The Adventurous Lectionary – Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 3, 2023

August 27, 2023 By Bruce Epperly

The Adventurous Lectionary – September 3, 2023 – Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost Exodus 3:1-15 Psalm 105:1-6. 23-26, 45a Romans 12:9-12 Matthew 16:21-28 This Sunday’s readings join mysticism with action and God-awareness with sacrifice. They also reflect on our vocation as followers of God. Being called by God can come in many ways and may have different demands, depending on our age, context, and station in life. In contrast to the values of our success oriented, individualistic, and capitalistic society, following... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 27, 2023

August 20, 2023 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – August 27, 2023 – Thirteenth 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. Divine providence is reflected in our personal lives as well as the politics of our nation. Opening to the contours of providence – and providence promotes rather than restricts freedom and creativity – we discern, albeit imperfectly, God’s vision and the nature of... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost – August 20, 2023

August 14, 2023 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – August 20, 2023 – The Twelfth 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. They call us to explore the larger meanings of our lives and to see a thread of providence moving through the unexpected and unchosen events of life. Often from... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost – August 13, 2023

August 6, 2023 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – August 13, 2023 – The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28; Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22; Romans 10:5-15; Matthew 14:22-33 Today’s passages probe the nature of divine providence, or the movements of divine intentionality, in our lives. Providence is often seen as deterministic and compelling; it may also be seen as open-ended and an invitation to agency and creativity. The very assumption of providence in an ambiguous world raises many questions. Is God the sole cause of... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 6, 2023

July 30, 2023 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – August 6, 2023 – The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 13:14-21 Everyone needs a blessing, a sense of belonging, a experience of mattering, an affirmation of selfhood. We need a blessing from our parents and significant others, and we need a blessing from God. To be blessed is to be right with the world and feel at home in our skin. It is to be affirmed and loved just... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – July 30, 2023 – Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

July 23, 2023 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – July 30, 2023 – Ninth Sunday after Pentecost Genesis 29:15-28 Psalm 105:1-11 I Kings 3:5-12 Romans 8:26-39 Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 Pentecost is the season of divine revelation and profound giftedness. Spirit moves in all things, awakening us to a democracy of inspiration, whose inspiration includes us. God’s abundance is strewn everywhere, for all to experience, in every time and place and those who are attentive to it will experience wisdom and the ability to discern their... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Eighth Sunday in Pentecost – July23, 2023

July 16, 2023 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost – July 23, 2023 Genesis 28:10-19a Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24 Romans 8:12-25 Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Today’s readings proclaim that he world is chock full of divinity. We live in a God-filled universe; that is the practical meaning of divine omnipresence. You can encounter the holy in the most unlikely places. Thin places, joining heaven and earth, abound for those for whom the doors of perception have opened. Life is messy, but it... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – July 9, 2023

July 2, 2023 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – July 9, 2023 – Fifth Sunday after Pentecost Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67; Psalm 45:10-17; Romans 7:15-25a; Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 We are anxious people in need of God’s peace. We are an unsettled church and nation in need of a unified and cooperative spirit. We need words of grace that calm and inspire as we face the challenges of post-Covid church, national disunity, and planetary threat. “Come to me all who are weary and are carrying heavy... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – July 2, 2023

June 25, 2023 By Bruce Epperly

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The Adventurous Lectionary – The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – July 2, 2023 Genesis 22:1-14; Psalm 13; Jeremiah 28:5-9; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42 This week’s stories are all challenging, spiritually, ethically, and relationally. We need to take exception to the story of Abraham and Isaac to be faithful to the God of grace, believing that “God’s request” is unworthy of any God worthy of worship. Following Christ is ultimately about a life-giving lifestyle, not violence or fear, whether that violence... Read more

Adventurous Lectionary – Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – July 2, 2023

June 17, 2023 By Bruce Epperly

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Adventurous Lectionary – The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – July 2, 2023 Genesis 22:1-14; Psalm 13; Jeremiah 28:5-9; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42 This week’s stories are all challenging, spiritually, ethically, and relationally. We need to take exception to the story of Abraham and Isaac to be faithful to the God of grace. Following Christ is ultimately about a life-giving lifestyle, not violence or fear. To be honest, I am unsure what to do with the passage related to Abraham and... Read more