CXXXVI Shouldn’t God care for the outsiders and enemies? (8/18) Should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons…and also many animals?” (Jonah 4:11) Jonah is more than a fish story. In fact, it is a story of an unwelcome mystical experience and a reluctant prophet. When asked to preach to the enemy city of Nineveh, Jonah flees in the opposite direction. But he discovers that when it comes to God:... Read more
CXXXI God’s love is new every morning (8/13) “The steadfast love of God never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23) One of my favorite hymns, “Great is Thy Faithfulness” is based on Lamentations 3:22-23. God is faithful and in all the changes of life, God’s mercy endures. What a promise this passage holds for us: • God’s love is certain and unending. • God’s grace never ceases... Read more
CXXX A Larger Vision (8/12) “Do not say ‘I am only a boy,’ for you shall go to whomever I send you, and you shall speak whatever I say to you. Do not be afraid, for I am with you to deliver you.” (Jeremiah 1:7-8; read Jeremiah 1: 1-10) Jeremiah does not feel up to the task that God has called him to. The job is so large and his resources so meager. Or, as the sailor’s prayer goes, “My... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – August 23, 2020 – Twelfth Sunday after the Pentecost Exodus 1:8-2:10; Psalm 124; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20 Today’s readings invite us to ponder our unique vocations as they reflect our relationship with God. They invite us to see our lives as “apocalyptic,” that is, revealing God’s vision and the nature of our times. They challenge us to make changes and chart new pathways of fidelity to God. Vocation is always apocalyptic insofar as our vocations are... Read more
CXXIX The World of Shalom (8/11) The wolf shall life down with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid…they will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:6, 11; read Isaiah 11:1-11) The world of peace and wholeness seems an impossible dream these days. Not only the destruction wrought by the Coronavirus but also the ongoing conflicts... Read more
CXXXVIII The Whole Earth is Full of God’s Glory (8/10) Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hosts; The whole earth is full of God’s glory. (Isaiah 6:3; read Isaiah 6:1-8) During a time of national crisis, Isaiah retreats to the Jerusalem Temple seeking a moment of peace and quiet. The world is too much with him, and he simply needs a spiritual “time out” to recalibrate his personal GPS. Not expecting anything but a few moments of relief, he... Read more
CXXXVII The World in its Humorous Diversity (8/9) The ostrich’s wings flap wildly, though its pinions lack plumage. For it leaves its eggs to the earth and lets them be warmed on the grown, forgetting that a foot my crush them. (Job 39:14-16) We live in a grand universe, majestic and diverse. Amazing and humorous. In God’s presentation of the universe to Job – Job’s mystical vision – God reveals to Job the unique wonder of the ostrich. Clumsy, burying... Read more
CXXXVI The Awesomeness of the Universe (8/8) “Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the cores of Orion?” (Job 38:41) We are the children of the universe. The wonder of life does not lessen our pain and grief or concern about the pandemic but place them in a much larger story. We are children of the cosmos. God’s spiritual and moral arc in moving and evolving through us and the galaxies. God is energizing the adventures of... Read more
CXXXV The Wonder of Creation (8/7) Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind… “where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth.” (Job 38:1, 4; read Job 38-41) Remember the wisdom of Psalm 8, “when I look at the heavens, the worlds, you have created, what are humans that God is mindful of them?” There are times we are filled with awe and wonder, when we ponder the nature of the universe. No one can fully... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – August 16, 2020 – The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost Genesis 45:1-15; Psalm 133; Romans 11:1-2a, 29-31; Matthew 15: 21-28 Today’s readings join reconciliation and grace. They call us to a spirituality of stature that embraces those who have harmed us and persons of other faiths and ethnicities. Largeness of spirit looks for common ground and reconciliation despite past conflicts and then aims at healing in the present and future. This does not preclude protest and prophetic... Read more
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