Adventurous Lectionary – November 26, 2107 – The Reign of Christ Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 Psalm 100 Ephesians 1:15-23 Matthew 25:31-46 We often use words descriptive of royalty to speak of God – “Lord,” “Sovereign,” “Ruler,” “King.” These words describe divine power and sovereignty, and power is important when we speak of divinity. Although we may want to ditch hierarchical language, it is important – and quite salutary – to remember that God is God, the wise and providential creature of... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost – November 19, 2017 Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18 Psalm 90:1-12 I Thessalonians 5:1-11 Matthew 25:14-30 Today’s passages are challenging and also inspirational. There is risk and there is also promise. For those who turn to God, who practice justice and take risks for a greater good, the world is alive with possibility. For those who live by scarcity and injustice, hording rather than sharing their financial resources at the expense of the poor,... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – November 12, 2017 – Pentecost 23 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 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 and relationships with others. Believing in God isn’t enough; the type of God who commands our... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – November 5, 2017 – Pentecost 22 Joshua 3:7-17 Psalm 1071-7, 33-37 I Thessalonians 2:9-13 Matthew 23:1-12 Today’s scriptures paint a variety of pictures of God’s involvement in the raising up of leaders and in our institutional and corporate decision-making. Does our image of God include or exclude those who differ from us, or create the possibility of persecution and genocide or institutional healing and transformation? Does our vision of God shape our vision of leadership in... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – October 29, 2017 – Pentecost 21 Deuteronomy 34:1-12 Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 Matthew 22:34-46 Today’s readings point us beyond the individual self – and our individual life histories – to identification with God’s Self and the well-being of others long after we have left the scene. Our lives are not only lived in the moment, but participate in the philosopher Alfred North Whitehead describes as “objective immortality,” the impact of our lives on the... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – October 22,2017 Exodus 33:12-23 Psalm 99 I Thessalonians 1:1-10 Matthew 22:15-22 “No one shall see me and live,” so God proclaims God to Moses. But, you can see my “goodness” as it passes by, God also proclaims. God reveals God’s glory to Moses, but it is more than mere mortals can handle, even those like Moses who “walk with God.” Like gazing at a solar eclipse, we must shield our eyes and, dare we say, our... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – October 22, 2017 – Pentecost 20 Exodus 33:12-23 Psalm 99 I Thessalonians 1:1-10 Matthew 22:15-22 “No one shall see me and live,” so God proclaims God to Moses. But, you can see my “goodness” as it passes by, God also proclaims. God reveals God’s glory to Moses, but it is more than mere mortals can handle, even those like Moses who “walk with God.” Like gazing at a solar eclipse, we must shield our eyes and,... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost – October 15, 2017 Bruce G. Epperly Exodus 32:1-14 Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23 Philippians 4:4-9 Matthew 22:1-14 This Sunday’s lectionary readings challenge us to orient ourselves toward God’s way rather than pathways of our own making. As John Calvin says, the human mind is a factory of idol making and whether our idols are gun ownership, the flag and anthem, prosperity, consumerism, they are all grounded in ideologies that put our interests... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost – October 1, 2017 Bruce G. Epperly Exodus 17:1-7 Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16 Philippians 2:1-13 Matthew 21:23-32 The biblical tradition proclaims that God is faithful, providing a way where there is no way, and giving us the energy to grow in freedom and creativity at every stage of life. God is the source of provocative possibilities that move us from slavery to freedom and fear to love. Faithful agency, responsive to God’s... Read more