Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Aug. 8, 2021

First Reading (Track One): 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33

“Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will.” We’ll see this theme of Sunday’s Collect reflected in the week’s readings.

Death of Absalom (1753-1762), tapestry by Corrado Giaquinto (1703-1766). Palacio de Aranjuez, Madrid. (Click image to enlarge.)

In our Track One first reading, the child born of David’s rape of Bathsheba has died as the prophet Nathan foretold. Now we learn of the death of another of David’s sons, Absalom. Absalom had killed his half-brother, Amnon, for raping their sister, Tamar; then Absalom went to war against his father, seeking to wrest away Israel’s throne. David’s soldiers find Absalom trapped in a tree, and kill him despite David’s command to deal with him gently. Despite his son’s 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 Sunday’s Track Two 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 in our Lectionary readings. In fact, it has been only a few weeks since we read it on the last Sunday in June! In the context of different readings, though, we may understand its verses in new and different ways. On June 27 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. God’s love and grace wait for us even when we are deep in grief, the Psalmist reminds us. We wait for God, just as in night’s darkest hours we wait for morning light.

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

Our Track Two Psalm will present Psalm 34 in three parts this Sunday through August 22. 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

“Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” This passage from the letter to the people of Ephesus still speaks good sense in modern times: 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 beloved verse that concluded 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. They know Jesus. 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 continue through John’s extended exposition of Jesus as manna, the bread of life, for the next three Sundays.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for Aug. 1, 2021

First Reading (Track One): 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a

Last Sunday we heard a shocking story about King David, who raped the beautiful Bathsheba, then arranged to have her husband, Uriah, killed in battle so David could have Bathsheba for himself.

Israelites Gathering Manna (c.1490), tempera painting on canvas by Ercole de’ Roberti (c.1451-1496). National Gallery, London. (Click image to enlarge.)

This week we get the rest of the story: The prophet Nathan, following instructions from God, tells David about a selfish rich man who took away and slaughtered a poor man’s beloved lamb. Angry beyond measure, David curses the rich man and threatens to have him killed. Then comes Nathan’s charge: “You are the man!” A merciful God threatens David with serious punishment but spares his life. In the verses following these, though, Nathan foretells that the child of David’s illicit union must die.

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

From God’s gift of manna to God’s gift of grace through Jesus, our Track Two readings over the next few weeks focus on bread – the bread of life – as metaphor for God’s abundant love. In last Sunday’s First Reading, when the Prophet Elisha fed 100 people with a few small barley loaves, he recalled God promising the people that “They shall eat and have some left.” In this Sunday’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 heard this familiar Psalm passage a few months ago 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,” the Psalmist begs in the assumed voice of David: create in us 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 rained down on them all the bread and meat that they could eat. God filled them up; God gave them what they craved. The preceding verses of this psalm, which we don’t read this Sunday, add context: The Psalmist recalls how God led the people out of slavery in Egypt. God cared for them, and ultimately overcame divine anger and fed them with love in spite of their ungrateful complaints.

Second Reading: Ephesians 4:1-16

The author of Ephesians, writing in Paul’s name a generation or two later, seems to draw inspiration from Paul’s memorable metaphor in his in First Letter to the 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, one God and Father of all.”

Gospel: John 6:24-35

Huge crowds continue following Jesus 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, but Jesus quite bluntly tells them that they just 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 most of August, Jesus declares in these beloved words: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for July 25, 2021

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

If you wondered why the Lectionary skipped over the story of Jesus feeding the multitude in Mark’s Gospel last Sunday, this week provides the answer: We get John’s account of the loaves and the fishes instead, as our Gospel readings take a midsummer turn to John and the bread of life for the next several weeks.

The Miracle of the Five Loaves and two Fish (1547-1548), oil painting on linden wood panel by Lucas Cranach the Elder, (1472-1553). National Museum of Fine Arts, Stockholm, Sweden. (Click image to enlarge.)

Before we get to the Gospel, though, our Track One first reading opens a dark chapter in the life of King David. In spite of the fame that David earned through his kingship and victories as a warrior, when he was bad, he was very, very bad. 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 in battle of her husband, Uriah, so he can take her.

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

Just about everyone enjoys the story about the time that 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; we hear John’s version on Sunday. You may not be so quick to recall the similar story of the Prophet Elisha feeding a similar, if smaller, multitude, 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 with God’s help it proved to be more than enough. Just as in the Gospel stories, there were even leftovers.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 14

Psalm 14 resonates with David’s heinous behavior in the first reading. The Psalmist, speaking in the voice of 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, the Psalmist sings, 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

Like many of the Psalms, this hymn of praise and thanksgiving expresses gratitude to a God who is not only powerful but faithful and merciful too. God is always prepared gently to lift up those who fall and to support those who are oppressed, we hear in this portion of Psalm 145. Echoing the bounty that God provided for the hungry people in the Ezekiel reading and the hungry crowd that we will see on the mountainside in John, the Psalmist, too, celebrates God who gives us food; whose outstretched hands satisfy every living creature.

Second Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21

In Sunday’s passage from the letter to the Ephesians we hear the author kneel 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 have Christ living in their hearts through faith. Then this selection closes with a beautiful blessing that the Book of Common Prayer offers 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 fishes. John hints at the Eucharist in his account, in which Jesus blesses the bread, then distributes five barley loaves and two fish to 5,000 people. Somehow this small portion feeds everyone abundantly, with more left over than they had to start with. The crowds are so amazed that they clamor to make Jesus king, but he slips away, catching up with the startled disciples by walking miles across the water to join them in their boat.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for July 18, 2021

First Reading (Track One): 2 Samuel 7:1-14a

Our Track One first readings will continue following the life and acts of King David through mid-August, when we will turn to David’s son, Solomon.

The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes (1886-1896). Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper by James Tissot (1836-1902). The Brooklyn Museum. (Click image to enlarge.)

In Sunday’s reading David, having consolidated Israel and Judah under his rule, becomes concerned about the people’s long-standing custom of keeping the Ark of the Covenant in a tent. This practice, he believes, is not sufficient to reflect the greatness of God. David decides to build a great temple, but God, speaking through the Prophet Nathan, dismisses this idea. God tells Nathan that God’s home is with the House of David, the dynasty of God’s people. It will later fall to Solomon to build the first temple.

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 Track Two readings. First we hear 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, the prophet adds, God will restore the glory of the lost kingdom, raising up a mighty new king like David.

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

Our Track One Psalm portion follows the first reading with a celebration of God’s covenant with David and his descendants: God made this royal family to endure forever. David’s line will last even through the devastation of war and the pain of exile, the Psalmist sings. David’s line will remain even through God’s wrath when the nation breaks its covenant with God. 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

Our Lectionary rarely goes long without repeating the beloved 23rd Psalm. We come back to it five times in the three-year cycle of readings, allowing us to rest in the glow of its assurance that God’s goodness and mercy are always with us. If you’re feeling lost or uneasy, consider reading the 23rd Psalm in prayer: Sit quietly. Say the verses once or twice. Breathe deeply and relax. Close your eyes, and try to feel the comforting presence of the Shepherd. Stay with it silently, and be thankful for God’s restoring grace.

Second Reading: Ephesians 2:11-22

The author of the letter to the Ephesians seeks to assure formerly Gentile Christians in this small community that they are fully invested in the community, completely united with their Jewish Christian sisters and brothers without any need to follow Jewish law. All have become one through Christ Jesus, the cornerstone, who brings near even those who were once 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. The early church was actively seeking to bring 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

In the Gospel for the Sunday before last, we heard Jesus sending his disciples out in pairs to heal the sick, cast out demons, and teach the good news. Now they’ve returned home, eager to talk about their mission. Perhaps 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, after the Lectionary skips over the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus and the apostles 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.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for July 11, 2021

First Reading (Track One): 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19

King David, who now reigns over the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah, celebrates as the Ark of the Covenant, which had been in the hands of the Philistines, arrives in Jerusalem.

Herod’s Banquet (c.1470), tempera painting on wood with stucco reliefs and gold leaf by Pedro García de Benabarre (1445-1485). Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Barcelona. (Click image to enlarge.)

This portable shrine, which the people had built in the desert as a holy throne for God, stood at the heart 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 discover that Saul’s wife, Michal, saw him dancing and “despised him in her heart.” What was that about? Later verses suggest that Michal 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

Amos never expected to be a prophet. He was a humble herder and tender of sycamore trees. But he heeded God’s call to tell the people of Israel to expect destruction because 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 did John the Baptist some six centuries later (as we hear in this week’s Gospel), that prophecy can be dangerous and can get a person killed. Nevertheless, both prophets heard God’s call and did not refuse to answer it.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 24

Bible scholars find hints of ancient liturgy in this Psalm. Thought to be a hymn to be sung in procession toward the Temple, it rhetorically asks how one earns the right to come in and worship. The priest calls out, “who shall stand in his holy place?” The crowd roars back, “Those who have clean hands and pure hearts!” “Who is the king of glory?” “The Lord of hosts!” All who come to the Temple with clean hands and pure hearts can count on the protection of God, the King of Glory.

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

This beautiful Psalm segment gives us a moment of peace between the anger in Amos in the first reading and the violence of John the Baptist’s death in the Gospel. When God speaks, the faithful people hear peace. Heaven and earth meet in truth and righteousness; righteousness and peace share a tender kiss. God grants prosperity and a fruitful harvest, and all manner of things shall be well.

Second Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14

Our second readings for the next six Sundays will be taken from the letter to the Ephesians, a letter most likely written by a later follower of Paul around the end of the first century. The Christian community in Ephesus was facing persecution. Many of its leaders were struggling to fit in to popular culture, and Ephesians may reflect that, as its pages include some difficult passages (which we won’t hear in our readings) that urge wives to submit to their husbands and slaves to obey their owners. In today’s reading, though, Paul’s concept of grace as God’s free gift through Jesus remains at the center. We also see hints of an evolving theology of Christ being present with God before the creation of the Earth.

Gospel: Mark 6:14-29

It did not take evil King Herod long to learn about the healings and miracles that Jesus and his apostles were performing in Galilee, and he was very likely both angry and afraid. Herod may have been troubled by a guilty conscience, as he had just had John the Baptist beheaded – at the insistence of his new wife and her daughter – and Herod wasn’t happy about that. Now that rumors are swirling about Jesus and his activity in Galilee, people are wondering if Jesus is John, brought back to life, and Herod wonders about that, too: “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”

\Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for July 4, 2021

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

Last week we heard David mourn the deaths of King Saul and Saul’s son Jonathan, David’s beloved friend.

Christ in the synagogue (1868), sketch in oils by Nikolai Nikolaevich Ge (1831-1894). The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. (Click image to enlarge.)

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 has called him to be shepherd over Israel. David will 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

What is it like when we want to share something that’s important to us, but no one will listen … or, worse, people make fun of us for expressing our heartfelt opinion? Sunday’s Track Two readings touch in a way on this spiritual challenge. In the 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, God tells Ezekiel; but he is to speak truth all the same, so they will know that they have heard a prophet.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 48

Psalm 48 celebrates the founding narrative of Israel’s kingdom in Jerusalem, 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 this lofty hill, 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

Psalm 123 is one of many Psalms titled a “song of ascent,” traditionally regarded as processional hymns to be sung as the priests and people go up the hill toward the Temple. The Psalm calls on a merciful God to hear the prayer of a people whose voices have gone unheard by Israel’s “1 percent,” the contemptuous and scornful rich and proud.

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:2-10

This passage concludes our seven-week journey in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, and it leaves us with mysterious concepts. Even bible historians and theologians aren’t sure what Paul means about the “third heaven” or the “thorn” that troubles him but that he does not describe. Perhaps the third heaven describes his own spiritual experience, and the thorn an unnamed illness or disability. But Paul leaves us with no ambiguity as to 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, as Jesus said, prophets are not without honor except in their home town. Then Jesus 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.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for June 27, 2021

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

We hear both cries of lamentation and words of quiet joy throughout Sunday’s readings.

Jesus healing the bleeding woman, ancient drawing in the Roman catacombs. (Click image to enlarge.)

In our Track One first reading, we have jumped forward from the first book of Samuel, in which Saul began to fear David while Saul’s son, Jonathan, and David became close friends. Now, after a series of additional conflicts between Saul and David, King Saul has died in battle against the Amalekites, and to David’s grief, Jonathan was killed too. Now David is king in his own right, and in spite of their troubled relationship, in these verses David mourns the death of Saul. Then that grief is eclipsed by David’s deep grief over the loss of his beloved friend, Jonathan. the reading concludes with a long, loving ballad in which David declares Jonathan’s love for him “wonderful, passing the love of women.”

First Reading (Track Two): Wisdom of Solomon 1:13-15; 2:23-24

Love is so strong that it has power even over death, and God desires neither death nor destruction for us. We hear these hopeful ideas in Sunday’s Track Two first reading, and they recur through the day’s readings. First we read the Wisdom of Solomon (often simply called “Wisdom”) from the apocrypha, the 15 deuterocanonical books included at the end of the Hebrew Bible. These verses follow just after God warned an earthly ruler not to invite his own death or destruction by behaving badly. The passage reminds us that God’s creation celebrates our life, not our death. God’s creation is a thing of beauty, and righteousness lives forever.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 130

This beautiful psalm of faithful hope in God may be most familiar for its use – under the Latin title “De Profundis” (“out of the depths”) – as one of the Psalms recommended for the liturgy for the burial of the dead. In its verses we hear this hopeful prayer: Out of the depths we call out to God, knowing that we will be heard, for there is always forgiveness in God. We wait for God, as even in night’s darkest hours we wait for morning light.

Psalm (Track Two): Lamentations 3:21-33

This short, song-like passage is taken not from the Psalms but from Lamentations, a short book traditionally attributed to Jeremiah. This passage echoes the hope and trust in God’s love that we heard in the first reading. In these verses we sing our hope in God’s steadfast love that never ends, love that is renewed every morning. In words reminiscent of the Sermon on the Mount, we sing of giving our cheek to the one who smites us while we wait for our loving God who will not willingly afflict us.

Alternate Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 30

Like the Wisdom passage in the first reading, this alternate to Sunday’s Track Two Psalm – traditionally understood as a hymn of thanksgiving upon recovery from illness – contrasts the joy of life in God’s favor against the grief of death under God’s wrath. Happily, God’s anger endures only for seconds, while God’s favor lasts a lifetime. “Weeping may spend the night,” the Psalmist memorably exults, “but joy comes in the morning.” God turns our weeping into dancing, the Psalmist sings, and clothes us with joy.

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 8:7-15

Paul loved the people of this little early church community in Corinth, but they were often cranky, quarrelsome, difficult to persuade, and sometimes got on his last nerve. Many of the members of the community were poor and often hungry. But there were comfortably wealthy members too, and sometimes they weren’t eager to share with their hungry neighbors. Holding up the example of Christ, who Paul says was rich yet became poor for our sakes, he urges them all to live by Jesus’ example: Do your work, earn what you deserve, but give according to your means so all may have enough.

Gospel: Mark 5:21-43

Jesus and the apostles have just returned home from their trip across the Sea of Galilee. Jesus hurries to get to the bedside of the desperately ill child of Jairus, a synagogue leader. On their way, they encounter a woman who had been suffering hemorrhage for a dozen years. Ritually unclean because of her condition, poor, and rejected by her neighbors, she touches Jesus’ robe in hope of being healed. Jesus pauses, tells her that her faith has made her well; then they rush on to find Jairus’ daughter already dead. The crowd laughs when Jesus declares that the child is not dead, only sleeping, but Jesus takes the child’s hand and brings her back to life. Rich or poor, powerful or weak, Jesus heals both without question.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for June 20, 2021

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

We hear more about young King David in Sunday’s Track One first reading, but the lectionary offers worship planners a choice between two readings.

Christ sur ​​la mer de Galilée (1841), oil painting on canvas by Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863). The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art , Kansas City, Mo. (Click image to enlarge.)

The first option retells the familiar story of the battle between David and the Philistine giant Goliath. A less familiar story constitutes the alternative choice, which tells about an ominous encounter between King Saul and David after Goliath was slain. Together the narratives portray David rising to become King, against jealous Saul’s desire to kill him before he can assume the crown. We will continue following Saul, David and Solomon through August, whereupon our Track One first readings turn to an anthology of the Hebrew Bible’s wisdom literature 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: This theme informs this week’s Track Two readings. We are all surely familiar with the trials of Job, who was tested by God at the urging of the adversary. Job retained his faith in spite of horrifying tests that would break even the strongest. In this reading, 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

This passage from Psalm 9 is paired with the David and Goliath reading. Befitting the first reading’s warlike setting, the Psalm 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. Psalm 133, which we also read recently on the second Sunday after Easter, is to accompany the first reading about David and Saul. It celebrates the goodness and pleasure of living in unity, comparing this with the luxury 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 the following Gospel story about Jesus stilling the storm. The psalmist recalls a time when a violent storm at sea came upon some travelers whom God had redeemed. When they cried out to God, the storm gave way to calm. The travelers 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, which we will continue reading through early July, rests on Paul’s effort to reconcile and restore good relations after a period of trouble and anger among the Christian community in Corinth. Paul himself has suffered many things for following in Jesus’ way, he reminds them. He was subject to beatings and imprisonment, hunger and sleeplessness, riots and more. Although Paul doesn’t mention storm and shipwreck here, we know that he endured those trials, too. In spite of all difficulties, he urges, remember that God is with us. Open wide our hearts and accept God’s love.

Gospel: Mark 4:35-41

Huge crowds have been following Jesus in the Jewish territory along the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Now he takes the apostles on a boat across the broad lake to Gentile country on the other side. Midway in the lake’s deep waters – the Gospel actually calls it a “sea” – we hear one of the beloved Gospel stories that many of us remember, when Jesus wakes from a peaceful slumber to quiet the wind and waves and save the ship. As children, though, we probably didn’t focus on the apostles’ reactions: First they fear that Jesus doesn’t know – or even doesn’t care – that they are in deadly danger, scared out of their wits. Then, catching their breath when all is calm again, they seem shocked to discover that Jesus actually has the power that they had just called on him to use.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for June 13, 2021

First Reading (Track One): 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13

Saul was named king of Israel amid great hopes, but it hasn’t worked out. To fully grasp the background for Sunday’s Track One first reading, it is helpful to read it in context with the fierce and bloody verses that immediately precede it:

The Sower (1888), oil painting on canvas by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). Kröller-Müller Museum, The Netherlands. (Click image to enlarge.)

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, regretting having made Saul king, rejects him and his kingship. In this reading we see God sending Samuel to Bethlehem to find the next king among 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

Can it be only a coincidence that Sunday’s readings point us toward planting, growing, and new life from old, just as the first day of summer draws near? The prophet Ezekiel celebrates the noble cedar, a lofty tree that provides a nesting place for birds and shade for all manner of creatures. Ezekiel is speaking of Israel, reminding the people that God may bring down the mighty nations and raise high the lowly. 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

Echoing the militaristic themes that surround Israel’s ancient kings and their call to holy war against their neighbors, the Track One Psalm resounds as a prayer for victory. It calls for a blessing before battle, petitioning God to defend the people, send help and strength, accept their offerings and advance their plans. Rather than trusting in chariots and horses, the Psalmist declares, the people shall call on the name of God to give victory to Israel’s king.

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

Just as Ezekiel imagined a mighty mountaintop cedar as symbol for Israel, these verses from Psalm 92, a psalm of praise and thanksgiving, show us mighty trees, too: Cedars of Lebanon and tall palm trees stand as metaphors for the people who grow and flourish under God’s nurturing care. Through righteousness – the practice of justice – and faith in God’s lovingkindness, we may remain ripe and fruitful our whole lives long.

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:1-17

The idea of fruitful growth and bountiful harvests may be more subtle in these verses from Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth, but we can find allusions to the theme in the closing verses. When we choose to live in Christ, everything in our life changes, Paul writes. 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 creation. Everything becomes new for us 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 there’s something else going on: This is Mark’s first account of Jesus using parables to unveil the nature of the Kingdom of God. Mark will tell sixteen more “The Kingdom-is-like” stories in his Gospel’s sixteen chapters. In another recurring theme, Mark shows us Jesus intentionally disguising his mission through mysterious parables, after which he warns his followers to keep his healings secret. Theologians call this “The Messianic Secret,” and wonder why it is so important in Mark’s Gospel. Was Jesus’ call for a Kingdom of God, a kingdom that might replace Roman rule, too dangerous an idea to bring up in public?

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for June 6, 2021

First Reading (Track One): 1 Samuel 8:4-20,11:14-15

The six-month-long season after Pentecost now begins, with its green vestments and liturgical colors. The Lectionary offers a choice of two separate tracks of first readings and psalms during this season.

Christ among the Pharisees (1600s), oil painting on canvas by Jacob Jordaens (1593-1678). Sotheby’s, London. (Click image to enlarge.)

In Track One, our first readings for the next three months will recall the ancient stories of Israel’s kings from Saul to Solomon. Then, through the end of November we’ll dip into the Hebrew Bible’s wisdom literature, including the books of Job and Ruth. Sunday’s Track One first reading finds the chosen people in a time of turmoil in the Promised Land. Tired of being governed by corrupt judges, the people clamored for a king to lead them. The prophet Samuel opposed this idea, declaring that God was Israel’s king. But with God’s direct guidance, Samuel finally gave in and named Saul king, warning that the people would come to regret this decision.

First Reading (Track Two): Genesis 3:8-15

This Sunday we start the season after Pentecost, featuring the green liturgical colors that will continue until Advent begins at the end of November. During this time churches may choose either of two Lectionary tracks, each with its own First Readings and Psalms. In Sunday’s Track Two first reading, we hear the familiar story of Adam and Eve in the garden after having eaten the fruit that God forbade. They realized that they were naked, and hearing God coming, they hid because they were afraid. When God found them, they blamed each other, and then they blamed the snake. What would have happened if they refused to take the fruit? Would they have lived happily ever after in Eden? But when they lost their home in the garden, God came out with them, and stayed with a people of free will and belief through the ages.

Psalm (Track One): Psalm 138

Even in the world outside Eden, a world of work and pain and hunger, we know that God remains with us. Even from on high, the Psalmist sings, God cares for the lowly. This lovely psalm of thanksgiving praises God and exults in gratitude that God stays with us when we are in trouble, and answers us when we call. In words that echo the familiar verses of the beloved 23rd Psalm, we hear that God keeps us safe even when we walk in the midst of trouble; God’s strong hand protects us from our enemies.

Psalm (Track Two): Psalm 130

Titled “De Profundis” (“out of the depths”), this Psalm of faith in God’s redemption reminds us that we wait in hope for God’s love and grace even in times of grief, pain and despair. Even in death we await the resurrection, as in night’s darkest hours we wait for morning light. We hear this psalm three times in this Lectionary cycle; it is also suggested for use in the burial of the dead, although it is surely chosen less often than the beloved 23rd Psalm.

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1

We may feel as if we live a life of affliction and wasting away in our fallen world, but that anguish is only momentary in the greater scheme of things, Paul assures the people of Corinth in his second letter to this tiny Greek seaport community. Just as God raised Jesus from the dead, God will raise us, too. The pain that we feel now is only temporary; through God’s grace we will live forever in God’s glory beyond all measure.

Gospel: Mark 3:20-35

After spending much of Lent and Eastertide hearing passages from the Gospel of John, we now return to Mark’s Gospel for the rest of this Lectionary year. We find Jesus where we left him, attracting crowds in his early ministry in Galilee. He’s in trouble with just about everyone, from Pharisees upset about his healing to his neighbors and his own family. No one is happy about his healings, his teaching, all the people following him around! His neighbors think Jesus has lost his mind, or maybe has a demon of his own. His family comes out in the street to try to calm him down. His responses surely would not make his mother and brothers happy: He tells them that his followers are his family now, and his work will take him out into a broken world.