Sunday’s Coming
Monday lectionary email, archived here on Friday
Audacious visions (Revelation 1:4b-8)
Harriet Tubman’s visions seemed, to her, to be glimpses of glory.
Finding rest (Hebrews 10:11-25)
Even as we seek practical solutions to our problems, we cannot afford to abandon the beliefs and spiritual practices that undergird us.
Why is the widow poor? (Mark 12:38-44)
So many stewardship sermons use the woman of Mark 12—lamentably—as an example of the kind of generosity to which we all should aspire.
Steadfast love for sorrowful people (Ruth 1:1-18)
Ruth offers a striking contrast to the chaos and moral ambiguity of the judges era.
“Do you believe this?” (Isaiah 25:6-9; John 11:32-44)
Jesus’ question to Martha extends to all believers.
Creating a disruption (Mark 10:46-52)
There is a tearing at the social fabric when Bartimaeus cries to Jesus.
Longing for answers (Job 38:1-7, 34-41)
Job experiences awe at God’s response, but not necessarily peace.
Preaching against the rich (Mark 10:17-31)
When the world is in peril and the rich are to blame, such preaching becomes essential.
Fuller inclusion (Mark 10:2-16)
Jesus’ blessing of the children and re-centering them in the midst of the community serves as a sort of Pride parable.
Many paths to Jesus (Mark 9:38-50)
Jesus seems to have an aversion to the kind of us-and-them boundary setting of his disciples.
Third group
The disciples and us (Mark 9:30-37)
Poor disciples. They rarely miss an opportunity to make a mess.
A preacher’s (well-bridled) tongue (James 3:1-12)
When is a pastor obliged to speak about their own theological shifts? Or obliged not to?
Can Jesus lose an argument? (Mark 7:24-37)
In Mark 7, a Syrophoenician woman is apparently able to win one with him.
Faith, in public and in private (James 1:17-27)
James is looking at the big picture.
Choosing to abide (John 6:56-69)
This last reading from the bread of life discourse places Jesus’ disciples at a crossroads.
Wonder Bread vs. the bread of life (John 6:51-58)
Wonder Bread seems a good analogy for much of popular Christianity.