One evening after a particularly stressful and conflict-ridden day, Martin Luther King retired for the night. On the verge of falling asleep, he received an angry phone call, threatening his life and the lives of his wife and children. Unable to sleep, King went downstairs to fix a pot of coffee. King describes an unexpected encounter with God, during his spiritual crisis: I was ready to give up. I tried to think of a way to move out of the... Read more
Adventurous Lectionary – Second Sunday of Epiphany – Isaiah 62:1-5 Psalm 36:5-10 I Corinthians 12:1-11 John 2:1-11 Epiphany is the season of illumination and vocation. Revelation leads to gift-giving and the discovery of our gifts as God’s companions in healing the earth. The season of Epiphany begins with celebrating the gifts of the magi, continues with God’s gift of grace, affirmed through Jesus’ baptism, on this this Second Sunday of Epiphany focuses on God’s vocational gifts bestowed on each person... Read more
Words of Gratitude and Challenge: In Remembrance of John B. Cobb For all that has been – thanks! For all that shall be – yes! These words from United Nations Secretary Dag Hammarskjold (1905-1961), who was both a mystic and global politician, express the spirit of my reflections on the life and impact of John Cobb. I had intended to share them on February 15, but they are as authentic today as they would have been in the celebration of... Read more
From the Cosmic to the Prophetic – Christmas 2 Lectionary Commentary John 1:1-18 On the Second Sunday of Christmas, our focus will be the reading from Gospel of John. The adventurous preacher needs to include the whole prologue and not just John 1:10-18, the focus of the Revised Common Lectionary. Jesus is not introduced by nation in this passage. Nor is the baby Jesus mentioned. Instead, we see the relationship of the Word and Wisdom of God in terms of... Read more
An Unexpected Visit I never knew what became of them. Every year scores of people come to churches seeking help in responding to needs of body, mind, and spirit. And we always tried to respond with grace and generosity. But this couple was unique. It was two days before Christmas, and they showed up in a battered car that they had been sleeping in since being evicted from their apartment the week before. They had a history, involving drugs and... Read more
Three Wise Women Matthew Luke 1:26-56 and Luke 2:36-40 It goes without saying that women’s voices and experiences are often neglected, or minimized, culturally, politically, economically, and socially. I might add religiously as well: although there are some exceptions among indigenous spiritualities, virtually every religious tradition privileges the voices of men, and virtually all global religions bear the stamp of male leadership – Moses, Mohommed, Confucius, Gautama, Lao Tzu, the Vedic sages of Hinduism, and also Jesus. Some traditions, even... Read more
Growing in Wisdom and Stature -The First Sunday after Christmas Day – December 29, 2024 I Samuel 2:18-20, 26 Psalm 148 Colossians 3:12-17 Luke 2:41-52 The First Sunday after Christmas Day –often described as low Sunday – is often a time for pastors to slip away from their pulpits or push the easy button and have a carol sing. All these are good ideas, and pastors need a little down time Christmas slam! But today’s scriptures raise important issues Christologically,... Read more
An Upside Down Gospel– Fourth Sunday of Advent – December 22,2024 The Adventurous Lectionary Micah 5:2-5a, Psalm 80:1-7, Hebrews 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-55 On the Horizon of Christmas Babies turn the world upside down. And, the coming of Jesus turns the world upside down, uplifting the poor and downgrading the wealthy. Yes, Christmas is on the horizon, only three days away, and today’s scriptures may be lost amid the merriment as well as the Christmas pageants. Despite our concerns about the... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The Third Sunday of Advent – December 15, 2024 Zephaniah 3:14-20, Isaiah 12:2-6, Philippians 4:4-7, Luke 3:7-18 Authentic faith brings joy regardless of life’s circumstances. This Sunday we celebrate joy and transformation in all the seasons of life, including our current season of concern for the future of our nation. We light the third Advent Candle and celebrate the joy of our relationship with God, each other, and the wonder of creation. Yet, this joy must... Read more
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Remembering Your Baptism – Lectionary Commentary for Jan.12
Remembering Your Baptism – January 12, 2025 Isaiah 43:1-7 Psalm 29 Acts 8:14-27 Luke 3:15-17, 21-26 Remembering Your Baptism This first Sunday of Epiphany, the Baptism of Jesus, reminds us to remember our baptisms. We can remember God’s spirit of grace, even if we have not been baptized. The scriptures delight in water images and see water as a manifestation of divine presence. Water gives life both physically and spiritually and while baptism is a visible sign of God’s grace,... Read more