The Adventurous Lectionary – The Second Sunday of Advent – December 6, 2020 Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; 2 Peter 3:8-15a; Mark 1:1-8 One of my favorite songs from Godspell is “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.” For nearly fifty years, I have clapped and danced to the tune, and love to hear it in church. In the first scene from Godspell, John the Baptist is calling to people who are going about their business. Something is happening, a... Read more
Saying Thanks in a Time of Pandemic In everything with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving make your requests known to God. (Philippians 4:6) Faith in a time of pandemic is grounded in the interplay of gratitude and sacrifice. Life has changed. Our lives are more circumscribed than last year. We may not be traveling and if we have Thanksgiving dinners, they may involve fewer family members than last year. We can easily see this as lost time and lament our... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The First Sunday of Advent – November 29, 2020 Isaiah 64:1-9 Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 I Corinthians 1:1-9 Mark 13:24-37 Advent Prelude: Advent is a season of awe and wonder. It is a time of waiting, not just for Jesus’ birth, but for the transformation of our lives and the world. Something is being born in us and we are waiting for its arrival. Advent is a time of holy restlessness and prophetic protest. Advent reflects the... Read more
The Reign of Christ Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Psalm 100; Ephesians 1:15-23; Matthew 25:31-46 As I write these words, there is confusion in the USA. Hopefully it will be resolved by the Reign of Christ Sunday. With no evidence of election foul play, a national leader refuses to concede and is trying to use all the levers of power to subvert his duly elected successor. Self-interest trumps loyalty to nation, planet, or even his supporters. He cannot imagine anyone placing the... Read more
Honoring Our Veterans with Lives of Sacrifice: Embracing the Moral Equivalent of War 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... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost – November 15, 2020 Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18.; Psalm 90:1-12; I Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30 On the descending edge of Pentecost, the lectionary passages are challenging and also inspirational. There is risk and there is also promise in encountering the living God. For those who turn to God, who practice justice and take risks for a greater good, the world is alive with possibility. For those who live by scarcity and injustice, hoarding... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – November 8, 2020 – Pentecost 23 Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25; Psalm 78:1-7; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13 What does it mean to be a monotheist? What does it mean to believe in God, especially when many conservative Christians have embraced Christian nationalism and elevated Donald Trump to be defender of Christianity? What are the practical implications of following the One True God rather than the many deities of our own creation? The objects of our faith, what... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – November 1, 2020 – Pentecost 22 Joshua 3:7-17; Psalm 1071-7, 33-37; I Thessalonians 2:9-13; Matthew 23:1-12 On the verge the of USA Election, this Sunday’s scriptures paint a variety of pictures of God’s involvement in the raising up of leaders and in our institutional and corporate decision-making. The Israelites believed in divinely chosen leaders. The idea of divinely-anointed leaders is repugnant to us, especially when church leaders connect divine anointing with narrow political ideologies and morally... Read more
CXCIV The Good News is Here (10/17) The time is fulfilled, the realm of God is near, repent and believe the good news. (Mark1:14-15) These brief words introduce Jesus’ public ministry. Jesus is telling the world that now is the day of salvation and wholeness. It’s time to change your life and trust that God is going to do something important and good in your life. We need good news these days! Of course, we need good news every day.... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – October 25, 2020 – Pentecost 21 Deuteronomy 34:1-12 Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Matthew 22:34-46 With the election just over a week away, this Sunday’s readings point us beyond the individual self – and our individual life histories – to identification with God’s Self and the well-being of others long after we have left the scene. They move us from self-interest to world loyalty and from short term goals toward the wellbeing of generations decades... Read more
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