Adventurous Lectionary – The Second Sunday after Pentecost/June 6, 2021

Last updated on: May 28, 2021 at 5:42 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Second Sunday after Pentecost – June 6, 2021 I Samuel 8:4-20 Psalm 138 II Corinthians 4:13-5:1 Mark 3:20-35 Theologians have debated whether there are “two kingdoms,” operating by different values, the city of God and the city of human governments, or there is just one world in which we seek to embody God’s realm “on earth as it is in heaven.” While Luther championed the two kingdom approach, leading to self-transcendence, and indifference about history,... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Trinity Sunday – May 30, 2021

Last updated on: May 21, 2021 at 7:40 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – Trinity Sunday – May 30, 2021 Isaiah 6:1-8 Psalm 29 Romans 8:12-17 John 3:1-17 May 30 is the eve of Memorial Day in the United States. While pastors are not obligated to remember civil holidays or days celebrating mothers or fathers, it is always good for a preacher to know what time it is! On Memorial Day Weekend, I always make room for “America the Beautiful” and sometimes, if requested, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Seventh Sunday of Easter – May 16, 2021

Last updated on: May 6, 2021 at 12:50 pm By Bruce Epperly

The Seventh Sunday after Easter – May 16, 2021 Acts 1:15-17, 21-26; Psalm 1; I John 5:9-13; John 17:6-19 Today’s readings are about the relationship between our prayers and our alignment with God’s vision. Belief and action are essential to Christian life. We must live out our faith in daily life. But our ability to live out our faith depends on spiritual depth and prayer may be the most definitive faith practice. Today’s readings assert that prayer changes things and... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary: Sixth Sunday of Easter – May 9, 2021

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

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Sixth Sunday of Easter – May 9, 2021 Acts 10:44-48 or Acts 10:1-24, 34-36, 44-48; Psalm 98; I John 5:1-6; John 15:9-1 The marquee sign of the historic Church of the Pilgrims in Washington DC proclaims, “where all are pilgrims and none are strangers.” I have adopted this same affirmation in my eight years of pastoring South Congregational Church, UCC, on Cape Cod. Yes, we are different in age, education, interests, personal history, professional, gender,... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Fifth Sunday of Easter – May 2, 2021

Last updated on: April 23, 2021 at 6:04 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary -The Fifth Sunday of Easter – May 2, 2021 Acts 8:26-40 Psalm 22:35-41 I John 4:7-21 John 15:1-8 God is still speaking, so says a motto from the United Church of Christ. Creation abounds with revelation for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. Today’s scriptures are mystical, energetic, and empowering. Angels inspire and divine energy flows, giving life to all creation and fruitfulness to persons of faith. Moreover, each of the reading provides... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Fourth Sunday of Easter – April 25, 2021

Last updated on: April 16, 2021 at 5:45 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Fourth Sunday of Easter – April 22, 2018 Acts 5:4-12 Psalm 23 I John 3:16-24 John 10:11-19 Today’s readings in their portrayal of the interrelationship of theology, spirituality, and ethics are appropriate in light of our recent celebration of Earth Day (April 22) and our upcoming celebrations of Arbor Day (April 30) and May Day, Beltane (May 1). We need theologies, spiritualities, and ethics that honor both heaven and earth, eternity and change, non-human and... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary: Third Sunday of Easter – April 18, 2021

Last updated on: April 10, 2021 at 9:10 am By Bruce Epperly

The Third Sunday of Easter – April 18, 2021 Acts 3:12-19 Psalm 4 I John 3:1-7 Luke 24:36b-48 You can’t manage or control a resurrection. You can put it into your normal understanding of reality. Like all mystical experiences, resurrection is always life-shattering and initially beyond belief. We can neither expect or program a resurrection. But, when it comes, we are amazed and transformed. Can we who have heard the resurrection stories countless times, almost knowing them by heart, hear... Read more

Holy Saturday Reflection: Living Between Death and Resurrection

Last updated on: April 3, 2021 at 11:57 am By Bruce Epperly

Between Death and Resurrection : The Mystery of Holy Saturday Bruce G. Epperly During Holy Week, most of us focus on the palms, the passion, and the resurrection. The movement from celebration to desolation and surprising celebration again characterizes not only Holy Week but the realities of a meaningful life. We can’t escape suffering but our suffering is often transformed into joy by surprising events or unexpected insights and experiences. In the shadow of loss, the light of new birth... Read more

Good Friday: Salvation without Divine Violence

Last updated on: April 2, 2021 at 6:27 am By Bruce Epperly

GOOD FRIDAY: SALVATION WITHOUT DIVINE VIOLENCE What do you do with Good Friday and the Cross when you’ve abandoned the centrality of the doctrines of substitutionary atonement and the divine necessity of Jesus’ death? Like many progressive Christians, I grew up hearing the mantras “Jesus died for our sins,” “Jesus died so that we might have eternal life and escape God’s wrath,” “Jesus paid the price for our salvation,” and “sin deserves death and Jesus stood in our place.” Recently,... Read more