Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Oct. 21, 2018

“For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.” Christ Washing the Feet of the Disciples (1580s), oil painting by Paolo Veronese (1528-1588). National Gallery in Prague. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading (Track One): Job 38:1-7,34-41

In last week’s Track One first reading we heard Job loudly lamenting his condition, looking for God and angrily demanding that God come out of hiding and hear him. Now Job gets his wish, but God’s response may not be what he had expected. A mighty, powerful God speaks to Job out of a whirlwind and quickly sets him quite literally in his place. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” God thunders, hurling poetic words at Job like thunderbolts. “Tell me, if you have understanding.” God has created a wonderful universe, full of beautiful creation; but sometimes creation stands in conflict, when a lion seeks its prey or when young ravens go hungry.

First Reading (Track Two): Isaiah 53:4-12

If you want to be in charge, be careful what you wish for. Throughout Sunday’s readings we hear of servant leadership, sacrifice, and walking humbly with our God. Isaiah’s “Suffering Servant,” who we meet often in our readings (most recently only last month) may make us think of Jesus in his willing sacrifice to bear the sins of many. In its original context, though, Isaiah writes of the servant’s suffering in the past tense, remembering Israel itself as the servant, the sacrificial pain of its sad exile now finally come to an end.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 104:1-9,35, 37c

Echoing God’s extended response to Job, this hymn of exaltation worships God as creator of the universe and as ruler of all creation, whose mighty works fill us with awe. It envisions God clothed in majesty and splendor, wrapped in a cloak of light that crosses the heavens. God rides across the world on the wings of clouds, spreading out mountains and valleys, oceans and rivers, setting the earth immovably on its foundations and separating the land from the water.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 91:9-16

We will chant only the second half of Psalm 91 on Sunday, but it is worth taking a moment to read the entire psalm. (You can find it in the Psalter, Pages 719-20, BCP). In verses 1-9 we hear of another servant who suffered, yet who received God’s protection against illness and enemies. In the verses that we pick up today, the Psalmist assures us that we can find protection by seeking refuge in God, when we pray as Jesus taught us, “deliver us from evil.”

Second Reading: Hebrews 5:1-10

These verses from the letter to the Hebrews presents Jesus as the perfect high priest, a new high priest with a new covenant and new sacrifice. But this high position did not come easily. Because Jesus was fully human, he was not immune from suffering; he suffered “with loud cries and tears.” He learned obedience through his suffering, even as God’s own Son. Thus he became the greatest of the line of priests that began with King Melchizedek, the first high priest named in Genesis. As the perfect image of God, Christ earned salvation for us all.

Gospel: Mark 10:35-45

Immediately before today’s Gospel, the apostles have just heard Jesus tell them for the third time that when they reach Jerusalem he will be arrested, flogged, killed, and will rise again. And now, also for the third time, we hear some of them responding with remarkable cluelessness. James and John “the Sons of Thunder,” who we recently heard complaining that other people were casting out demons in Jesus’ name, now demand, more than request, that Jesus let them sit at his right and left hand in God’s kingdom. One more time, Jesus sets the apostles straight: To follow Jesus we must be servants, not those served; if we wish to be first, we must be the slave of all.

What are “Track 1” and “Track 2”?
During the long green season after Pentecost, there are two tracks (or strands) each week for Old Testament readings. Within each track, there is a Psalm chosen to accompany the particular lesson.
The Revised Common Lectionary allows us to make use of either of these tracks, but once a track has been selected, it should be followed through to the end of the Pentecost season, rather than jumping back and forth between the two strands.
For more information from LectionaryPage.net, click here.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Oct. 14, 2018

Reflect on this: This painting of Christ and the Rich Young Ruler (1889) by Heinrich Hofmann (1824-1911), was purchased for Riverside Church in New York by John D Rockefeller Jr., one of the richest men in the world. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading (Track One): Job 23:1-9, 16-17

You should really turn back and read the portion of Job that came just before this reading. Job has lost everything, including all his possessions and much of his family. Now his friends, seeking to console him, have done a spectacularly poor job of showing compassion. He must have done something wrong, they assured him, asking if his lack of piety or his great wickedness might have angered God. Now Job responds with bitter, angry words. He deserves a chance to lay out the facts, to argue his case before God, he says; and if he could get a hearing, he would surely prevail. But he looks in every direction yet can’t find God anywhere. He is terrified and wants to vanish into darkness. Hold these thoughts: We’ll hear God’s response to Job next week.

First Reading (Track Two): Amos 5:6-7, 10-15

The strong theme of Sunday’s readings reminds us how important it is to subject ourselves to God, behaving justly and giving to the poor, never stealing from or harming those less favored. Indeed, we hear in the Gospel that no matter how well we follow the commandments, we must furthermore give everything that we have to the poor. The Prophet Amos, warning Israel’s Northern Kingdom that its habit of living well while trampling the poor will lead to disaster at the hands of the Assyrians. “Seek good and not evil,” urges the prophet. A few verses after this reading, Amos will call on the people of God to “let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 22:1-15

When Jesus was dying on the cross, in his last agony he cried out the words that begin Psalm 22: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” This Psalm, titled “Plea for Deliverance from Suffering and Hostility” in the New Revised Standard Version, also echoes Job’s lament. It is the cry of one who has suffered as Job has suffered, mocked by those around him and sunk in the depth of despair. He thinks that he has no place to turn; but there is still God, who knew him as an infant and who, he prays, will remember him now.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 90:12-17

We jump in to the middle of this Psalm in Sunday’s readings, skipping past the first portion in which the writer – held by unlikely tradition to be Moses himself – has warned of God’s anger with a sinful people. In these verses we plead with God to return, to show loving-kindness, to teach the people to be wise, and to replace our adversity with gladness. Through God’s works, grace and splendor, we pray, may the people be wise, turn the work of our hands to God’s purposes, and enjoy prosperity as the result of our handiwork.

Second Reading: Hebrews 4:12-16

The letter to the Hebrews may reveal its roots in persecution in the early church: It speaks of Jesus, the word of God, in terms that we seldom associate with the Good Shepherd: “sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow … before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare …” God expects much of us. But we also know that Jesus knows and understands us; although Jesus is our great high priest who has passed through the heavens, he also can sympathize with our weakness, having been tested in every way as we are tested. We may approach the throne of grace boldly, seeking mercy and receiving grace.

Gospel: Mark 10:17-31

Jesus’ words in this Gospel might seem harsh: If the rich man can’t give all his money to the poor, he isn’t welcome in God’s kingdom. But why? This man is good. He keeps the commandments. Mark even tells us that Jesus loved him. Perhaps Jesus is still reflecting on the verses that came just before, contrasting this wealthy man with the innocent children who will inherit God’s kingdom. Or Jesus may be exaggerating for effect, as he may have done with his response to the Pharisees about divorce in last week’s Gospel. But even if we think we can get away with not taking these verses literally, we can hardly ignore Jesus’ compelling call to serve others, to care for the least of these, and to place ourselves last in order to be first in God’s Kingdom.

What are “Track 1” and “Track 2”?
During the long green season after Pentecost, there are two tracks (or strands) each week for Old Testament readings. Within each track, there is a Psalm chosen to accompany the particular lesson.
The Revised Common Lectionary allows us to make use of either of these tracks, but once a track has been selected, it should be followed through to the end of the Pentecost season, rather than jumping back and forth between the two strands.
For more information from LectionaryPage.net, click here.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Oct. 7, 2018

The Garden of Eden (1350), oil painting on poplar wood by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553). The Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister , Dresden, Germany. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading (Track One): Job 1:1; 2:1-10

Many people find the story of Job and his troubles disheartening, particularly considering that a casual reading may give the impression that God caused suffering for Job because, literally, Satan talked him into it. But let’s be positive: Job is a great short story and an important part of the Bible’s wisdom literature, the books that teach us about life and God. Don’t we all wonder how bad things can happen to good people? Listen and ponder as we read through Job in the next four weeks. We hear parts of the beginning of Job today, and it starts off like an ancient folk tale. Remember, too, that in that time Satan was not understood as a devil with horns, but a kind of prosecutor or adversary in the heavenly order.

First Reading (Track Two): Genesis 2:18-24

Sunday’s readings aren’t easy. First, we hear a part of the second creation narrative in Genesis, a legend about Eve being made from Adam’s rib, that some have interpreted to place women in secondary status to men. Then in Mark’s Gospel we hear Jesus reject divorce in words so strict that they have been invoked to hold people in abusive relationships. Think about relationships in all today’s readings, trying to read them faithfully yet generously. Perhaps they invite us to think about all creation, and God’s universal call to men and women to be responsible for our relationships with plants, animals and each other. Hold these thoughts, too, as we celebrate St. Francis with our Blessing of the Animals.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 26

Just as Job, we are told, was “blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil,” the Psalmist in today’s reading declares before God that he has lived with integrity, trusting in God without faltering. In the light of Job’s trials, one might wonder if the author of this psalm is testing fate when he invites God to “test me … and try me.” We may also hear hint of Pharisaical self-satisfaction in his desire not to be counted among the evildoers or to suffer their punishment. But in the end his plea is humble, promising integrity and asking for God’s pity and redemption.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 8

This resounding hymn of praise for God expresses our awe at the many glories of God’s creation. The heavens, the moon, the stars in their courses are all the work of God’s hands. The majestic arc of creation is so great that mere humanity seems small in comparison. Yet God has given humanity charge of all the animals, wild and domestic, and all the creatures of the sea. Surely we are called to exercise the same level of careful and loving relationship with this creation as we count on God to provide for us.

Second Reading: Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12

Why does God care for mere mortals so much that he sent a son and savior, the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s being, to become “lower than the angels” to live and die among us? Hear the echo of Psalm 8 in these verses as the author of Hebrews quotes a portion of it directly. This letter is thought to have been written to coax back Jewish Christians who had returned to Judaism in the face of persecution late in the first century. In this passage we hear that Jesus tasted death for all of us, through his sufferings raising us all up as his brothers and sisters.

Gospel: Mark 10:2-16

Jesus’ strict command against divorce is difficult to hear in a modern times, when divorce has become acceptable, if unhappy; a troubled end to a relationship. In the patriarchal culture of Jesus’ time, divorce was even worse, because it was inequitable: A man could set aside his marriage for any reason, or keep his wife trapped in abusive relationship. A woman had no recourse, could not practically initiate divorce, and worse, a woman alone was likely to end up homeless and hungry, shamed and reduced to begging. Should it surprise us that Jesus spoke firmly against that, recalling the words of Eve’s creation from Genesis? Then, in the next segment, when we see Jesus holding and blessing little children, we begin to see Jesus’ idea of God’s kingdom in the image of a child: Don’t judge others. Don’t be unkind.

What are “Track 1” and “Track 2”?
During the long green season after Pentecost, there are two tracks (or strands) each week for Old Testament readings. Within each track, there is a Psalm chosen to accompany the particular lesson.
The Revised Common Lectionary allows us to make use of either of these tracks, but once a track has been selected, it should be followed through to the end of the Pentecost season, rather than jumping back and forth between the two strands.
For more information from LectionaryPage.net, click here.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Sept. 30, 2018

Jesus Exorcizing a Demon. Folio in Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry (1416); Musée Condé, Chantilly, France. (Click image to enlarge.)

Sunday offers us the only reading from the book of Esther that we hear during the entire three-year lectionary period. We come in toward the end of the book, just in time to hear the ending of this story that, in Jewish tradition, is read in its entirety on the feast of Purim. Esther is the only book in the entire Bible that doesn’t mention God, but it tells a stirring, albeit legendary, story of the Jewish people. We hear Queen Esther of Persia reveal at a banquet feast that she is Jewish and would herself be killed with her people if the wicked Haman carried out his plan to kill or enslave all of Persia’s Jews. The angry king orders Haman hanged on a giant gallows, and the event is remembered with feasting, gladness, and gifts of food to each other and to the poor.

First Reading (Track Two): Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29

Listen! We listen for the voice of God. We ask God to listen to us when we pray. We listen to each other, and sometimes we hear. Listen for themes of listening and hearing in Sunday’s readings. In our first reading we hear the people in the desert, sick and tired of manna, hungrily remembering the good food they enjoyed in Egypt; so hungry that they would eagerly return to Pharaoh’s slavery for something good to eat. God is angry. Moses is angry! Fortunately, God offers a practical solution: Moses may name seventy elders to help him carry the load of leadership. Then, two men who had remained in the camp started prophesying without supervision! Moses’ assistant Joshua wants them punished, but Moses says no: If only all the people could prophesy and share God’s spirit.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 124

Remembering another time when Israel feared death at the hands of enemies, Psalm 124 sings joyous thanksgiving for God’s protection, parting the waters of the Red Sea when they escaped Pharaoh’s bondage in Egypt. If God had not been on their side when the enemies rose up against them, we sing, the waters would have overwhelmed them! The torrent would have gone over them! But God did not give them up. They escaped, singing, “Our help is in the Name of the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth.”

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 19:7-14

Listen and hear, as we sing this psalm that calls on us to pray and tells us why we should pray. God’s commandments are good, and to follow them does us good, we sing. Sweeter than honey and more desirable than gold, God’s laws and commandments enlighten us and keep us on a straight path. How do we pray? The answer is so important that it’s repeated twice: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my strength, my rock, and my redeemer.”

Second Reading: James 5:13-20

As we reach the end of our monthlong visit with the letter of James, this powerful epistle has called on us to care for our neighbors, to protect the weak, and to do the work that God has given us to do. Now the letter ends with a call to prayer, listing several conditions in which we might choose to pray. Are we suffering? Pray! Are we happy? Sing hymns of praise! Are we sick? Ask our friends to prayer! Prayer works. When we bring our brothers and sisters back to God’s way, we save them from death, for God works through us as God worked through the prophet Elijah when he prayed for an end to a killing drought and famine.

Gospel: Mark 9:38-50

The beginning of Mark’s Gospel this Sunday seems to echo an element of the Track Two first reading: Just as some of Moses’ followers, and Joshua, were angry about two seemingly unauthorized members of the community who started prophesying, the Apostle John tried to stop a stranger who was casting out demons in Jesus’ name. But Jesus tells them to be glad, rather, that others are speaking in his name: “Whoever is not against us is for us.” Then Jesus offers a series of scary warnings about doing things that cause others to stumble: “If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off … And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out.” Fortunately, this was surely not literal advice. Jesus, as he often does, is following an old rabbinic tradition, illuminating everyday actions by comparing them to their most extreme alternatives.

What are “Track 1” and “Track 2”?
During the long green season after Pentecost, there are two tracks (or strands) each week for Old Testament readings. Within each track, there is a Psalm chosen to accompany the particular lesson.
The Revised Common Lectionary allows us to make use of either of these tracks, but once a track has been selected, it should be followed through to the end of the Pentecost season, rather than jumping back and forth between the two strands.
For more information from LectionaryPage.net, click here.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Sept. 23, 2018

Christ Blessing the Children (1535-1540). Painting on beech wood by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553). Städel Museum, Frankfurt, Germany. (Click image to enlarge.)

This reading seems to express an ancient, patriarchal view of woman’s subsidiary role in the household, an attitude that we hope the 21st century is leaving behind. Of course we should read the patriarchal language in both testaments as a signal of its own time and culture, not as guidance for the modern world. But read closely, and see that this capable wife is no shrinking, helpless figure. She has her husband’s trust; she supervises the household servants as she buys goods and food for the family and even purchases farm and vineyard fields. She is strong, brave, wise and kind. Her husband and her children praise her. “Let her works praise her in the city gates,” indeed!

First Reading (Track Two): Wisdom of Solomon 1:16-2:1, 12-22

Both good behavior and bad behavior have consequences. Righteousness is pleasing to God; evil deeds lead to death. We hear this theme in Sunday’s readings first in a reading from the book of Wisdom, which is traditionally attributed to King Solomon but was actually written in Greek in the last centuries before Christ. Most of Sunday’s reading, save for the opening and closing verses, presents the ungodly, arguing why they choose to persecute the righteous people who look down on them. They are wrong, of course, as the bracketing verses make clear: They don’t understand God’s purpose, nor do they recognize the rewards of a blameless life.

First Reading (Alternate Track Two): Jeremiah 11:18-20

Jeremiah is often called “the Weeping Prophet” for the loud lamentations that he shouts out to warn the leaders of Jerusalem and Judah that their failure of righteousness and justice is going to bring down God’s wrath in the form of defeat, destruction and exile. In these short verses, though, his weeping is more personal: He has learned that those leaders, angered by his prophecies, are scheming to kill him. He feels like a gentle lamb led to slaughter, he sings, but even in the face of enemies he remains committed to God.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 1

We sang Psalm 1, the first of the 150 Psalms, in the weeks after Easter. Now we return to it again. We celebrate those who follow in the way of God, who delight in God’s teaching and meditate on it. These faithful souls will be happy, becoming as firmly rooted in faith as are trees deeply rooted by running water, gaining strength and bearing fruit. The wicked, in contrast, can count on no such happy end. Those who do not follow in God’s way will be blown away like chaff in the wind.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 54

This Psalm, attributed by tradition to King David, recalls a time when the young David, not yet the king, was forced to flee in terror from an angry, jealous Saul who sought to kill him. This narrative resonates with the reading from Wisdom: When insolent and ruthless enemies seek our lives, God’s laws will not hold them back. A time of fear is a time to pray, a time to call on God who delivers us from trouble and upholds our lives.

Second Reading: James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a

Picking up where last week’s reading from James left off, the author expands on the theme of guarding our tongues – tiny yet powerful instruments that they are – to praise and bless, not to poison. Contrasting the wisdom that comes from above with the envy and ambition in our hearts, he calls us to show our gentle, wise works in good lives, rather than engaging in earthly, unspiritual ambition and boasting. Resist evil, draw near to God, and God will draw near to us.

Gospel: Mark 9:30-37

Moving on to the end of the next chapter after last week’s reading, we find Jesus and the apostles back in Galilee after their foray into the Gentile country of Tyre and Sidon and Caesarea Philippi. When Jesus tells them for a second time that he must suffer, be killed and then rise again, they still don’t get it. Mark tells us that they’re even afraid to ask, perhaps remembering Peter’s embarrassment when Jesus angrily called him “Satan.” Now, when Jesus leaves them by themselves, they start arguing about which of them is the greatest. Jesus, who must have been thoroughly exasperated, shows them a small child. Following Jesus is not about greatness and power, he says. It is about serving others; it is about welcoming the smallest and weakest among us.

What are “Track 1” and “Track 2”?
During the long green season after Pentecost, there are two tracks (or strands) each week for Old Testament readings. Within each track, there is a Psalm chosen to accompany the particular lesson.
The Revised Common Lectionary allows us to make use of either of these tracks, but once a track has been selected, it should be followed through to the end of the Pentecost season, rather than jumping back and forth between the two strands.
For more information from LectionaryPage.net, click here.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Sept. 16, 2018

Detail of a stained glass window of the Confession of Peter: “But who do you say that I am?” Church of St Mary and St Lambert in Stonham Aspal in Suffolk, England. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading (Track One): Proverbs 1:20-33

Have you ever noticed that ancient Hebrew poetry, like the Old Testament’s wisdom writings and the Psalms, does not rhyme words or sounds? Instead, it rhymes ideas. Look at each verse: Wisdom, as a powerful woman, is shouting out to the city and all its inhabitants: Be wise! Embrace knowledge!” Now note how every verse is divided into two lines. The idea expressed in each first line is reflected, explained, or expanded upon by the second. Ideas rhyme. Watch for this poetic technique in the Psalms, too, and see how meaning grows when lines build on lines to strengthen ideas.

First Reading (Track Two): Isaiah 50:4-9a

What is it like when great suffering lies in the road that leads to our most desired goals? We hear this challenging question in various forms in Sunday’s readings. Isaiah raises this question in his powerful metaphor of the “Suffering Servant.” What could be more important to a community than its teachers, whose words shape our growth and understanding? Isaiah portrays this teacher as a servant who suffers the humiliation of exile and turns away from those who strike him. To Israel he represented the nation awaiting vindication in its own exile. Christians would later see the image of Christ in this servant.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God! This psalm of praise sings out the beauty of creation, God at work in the universe. Mirroring the first reading’s exhortation to hear God’s word, its verses urge us to rejoice in our hearts about God’s perfect law, a word that, in the original Hebrew, is synonymous with “teaching.” The psalm concludes with a familiar phrase that preachers often speak at the beginning of a sermon: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 116:1-8

In the spirit of the Suffering Servant, the poet recalls a time of sorrow when he was sick and close to death. Filled with grief, entangled in the cords of death, the Psalmist called out, and God responded. Now, rescued from death’s grip, his tears are wiped dry and his feet no longer stumble. Walking again in the land of the living, his heart fills with love for God, who has heard his voice in supplication.

Second Reading: James 3:1-12

The tongue of a teacher may reveal the way of God, but tongues can be tricky, the letter of James tells us in delightful wordplay. He likens this small but powerful organ to other little yet strong things that can control forces beyond their size: A small bridle holds back a powerful horse. A very small rudder moves a massive ship. A mere spark can flare into a forest fire. Yes, tongues may bless, but tongues can curse, too. James warns us to guard out tongues: Use them wisely, to praise and bless our brothers and sisters; don’t use them to stain the body with hurtful poison.

Gospel: Mark 8:27-38

The season after Pentecost lasts almost exactly six months this year, from June through November. We have passed the mid-point of Mark’s Gospel, and the narrative is taking a sharp turn. First, Jesus confirms Peter’s bold announcement that he is the Messiah, the apostles’ first hint of this startling revelation. Then, to Peter’s horror, Jesus tells them that he must endure great suffering, rejection and death. If they want to follow him, Jesus warns, they must deny themselves and take up the cross: You’ll have to lose your life in order to save it. What will it profit anyone to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Soon now they will move on toward Jerusalem and the cross.

What are “Track 1” and “Track 2”?
During the long green season after Pentecost, there are two tracks (or strands) each week for Old Testament readings. Within each track, there is a Psalm chosen to accompany the particular lesson.
The Revised Common Lectionary allows us to make use of either of these tracks, but once a track has been selected, it should be followed through to the end of the Pentecost season, rather than jumping back and forth between the two strands.
For more information from LectionaryPage.net, click here.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Sept. 9, 2018

Jesus and the Canaanite woman. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading (Track One): Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23

This Sunday we turn to the book of Proverbs, another work of wisdom literature that, like the Song of Solomon that we heard last week, was thought in older times to have been written by King Solomon himself. Many of its simple, timeless aphorisms might remind us of such modern works as Benjamin Franklin or the Old Farmer’s Almanac, and much of its wisdom seems as applicable now as it did 2,500 years ago. Much of it, too, phrased in memorable poetic rhythms, reminds us that God’s covenant with the people gives preference to the poor: “Do not rob the poor because they are poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate; for the Lord pleads their cause and despoils of life those who despoil them.”

First Reading (Track Two): Isaiah 35:4-7a

God feeds the hungry, gives drink to the thirsty, heals the blind and the deaf and takes the side of the oppressed, and we are called to do the same. This call for distributive justice resonates through Sunday’s readings. First we hear the Prophet Isaiah sounding the call. He speaks from exile in Babylon, urging the people to remain strong and fearless as God comes to save the people and their land. Even though the fortunes of war have sent you into exile and separated you from home and Temple, Isaiah sings, God is coming with healing and comfort and will lead you back. God will open their eyes and ears as Earth and waters and all creation are restored in speech and sing their joy.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 125

One of the shortest of the Psalms with just five verses, Psalm 125 also holds up the justice of God’s covenant with the people. Those who trust in God can no more be moved than Zion, the mountain on which the Temple stands, we sing; God stands around the people as the hills rise around Jerusalem, fixed and strong forever. God rewards those who are good and pure in heart, but those who turn to evil ways will be sent away with all the evildoers.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 146

Echoing Isaiah’s celebration of God’s justice, our Psalm sings the praise of God who cares for us and loves us deeply. Do not trust in earthly rulers, the Psalmist warns, for they cannot help us in the long run. Place our hope in God instead, who created the earth and all that is in it, and who reigns forever. God’s caring justice favors those most in need: the poor and the oppressed, hungry people, prisoners. those who are blind; the stranger, the widow, the orphan; those weighed down by life’s load. In caring for the least among us, God cares for us all.

Second Reading: James 2:1-17

In its second chapter this week, the letter of James gets straight to its theological point: It does no good if you offer a hungry or naked brother or sister only your warm wishes but no food or clothing. If you don’t give them what they need, what good is that? This advice should speak as clearly to us today as it did to its first century audience. What if a homeless person came to our church today, looking for a haircut and a bath? Would we greet that person warmly and find a way to help? God expects us to love all our neighbors, rich and poor alike, James reminds us. Kind words alone are not enough; faith without such works is dead.

Gospel: Mark 7:24-37

This may be one of the most troubling passages in the four Gospels. Jesus, has left the apostles and the crowds for a while, traveling alone in Tyre, a coastal region populated by Israel’s enemies, the descendants of the Canaanites whom the Israelites had driven out of the Promised Land. It is surprising that Jesus is there; surprising that a woman of the region, who apparently knows of his healing powers, asks for help; and frankly shocking that he dismisses her with a startling slur, comparing her and her daughter to little dogs. We might consider this a rare glimpse into Jesus’ fully human side, briefly shorn of the divine; or it may simply be a later addition to the Gospel story, aimed at showing Jesus recognizing a mission wider than Israel alone. Either way, we see the woman’s faith empowering her to challenge Jesus, whereupon he listens, learns, and heals her child, just as he will restore hearing and speech to the deaf Gentile man in the next town down the road.

What are “Track 1” and “Track 2”?
During the long green season after Pentecost, there are two tracks (or strands) each week for Old Testament readings. Within each track, there is a Psalm chosen to accompany the particular lesson.
The Revised Common Lectionary allows us to make use of either of these tracks, but once a track has been selected, it should be followed through to the end of the Pentecost season, rather than jumping back and forth between the two strands.
For more information from LectionaryPage.net, click here.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Aug. 26, 2018

Joshua passing the River Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant (1800). Oil painting on wood by Benjamin West (1738-1820). Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading (Track One): 1 Kings 8:22-23, 41-43

The narrative of the kings of ancient Israel reaches its zenith as the wise and wealthy King Solomon, son of King David, dedicates the first Temple in Jerusalem. The Ark of the Covenant, God’s sanctuary on Earth, has a permanent home at last. Solomon speaks to all the assembled leaders of Israel and Judah, reminding them of God’s covenant with his father David: “There shall never fail you a successor before me to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children look to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.” Sadly, as the narrative goes on, the people will fail to practice justice and righteousness. The nation will decline and fall, the temple will be destroyed, and the leaders will be sent to exile in Babylon as the prophets foretold.

First Reading (Track Two): Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18

When we are facing major life choices, how do we decide? Where is God in this process? Hear this challenging question as we go through Sunday’s readings. First we see Joshua, Moses’ successor, assembling the people whom he had led into the Promised Land, taking it from its Canaanite inhabitants in a fierce and bloody war. Joshua, now in old age and facing death, confronts them with a decision: Will they follow the gods of their new neighbors, or will they renew the covenant that their ancestors Abraham and Moses made with the God who led them out of exile and through the desert? They respond faithfully: “We … will serve the Holy One, for he is our God.” These are good intentions; but Joshua knows the people’s long history: The verses that come just before and after this reading, and the snippet that it reading skips over, offer hard reminders that breaking the covenant has real consequences.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 84

This lyrical hymn of praise celebrates the joy of worshiping in the temple that Solomon built. Those who decide to put their trust in God, the Holy One of hosts, will receive God’s grace and glory. The people in exile who prayed for God’s favor, who accepted God’s covenant, trusted that God would welcome the people home and would offer protection, favor and honor to those who had trust. As God provides nests for the small birds, so will God provide for us. As God provides pools of water for thirsty travelers, so will God hear our prayers.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 34:15-22

We have chanted this Psalm in three parts over three successive Sundays. Its hymn of praise and thanks to our merciful, saving God concludes this week with a simple, critical choice that fits the theme of this week’s readings: Those who choose to follow God’s commandments, like the Israelites entering Canaan, will earn God’s protection against fear, sorrow and danger. The wicked and the unrighteous who choose otherwise will eventually be punished, the Psalmist sings; but those who choose to serve God can trust in God.

Second Reading: Ephesians 6:10-20

As we reach the last of seven Sunday readings from the letter to the Ephesians, we hear another call to make a choice: As a persecuted church, a tiny minority in the Empire of Rome, the people clearly understood that their struggle was not against “blood and flesh” – surely an echo of Jesus’ promise in John – but against the powerful earthly rulers who stood for the forces of evil. Our armor, breastplate, helmet, sword, belt and sturdy shoes of faith in God protect us when we choose to boldly declare our faith.

Gospel: John 6:56-69

Our five-week journey through Jesus’ difficult discourse about eating his body and drinking his blood comes to its end today. We have seen the enthusiastic crowds that surrounded him at the start gradually dwindle away as they take literally each new and troubling call to eat Jesus’ body and drink his blood in order to gain eternal life. First the skeptics and faithless had turned away in disgust. Now the division grows as many of his own disciples, even, become uncomfortable and leave. Only those closest to Jesus make the decision to remain with him no matter what. In the end their faith wins out over doubt, even if they don’t understand it, because they know Jesus as the Holy One of God. Peter declares, “ Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

What are “Track 1” and “Track 2”?
During the long green season after Pentecost, there are two tracks (or strands) each week for Old Testament readings. Within each track, there is a Psalm chosen to accompany the particular lesson.
The Revised Common Lectionary allows us to make use of either of these tracks, but once a track has been selected, it should be followed through to the end of the Pentecost season, rather than jumping back and forth between the two strands.
For more information from LectionaryPage.net, click here.