The Adventurous Lectionary – The Third Sunday after the Epiphany – January 23, 2023

Last updated on: January 16, 2023 at 7:56 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Third Sunday after the Epiphany – January 22, 2023 Bruce G. Epperly Isaiah 9:1-4 ; Psalm 27:1, 4-9; I Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-23 Today’s readings capture the spirit of the magi, followers of Zoroaster, non-Jews who experience God’s revelation when the rightful religious leaders are oblivious. Foreigners and strangers and pioneers in inter-spirituality who worship God of Jesus, while remaining true to their own faith and ethnicity. Following the star, taking a chance on a... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Second Sunday after the Epiphany – January 15, 2023

Last updated on: January 8, 2023 at 11:23 am By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – Second Sunday after the Epiphany – January 19, 2020 Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 41:1-11; I Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42 The Second Sunday of Epiphany focuses on the nature of call. Life is a call and response in which God speaks to us in our gifts and in the events of our lives, and we respond, embodying God’s call in our own unique way. Our call is for us and our fulfillment. It is also for the world... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Baptism of Jesus – January 8, 2023

Last updated on: January 2, 2023 at 7:59 am By Bruce Epperly

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The Baptism of Jesus – January 8, 2107 Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 3:13-17 Epiphany is all about revealing the divine in expected and unexpected places. Today’s revelation is all about water, one of the most common and taken for granted aspects of first world life. Our tap water, flowing Jordan waters, waves on Cape Cod shores, the water of the womb, and the waters that nourish our crops and our bodies. Yet, water can be scarce in... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – The First Sunday of Christmas – January 1, 2023

Last updated on: December 26, 2022 at 8:44 pm By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – January 1, 2023 – The First Sunday of Christmas Isaiah 63:7-9 Psalm 148 Hebrews 2:10-18 Matthew 2:13-23 A new year is upon us. After the revels of the holidays, with extra services and visits, and imaging for the year ahead, many pastors are taking the Sunday. Indeed, I am preaching on New Year’s Day to give a respite to a local colleague. Hopefully, it will not be a “low” Sunday, after the “high” of Christmas Eve.... Read more

The Hopes and Fears of All the Years are Met at Christmastime

Last updated on: December 24, 2022 at 8:21 am By Bruce Epperly

I never knew what became of them. Every year scores of people come to our church seeking help in responding to needs of body, mind, and spirit. And we always tried to respond with grace and generosity. But this couple was unique. It was two days before Christmas, and they showed up in a battered car that they had been sleeping in since being evicted from their apartment the week before. They had a history, involving drugs and alcohol, like... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Christmas Eve and Day – December 25, 2022

Last updated on: December 19, 2022 at 7:09 pm By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – Christmas Eve and Day , December 24/25, 2022 Isaiah 9:2-7 Luke 2:1-20 John 1:1-14 Christmas Eve is a challenge for preachers. And, this year, so is Christmas Day, since it falls on a Sunday this year and many congregations’ worship will be modestly attended in person or will be online this year. Moreover, this year, with the lessening of COVID fears, most congregations expect good attendance on Christmas Eve. Even with the diminishing importance of Christian... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Fourth Sunday of Advent – December 18, 2022

Last updated on: December 11, 2022 at 3:37 pm By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Fourth Sunday in Advent – December 18, 2022 Isaiah 7:10-16 Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-25 The Christmas stories join metaphysics and mysticism in the messy incarnation of Jesus. Today’s reading is about a world changing birth inspired by Joseph’s Christ-saving dream. While we need not neglect Isaiah’s imaginative vision of a child whose birth will change everything, the Psalmist’s hymn to divine restoration, or Paul’s account of Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Third Sunday of Advent – December 11, 2022

Last updated on: December 5, 2022 at 11:31 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – Third Sunday of Advent – December 11. 2202 Isaiah 35:1-10 Luke 1:46b-55 James 5:7-10 Matthew 2:1-11 Advent is a time for hopeful transformation. It is a time of birth and possibility, of horizons of hope that liberate our imaginations and energize our actions. Advent is global and not parochial, inclusive and not anthropocentric. Creation and humankind lean toward wholeness; creation groans and so do we. We imagine a new age – an age of Shalom –... Read more

An Homage to David Ray Griffin

Last updated on: November 26, 2022 at 7:59 am By Bruce Epperly

United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold once said: “For all that has been – thanks! For all that shall be – yes!” This has become my personal mantra and the lens through which I look at my own life, the passing of the years, and the impact of persons of stature on my life. With the passing of David Ray Griffin, I must say, “For all that has been – thanks!” Now almost fifty years ago, I remember sitting in... Read more