The Adventurous Lectionary – October 19, 2014 – Pentecost 19 Exodus 33:12-23 Psalm 99 I Thessalonians 1:1-10 Matthew 22:15-22 “No one shall see me and live,” so God proclaims God to Moses. God reveals God’s glory to Moses, but it is more than mere mortals can handle, even those like Moses who “walk with God.” We can only see part of God, and dare not universalize our experience or limit God’s revelation to what we have experienced. God is always... Read more
Chuck Swindoll’s Abraham: One Nomad’s Amazing Journey of Faith paints the life and faith of the patriarch in broad strokes. Swindoll’s text has many inspirational and practical moments. While I might take a different theological approach at many junctures, there is much to commend in his text, especially for the faith formation of conservative and evangelical Christians. In my response to Swindoll, I want to focus not on the large story of Abraham’s life but on one vignette in the... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost Bruce G. Epperly Exodus 32:1-14 Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23 Philippians 4:4-9 Matthew 22:1-14 This Sunday’s lectionary readings challenge us to orient ourselves toward God’s way rather than pathways of our own making. God treasures innovation and creativity, even coloring outside the lines; yet true creativity emerges when we blend our vision with God’s vision for the well-being of ourselves and the world. The reading from Exodus invites us to consider the objects... Read more
Jon Sweeney’s When Saint Francis Saved the Church presents a vision of Francis’ message that is as relevant today as it was in Francis’ time. Today’s church needs saving, and so do we. We need to move from pathways of death to thoroughfares of abundant life. We need to choose Jesus over Caesar, and love over coercion, first in the church and then in the world. We need a faith that is fluid and lively, and awake to the world... Read more
I’ve spent this afternoon playing with my young grandchildren. I’d done a good day’s work at church before picking them up from preschool in the afternoon. As a pastor, teacher, and writer, I spent most of the early part of the day writing a sermon, working on an upcoming book, calling shut-ins, and leading a bible study. All of these are part of my call as pastor of a United Church of Christ congregation on Cape Cod. But, equally important... Read more
Adventurous Lectionary – October 5, 2014 – Pentecost 17 Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 Psalm 119 Philippians 3:3b-14 Matthew 21:33-46 Today’s readings speak of the ordering of the universe and the ordering of human life. Too often Christians have misinterpreted Paul’s letter to the Galatians by asserting that Jewish law is burdensome, onerous, and irrelevant to our lives. While Christians have freedom in relationship to any system of law and cultural mores, the laws of the universe and humankind can be... Read more
In the course of a year, Michael Yankoski goes on a sacred pilgrimage. Although sometimes he travels, much of his spiritual peregrinations involve a journey without distance as he seeks to discover the geography of the spirit. The inner spaces of our lives, Yankoski discovers, are just as spacious as the landscapes that surround our journeys. Yankoski explores the many pathways of Christian spirituality, ranging from silence and simplicity to protest and community. He is in search of a deeper,... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost –September 28, 2014 Exodus 17:1-7 Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16 Philippians 2:1-13 Matthew 21:23-32 God is faithful, providing a way where there is no way, and giving us the energy to grow in freedom and creativity at every stage of life. Faithful agency opens the floodgates of divine refreshment and energy, enabling us to do what we previously imagined as impossible. In redefining power in terms of relationship, God in Christ invites us... Read more
A number of months ago, a bereaved mother asked me, “Where is Susie now?” Her question was far from academic. When her daughter committed suicide, one of the first pastoral responses she received was, “Suicide is an unforgiveable sin. Your daughter has cut herself off from God entirely, and is now paying the price, forever!” To that pastor, it meant Susie, whose life was tormented by depression in this lifetime, would now experience eternal torment in hell. The minister with... Read more
The Adventurous Lectionary – Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 21, 2014 Bruce G. Epperly Exodus 16:2-15 Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 Philippians 1:21-30 Matthew 20:1-16 Will God provide for our deepest needs? Are we alone in the world or is there a gentle providence working through our lives, giving us guidance, energy, and sometimes surprising manifestations of grace? The Israelites are experiencing a failure of trust. After all they have seen in terms of God’s deliverance, they want to return to... Read more
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