2019-12-11T16:58:25-05:00

Last updated on: December 11, 2019 at 4:58 pm   By

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Fourth Sunday in Advent – December 22, 2019 Isaiah 7:10-16 Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19 Romans 1:1-7 Matthew 1:18-25 Today’s reading is about a world changing birth prefigured by Joseph’s Christ-saving dream. While we need not neglect Isaiah’s imaginative vision of a child whose birth will change everything, the Psalmist’s hymn to divine restoration, or Paul’s account of Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises, Christmas is on the horizon and with it the surprising accounts of... Read more

2019-12-04T08:36:45-05:00

Last updated on: December 4, 2019 at 8:36 am   By

The Adventurous Lectionary –Third Sunday in Advent – December 15, 2019 Isaiah 35:1-10 Luke 1:46b-55 James 5:7-10 Matthew 2:1-11 Advent is a time for hopeful transformation. There is a restlessness in the air as we imagine God’s realm coming to earth and possibilities that push us to the limits of our personal and political imaginations. Creation and humankind lean toward wholeness; the moral arc runs through all things; creation groans and so do we. We imagine a new age –... Read more

2019-11-25T07:10:36-05:00

Last updated on: November 25, 2019 at 7:10 am   By

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Second Sunday in Advent – December 8, 2019 Isaiah 10:1-11 Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 Romans 15:4-13 Matthew 3:1-12 There is a deep restlessness in Advent. Those who seek a spirituality of withdrawal, of peace and quiet, will not find it during Advent. On the one hand, we are bombarded by consumerism and our church and social schedules are filling to the brim. In North America, the hedonistic binge begins with Thanksgiving and Black Friday and escalates... Read more

2019-11-20T09:26:17-05:00

Last updated on: November 20, 2019 at 9:26 am   By

The Adventurous Lectionary – The First Sunday of Advent – December 1, 2019 Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 22, Romans 3:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44 In my junior year of high school, the group Chicago released the single, “Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is?” In many ways, time is the theme of today’s scriptures. Paul asserts “you know what time it is” and Matthew’s Gospel speaks of the day and time of the Messiah’s coming, expressing the importance of agnosticism and mystery... Read more

2019-11-13T11:15:12-05:00

Last updated on: November 13, 2019 at 11:15 am   By

The Adventurous Lectionary – November 24, 2019 – The Reign of Christ Jeremiah 23:1-6, Luke 1:68-79, Colossians 1;11-20, Luke 23:33-43 In many congregations, Christ the King or the Reign of Christ Sunday will be celebrated this Sunday. The Season of Pentecost, beginning with the coming of God’s Spirit in its fullness and for all people on the Feast of Pentecost, will conclude this Sunday with an affirmation of the universality of Christ’s sovereignty and grace. God’s power and presence is... Read more

2019-11-06T08:28:00-05:00

Last updated on: November 6, 2019 at 8:28 am   By

The Adventurous Lectionary – November 17, 2019 – Pentecost 23 Isaiah 65:17-25 and Isaiah 13 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 Luke 21:5-19 Today’s readings join joy and novelty with admonition and concern. Isaiah presents a utopian vision, a new world brought about through divine providence; the Psalmist is taking a victory lap, praising God for God’s providential care; Thessalonians counsels faith accompanied by works and a commitment to moral and useful living; and the Gospel tells us to prepare for trouble and... Read more

2019-11-06T15:49:20-05:00

Last updated on: November 6, 2019 at 3:49 pm   By

Honoring Our Veterans with Lives of Sacrifice My mother was born on November 11, 1918, the day of the Armistice that ended World War I, the most devastating war in history up to that time. Her parents named her “Loretta Victoria” in honor of the allied victory. Twenty-five years later, my father fought in World War II, and served in Saipan, Tinian, and Okinawa. He wore his uniform proudly, though, like most veterans of World War II, he was quiet... Read more

2019-10-29T18:08:03-04:00

Last updated on: October 29, 2019 at 6:08 pm   By

The Adventurous Lectionary – Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost – November 10, 2019 Haggai 1:15b-2:9 Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 Luke 20:27-38 How do you respond to an irrelevant, gotcha, question? How do you respond to someone who simply wants to make a point, sound and fury signifying nothing except ill will – like many Facebook memes? Do you avoid the question altogether or transform an irrelevant question into an important truth? A campus chaplain I know noted that... Read more

2019-10-25T10:37:26-04:00

Last updated on: October 25, 2019 at 10:37 am   By

The Adventurous Lectionary – Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost – November 3, 2019 Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4; Psalm 119:137-144, II Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12; Luke 19:1-10 This week, we are challenged to ponder the nature of spiritual stature. The times call for large spirited people, welcoming and imaginative, able to look beyond the latest sound byte to see the broad expanse of history, able to go beyond fear and alienation in relation to the evils of our time to embrace the moral arc... Read more

2019-10-16T17:25:57-04:00

Last updated on: October 16, 2019 at 5:25 pm   By

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost – October 27, 2019 Joel 2:22-32; Psalm 65; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18; Luke 18:9-14 God have mercy! This is the beginning and end of the spiritual journey. The tax collector’s prayer alerts us to the dynamic interdependence of life and our constant need of grace. There are no self-made persons. No one can make on her or his own. Our righteousness is not fully the result of our own efforts but... Read more

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