The Adventurous Lectionary for the Second Sunday in Lent: March 16, 2014

Last updated on: March 10, 2014 at 5:21 pm By Bruce Epperly

Lectionary Reflections for the Second Sunday in Lent March 16, 2014 Genesis 12:1-9 (RCL, Genesis 12:1-4a) Psalm 121 Romans 4:1-5 John 3:1-13, 16-17 (RCL, John 3:1-17) Sometimes the Revised Common Lectionary gives readings that are too brief to cover the theme. Other times, the Revised Common Lectionary suggests readings that cover too much ground or raise too many questions to be helpful. In today’s case, I expand the First Testament reading from Genesis 12:1-4a to Genesis 12:1-9 to include Abram... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary: The First Sunday in Lent – March 9, 2014

Last updated on: March 6, 2014 at 2:17 pm By Bruce Epperly

Lectionary Reflections for the First Sunday in Lent March 9, 2014 Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7 (preferred reading, Genesis 2:15-3:7) Psalm 32 Romans 5:12-19 Matthew 4:1-11 We begin our Journey into Lent with the affirmation that God’s grace is greater than our sin. The story of Adam and Eve, the primordial legend of humankind’s evolution, begins with relationship and creativity and ends with ambiguity and uncertain adventure. Still, they grow in spite of, and perhaps because of, leaving the garden. The passage... Read more

Ash Wednesday: Beauty and Mortality

Last updated on: March 4, 2014 at 11:57 am By Bruce Epperly

Baby boomers are discovering their mortality. Over the past year, several of my friends have been diagnosed with life-threatening cancers. One of my closest friends, with whom I have journeyed and grown for over forty years, recently died brain cancer. Just a week ago, my mother-in-law passed away at 96. I have led seven memorial services in seven months at my new congregation, South Congregational Church (UCC) in Centerville, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. As a pastor, relative, and friend, I... Read more

Living the Jesus Prayer: On Norris Chumley’s “Be Still and Know”

Last updated on: February 27, 2014 at 7:18 pm By Bruce Epperly

A little over six years ago, my son was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. I was devastated and initially feared for his life. My wife and I dropped everything and returned to Washington DC to accompany him and his wife of just three months while he was in the hospital receiving his first round of chemotherapy. I am a disciplined praying person: I meditate every morning and take a prayer walk of about an hour after my morning... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary: Transfiguration Sunday – March 2, 2014

Last updated on: February 25, 2014 at 7:22 pm By Bruce Epperly

Lectionary Reflections on Transfiguration Sunday Sunday, March 2, 2014 Exodus 24:12-18 Psalm 99 or Psalm 2 2 Peter 1:16-21 Matthew 17:1-9, 14-21 Experiencing the glory of God transforms everything. The energy of the Big Bang streams forth from Jesus. Moses is enveloped in divine light. Divine energy and the power of God are not neutral: a theophany, the appearing of God to human beings, and axiology, reflection on value and ethics, are interconnected. The dazzling light of God reveals God’s... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary for February 23, 2014

Last updated on: February 20, 2014 at 4:09 pm By Bruce Epperly

Lectionary Reflections Seventh Sunday after Epiphany February 23, 2014 Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 Psalm 119:33-40 I Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23 Matthew 5:38-48 Today’s readings invite us to consider the nature of divine – and human – holiness and perfection. As persons and communities, we are called to lives of stature and wholeness, embodying in our day-to-day lives and actions God’s own quest for wholeness. Those who claim to be God’s people – the Hebraic nation and the church – are challenged to... Read more

Praying with Hands and Heart: A Response to “Mercy in the City”

Last updated on: February 17, 2014 at 2:14 pm By Bruce Epperly

Kerry Weber’s Mercy in the City: How to Feed the Hungry, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Visit the Imprisoned, and Keep Your Day Job is a delightful book. She chronicles her adventures as a young adult seeking to be faithful to God in the challenges of everyday life. There is no bombast or spiritual pyrotechnics in the book, just simple day to day faith, sometimes spot on, other times muddling through. Though Catholic in tradition, Weber’s book is catholic in spirit,... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary for February 16, 2014

Last updated on: February 13, 2014 at 5:24 pm By Bruce Epperly

Lectionary Reflections for the Sixty Sunday after the Epiphany – February 16, 2014 Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Psalm 119:1-8 I Corinthians 3:1-9 Joy and wholeness are not accidental in the biblical tradition. While some people do enjoy the accidents of good fortune, over the long run well-being is related to the quality of our spiritual lives and commitment to personal and relational integrity. This Sunday’s readings turn us toward health of body, mind, and spirit, and assert that personal and communal well-being... Read more

The Adventurous Lectionary for February 9, 2014

Last updated on: February 5, 2014 at 6:06 pm By Bruce Epperly

Lectionary Reflections for the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany – February 9, 2014 Isaiah 58: 1-9a Psalm 112:1-10 I Corinthians 2:1-16 Matthew 5:13-20 Today’s scripture passages discuss the nature of personal and communal spirituality. The Hebraic and early Christian traditions, from which our scriptures emerged, see the individual and community as profoundly interdependent. Communities as well as individuals are challenged to embody a holistic spirituality that embraces corporate justice seeking, communal worship, and personal acts of piety and generosity. While... Read more

Knowing Too Much and Sharing Too Little: A Response to Death at the Movies: Hollywood’s Guide to the Hereafter

Last updated on: February 3, 2014 at 1:09 pm By Bruce Epperly

A Response to Death at the Movies: Hollywood’s Guide to the Hereafter, by Lyn and Tom Davis Genelli Death at the Movies is a tour through cinematic images of the afterlife. Movies and television programs both reflect and shape our opinions and interests. One area of great interest in recent years is the nature of the afterlife. Not too long ago, with the exception of a few intellectual elites, North Americans could sample only a few forms of post-mortem reflection: among... Read more