Lectionary Reflections for June 1, 2014 Acts 1:6-14 I Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 John 17:1-11 Today’s readings are about height and depth. Jesus is no longer on the earth. He has ascended. But, this is no cause to abandon our planet. It is an opportunity to take our place as Jesus’ companions in creative transformation. God is in us and with us, and is luring us forward toward new adventures in faithful discipleship. You will receive power from the Holy Spirit!... Read more
Lectionary Reflections for May 25, 2014 Acts 17:22-31 Psalm 66:18-20 Today’s scriptures invite us to consider the scope of divine revelation and salvation. As the reality in whom we live and move and have our being, God’s wisdom touches all of us. Death and the afterlife are part of God’s vision of salvation. Those presumed lost and unaware of Jesus’ mission are still objects of God’s love and recipients of Jesus’ ministry. Our hope is not in our own efforts... Read more
As I read Vinh Chung’s memoir, Where the Wind Leads, I was reminded of the words of the African American spiritual, “My Soul Looks Back”: How I got over How I got over My soul looks back and wonders How I got over. Vinh Chung muses about the providence that brought him safely to the United States. The journey was dangerous, with many hardships, but unlike countless others, he and his family made it to their own promised land of... Read more
Does carrying Jesus’ DNA imply that you will embody Jesus’ spiritual unity with God? Was Jesus’ own unity with God a matter of nurture as well as nature? Read more
When we interpret John 14:6 imaginatively and inclusively, then it becomes our fourth promise: God guides us on the pathway wherever we are on our journey; God’s energy enlightens all persons in all cultures; makes a way where there is no way; and leads all creation in all of its diversity to wholeness. Read more
Lectionary Reflections for May 11, 2014 John 10:1-10 Acts 2:42-47 “I have come that you might have life, and have it abundantly.” This was one of Jesus’ mission statements. He is affirming that while there are pathways that lead to destruction, the good shepherd seeks only the best for his sheep. The good shepherd wants us to flourish, to live joyfully, and grow into full humanity. There is a pathway that leads to abundant life and we catch a glimpse... Read more
Lectionary Reflections for May 4, 2014 Luke 24:13-35 Easter is about embodied movement. Resurrection moved the cells as well as the soul of Jesus, and the cells and souls of his followers. Resurrection still gets us out of our comfort zones and calls us to the open road, spiritually, ethically, and sometimes physically. I love to walk. Each morning, and virtually every day of the year, I walk from the church I pastor, South Congregational Church, in Centerville, MA, to... Read more
Lectionary Reflections for the Second Sunday of Easter April 27 2014 John 20:19-31 And Jesus breathed on them, and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” This is something we want to hear personally and in our churches. The Spirit blows where it wills and wherever it blows, it brings new life and vitality. We need that spirit-filled experience just as those women and men gathered in an upper room needed not only to hear that Jesus was risen, but rise themselves... Read more
There is no getting around Easter if you belong to the Jesus movement. Jesus’ first followers were transformed by their encounters with the Risen Christ. Once fearful, they became courageous; once uncertain, they became confident in that Jesus was unique, the savior of humankind, victorious over sickness, sin, and death. The power of the resurrection to transform lives can’t be denied by any honest observer. For two thousand years, the amazing power of Jesus’ resurrection has brought healing and wholeness... Read more
During Holy Week, most of us focus on the palms, the passion, and the resurrection. The movement from celebrate to desolation and surprising celebration again characterizes not only Holy Week but the realities of a meaningful life. We can’t escape suffering but our suffering is often transformed into joy by surprising events or unexpected insights and experiences. In the shadow of loss, the light of new birth often emerges. For many Protestants – but also for Roman Catholic and Orthodox... Read more
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