Category Archives: Illuminations

Advent 1B

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Nov. 29, 2020

First Reading: Isaiah 64:1-9

It is Advent now, the first season of the new church year, and our Gospel readings for the year turn from Matthew to Mark. Our Hebrew Bible readings this year will take us through an anthology of Israel’s ancestral legends and its earthly kings.

Profeta Isaia (Prophet Isaiah)

Profeta Isaia (Prophet Isaiah), 18th Century painting by Antonio Balestra (1666-1740). Castelvecchio Museum, Verona, Italy. (Click image to enlarge.)

Sunday’s readings sound a consistent Advent theme: God is coming. God may come quietly and quickly; God may come with fire and upheaval. We must be ready. In our first reading from Isaiah, the people are returning home to Jerusalem from exile at last. They must face up to harsh reality: This is not the city they knew, but a devastated landscape with a destroyed Temple and a remnant of defeated people. Oh, God, the prophet cries, come down! Show your might, restore your people. Make us new, and forgive our sins.

Psalm: Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18

The Psalm, too, calls on God to hear the people’s prayers, set aside God’s anger, and restore Israel. The people have suffered. God’s punishment has forced them to endure their enemies’ derision and laughter. They have eaten and drunk their tears like bread and water. Please, God, the Psalmist pleads: Shine the light of your countenance upon us, save us, and we will never turn from you again.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Paul’s first letter to the people of Corinth, a busy Greek seaport city, is a deeply pastoral epistle that will address serious fractures in a small but passionate Christian community. Paul begins with no hint of conflict, addressing the people in the formal style of ancient Greek correspondence. He sets the scene by greeting the community with grace and peace. He reminds them that grace has come to them through Jesus and enriched them, filling them with spiritual gifts. Because of this, Paul assures them, they will be ready, strong and blameless when Christ returns.

Gospel: Mark 13:24-37

The Prophet Isaiah spoke of his hope for God to come and bring justice after the first destruction of Jerusalem. Now we hear a similar call from the evangelist Mark soon after the Romans have destroyed the city and the temple again. As Mark anticipates Jesus’ return in power and glory, it is no wonder that he uses apocalyptic language. Mark imagines Jesus speaking of the signs and portents that will accompany his return: In three quick images, Jesus warns of a tumultuous time; advises his followers to watch for signs of his return; and urges them to be on the watch. Be ready, be awake, be alert, he warns, for we do not know the time or the hour.

Pentecost 16A

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Sept. 20 2020

First Reading (Track One): Exodus 16:2-15



God showers us with abundant good, even when we have done nothing to deserve it: This is the gift of God’s amazing grace, and we hear about it throughout Sunday’s readings.

Parable of the workers in the vineyard

Parable of the workers in the vineyard (1750s), oil painting on canvas by Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich (1712-1774). Łazienki Palace, Warsaw. (Click image to enlarge.)

In our first reading, the Israelites are in the wilderness. They may have been saved from the Egyptian army by God’s mighty hand at the Red Sea, but they are unhappy now, six weeks later, bitterly complaining because they have nothing to eat. They wish God had just killed them in Egypt, where at least they could eat their fill. But God provides, promising them meat in the evenings and bread in the mornings, which prove to be quail in the evenings and, in the mornings, the miraculous flaky manna that falls to the earth like dew.

First Reading (TrackTwo): Jonah 3:10-4:11



Last week we heard in Matthew’s Gospel about the parable of the king who forgave a slave’s debt – until that slave declined to forgive his debtor in turn. Now in the Hebrew Bible we find more insight into God’s desire to forgive. Jonah had fiercely resisted God’s call to prophesy to Israel’s ancient enemies in Nineveh until God sent him there, despite his refusal, via the famous giant fish. Arrived in the ancient capital of Israel’s Assyrian enemies, Jonah prophesied as ordered. Much to his surprise, the people of Nineveh changed their minds and gained God’s favor. Rather than being joyful, though, Jonah has an extended tantrum because God declined to destroy the city. “Just kill me now,” Jonah shouts. But God stands firm, choosing mercy and forgiveness over revenge on a city of 120,000 innocent people and all their animals.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45

We read the first few verses of this same Psalm just three weeks ago. This Sunday, though, after the introductory praise to God’s holy name, we jump ahead to verses that remember Israel in the desert: The cloud and fire that led them; the quail and bread that fed them, and the water that flowed from the rock. All this is placed in the context of the covenant that God made with Moses and the people at Mount Sinai: God will give the people land and wealth. The people will follow God’s teaching and laws, living lives of righteousness and justice.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 145:1-8

Like a great symphony that ends with a mighty coda, the book of Psalms comes to a triumphant close with six joyous hymns of praise for God’s great glory. Psalm 145, which serves as a transition to that finale, reinforces the message that we heard in Jonah: The Psalmist exults in God’s righteousness, grace, generous mercy and steadfast love. We ponder the glorious splendor of God’s majesty and all God’s marvelous works, as the Psalmist exults in God’s righteousness, grace, generous mercy and steadfast love.

Second Reading: Philippians 1:21-30



After spending the past three months reading Paul’s letter to the Romans, we will now devote four Sundays to getting to know his letter to the people of Philippi. This was a Gentile community in Macedonia, Northern Greece, largely populated by the descendants of Roman soldiers. It was Paul’s first church in Europe, and his affection is apparent throughout the short letter. He is thought to have written this letter from prison in Rome, where his execution was a real possibility; and this may have inspired his reflections on life and death. If he lives, he says, he will take joy in continuing to spread the Gospel; but he is just as willing to die, for he understands death as being with Christ forever.

Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16



The parable of the workers in the field makes us stop and think, as the parables of Jesus are supposed to do. How would we feel if we had worked all day for our pay, only to see some other people who came in late and worked for only an hour getting the same amount as we had? Unfair! If we had stood on a street corner in a day-labor market, though, waiting for someone to offer us work, we’d probably be overjoyed at the unexpected generosity of our wage. God’s ways, as we see so often in Scripture, are not our ways. We all earn God’s grace in equal measure, no matter who we are or what we have done. What God gives to others takes nothing away from God’s gifts to us. We should joyfully celebrate God’s abundance, not jealously grumble about it.

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.

Lent 4A

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for March 22, 2020

First Reading: 1 Samuel 16:1-13


So far during Lent, our readings have taken us through thoughts on temptation and sin, faith and trust, and physical and spiritual thirst. This Sunday’s lectionary reflects on light and sight: What do we see, and how do we see it?

Jesus opens the Eyes of a Man born Blind

Jesus opens the Eyes of a Man born Blind (1308-1311), tempera on wood painting by Duccio di Buoninsegna (1255-1319). Altarpiece of the Siena Cathedral, Italy, now in the National Gallery in London. (Click image to enlarge.)

First we read the Hebrew Bible account of God’s growing dissatisfaction with Saul, the first king of Israel. God directs the prophet and judge Samuel to look for the new king that God has chosen among the sons of Jesse the Bethlehemite. It takes a while for Samuel to work his way down through Jesse’s seven older sons before he reaches David, the youngest, thought such an unlikely candidate that he had been left out in the fields to watch the sheep. God saw the spirit in David that the others could not see, and David becomes king.

Psalm: Psalm 23

It isn’t easy for Christians to hear the comforting verses of the 23rd Psalm without imagining the face of Jesus in the Good Shepherd. Indeed, John’s Gospel has Jesus telling his disciples, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Ancient tradition, though, holds that King David himself wrote these beloved verses, speaking of a subject that he would have known well as a boyhood shepherd. In fact, the ancient rabbis in exile most likely wrote this song, thinking of an earthly Messiah who would restore Jerusalem and the Temple. No matter how we read it, we all can rest in the joy of knowing that God’s rod and staff comfort us, and that God’s goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives.

Second Reading: Ephesians 5:8-14


The short letter to the church in Ephesus was probably actually written by a follower in Paul’s name a few decades after his death. The full epistle contains some problems for modern Christians who take it out of its historical and cultural context. It appears to sanction slavery, for example: and it firmly puts women in their place as “subject” to their husbands. There are no such issues with Sunday’s short reading, though. It offers a poetic view of light against darkness, perhaps echoing John’s vision of Jesus as the light shining in the darkness, and pointing us toward today’s Gospel about the man born blind.

Gospel: John 9:1-41


Speaking of harsh ideas that linger from ancient times, the sad notion that blindness and other disabilities reflect God’s punishment for one’s sins or the sins of one’s parents has been hard to overcome, despite Jesus’ emphasis that God does no such thing. Rather, the very words that the man born blind utters upon his healing make the case for grace, not punishment, as we hear them in one of Christianity’s most beloved hymns: “I once was lost, but now am found … Was blind, but now I see.”

Lent 3A

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First Reading: Exodus 17:1-7


Sunday’s readings speak about thirst, from the thirsty Israelites in the desert to Jesus stopping for water and rest in a Samaritan town.

Christ and the Woman of Samaria at the Well

Christ and the Woman of Samaria at the Well (c.1640-c.1641), oil painting on canvas by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri known as Guercino (1591-1666). Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid. (Click image to enlarge.)

When we face such basic needs as hunger and thirst, it’s all too easy to forget to be thankful for past blessings. In the previous chapter of Exodus, God provided manna for the hungry people. Now they are angry because they have no water. They complain that they were better off in slavery in Egypt than dying in the desert. Moses is just about out of patience with them, but God provides a miracle to quench their thirst.

Psalm: Psalm 95

The 95th Psalm begins with the joyful hymn of praise that we also know as the Venite, a familiar reading in Morning Prayer. But its grateful tone changes key abruptly in Verse 8 when the Psalmist reminds us of the story we heard in the Exodus reading. The thirsty, angry people turned their hearts from God and put God to the test; the Psalmist imagines that these actions drove God to “loathe” these ungrateful people and leave them lost 40 years in the desert.

Second Reading: Romans 5:1-11


Even though we are sinners, we are justified through faith and saved through Jesus’s death on the cross, Paul writes to the church in Rome. This congregation has known suffering. Its Jewish Christian members had been forced into exile and only recently returned; the entire congregation could be at risk for its faith. But Paul reminds them that their suffering gives them the opportunity to learn endurance and build their character through hope in the love that God pours into their hearts through the Spirit.

Gospel: John 4:5-42


We see a very human side of Jesus in this passage from John’s Gospel. When Jesus learned that the Pharisees had discovered that he and his disciples were making and baptizing even more followers than his cousin John had done, he decided to go back to Galilee. He chose a route through the country of the Samaritans, descendants of the ancient Northern Kingdom of Israel who were no longer on good terms with the Jews. Tired and thirsty, he stopped in a Samaritan village, where he broke with custom not only by asking a Samaritan woman for a drink but by striking up a conversation with her. Much to the surprise of his disciples, he stayed in the village for two days and made believers of many of the Samaritans.

Lent 2A

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for March 8, 2020

First Reading: Genesis 12:1-4a


Last week as Lent began, our readings invited us to contemplate temptation in our lives. Now, in the second week of Lent, the lectionary turns to faith: Trust in God. Close your eyes, believe, and take that long leap of faith.

Christ and Nicodemus

Christ and Nicodemus (c.1896). Medium oil painting on canvas by Fritz von Uhde (1848-1911). Private collection. (Click image to enlarge.)

In our first reading, we hear the ancestral story of Abram – who God will later rename Abraham. The patriarch of the chosen people, even in the fullness of years, trusted God’s call to uproot his home and family and begin the people’s long journey toward the promised land. For Abram’s faith, God will bless him and his family. Through him, God will bless all the families of the Earth.

Psalm: Psalm 121

These beautiful verses, perhaps as comforting as the beloved 23rd Psalm, continue the theme of having faith and trusting in God to watch over us and protect us. We lift up our eyes to the hills seeking help, the Psalmist sings; and that help comes from God. We sing our thanks and praise to God, who unfailingly, without pausing to sleep, guards us and protects us from evil, now and forever.

Second Reading: Romans 4:1-5, 13-17


Paul’s pastoral letter to the people in Rome draws us back to Abraham, turning the ancestral story to a new purpose: Abraham was the ancestor of the chosen people in the flesh, Paul writes, an ancestry passed down through generations from parent to child, not only to Israel but to many nations. God’s promise of eternal life comes to us, as it came to Abraham, through faith by grace. God does not protect us in repayment for our faith or for anything we do. Grace is not something due to us but a gift given to all the nations, not to Abraham’s descendants alone.

Gospel: John 3:1-17


Nicodemus, a Pharisee, comes to talk with Jesus at night, perhaps to keep his visit secret in the darkness. He is bewildered by Jesus’ mysterious words. What does it mean to be “born from above,” or, in some translations, “born again”? Nicodemus can’t grasp the distinction between being literally born of flesh as an infant and being born of the Spirit in faith, but he may have found it, as he will bring spices to help bury Jesus after the Crucifixion. Next we hear the familiar words of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” Does this mean that only Christians can be saved? Jesus’ teaching surely rules out that narrow interpretation. Even the next line emphasizes that Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save it: all the world, all the nations that God blessed through Abraham.

Epiphany 3A

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Jan. 26, 2020

First Reading: Isaiah 9:1-4

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.”

Christ Calling the Apostles Peter and Andrew

Christ Calling the Apostles Peter and Andrew (1308-1311), panel from the Maesta Altarpiece of Sien, by Duccio di Buoninsegna (c.1255-1260 – c.1318-1319). National Gallery, Washington. National Gallery of Art. (Click image to enlarge.)

As we live through the darkest time of year, the short days of winter, we can feel the joy that gracious light brings in the darkness, a joy that the Prophet Isaiah and the Evangelist Matthew share in Sunday’s readings. Isaiah recalls the hard time when Israel’s Northern Kingdom, the lands of Zebulon and Naphtali that Jesus will later know as Galilee, have fallen to the Assyrian Empire, and the nation’s fate is in doubt. Isaiah prophecies that the future holds no gloom for those who are in anguish now: God will bring the people back to a world of bounty and joy.

Psalm: Psalm 27:1, 5-13

In words that mirror both the ideas and the emotions of the Isaiah reading, the Psalmist shouts with triumphant confidence that God is indeed our light, so there is nothing to fear. This is not just a happy-clappy praise song, though: There’s no denying that bad things can happen even to God’s own people. Enemies may surround them. But knowing that God is our light, our stronghold, and our salvation, we need not fear. We call on God to hear us, love us, protect us and keep us safe.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18

After Paul’s assurance last week that the people of the church in Corinth had already received gifts that made them strong in faith, we now see that this small, troubled community was breaking into factions and quarreling. Remember to stand steadfast in faith, Paul reminds them, even when their Gentile neighbors consider them foolish for worshiping a crucified criminal. Baptism brings all together in unity in Christ. The cross represents the power of God to us as we are saved by it.

Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23

Quoting the Greek translation of the Isaiah passage we heard in the first reading, Matthew uses it to recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy. Then we look on as Jesus, grieving the murder of his cousin John and likely fearing for his own life, leaves his home in Nazareth to go to Capernaum, a larger city on the shore in Galilee, the ancient region of Zebulon and Naphtali, of which we heard Isaiah speak. There Jesus begins his public life, preaching in the same words as John so often used: “‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Jesus then calls four fishermen – Peter, Andrew, and James and John, the sons of Zebedee. All four eagerly drop their nets and follow as Jesus preaches, teaches, cures and heals.

The Epiphany

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Thoughts on the Lessons for The Epiphany (Jan. 6, 2020)
(The readings may be moved to Sunday.)

First Reading: Isaiah 60:1-6

On Sunday, the Twelfth Day of Christmas this year, we turn toward Epiphany, the liturgical season in which we celebrate the revelation of Jesus as God Incarnate.

Adoration of the Magi

Adoration of the Magi (c.1495-c.1505), distemper (water-based paint) on linen by Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506). The Getty Center, Los Angeles. (Click image to enlarge.)

We begin with the coming of the Magi, then through the next seven Sundays of this season we will recall other events that manifest the divinity of Jesus. In Sunday’s first reading, the Prophet Isaiah calls out a message of hope to Israel as its people return home from exile. God’s light dawns like a new day as a virtual blanket of camels bearing gifts of gold and frankincense covers the nation’s earth. Rulers from surrounding kingdoms trek toward Jerusalem with bounty, an image that we see reflected when Matthew’s Gospel tells us of the Magi bringing gifts to the Christ child.

Psalm: Psalm 72:1-7,10-14

Echoing the theme of the Isaiah reading, Sunday’s Psalm celebrates Israel’s time of glory with the images of kings of all nations bearing gifts. With God’s blessing, the Psalmist exults, Israel’s king earns the service of all nations. But with this glory comes the king’s overarching duty to be righteous and just to all the people. The king “delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper.” The king “shall defend the needy among the people; he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.”

Second Reading: Ephesians 3:1-12

Modern biblical scholarship assumes that the letter to the people of Ephesus in Asia Minor was actually written in Paul’s name by a later follower. This kind of nuance matters as scholars seek to understand the evolution of Christian theology during the first decades after the crucifixion and the resurrection. These verses, in any case, are certainly consistent with one of Paul’s major themes as the young church reached out to Gentiles from its Jewish roots: God’s chosen people comprise all humankind; we are all included in Christ’s body on earth and called to make God’s wisdom known.

Gospel: Matthew 2:1-12

Matthew tells the fascinating tale of astrologers (“Magi,” meaning “magicians,” in the original Greek) summoned to the infant Messiah by a shining star. Matthew, the only evangelist to tell of the wise men’s visit, does not record that they were kings, or that there were three of them, or even that they rode camels; all that comes from tradition but not the Gospel. We do hear that they came to pay homage to “the child who has been born king of the Jews.” They offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, echoing the prophet Micah’s words about similar gifts for Israel’s King. They knelt and paid homage to the child Jesus as if he were a king. And then, realizing that evil King Herod’s wanted to kill the child, they avoided Herod by returning home on another road.

Feast of St. Francis

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Thoughts on the Lessons for the Feast of St. Francis, Oct. 4, 2019

First Reading: Jeremiah 22:13-16

In the readings for the Feast of Francis of Assisi, we hear two key themes:

The Peaceable Kingdom

The Peaceable Kingdom (c.1833), oil painting on canvas by Edward Hicks (1780-1849), Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, Mass. (Click image to enlarge.)

First, as we hear in this short Jeremiah passage, a reminder to live not as the exiled kings of Israel did, wallowing in riches achieved by forcing their neighbors to work without wages; and second, to live as we would later see in Francis, humbly doing justice and caring for the poor and needy.

Psalm: Psalm 148:7-14

In this Psalm portion we sing out in praise of God’s creation. Fire and hail, snow and fog; all the domestic animals and wild animals that Francis loved – even sea monsters praise the Lord! All humanity, too, praises the Lord, old and young, kings and their subjects, men and women: God’s glory is universal, and God gives us all strength.

Second Reading: Galatians 6:14-18

Throughout his letter to the Galatians, Paul has declared Christ’s message is universal for all humankind, standing up against opponents who fought for a more exclusive way. In these concluding verses Paul reiterates his conclusion: Jew and Gentile, man and woman, slave and free, none of this matters in God’s new creation, which is everything. Those who follow this way will live in God’s peace and mercy.

Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30

In the verses just preceding this passage, Jesus seemed frustrated and angry about people who didn’t understand what he was doing. But now in these verses he takes a breath, pauses, and thanks God. Suddenly his hope for Israel’s children and infants turns gentle. We can sense a foretaste of the Beatitudes in this, and imagine how these verses might have inspired Francis with their promise of God’s Kingdom coming to the poor, the meek, the hungry and thirsty, and all who bear burdens and labor under a heavy yoke.

Would you like to browse through more of our Illuminations?
Click this link to browse more than two full three-year cycles of these weekly Lectionary reflections, online in our Illuminations archive.

Pentecost 16C

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Sept. 29, 2019

First Reading (Track One): Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15

Imagine yourself living amid war and destruction. Enemies are rounding you up with your family, friends, and neighbors.

Lazarus and the Rich Man

Lazarus and the Rich Man (c.1550), oil painting on canvas by Jacopo Bassano (ca.1510-1592). The Cleveland Museum of Art. (Click image to enlarge.)

They’re tearing down your city and destroying your beloved temple. You are all about to be taken to a distant city where you must live in exile among people who do not know you or worship as you do. Does this seem like a logical time to go buy a field to be planted in crops? Who would plow it? Who would plant it? Who would guard and harvest it? Yet this is the image that Jeremiah chooses as the people face exile. The purchased field is a powerful and visible sign from God that they will eventually return home. Read the rest of this chapter and be comforted with its beautiful assurance that God will remain faithful even in the worst of times.

First Reading (Track Two): Amos 6:1a, 4-7

All through both testaments, scripture’s message is consistently tough on the rich. The prophets come down hard on wealthy people, and of course, Jesus does too, as we will see in Sunday’s Gospel. In our Track Two first reading, the prophet Amos warns Israel and Judah that the idle rich – with emphasis on the “idle” – will be the first to go into exile when grief and destruction bring an end to their revelry. Amos isn’t just angry because the rich lead lavish lives of luxury, but because they don’t care about “the ruin of Joseph,” the ordinary people of Israel. Their failure is in community: Like the rich man with Lazarus in Sunday’s Gospel, they do not love their neighbor.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16

Today’s Track One psalm mirrors the Jeremiah reading. It is also a favorite for reading in eucharistic visits and any time we pray with a sick or suffering family member or friend. It assures us of God’s protection and mercy. God is our refuge and our stronghold, our shield and buckler and protective wings, guarding us by day and by night, delivering us because we are bound to God in love.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 146

Sunday’s Track Two psalm rings with loud shouts of praise. “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!” Now take note of just why God receives these high hosannas: God brings justice to the oppressed and lifts up the depressed. God feeds the hungry. God sets prisoners free, heals the blind and loves the righteous: those who offer justice and care to their neighbors. We hear all this again in the words of Jesus, who shows us the image of God in fully human form.

Second Reading: 1 Timothy 6:6-19

These verses from the first letter of Timothy emphasizes again that the wealthy have a moral duty to care for their poorer neighbors. The simple wisdom, “we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it,” could be restated as the more modern saying, “You can’t take it with you!” Then we hear the original source of the familiar wisdom, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” It’s fine to want food and clothing, the author assures us. But we get in trouble when we’re tempted to excess by more luxurious delights. Don’t count on your riches but on God, the author urges. Do good, be rich in good works, and share, and you’ll be ready for God’s Kingdom.

Gospel: Luke 16:19-31

The parable of the rich man and Lazarus culminates a series of Luke’s parables about the dangers of riches that we’ve been hearing in recent weeks as Jesus teaches a growing crowd along his trek toward Jerusalem. At first glance, this appears to be a simple story with a moral: The selfish rich man, ignoring Torah’s command to care for the poor, paid no attention to suffering Lazarus. Now he’s suffering torments in Hades while Lazarus reposes in comfort in Abraham’s arms. Justice appears to be served. But as with all of Jesus’ parables, there is a deeper, richer texture here. Why would the rich man even think that Lazarus would help him? Why won’t Abraham let Lazarus warn the rich man’s brothers of his fate? The sins that wealth encourages, it seems, make repentance hard to come by.

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.

Pentecost 7C

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Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for July 28, 2019

First Reading (Track One): Hosea 1:2-10

In Sunday’s Gospel we will hear Jesus teaching the apostles to pray, as he gives them Luke’s version of the familiar Lord’s Prayer, then goes on to tell them a thing or two about prayer and how it works.

Jesus teaches the apostles how to pray.

Jesus teaches the apostles how to pray. (The banner they are holding contains the first words of the Lord’s Prayer in Latin. Medieval biblical illumination. (Click image to enlarge.)

First, though, in Sunday’s Track One first reading, we hear a passage from the prophet Hosea that sounds even more grim and angry than the language we’ve heard from the prophet Amos in the past two weeks. Hosea uses a strange metaphor: God orders him to marry and have a child with a prostitute, as a way to warn Israel that it faces destruction as punishment for having forsaken God’s ways. The last verse, though, offers hope for the future, promising that the children of Israel, as numerous as the sand of the sea, will be children of the living God.

First Reading (Track Two): Genesis 18:20-32

Last week in our Track Two first reading we heard about Abraham meeting God with three strangers in the desert and learning that he and his wife, Sarah, will have offspring as plentiful as the stars. Now Abraham has apparently become comfortable in his relationship with God. He bargains and argues with the Creator in hope of saving Sodom from violent destruction. Why did Sodom deserve this? God’s wrath with the Sodomites did not have to do with sexual sin, as you might assume, but with their selfish failure to be righteous. As the Prophet Ezekiel will later declare, “Sodom and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.” This covenantal call to righteous action runs through the Bible from Moses through the prophets to Jesus.

Psalm: (Track One): Psalm 85

Echoing Hosea’s description of an angry God, Sunday’s Psalm sings out the grateful relief of a thankful people. They had feared that they deserved God’s fury and wrathful indignation. But now they look forward to the mercy and salvation that they hope to receive from a God who remains faithful regardless of their sins. When we listen to God, the Psalmist sings, we hear mercy meeting truth while righteousness and peace join in a kiss.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 138

We often pray when we’re in need. In time of trouble and fear, we cry out in our helplessness and beg God to come to our aid. But how often do we remember to thank God? Whether we are thankful for a specific blessing, or grateful for our blessings in general, we say thanks. As our mothers taught us, saying “thanks” is the right thing to do. The Psalmist reminds us that God responds when we call. God loves us and is faithful to us. God’s right hand will save us; God’s steadfast love endures.

Second Reading: Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19)

The author of the letter to the Colossians, thought to be a later follower writing in Paul’s name, reminds us to be thankful for the faith and blessings we have received through Christ. This letter to the people of Colossae, a Greek community of new Christians who may have been wrestling with the pagan beliefs of their culture, warns of false teachings. “Festivals, new moons or sabbaths,” the author points out, are only a shadow of what is to come through Christ.

Gospel: Luke 11:1-13

When Jesus teaches us to pray, he calls us to be righteous, just as the ancient prophets demanded of Israel: Honor God’s name, share our food, forgive our debts, do to others as we would have them do to us. Do these things and we help build God’s kingdom, not only in Heaven but right here on Earth. After having given the Apostles this prayer, he didn’t stop there, but went on in the following verses to talk about prayer in language rich in metaphor. How do we read his words about a persistently demanding friend who won’t give up asking his neighbor for bread at midnight until the neighbor gives in? Perhaps this underscores the importance of sharing our bread and loving our neighbors no matter what the circumstances. Just as God opens the door when we knock, so should we do the same for our neighbor.

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.