This post is part of a Patheos roundtable conversation on the new book Life’s Too Short to Pretend You’re Not Religious by David Dark. David Dark presents a clever, imaginative, humorous, and insightful text in his new book, challenging us to fess up to our religiosity. Yes, we are religious, all of us, but the practical issue is “What difference does it make? How shall we act on our religion? And, how do we deal with the great ‘so what’ that... Read more
For a while, us Baby Boomers lived in the garden, never expecting to grow old. We hoped that the “better living through chemistry” that inspired our spiritual adventures in the 60s and 70s would continue on into our 60s and 70s and bring us similar medications to prolong the fountain of youth. But alas, Baby Boomers, too, are discovering their mortality. A Jewish saying counsels that each person should have a note in each pocket. In one pocket, the note should announce “For you the... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The First Sunday in Lent – February 14, 2016 Deuteronomy 26:1-11 Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 Romans 109:8b-13 Luke 4:1-13 Today’s readings speak of divine deliverance from the challenges of life. While life holds no guarantees, still God is faithful and responds to our cries for help. Life involves the interplay of call and response, and when we call on God, unexpected insights and energies may emerge. The external situation may not always change, but we can face... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – Transfiguration of Jesus – February 7, 2016 Exodus 34:29-34 Psalm 99 2 Corinthians 3:14-4:2 Luke 9:28-43a Our spiritual lives are filled with contrasts. We experience ecstasy and then must mop the floor. We return to the demands of a difficult congregation after a life-changing spiritual retreat. We preach sermons and turn our attention to unplugging a toilet in the Christian Education wing. Holistic spirituality embraces every aspect of life, and out of our relationship with God,... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The Third Sunday after the Epiphany – January 31, 2016 Jeremiah 1:4-10 Psalm 71:1-6 I Corinthians 13:1-13 Luke 4:21-30 The adventurous preacher may be overwhelmed the abundance of riches in today’s readings. We have the great love chapter from Corinthians, with its undercurrent of creative agnosticism. We are reminded that God has a larger vision for us than we have for ourselves. We discover that God’s revelation pushes the boundaries of our known world and religious... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The Third Sunday after the Epiphany – January 31, 2016 Jeremiah 1:4-10 Psalm 71:1-6 I Corinthians 13:1-13 Luke 4:21-30 The adventurous preacher may be overwhelmed the abundance of riches in today’s readings. We have the great love chapter from Corinthians, with its undercurrent of creative agnosticism. We are reminded that God has a larger vision for us than we have for ourselves. We discover that God’s revelation pushes the boundaries of our known world and religious... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The Third Sunday after the Epiphany – January 24, 2016 Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 Psalm 19 I Corinthians 12:12b-31 Mark 4:14-21 Today’s readings orient us toward God’s revelations in our lives. God’s law, embedded in our hearts and in the universe, may take many forms. Following God’s law enables us to experience and share grace in daily life. Divine revelation is found in the depths of our being and awaits our response. Saying “yes” to God’s... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary -The Second Sunday of Epiphany – January 17, 2015 Isaiah 62:1-5 Psalm 36:5-10 I Corinthians 12:1-11 John 2:1-11 The season of Epiphany begins with celebrating the gifts of the magi, continues with God’s gift of grace, affirmed through Jesus’ baptism, and focuses this Sunday on God’s vocational gifts bestowed on each person. The words of Isaiah 62 speak of the gift of a new name. God tells those who had been in exile, you shall be called... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – January 10, 3016 – The Baptism of Jesus – The First Sunday after the Epiphany Bruce G. Epperly Isaiah 43:1-7 Psalm 29 Acts 8:14-27 Luke 3:15-17, 21-26 The Baptism of Jesus reminds us to remember our baptisms. It also calls us to see God’s grace as extending beyond those who are baptized. Baptism does not enroll us in a select camp of saved persons. If baptism becomes the ticket to God’s favor, then it contradicts the... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – Epiphany Sunday – January 3, 2016 Matthew 2:1-15 The Second Sunday of Christmas will also be celebrated as Epiphany Sunday in my congregation as well as many congregations throughout North America. At South Congregational Church in Centerville, MA, just a few steps from a Cape Cod beach, we will celebrate God’s light through gospel music and communion. In a time of political xenophobia, we will remember that the magi most likely came from Iran, and we... Read more
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