The Reign of Christ November 26, 2023 Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Psalm 100; Ephesians 1:15-23; Matthew 25:31-46 To follow Jesus is to embrace the world in all its messiness and political challenges. This Sunday is the New Year’s Eve – the last Sunday – of the Christian year. We are living between Thanksgiving celebrations and Advent possibilities, and Christmas is less than a month away. The Reign or Realm of Christ, often known as Christ the King, Sunday. The... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost – November 19, 2023 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. They fit in with the threatening images of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” soon to be blasting on the radio. “You better watch out, you better not pout…he’s checking his list, he’s checking it twice, he’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice.”... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – November 12, 2023 – Pentecost 24 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 following God mean in daily life and when we must choose between competing goods? 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 Paul Tillich describes as our “ultimate concern,” shape our character... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – November 5, 2023 – Pentecost 23 Joshua 3:7-17; Psalm 1071-7, 33-37; I Thessalonians 2:9-13; Matthew 23:1-12 Today’s readings reflect on different aspects of spiritual and temporal leadership. For the children of Israel, leadership was connected with fidelity to God, and fidelity to God was connected with victory over the inhabitants of Canaan. While Jesus also touts the relationship between fidelity and leadership, his vision of leadership in relational not coercive, and sees power in terms of... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – October 29, 2023 – The Twenty-Second Sunday of Pentecost Deuteronomy 34:1-12 Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Matthew 22:34-46 In the midst of congressional chaos, the intentional provocation of violence and disorder by USA politicians, and wars in Ukraine and Israel-Gaza, this Sunday’s readings point us beyond the individual self – and our individual and national life histories – to identification with God’s Self and the well-being of others long after we have left the scene.... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost – October 22, 2023 Exodus 33:12-23, Psalm 99, I Thessalonians 1:1-10, Matthew 22:15-22 Today’s readings join witness, spiritual practices, politics, and mysticism. Whether dramatic or ordinary – as if any encounter with God is “ordinary” – the encounter with God relativizes all other demands and requires us to seek justice, to create the foundations in society to promote wholeness and holiness for everyone. The God the universe, the macro and the micro,... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost – October 15, 2023 Exodus 32:1-14, Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23, Philippians 4:4-9, Matthew 22:1-14 Today, we will focus on spiritual practices to keep us on the right path in relationship to God and our neighbor. The lectionary contains one of my favorite passages from scripture, Philippians 4:4-9, a short primer on personal and community spiritual formation, in the context of the challenges of choosing to follow Gods way or the devices and... Read more
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost – October 8, 2023 Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20; Psalm 19, Philippians 3:4-14, Matthew 21:33-46 While there are many entry points for this Sunday’s readings. Looking toward the far horizons, running the race with imperfection and hope (Philippians 3:4-14), enables us to follow divine guidance (The Ten Commandments) as well as respond to the serious consequences related to our negative responses to God, our refusal to follow God’s anointed one and God’s way in the world. (Matthew... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost – October 1, 202 Exodus 17:1-7, Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16, Philippians 2:1-13, Matthew 21:23-32 A constant comment in my lectionaries involves the affirmation, initially made by Terry Fretheim: It has been said that the question, “do you believe in God?” is less important than “what kind of God do you believe in?” Our images of God shape our understanding of our personal agency, hope for the future, authority, approach to diversity, and... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 24, 2023 Exodus 16:2-15, Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45, Philippians 1:21-30, Matthew 20:1-16 The realm of God isn’t a labor union, nor is it free market capitalism. In this week’s passages, we read about the abundant generosity of God in our physical sustenance and spiritual growth. God’s good work plants seed in our lives that grow into a harvest of righteousness, abundant enough to nourish ourselves and others. One of the... Read more
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