Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Aug. 19, 2018

Wisdom, 1170s parchment folio page in tempera, gold and silver leaf and ink. J. Paul Getty Center, Los Angeles. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading (Track One): 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14

David died after 40 years as king, and his son Solomon ascended to the throne. Solomon, the second son of David and Bathsheba, will go on to a majestic reign. As we see him here at the beginning, though, Solomon knows well that he is young and inexperienced. When God comes to Solomon in a dream and invites him to ask for whatever he might wish, Solomon chooses wisely, by asking not for long life or riches but for the wisdom to govern well. God is pleased, and rewards Solomon with wisdom and honor, asking only that he walk in God’s way. All will go well for many years, but Solomon’s reign, sadly, will come to a bad end when the lure of great power corrupts him.

First Reading (Track Two): Proverbs 9:1-6

What is wisdom? What is foolishness? How do we gain the one and learn from the other? Reflect on Sunday’s readings for insight. Wisdom is often personified in the First Testament as a woman, present with God at the Creation. In this short passage from Proverbs, traditionally (although surely not historically) said to have been written by Solomon himself, we see Wisdom setting the table for a great feast, to which she invites the simple to come and be made wise. Through wisdom we gain insight and become mature. We learn to walk in God’s way.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 111

Again we chant together a Psalm that we heard earlier this year (during the season after Epiphany) in the context of different readings. One of the many Psalms that sing God’s praise with joy and exultation, it shouts out our thanksgiving for all of God’s work, all of God’s majesty and splendor, all of God’s justice that lasts forever. God feeds us. God’s covenant redeems us. The people shout “Hallelujah!” “Praise God!”

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 34:9-14

The notion of “fearing” God often gives rise to misunderstanding. I remember as a child being puzzled and perhaps a little disturbed the first time I encountered this, and I hurried to ask Mom: “What does fearing the Lord mean? Are we supposed to be afraid of God?” It’s good to recognize its true sense: We should not be afraid but in awe – awestruck by God’s love and righteousness. Hear the Psalmist sing: follow God’s way. Speak kindly and with truth. Avoid evil and do good. Work for peace.

Second Reading: Ephesians 5:15-20

This short passage from the letter to the Ephesians fits neatly into the pattern of this week’s readings with its focus on pursuing wisdom, not foolishness, and fearing God not in fright and alarm but with awe that inspires love. It’s worth noting that its explicit command to avoid drunken debauchery has sometimes been interpreted in modern times to support the complete prohibition of alcoholic beverages, but we know how that came out; we can turn to the Wedding Feast at Cana to gather that Jesus and his family and friends had no objection to the social enjoyment of wine.

Gospel: John 6:51-58

Jesus’ long narrative about the bread of life has taken a turn. We have seen awed crowds following Jesus after he fed thousands with bread and fish, hoping to see more signs and maybe get more bread. Now a new crowd of Pharisees and temple leaders confronts Jesus and pushes back, especially when Jesus doubles down on his talk of “living bread” by adding that everyone must “eat his flesh and drink his blood” to gain eternal life. When John’s Gospel was written after the destruction of the Temple, early Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism were angrily tearing apart. In John’s frequent use of “The Jews” as a dismissive term for the temple authorities who opposed Jesus, we hear a sad refrain that fostered centuries of anti-Judaism.

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. 12, 2018

Landscape with the Prophet Elijah in the Desert (1605-1615). Oil painting on canvas by Abraham Bloemaert (1566-1651). The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. (Click image to enlarge.)

The child born of David’s rape of Bathsheba has died, as God foretold through the prophet Nathan; and now we learn of the death of David’s son Absalom. In wildly dysfunctional dynamics of a Bronze Age royal family, Absalom had killed his half-brother, Amnon, for raping their sister, Tamar. Then Absalom went to war against his father, fighting to take over Israel’s throne. David’s soldiers find Absalom trapped in a tree, and kill him despite David’s command to deal with him gently. In spite of his son’s treasonous rebellion, David grieves him deeply. “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would that I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

First Reading (Track Two): 1 Kings 19:4-8

When we are in trouble and despair, God provides us the physical and spiritual sustenance of the bread of life. This ongoing theme continues through this week’s Lectionary readings. In our first reading we find the Prophet Elijah torn by depression and fear. He has escaped the murderous anger of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, who had threatened to kill him. But now, alone in the stark wilderness and deeply depressed, he lies down under a broom tree and asks God to let him die. Instead, though, God sends an angel to tempt Elijah with hot cakes and water and loving support. This restores Elijah’s strength, and he resumes his prophesying.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 130

We often hear this Psalm of faithful hope in God; indeed, it has been only a few weeks since the last time it appeared in our readings! In the context of different readings, though, we may sense its verses in new and different ways. On June 29 we heard it alongside David’s grief at the death of his friend, Jonathan. Now we sing it in harmony with David’s grief over his son Absalom’s death. God’s love and grace wait for us even when we are deep in grief. We wait for God, even as in night’s darkest hours we wait for morning light.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 34:1-8

We will hear this Psalm, divided into three portions, in this and coming weeks. Tradition holds that David himself sang this Psalm after he had narrowly escaped death at the hands of King Abimelech of the Philistines. Appropriately, it is a song of praise and thanksgiving for God’s protection in time of trouble. In an unusual sensory metaphor that has been adopted in a contemplative Taizé chant, we “taste and see” that God is good.

Second Reading: Ephesians 4:25-5:2

“Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” In its life lessons for those who lived in community in the early church, this passage from the letter to the people of Ephesus speaks good sense to us all: Tell the truth. If you’re angry with your neighbor, work it out; don’t let anger divide you. Don’t steal. Work honestly, and share with those in need. Be honest, but be positive. Be gracious. Forgive one another. And at the end of the day, love each other as Jesus loves us, and try to live as Jesus would have us live.

Gospel: John 6:35, 41-51

The verse that ended last week’s Gospel is repeated as the first verse this week: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” These words describe our hope in the Eucharist so clearly that we often sing them in the Fraction Anthem before Communion. Here, though, the crowd following Jesus starts to push back. Echoing the scene we heard in Mark’s Gospel last month, they challenge Jesus: They know him. They know his parents. They watched him grow up. Who is he to be talking like this? But Jesus stands firm, and will continue to do so as we stay with this Chapter of John for the next three Sundays. In Jesus we know God. Through Jesus, God is with 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 Aug. 5, 2018

The Gathering Of Manna (c.1540-1555), oil painting on panel by Francesco d’Ubertino Verdi, called Bachiacca (1494-1557). Samuel H. Kress Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (Click image to enlarge.)

Last Sunday we heard the shocking story of King David raping the beautiful Bathsheba, then arranging to have her husband, Uriah, killed in battle so David could have Bathsheba for himself. Now we get the rest of the story. The prophet Nathan, sent by God, tells David about a rich man who selfishly took and slaughtered a poor man’s beloved lamb. Angry, David curses the rich man and threatens to have him killed, only to hear Nathan’s charge, “You are the man!” A merciful God threatens David with serious punishments but spares his life. In the verses just after this passage, though, Nathan foretells that the child of David’s illicit union shall die.

First Reading (Track Two): Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15

Our readings this Sunday focus on bread as a metaphor for God’s abundant love. From God’s gift of manna to God’s gift of grace through Jesus, we hear about the bread of life. Think back to last Sunday’s First Reading about the prophet Elisha feeding 100 people with a few barley loaves: As he did so, he recalled that God had promised the people that “They shall eat and have some left.” In today’s reading we go back to the verses of which Elisha spoke, when God provided abundant manna, a gift of bread in the desert.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 51:1-13

We also heard this familiar Psalm earlier this year on the fifth Sunday of Lent, but it certainly bears repeating in the context of King David’s adultery and murder. The Psalm’s powerful narrative envisions David wracked in repentant guilt as he confronts his great sin. In poetic words that mirror the promises of God’s covenants with the people, David pours out his shame and grief. He makes no excuses for his wicked acts, but begs for God’s mercy and forgiveness. “Create in me a clean heart, O God,” David begs; create a clean slate upon which God can write a new covenant of love.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 78:23-29

The Psalmist remembers God’s gift of manna and gives thanks to the Creator who saw the people’s need and poured down on them all the bread and quails that they could eat. God gave them what they craved and filled them up. To gain context for these verses, turn back and look at the preceding verses of this Psalm, which recalls how God made a covenant with the people and led them out of slavery in Egypt. It tells how God cared for them, and, despite their ungrateful complaints and rebellion, God set aside divine anger and fed them with love.

Second Reading: Ephesians 4:1-16

The author of Ephesians, writing in Paul’s name a generation or two after Paul, seems to draw in this reading from the wellsprings of Paul’s memorable writing in First Corinthians. Like Paul, Ephesians envisions the Christian community as Christ’s body, in which each of us acts according to our gifts. We are all called to work together with humility and gentleness to make the body function, living in unity as one body and one spirit, “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all.”

Gospel: John 6:24-35

The crowds around Jesus continue following him around the shores of Galilee. Having watched his miraculous healings and shared in the bountiful loaves and fishes, they are fascinated by this remarkable rabbi. They want to know more about him, and Jesus comes right out and tells them: they want more bread. Don’t fret about the world’s bread that does not last, Jesus tells them. Continuing his extended discussion about the bread of life that we will hear in John’s Gospel through August, he declares, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

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 July 29, 2018

The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes (6th century). Mosaic in the Basilica di Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading (Track One): 2 Samuel 11:1-15

Power corrupts. We see this simple wisdom amply demonstrated in the life of David. For all the reverence that David earned through his kingship and warrior victories, when he was bad, he was very, very bad. We see this in Sunday’s horrifying Track One first reading: He is so attracted by the sight of beautiful Bathsheba bathing on her roof that he summons her, rapes her – no kinder term will serve for a person in his power taking her without her consent – and then arranges for the death of her husband, Uriah, in battle.

First Reading (Track Two): 2 Kings 4:42-44

Just about everyone enjoys hearing about the time Jesus fed a crowd with loaves and fishes that mysteriously multiply to more than fulfill the need. This is surely one of the most familiar Gospel stories. In fact, it is Jesus’ only miracle that is told in all four Gospels. You may not be so quick to remember the similar story of the Prophet Elisha feeding a crowd, though! Faced with a crowd of hungry people, Elisha directed that they be fed from a sack of food that a man had brought to sacrifice. He had only 20 loaves and a bit of grain for 100 people, which didn’t seem like much, but it proved to be more than enough. Just as in the Gospel stories, there were even leftovers.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 14

Another of the many Psalms that tradition attributes to David himself, this one resonates with David’s heinous behavior in the first reading. Here the Psalmist, imagined as a disappointed king, laments that the people have turned faithless and corrupt, foolishly denying God as they commit abominable acts. God looks down to see if any wise people remain, but there are none. But even in these times of evil, God remains with the righteous; God is the refuge of the just, and eventually will deliver the people and restore their fortunes.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 145:10-19

Reflecting the bounty that God provided for the hungry people in Ezekiel and that Jesus fed the hungry crowd on the mountainside, this Psalm of worship, praise and thanksgiving celebrates God who feeds us, whose outstretched hands satisfy every living creature. We sing of a God who is not only powerful but faithful and merciful as well. Our God will always gently lift up those who fall and support those who are oppressed.

Second Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21

Sunday’s passage from the letter to the Ephesians takes a break from its pastoral advice as the author kneels before God to lift up a prayer for the people being addressed. He prays that the people of Ephesus may receive strength through the Holy Spirit, and that Christ may come to live in their hearts through faith. The reading closes with a beautiful blessing that we often hear slightly reworded as a benediction in Morning and Evening Prayer: “Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.”

Gospel: John 6:1-21

Starting Sunday and continuing through the month of August, our gospel readings will turn from our year with Mark to visit the sixth chapter of John, in which Jesus discourses at length about the bread of life. We begin with John’s version of the familiar story of the loaves and the fishes. John more directly hints at the Eucharist than do the other evangelists: Jesus takes the bread, blesses it by giving thanks, then distributes five barley loaves and two fish to 5,000 people. The blessed repast somehow fills everyone abundantly, and more is left over than they started with! The crowds are so amazed that they clamor to make Jesus king by force; but he slips away, terrifying the disciples by walking miles across the water to catch up with their boat.

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 July 22, 2018

Jesus healing in the land of Gennesaret, by Gustave Doré (1832-1883). Engraving in The Holy Scriptures, Old and New Testaments, published in 1885, Stuttgart, Germany. (Click image to enlarge.)

As our Track One first readings continue following the life of King David, remember that David’s is the Messianic line that Christians trace down the ages as the ancestry of Jesus. In Sunday’s reading, David, having consolidated Israel and Judah under his rule, becomes concerned that the people’s custom of keeping the Ark of the Covenant in a mere tent is insufficient to reflect the greatness of God. David decides to build a great temple, but God, speaking through the Prophet Nathan, dismisses this idea. God’s home, Nathan declares, is with the House of David, the dynasty of God’s people.

First Reading (Track Two): Jeremiah 23:1-6

The image of a shepherd as metaphor for a caring leader who protects the flock recurs in several of our readings today. First we see the prophet Jeremiah speaking fierce truth to the power of Babylon, which had destroyed Jerusalem and the temple and was holding many of the people in exile. God is going to round up the remnant of his scattered flock and bring them home like a shepherd with his flock, the prophet declares, and the oppressors will be punished for their evil. Soon God will restore the glory of the lost kingdom, raising up a mighty new king like David.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 89:20-37

Sunday’s Psalm verses celebrate God’s covenant with David and his descendants, a royal family that God made to endure forever. David’s line would last even through war’s devastation and exile’s pain, the Psalmist sings; David’s line would remain even in spite of fears of God’s wrath over the nation having broken its covenant with God. Yes, the people’s iniquities might bring punishment, the rod and the lash, but their actions will never take away God’s love nor prevent the rise of a new David, Messiah and King.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 23

Now we return to the beloved 23rd Psalm. We hear its verses so often that most of us probably can read along without looking at the words. It appears five times in the three-year Lectionary cycle and also is often chosen for funeral services. Surely it is so popular because of its assurance that God’s goodness and mercy are always with us. Reading the Psalm, feeling the comforting presence of the Shepherd, puts us back in touch with God’s restoring grace.

Second Reading: Ephesians 2:11-22

The author of the letter to the Ephesians strives to assure formerly Gentile Christians that they are fully invested in the community, completely united with their Jewish Christian sisters and brothers without any need to follow Jewish law. The author writes that all have become one through Christ Jesus, the cornerstone, who brings near even those who were far away. At the time of this writing, late in the first century after the fall of the Temple, Jewish Christianity and rabbinic Judaism were splitting apart. Christianity was actively gathering in Gentile converts, and it was important to emphasize the truth that all had become one in Christ.

Gospel: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Two Sundays past, we heard Jesus sending his disciples out in pairs to heal the sick, cast out demons, and teach the good news. They’ve come back home now, eager to talk about their mission. Apparently they’re worn out, too, as Jesus invites them go in the boat to a quiet place to rest. But the crowds following Jesus are too eager to wait, so they follow like a herd of sheep, and Jesus feels a shepherd’s compassion for them. Later, they cross over the water and land at Gennesaret, where another large flock comes running to see Jesus. Of course this loving shepherd willingly touches and heals all who come.

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 July 15, 2018

Salome with the Head of John the Baptist (1506-1507), oil painting by Andrea Solario (c.1465-c.1520). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. (Click image to enlarge.)

King David, now reigning over the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah, celebrates at the arrival in Jerusalem of the Ark of the Covenant. This shrine that the people had built in the desert as a holy throne for God was a central part of Israel’s worship. Its arrival was met with great celebration, music and dancing; David himself leaped and danced with all his might. In one curious, verse, though, we hear that David’s wife, Michal, saw him dancing and “despised him in her heart.” What was up with that? Later verses suggest that Michal, the daughter of Saul and sister of Jonathan, both of whom had recently died, didn’t think that David was decently dressed during his dance in front of all the people of Israel.

First Reading (Track Two): Amos 7:7-15

As the Prophet Amos and John the Baptist both learned, prophesying can get you in trouble, even when you’re just repeating God’s message. Amos, a humble shepherd and sycamore tender, never expected to become a prophet. But he responded when God called him to warn Israel’s leaders that their God had measured them and found them wanting. When Amos warned King Amaziah to expect destruction and exile, the angry King told Amos to get out of his sight, to go back where he came from. Amos learned, as John the Baptist would discover some six centuries later, that prophecy was dangerous and could get him killed. But both heard God’s call and could not refuse.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 24

Today’s Psalm, one of the many that tradition attributes to King David himself, is thought to have been intended as a processional chant as the priests and congregation approach the Temple. The priest calls out, “And who shall stand in his holy place? Who has the right to come in and worship? “Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,” the crowd sings back, awaiting the protection of God, the King of Glory, creator of the earth and all that is in it. (We’ll hear this Psalm again on All Saints Day this year.)

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 85:8-13

This beautiful Psalm segment offers a gentle pause between the anger in Amos and the violence of John the Baptist’s death. God will speak peace to the people; the faithful people will hear peace. When Heaven and earth meet in truth and righteousness, righteousness and peace share a tender kiss. God grants prosperity and a fruitful harvest, truth springs up, and righteousness goes before.

Second Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14

After almost two months with Second Corinthians, our second readings now turn for the next six weeks to the letter to the Ephesians. A letter most likely written to the people of Ephesus in Paul’s name by a later follower around the end of the first century, it speaks to an early Christian community that faced persecution. Some of its chapters include “difficult” passages (which we won’t hear in our readings this year) that urge wives to submit to their husbands and slaves to obey their owners. Today’s reading, though, from the introductory verses, focus on grace as God’s free gift through Jesus. We also catch a glimpse of an evolving theology that Christ was present with God even before the creation of the Earth.

Gospel: Mark 6:14-29

When evil King Herod learned about the healings and miracles that Jesus and his apostles were performing up in Galilee, he was likely both angry and afraid. In a quick Gospel flashback, Mark recalls the gory story about Herod, at the insistence of his new wife and her daughter, ordering John beheaded and his head brought in on a platter. Now that rumors are swirling about Jesus and his activity in Galilee, people are wondering if Jesus is John, brought back to life. Herod is afraid. “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”

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 July 8, 2018

Jesus commissioning the Twelve Apostles (1481), fresco by Domenico Ghirlandaio (1449-1494). Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, Rome. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading (Track One): 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27

David has mourned the deaths of King Saul and Saul’s son Jonathan, David’s beloved friend. Now David is called by all the tribes and elders to be formally anointed king over all Israel: both the Northern Kingdom with its capital at Hebron, and Judah, the Southern Kingdom, where Jerusalem is the capital. The elders, who had sworn fealty to Saul, now pledge loyalty to David, recognizing that God had called him to be shepherd over Israel. David was to reign for 40 years, becoming greater and greater and earning for Jerusalem the title “City of David.”

First Reading (Track Two): Ezekiel 2:1-5

It’s frustrating when we have something to say, but people won’t listen. It doesn’t feel good, does it? Hold this thought as we hear Sunday’s Track Two readings, as each connects in some way with this spiritual challenge. In our first reading, God calls Ezekiel to prophesy to Israel, an impudent and stubborn people who have rebelled against God. They may choose to hear or not to hear, Ezekiel is told; but he is to speak truth so they will know that they have heard a prophet.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 48

Our Psalm echoes the founding narrative of Israel’s kingdom in Jerusalem, Royal David’s City, where the first temple would be built atop Zion, God’s holy mountain. The Psalmist sings praise to the greatness of God, who placed the city of the great king on the lofty hill of Zion, the very center of the world. Let the kings of the earth who might march on Zion in hope of conquest look and be astounded, the Psalmist sings. Let them writhe and tremble and run away, for God has established this citadel forever.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 123

Traditionally understood as a “song of ascent” as the priests and people go up to the Temple in formal procession, Psalm 123 calls on our merciful God to hear the peoples’ prayer. They have suffered the contempt, scorn and derision of the indolent rich – something like Israel’s “one percent” as seen from their lowly state. Now they lift up their eyes to God enthroned in the heavens, asking for mercy.

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:2-10

This passage is the last of seven readings that we have heard this summer in Second Corinthians. These verses are framed by Paul’s angry and sarcastic dissertation about a group of missionaries that he calls “super-apostles,” who apparently came to Corinth after he left, bringing ideas differing entirely from his own. Bible historians and theologians aren’t sure what Paul means about the “third heaven” or the unknown “thorn” that troubles him. But the ambiguity ends when he makes his point: Through prayer and reliance on God’s grace through Christ, we all can struggle successfully, despite our weakness, to endure hardships that come from both within and without.

Gospel: Mark 6:1-13

Growing crowds have been following Jesus around Galilee as he teaches and heals, and now they follow him back home to Nazareth. His old neighbors and friends are astounded at first, too, by his teaching and preaching in the synagogue. But then they remember that they know this guy. He’s the carpenter’s son! What makes him so high and mighty? Indeed, Jesus said, prophets are not without honor except in their home town. Then he sends out his followers, two by two, to tell the good news, but he warns them to expect more of the same. Don’t dress up, he says. Don’t act special. If people won’t welcome you for the word you bring, move on down the road until you find people who will.

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 June 24, 2018

Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee (1695), oil painting by Ludolf Bakhuizen (1630-1708). Indianapolis Museum of Art. (Click image to enlarge.)

First Reading (Track One): 1 Samuel 17: (1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49 or 1 Samuel 17:57-18:5, 10-16

The Track One lectionary offers two options this Sunday: The familiar story of the battle between young David and the Philistine giant Goliath; or the less familiar story that follows it, telling of the ominous encounter between King Saul and David after Goliath was slain. Both narratives build toward David’s rise to become King, and jealous Saul’s inclination to kill David before he can assume the crown. We stay with Saul, David and Solomon through August, before our First Testament readings turn to an anthology of wisdom including Proverbs, Job, Esther and Ruth.

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

Even in times of chaos and fear, God remains with us. Surely we are all familiar with the trials of Job, tested by God at the urging of the adversary, retaining his faith in spite of horrifying tests that would break even the strongest. Now, nearing the end of the book, Job, finally gets his wish that God come out of hiding and listen to him. But God, speaking out of a whirlwind with power and might, sets Job in his place with words like thunderbolts: “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.” Job quickly repents; and at the end his fortunes are restored.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 9:9-20 or Psalm 133

A passage from Psalm 9, accompanying the David and Goliath reading, gives thanks to God who protects the people in time of trouble and oppression; who never forsakes those who seek protection in God’s name. We heard Psalm 133, which goes with the reading about David and Saul, just after Easter. It celebrates the joy of living in unity, using the luxurious metaphor of anointing with fine oil so abundantly that it runs down one’s hair and beard.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32

This beautiful hymn of praise to a God of mercy who protects us in peril sets a pitch-perfect tone for today’s Gospel story about Jesus stilling the storm. The psalmist remembers an event when a storm came upon some travelers whom God had redeemed, who had gone down to the sea in ships. When they cried out to God, the storm gave way to calm. They arrived safely on the shore, and we are called to join them in thanks and praise to a loving God who protects us from peril and delivers us from distress.

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13

The theme of this letter rests on Paul’s effort to reconcile and restore good relations after a period of trouble and anger in the church in Corinth. Paul himself has suffered many things for following in Jesus’ way, he writes: beatings and prison, hunger and sleeplessness, riots and more. If he doesn’t mention storm and shipwreck, we know that Paul endured those trials, too. Through all difficulties, he urges the people to remember that God is with us. Open wide our hearts and accept God’s love.

Gospel: Mark 4:35-41

We continue to follow Jesus and the apostles through his ministry as told by Mark, following him now from the Jewish territory on the west side of the Sea of Galilee across the deep lake to Gentile country on the other side. This sets the scene for the beloved Gospel story of Jesus calming the stormy waters to save the ship. This time, though, pay particular attention to the reactions of the apostles. They are terrified! Jesus doesn’t seem to know that they are in deadly danger. Does he even care that they are scared? And then, after all is calm, they are awestruck by the discovery that Jesus really did have power to still the storm.

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 June 17, 2018

The Sower (1850), oil painting on canvas by Jean François Millet (1814-1875). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. (Click image to enlarge.)

Saul, named king of Israel amid great hopes, hasn’t worked out. In fierce and bloody verses just before this reading, God had ordered Saul to gather an army and attack the neighboring Amalekites, utterly destroying all that they have and killing all their people and livestock. But against God’s command Saul spared the king and kept the best spoils for himself. Now God regrets having made Saul king, and rejects him. In today’s reading God sends Samuel to Bethlehem to find the next king from the sons of Jesse. Much to everyone’s surprise, God passes over seven strong, handsome sons to choose the youngest, David.

First Reading (Track Two): Ezekiel 17:22-24

It is only a few days until the Summer Solstice, and all nature has turned green and lush at last. How fitting that many of Sunday’s readings touch on planting, growing, and new life! Much of the prophet Ezekiel’s writings are filled with angry recriminations to a people in exile, but today’s passage looks forward more gently toward a restored Israel, using the metaphor of a mighty cedar, a lofty tree that provides nesting space for birds and shade for many creatures. The prophet’s words offer an inspiring reminder that, with God’s help, a mighty tree can grow from a sprig. In the beauty of creation, we know that God is good.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 20

Fitting with the militaristic theme of Israel’s kings and their call to holy war against their neighbors, the Psalm for Sunday’s Track One option is understood as a prayer for victory, a blessing before battle, calling on God to defend the people, send help and strength, accept their offerings and advance their plans. Rather than trusting in chariots and horses, the people call on the name of God to give victory to Israel’s king.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 92:1-4,11-14

Echoing the promise in our first reading of the mighty cedar that grows from a sprig, this Psalm of praise and thanksgiving sings of mighty trees, too – cedars of Lebanon and lofty palms – standing for those who grow and flourish under God’s nurturing care. Through righteousness, justice, and faith in God’s loving kindness, we hope to remain ripe and fruitful all our lives.

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:1-17

The metaphor of growth and fruitful harvest doesn’t jump right out at us in these verses from Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth, but look closely and perhaps we can catch a glimpse of it in the last verses: When we choose to live in Christ, our lives change. Just as the leaves fall in autumn and our flowers and gardens die, only to return full of life in the spring, everything that is old passes away in Christ’s new creation. Everything becomes new for us again in the life we gain through Jesus.

Gospel: Mark 4:26-34

Like so many of Jesus’ parables, the two featured in Sunday’s Gospel draw metaphors from seeds and sowing, tiny beginnings that grow up to yield food from the earth. But something more is happening here: These are the first of 18 parables in Mark’s Gospel in which Jesus tells stories that hint at the nature of the Kingdom of God. “The Kingdom is like” is surely the most frequent introductory phrase in the Gospel. Here, too, begins another recurring theme in Mark: Jesus tells mysterious parables that intentionally disguise his mission, and he tells his followers to keep his healings secret. Was Jesus’ call for a Kingdom of God, a kingdom that might replace Roman rule, too dangerous an idea to bring up in public?

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.