The Adventurous Lectionary – December 4, 2016 – The Second Sunday in Advent Isaiah 10:1-11 Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 Romans 15:4-13 Matthew 3:1-12 Today, we explore radical transformation, guided by God, but brought about by ourselves. I think global history argues against a divine rescue operation. The meek seldom inherit the earth. The wealthy seldom give up power. All revolutions, including our own nation’s, are imperfect works in progress. After two thousand years of false prophesies, expecting a dramatic unilateral second... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – The First Sunday of Advent -November 27, 2016 Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 22, Romans 3:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44 Let us walk in the light of God, so says the prophet Isaiah. With darkness descending in the Northern hemisphere and fears of darkness politically and globally, these words are good counsel. The dark night – whether in terms of weather or the social order – challenges us to embrace God’s enlightened paths. Open to the light, we can see... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – November 20, 2016 – 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. Pentecost, beginning with the coming of God’s Spirit in its fullness on the Feast of Pentecost, will conclude this Sunday with an affirmation of the universality of Christ’s sovereignty and grace. In a pluralistic age, the image Christ the King, or the Reign... Read more

God all of peoples, we give thanks to you on this Election Day. We thank you for the United States of America, for those who sacrificed their lives and fortunes for our freedoms, for bravery in the quest for human rights, for immigrants who built our nation, and first Americans who welcomed pilgrims from a far off land. We thank you for those who protested injustice, segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement. We thank you for suffragettes and freedom riders, for peaceful... Read more

An Election Eve Meditation It would be an understatement to admit that many of us are feeling anxious tonight. We have lived through months of the most contentious presidential election in recent history. We have witnessed bullying, allegations of sexual assault, racist statements, violence at political rallies, and accusations of improper handling of classified information. Some have even questioned, without clear evidence, the foundations of our electoral system – the peaceful transfer of power following an election – and others... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – November 13, 2016 – Pentecost 26 Isaiah 65:17-25 and Isaiah 13 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 Luke 21:5-19 Today’s lectionary passages seem tailor-made for the Sunday after Election Day. There will be celebration, gnashing of teeth, shouts of jubilation, and complaints of dishonesty. Election days matter – politics matters – both to our well-being and the fate of the earth. Isaiah and Jesus, speaking from very different political contexts, have words of wisdom for us in the wake... Read more

There is a story about an expedition across an African jungle. The African porters and their European employers had gone several days without any rest. The Europeans had a goal and a time line. But, they were astounded when one morning, the porters decided to rest. They simply wouldn’t pick up their luggage and supplies and no amount of cajoling could get them to go forward. Perplexed, one of the Europeans asked the lead porter about the delay, to which... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost – November 6, 2016 Haggai 1:15b-2:9 Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 Luke 20:27-38 “Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive,” so ends a cryptic exchange between Jesus and the Sadducees. Resurrection, rebirth, and renewal are at the heart of this week’s lectionary readings. There is a future and a hope ahead of us, regardless of how low... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary – Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost – October 30, 2016 Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4; Psalm 119:137-144, II Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12; Luke 19:1-10 Today’s scriptures invite us to consider the issue of spiritual stature or size. In one of his essays, “S-I-Z-E is the Measure,” process theologian Bernard Loomer describes spiritual stature as follows: “By size I mean the stature of a person’s soul, the range and depth of his love, his capacity for relationships. I mean the volume of... Read more