Psalm 8; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; Matthew 28:16-20 In a few days, school will be out and congregations will move toward summer schedule. Many pastors will exchange their robes for more casual attire – in my case, a Guayabera (Cuban untucked) shirt with a stole – and children’s and adult faith formation may take a hiatus or become more informal in nature. Still, summer is a time of learning and... Read more