Adventurous Lectionary – Epiphany 4 – January 28, 2024

The Adventurous Lectionary – Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany – January 28, 2024 Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Psalm 111 I Corinthians 8:1-13 Mark 1:21-28 Today’s readings join prophesy, diet and spirituality, and, to top it off, demon possession. Quite a cocktail for preacher and congregation alike! Most of our progressive congregations pay little heed to all three issues. We speak of prophetic faith yet are uncomfortable with people who say they are speaking for God. We go on weight loss programs, but... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary -Third Sunday of Epiphany – Jan 21

January 15, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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Third Sunday after the Epiphany – January 21, 2024 Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Psalm 62:5-12; I Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20 Today’s readings need to be understood, as all preaching should be understood, in the interplay of God’s eternal wisdom and the challenges of history. While our lives reach beyond the present moment, they are also rooted in our particular historical situation – of MAGA Christians and white Christian nationalism, the Israeli-Gaza conflict, anti-democracy racist movements in the USA, and the continuing... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Second Sunday of Epiphany 2024

January 8, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – Second Sunday after the Epiphany – January 14, 2024 Samuel 3:1-10; Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; I Corinthians 6:12-20; John 1:43-51 Epiphany is the season of revelation and expansion. The circle of inspiration goes beyond Israel to embrace the whole earth. The circle of divine encounter embraces all faiths and cultures, and includes friend and foe, kin and stranger. In this season of Epiphany, at a time in which xenophobia is on the rise and epidemic in certain... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Baptism of Jesus – January 7, 2024

January 1, 2024 By Bruce Epperly

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The Baptism of Jesus – January 7, 2024 Genesis 1:1-5 Psalm 29 Acts 19:1-7 Mark 1:4-11 Today, the focus is water. Water as physical but more importantly spiritual. Water is at the heart of life. We can’s without physical or spiritual hydration. All life is permeated by water. Water cleanses and refreshes. Water is at the heart of spiritual nourishment and transformation. Water reflects divine wisdom in body, mind, and spirit, and is a medium of salvation. We need hydration... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary -Christmas I -Dec. 31, 2023

December 27, 2023 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – December 31, 2023 – The First Sunday of Christmas Isaiah 61:10-62:3 Psalm 148 Galatians 4:4-7 Luke 2:22-40 Our congregations need to be reminded that Christmas is a season not just a day. The twelve days of Christmas take us through incarnation, amazement, and tragedy. In celebrating the twelve days of Christmas, we embrace the tragic beauty of life and become midwives of divine embodiment. The first Sunday of Christmas often considered a “low Sunday” in spirit... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Christmas Eve/Day – December 24/25

December 18, 2023 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – Christmas Eve and Day , December 24/25, 2023 Isaiah 9:2-7 Luke 2:1-20 John 1:1-14 Even with the diminishing importance of Christian holy days, Christmas Eve is usually the best-attended worship service in the Christian year. Family members and visitors who don’t normally attend church (The C&E Christians, now more accurately these days, the C Christians) show up not only as a matter of obligation to their parents, but also hoping to experience wonder amid the bells,... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – 4th Sunday of Advent – December 23.

December 18, 2023 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Fourth Sunday of Advent/Christmas Eve – December 24, 2023 Luke 1:26-55 What shall we do on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, also Christmas Eve this year? Some churches will celebrate Christmas Eve at the morning service, while others will focus on Mary in the morning and the birth of Jesus at the afternoon and evening services. Somehow we must include both, and many churches choose a Lessons and Carols service throughout the day to embrace... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Third Sunday of Advent – December 17, 2023

December 11, 2023 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Third Sunday of Advent – December 17, 2023 Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 Psalm 126 Luke 1:46b-55 I Thessalonians 5:16-24 John 1:6-8, 19-28 Rejoice, for God is in our midst! Rejoice, for God’s realm is on the horizon! Rejoice, the moral and spiritual arcs of history bend toward justice! On this Third Advent Sunday, we proclaim that despite appearances to the contrary, good news is coming! Glimmers of hope remind us that life can be different. The... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Second Sunday of Advent – December 10, 2023

December 4, 2023 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Second Sunday of Advent – December 10, 2023 Psalm 40:1-11 Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13 2 Peter 3:8-15a Mark 1:1-8 Advent is the season of wakefulness. “Stay awake,” “be woke,” are the mantras of Advent. God’s realm is coming – it is here – and we need to be prepared for a moment of decision, for God or self-interest, transformation or status quo, growth or stagnation, peace or division. One of my favorite songs from... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – First Sunday of Advent – December 3, 2023

November 27, 2023 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The First Sunday of Advent – December 3, 2023 Isaiah 64:1-9 Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 I Corinthians 1:1-9 Mark 13:24-37 The Advent Spirit: Today’s Sunday might be described as New Year’s Day in the Christian liturgical year. 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... Read more