The Adventurous Lectionary – The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 20, 2015 Proverbs 31:1-10 Psalm 1 James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a Mark 9:30-37 Today’s scriptures are relational in nature and invite us to ponder the dual threads of relatedness, that is, relationship with others and relationship with God. Biblical ethics and spirituality are holistic in nature and we cannot separate self, other, and God. Our own alignment with each of these areas – including the non-human world, economics, and justice –... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 16, 2018 Proverbs 1:20-33 Psalm 19 James 3:1-12 Mark 8:27-38 Wisdom is at the heart of today’s readings. Wisdom is the great teacher of humankind whose witness is present not only in the words of a teacher but in the orderly and creative patterns of the universe and our planet. We are challenged to align ourselves with God’s wisdom in our daily lives and let divine wisdom motivate our... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Pentecost 16 – September 9, 2018 Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23 Psalm 125 James 2:1-17 Mark 7:24-37 Today’s readings reflect the concern for hospitality and affirmation as essential to faithful living. God’s realm breaks down the barriers of friend and stranger and rich and poor and invites us to do likewise. All of God’s children deserve our reverence and respect, and this is revealed in our political advocacy and personal relationships. Following God’s way challenges us to... Read more

We are all mystics. There is a mystic in everyone and there is a mystic in you. We are all touched by God, whose amazing grace guides our steps even when we are unaware of it. Regardless of our personal history, and even our negative experiences and actions, God’s loving providence brings us home even when we’ve lost our way. One of my favorite Anne Tyler books is Saint Maybe. This same description could describe the judgments we have of... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Pentecost 15 September 2, 2018. Song of Solomon 2:8-13 Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9 James 1:17-27 Mark 7:1-18, 14-15, 21-23 Today’s readings celebrate the “beauty of holiness” and join concern for the inner life with care for external behaviors. They celebrate love in its many forms – romance, justice-seeking, care for the vulnerable, and personal integrity revealed in care for the earth. They articulate a non-legalistic, sensuous spirituality grounded in feelings of wonder and gratitude. Spirituality is not... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Pentecost 14 – August 26, 2018 I Kings 8:22—30, 40-41; Psalm 84; Ephesians 6:10-20; John 6:56-69 This week, I am focusing primarily on Ephesians 6:10-20. We live in a dark time. Yet in the darkness, the eye begins to see, as poet Theodore Roethke asserted. We need to face the challenges of our time with spiritual integrity and trust in the unwavering grace of God. We need to surround ourselves and the threats that face us... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 19, 2018 I Kings 2:10-12; 3:13-14; Psalm 111; Ephesians 5:15-20; John 6:51-58 This week’s readings focus on the interplay of divine and human wisdom. Human wisdom is grounded in divine creativity evidenced in the heavens above, the earth upon which we live, and the divine movements in our body, mind, and spirit. Alignment with divine wisdom – and not our own individualistic and self-interested projects – brings true joy and... Read more

With the release of the film Christopher Robin, I was reminded of a piece on “doing nothing” I wrote a few years ago, inspired by my book, “The Gospel According to Winnie the Pooh.” We can be productive without being busy and creative with creating crises. And, so I invite you to return to the 100 Aker Wood and wonder of simply being. One afternoon many years ago, Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh reflected about what happens when a... Read more