Texts: First Reading 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 Psalm 20 Second Reading 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (11-13) 14-17 Gospel Mark 4:26-34 Manuscript: I suspect we all know the Cinderella story. Countless variations exist across cultures. The core of the story is a young woman, usually a princess or, at least, an aristocrat, who, one way or another, is separated from her parents […]
Texts: First Reading 1 Samuel 8:4-11 (12-15) 16-20 (11:14-15) Psalm 138:1-8 Second Reading 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 Gospel Mark 3:20-35 Manuscript: Have you ever seen someone doing something stupid and then instantly pay the price? Perhaps you were driving and someone recklessly passed you, maybe even honking or shouting as they went by only for you to pass them a […]
Texts: First Reading Isaiah 6:1-8 Psalm 29:1-11 Second Reading Romans 8:12-17 Gospel John 3:1-17 Manuscript: In the Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke we hear of an encounter where Jesus summarizes the whole of the Hebrew Scriptures into two commandments: Love God, love your neighbor (Matthew 22:535-40, Mark 12:28-31, Luke 10:25-28). John’s gospel, in this sixteenth verse of the […]
Texts: First Reading Acts 2:1-21 Psalm 104:24-34, 35b Second Reading Romans 8:22-27 Gospel John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15 Manuscript: In this country, the secular, cultural celebrations of holidays have their own status, often wildly disconnected from the ecclesial or liturgical meaning of the day. Christmas is, of course, the prime example. The cultural forces around Christmas are […]
Texts: First Reading Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 Psalm 1:1-6 Second Reading 1 John 5:9-13 Gospel John 17:6-19 Manuscript: Tell me if you have heard this before: As Christians, should be in the world, but not of the world.” Is that something you have heard before? The saying comes from the King James translation of today’s lectionary passage from John’s Gospel, […]
Texts: First Reading Acts 10:44-48 Psalm 98:1-9 Second Reading 1 John 5:1-6 Gospel John 15:9-17 Manuscript:
Texts: First Reading Acts 8:26-40 Psalm 22:25-31 Second Reading 1 John 4:7-21 Gospel John 15:1-8 Manuscript:
Texts: First Reading Acts 4:5-12 Psalm 23:1-6 Second Reading 1 John 3:16-24 Gospel John 10:11-18 Manuscript:
Texts: First Reading Acts 10:34-43 Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 Second Reading 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Gospel Mark 16:1-8 Manuscript: “They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” So ends the lectionary for today, and, depending on who you ask, so ends the Gospel of Mark. If you open a bible, most likely you will see a few more paragraphs describing […]
Texts: First Reading Jeremiah 31:31-34 Psalm 51:1-12 Or alternate Psalm Psalm 119:9-16 Second Reading Hebrews 5:5-10 Gospel John 12:20-33 Manuscript: The Lord says, in today’s lection from Jeremiah: “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” The Psalmist writes “Create in […]