The Adventurous Lectionary – The Reign of Christ – November 21, 2021

Last updated on: November 12, 2021 at 4:42 pm By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – Christ the King/Realm of Christ Sunday – November 21, 2021 2 Samuel 23:1-7 Psalm 132:1-12 Revelation 1:4b-8 John 18:33-37 For many progressive Christians, the Reign of Christ Sunday smacks of religious and political imperialism. It suggests that Christ is the ultimate authority and Christ gives us authority to lord it over persons with whom we disagree as well as persons from other faiths. There is a danger in thinking you have the fullest measure of truth.... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Twenty Fifth Sunday in Pentecost – November 14, 2021

Last updated on: November 7, 2021 at 4:05 pm By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Twenty Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – November 14, 2021 I Samuel 1:4-20, Psalm 16, Hebrews 10:11-25, Mark 13:1-8 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 the research on prayer and health, and believe that in mysterious and incalculable ways, prayer makes a difference. Although... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Twenty Fourth Sunday after Pentecost – November 7, 2021

Last updated on: October 30, 2021 at 9:15 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost – November 7, 2021 1 Kings 17:8-16, Psalm 146, Hebrews 9:24-28, Mark 12:38-44 Today, we move from Ruth to the widow of Zarephath and a widow in the Jerusalem Temple. Out of their scarcity great abundance emerges when they place their lives and possessions in God’s hands, trusting God’s promises of a future filled with goodness and hope. God is faithful when we feel most in need, spiritually and economically. We... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – All Saints – November 1 and 7, 2021

Last updated on: October 29, 2021 at 4:59 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – All Saints Day and Sunday – November 1 and 7, 2021 Isaiah 25:6-9 Psalm 24 Revelation 21:1-6a John 11:32-44 All Saints Sunday – and All Saints Day – celebrates the interplay of tradition and transformation. We remember the saints, those who were faithful to God throughout history and in our congregations, and commit ourselves to embody the living thoughts, values, and actions of our deceased companions and saints of the church. We grieve on such days,... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Twenty Third Sunday After Pentecost – October 31, 2021

Last updated on: October 25, 2021 at 7:41 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – Twenty third Sunday after Pentecost – October 31, 2021 Ruth 1:1-18 (3:1-5; 4:13-17) Psalm 146 Hebrews 9:11-14 Mark 12:28-34 I believe that context is important in preaching and scripture study. We must study and preach in light of our current political, social and economic context. In that regard, reading Ruth requires us to ponder the immigrant caravans from Central America, the deportation of Haitian asylum seekers, our attitudes toward Afghan immigrants, alongside the xenophobic, inflammatory, and... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost – October 24, 2021

Last updated on: October 17, 2021 at 12:41 pm By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost – October 24, 2021 Job 42:1-6, 10-17 Psalm 34:1-8 Hebrews 7:23-28 Mark 10:36-42 All of us need divine mercy. All of us are “standin’ in the need of prayer” and need the wisdom and guidance of God for the journey ahead. There are times that we need to call upon God, and discover that despite the power differential between God and humankind, God asks us “What do you need? What is... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Pentecost 21- October 17, 2021

Last updated on: October 9, 2021 at 7:10 pm By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – Pentecost 21 – October 17, 2021 Job 38:1-7, 34-41 Psalm 104: 1-9, 24, 35c Hebrews 5:1-10 Mark 10:35-45 Today’s scriptures join the Infinite and the intimate. Divine glory and divine suffering, challenging us to embrace both awe and sacrifice, everlasting life and painful mortality. Job begins and ends in divine conversation. The ambiguous dialogue, “pissing match” between God and HaSatan, morphs into a divine revealing of the universe in its wondrous complexity and a meditation on... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Pentecost 20 – October 10, 2021

Last updated on: October 1, 2021 at 9:51 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost – October 10, 2021 Job 23:1-9, 16-17, Psalm 22:1-15, Hebrews 4:12-16, Mark 10:17-31 Today’s passages are challenging in their images of God and human ethics. They are bound to raise questions about God’s nature and intent for humankind, not to mention the consequences of our own practices such as divorce. Can God be fathomed? In the enormity of the universe, we know that our solar system is but a small speck.... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost – October 3, 2021

Last updated on: September 25, 2021 at 9:50 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Twentieth Sunday of Pentecost – October 3, 2021 Job 1:1; 2:1-10; Psalm 26; Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-10; Mark 10:2-16 Today’s passages are problematic in many ways. They present a curious, if not, amoral or immoral image of God. Challenge our acceptance of divorce and portray the necessity of suffering and sacrifice, even by God, for the greater good. This week’s readings begin with a reflection on the prelude to the Book of Job, one of the... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 26, 2021

Last updated on: September 18, 2021 at 7:04 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – Pentecost 18 – September 26, 2021 Esther 7:1-6, 9-10: 9:20-22 Psalm 124 James 5:13-20 Mark 9:38-50 This week’s lectionary readings focus on the many facets of healing both divine and human. God heals in many ways and through diverse people. There is no one healing path or modality, nor does any particular religious or medical tradition have a monopoly on divine healing. God heals through prayer, but also Prozac, as my friend Dale Matthews says; through... Read more