The Adventurous Lectionary – Easter Sunday – March 27, 2016 Acts 10:34-43 Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 I Corinthians 15:19-26 John 20:1-18 This is the day that God has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! This is the heart of the Easter proclamation – God has made this new day, this wonderful life-giving day and rejoicing is the only appropriate response. God’s doing a new thing, the divine creativity brings forth new life with every new day, and that... Read more
[The post is part of a conversation on the new book The Power of the Cross, now featured at the Patheos Book Club.] I am appreciative of Tony Evans’ meditation on the cross of Jesus. His approach is clear and represents one of many possible pictures of the saving grace of God’s suffering love. The cross is a source of confidence and power, embodying the hope of Christmas’ “Emmanuel,” the affirmation that God is with us, giving us everything we... Read more
(This post is part of the Patheos Book Club on Dear Pope Francis: The Pope Answers Questions from Children Around the World.) One of my favorite scriptures is Mark 10:13-16: Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the... Read more
Palm-Passion Sunday – 2016 Bruce G. Epperly The Triumphant Entry Luke 19:28-40 Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 The Passion of Jesus Isaiah 53:4-9a Psalm 31:9-16 Philippians 2:5-11 Luke 23:1-49 The order of the day for Palm Sunday involves the interplay of celebration and passion. It is the appropriate theological as well as chronological entry point for the spiritual maelstrom on the horizon for us and for Jesus. The period between Palm Sunday and Easter encompasses the full spectrum of public and private... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The Fifth Sunday in Lent – March 13, 2016 Isaiah 43:16-21 Psalm 126 Philippians 3:4b-14 John 12:1-8 Today’s passages invite us to embrace God’s future while honoring the past. Guided by Christ’s vision, we keep our eyes on the prize, constantly moving ahead. Faith tends towards a type of chaos, an iconoclasm that pushes beyond our institutional structures. But, innovative faith needs to be balanced by honoring tradition and discovering the order that enlivens and inspires.... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The Fourth Sunday in Lent – March 6, 2016 Joshua 5:9-12 Psalm 32 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 Today’s scriptures reflect on the burden of goodness and the unconditional love of God. Virtually every adult knows the story of the prodigal son, existentially if not biblically. We all know a family – or a part of a family – whose child has gone astray through addiction, incarceration, mental illness, or alienation. We all know the... Read more
Matt Weber’s Operating on Faith: A Painfully True Love Story brings both depth and humor to the challenges of mortality, especially when they affect young adults and come when you least expect it. Martin Luther is noted for saying, “In the midst of life, we are surrounded by death.” Life holds no guarantees and nothing is secure. God cares for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, but they are here today and gone tomorrow. A... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The Third Sunday in Lent – February 28, 2016 Isaiah 55:1-9 Psalm 63:1-8 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Luke 13:1-9 Today’s readings join grace, threat, and hope. We can succumb to temptation, we can be unfruitful, and turn from God, but if we repent, God will provide us with the strength and fortitude to begin again. Grace is not conon our efforts; grace is prevenient but the energy and landscape of grace relates to our openness. God always... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The Second Sunday in Lent – February 21, 2016 Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 Psalm 27 Philippians 3:17-4:1 Luke 13:31-35 Today’s readings join fear and faith. As I reflect on the scriptures this morning, we are on the eve of the New Hampshire primary. (By the time you have read this, the primary is over and the fear mongers have moved south for warmer weather and more heated conversations!) Living on Cape Cod, we receive our television from... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The Third Sunday in Lent – February 28, 2016 Isaiah 55:1-9 Psalm 63:1-8 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 Luke 13:1-9 Today’s readings join grace, threat, and hope. We can succumb to temptation, we can be unfruitful, and turn from God, but if we repent, God will provide us with the strength and fortitude to begin again. Grace is not contingent on our efforts; grace is prevenient but the energy and landscape of grace relates to our openness. God... Read more
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