The Adventurous Lectionary: Eight Sunday of Pentecost – July 18, 2021

Last updated on: July 9, 2021 at 2:21 pm By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Eighth Sunday of Pentecost – July 18, 2021 2 Samuel 7:1-14a Psalm 89:20-37 Ephesians 2:11-22 Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 Today’s readings join the personal and global, the individual and the national. David, the Temple, and the wellbeing of the disciples is highlighted, but the words apply to all of us. Everyone is chosen, not just David, the disciples or Christians. And God’s choice and call is always personal and contextual. God’s covenant embraces all of us,... Read more

The Fourth of July and Turning to the Better Angels of Our Nature

Last updated on: July 2, 2021 at 1:44 pm By Bruce Epperly

THE FOURTH OF JULY AND TURNING TO THE BETTER ANGELS OF OUR NATURE “I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will... Read more

The Fourth of July and the Healing of the American Spirit

Last updated on: June 30, 2021 at 8:22 pm By Bruce Epperly

THE FOURTH OF JULY AND HEALING THE AMERICAN SPIRIT I must confess that the Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. From my childhood, I have loved parades, outdoor grills, and fireworks. I never miss the Fourth of July Concert on the Capitol Mall on PBS and these days, the hometown bicycle parade, and the fireworks looking out to Nantucket Sound from Craigville Beach. I love the marching bands and music of the day – “The Star Spangled... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Seventh Sunday of Pentecost – July 11, 2021

Last updated on: June 25, 2021 at 1:17 pm By Bruce Epperly

The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost – July 11, 2021 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19; Psalm 24; Ephesians 1;3-14; Mark 6:14-29 Shall we dance this Sunday? Shall we celebrate emerging through the pandemic and hoping for future national transformation? Do you dance with God? Does your congregation’s worship inspire passion and ecstasy? Do you come to worship expecting great things from God and yourself? What happens when you dance to a different drum than God’s? Do our lives become destructive rather than... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Sixth Sunday of Pentecost – July 4, 2021

Last updated on: June 18, 2021 at 6:15 am By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – July 4, 2021 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 Psalm 48 2 Corinthians 2:2-10 Mark 6:1-13 In the United States, this Sunday marks the Fourth of July. It is also my final day as Sentior Pastor of South Congregational Church, Centerville, MA, on Cape Cod. The temptation is to focus on the nation and the congregation’s departing pastor. We can’t separate the affairs of the day – even national holidays or pastoral... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Fourth Sunday after Pentecost – June 20, 2021

Last updated on: June 11, 2021 at 4:46 am By Bruce Epperly

The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost – June 20, 2021 I Samuel 17: 1a, 4-11, 19-23, 32-49, Psalm 9:9-20, II Corinthians 6:1-13, Mark 4:35-41 Today’s readings involve the ability of persons to go against the odds when they realize that God is with them. In the storms of life, God our companions. Facing what we perceive to be impossible odds, we receive divine guidance and energy. Trusting God, we can do greater things than we can imagine. The impossible becomes possible... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary: Third Sunday after Pentecost – June 13, 2021

Last updated on: June 4, 2021 at 8:34 am By Bruce Epperly

The Third Sunday After Pentecost – June 13, 2021 I Samuel 15:34-16:13 Psalm 20 II Corinthians 5:6-10, 16-17 Mark 4:26-34 Faith is a matter of perception and trust. Faith is a matter of vision. The eyes of faith see more than meets than eye. They open us to deeper levels of reality. When we faithful, we begin to see the world from God’s perspective and not just our own. We see the long haul, the moral and spiritual arc of... Read more

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

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