Lent 5C

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, March 17, 2013.

Christ in the House of Simon.

First Reading: Isaiah 43:16-21
The idea of progress toward a goal runs through today’s readings. This is a meaningful image for us as we move through the penitential days of Lent toward Holy Week and the joy of Easter. The Isaiah reading, recalling the time when the people were in exile in Babylon, reminds us not to yell, “But we’ve always done it this way!” when it’s time to look for new ways. Even when things seem hopeless, God is with us.

Psalm 126
One of a series of hymns known as “Songs of Ascent” and perhaps originally sung as the people approached the Temple in ritual procession, this Psalm celebrates the return to Jerusalem from exile. It reminds us that God’s redemption can turn our tears into shouts of joy even though life’s burdens once seemed to be more than we could bear.

Second Reading: Philippians 3:4b-14
Paul thought he had a lot to be proud of when he was a Pharisee, strong in his Jewish faith and angrily persecuting the Christians who he then saw as dangerous radicals. But that was before he discovered Jesus and everything changed, he tells the people of Philippi in Greece, a Gentile community of retired Roman soldiers, Christian converts themselves. Forget what lies behind, he urges them, echoing Isaiah’s advice; press on – as he does – toward the goal of resurrection and life.

Gospel: John 12:1-8
Our journey through Lent with Jesus is nearing its end. In John’s Gospel, Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead, and now the high priests are worried. Jesus’s miracles are getting too much attention, and the clamor might upset the hated Roman rulers. They decide to kill him if he shows his face in Jerusalem during Passover. Of course, that’s just where Jesus is headed. But first, he stops in Bethany to visit Lazarus, Mary and Martha, and Martha shows her love by bathing his feet extravagantly with a costly perfumed oil. Profit-minded Judas objects, but Jesus says, “Leave her alone!” The oil is for his burial, Jesus says, reminding them, “You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

Lent 4C

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, March 10, 2013.

Galway Cathedral, Prodigal Son.

First Reading: Joshua 5:9-12
After 40 years wandering in the desert, the Israelites have come to Canaan, the land of milk and honey, and they celebrate with bread made from the produce of the promised land. The book of Joshua will go on to tell us that people already live on the land. It will have to be taken by bloody force, a darker side of Israel’s ancestral story. For now, though, as we move toward the promise of Easter – and Passover – we simply share in the joy of completing a long journey.

Psalm 32
Who hasn’t known the anguish of doing something wrong that hurt a loved one? An angry word, a careless act, and then we see that look of pain, the sudden tear, and we feel so bad. When these things happen, there’s only one thing to say: “I’m sorry.” When this simple response brings a smile and forgiveness, everything feels better. And so it is when we sin and step away from God. It hurts. And as the Psalmist sings, God’s forgiveness and steadfast love can make us shout for joy.

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Paul was dealing with an angry, troubled congregation in this second letter to the people of Corinth. They’re mad at him, and he’s not so happy with them, either. But he loves them and wants their forgiveness, and in these verses he points out that God gave us Christ to reconcile the world to God. Paul asks the Corinthians to do the same. Can we do any less?

Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Everyone loves the parable of the Prodigal Son. But do we all hear it in the same way? If you are an older sibling, you may find it easier to relate to the older son’s reaction when his bratty brother came slinking home and got a feast. As his father’s loving reassurance made it all better, so the parable reassures us that God’s nurturing grace is open to us all: Long-suffering good kid and prodigal brother too. Where do you find yourself when you hear this story? Can you feel the love?

Lent 3C

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, March 3, 2013.

Moses before the Burning Bush, Domenico Fetti, 1613-14.

First Reading: Exodus 3:1-15
Scripture offers scores of images and metaphors to help us visualize the idea of a God who is beyond our imagining. Still, the idea of God appearing to Moses in a burning bush might seem a little strange to our modern ears. But hear God’s message to Moses, foreshadowing God’s covenant with the people: God brought us out of slavery. God will be with us. God’s assertion to Moses, “I am who I am,” may also be translated from ancient Hebrew as “I will be what I will be,” a promise that carries down through the ages.

Psalm 63
We began the penitential season of Lent by recalling the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert, defying temptation and preparing for his ministry on earth. Today’s Psalm finds the Psalmist in a similar place, seeking God with thirsty soul in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Through prayer, the poet’s hunger is satisfied. Upheld by God’s strong hand, he sings for joy under the shadow of God’s wings.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Paul, teaching the people of Corinth in a time when early Christians were still working out their relationship with Judaism, recalls Old Testament stories in which Israelites were struck down for failing to keep God’s ways. Paul holds up the Israelites as bad examples for the early Christians, who may have felt that God was testing them through hard times. Be faithful, Paul urges, and know that when hard times test us, God will provide us strength through our faith.

Gospel: Luke 13:1-9
Do bad things happen to people because they sin? No, responds Jesus. Bad things can happen to anyone. That is the way of the world. As God taught Job, so speaks Jesus: God does not punish sin with suffering. The world is more complicated than that. But, Jesus goes on, repentance brings forgiveness and eternal life. And, like the gardener who defers cutting down the barren fig tree in favor of nurturing it a little more, we have hope for forgiveness and another chance.

Lent 2C

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Robin Garr

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013.

Hen & Chicks Jerusalem Chapel

First Reading: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Last week’s reading about God’s covenant in Deuteronomy was easy to understand: Give God thanks with the first fruits of the harvest, not just what’s left over after we have feasted. Be good to our neighbors, and to the poor. Today’s covenant from Genesis is a little harder to wrap our modern minds around, with its talk of sacrificing livestock and poultry! But let’s look past the Bronze Age temple practices to find what endures: God’s promise stays with us always, even when the darkness seems deep and terrifying.

Psalm 27
Today’s Psalm continues the message that the Exodus covenant offers: Even when we feel under attack, beset with dangers and real-life fears, we place our confidence in God and ask for God’s protection. Bad things sometimes happen to good people. That is the way of our lives. But we look for God’s goodness in everyday life, and trust that God will be with us in bad times and good.

Second Reading: Philippians 3:17 – 4:1
The Philippians, too, were worrying about earthly fears and persecution by their enemies, but Paul reassures them with pastoral advice that might recall the Psalmist’s wisdom: Look to God, through Christ, for our salvation. Stand firm in our faith and find meaning in our lives by making every effort to live as Christ would have us live.

Gospel: Luke 13:31-35
It is Lent, and we are reminded of crafty King Herod as we follow Jesus toward Jerusalem and his death on the cross, a death that must come before resurrection and its promise. But then, in the middle of this dark and foreboding passage, there is a magical image that we should not overlook: Jesus describes himself as a mother hen protecting her brood under her wings! Not the strong, ruddy Good Shepherd guarding his flock, but a nurturing, feminine image that’s just as loving yet very different. How does it feel to think of Jesus as a source of gentle motherly love? Try reflecting on this as you hear the Gospel today.

Lent 1C

Posted on February 13, 2013 by admin

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013.

Reproduction of Temptation of Jesus Christ from the Book of Kells

First Reading: Deuteronomy 26:1-11
This ancient harvest prayer, offering a tithe of the first fruits of harvest in gratitude for God’s abundance, outlines God’s covenant with the people, a covenant that comes down to us in the Gospel: We are called to love God and our neighbor and to care for the stranger, the poor, the weak and the afflicted. As a Lenten practice, we might consider expressing our penitence and hope in acts of kindness and in community service.

Psalm 91
At first glance today’s psalm seems to offer us simple reassurance: When we are in trouble, if we trust in God, God will protect us. But as abundant as God’s love may be, the Psalmist sings of a covenant, an agreement between God and God’s people: We’re expected to love God, to put our trust in God, to make God our refuge and dwelling-place. Be aware, too, that God will be with us when we encounter lions and serpents, but we will still encounter them!

Second Reading: Romans 10:8b-13
Paul’s pastoral advice to the Romans mirrors today’s other readings. As the Psalmist advises us to trust in God to gain protection, Paul calls on us to accept Jesus and the Resurrection in order to be saved. The Old Testament reading reminds us that our spiritual ancestors were foreigners, and Paul reminds us that there is no Jew or Greek, no insider or outsider in the God of all.

Gospel: Luke 4:1-13
Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days, a Gospel message with echoes in the 40 days of Lent. Fresh from his encounter with John the Baptist in the Jordan, Jesus meets temptation while fasting in the wilderness. Satan tempts him, first with food, then with visions of power and glory, if only he would turn from God. But Jesus stands firm, and, in the very next verses after these, goes straight to the synagogue to proclaim good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind and freedom to the oppressed. Let’s remember Jesus’ call as we live into the 40 days of Lent.

Last Epiphany C/Transfiguration

Posted on February 4, 2013 by admin

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013.

The Transfiguration

First Reading: Exodus 34:29-35
Radiant light shines through today’s readings, and Moses appears in all of them. But look deeper, and we find a consistent emphasis on God’s covenant, which since Moses’ time has called the people to love God and follow God’s commandments. But here’s a twist: This was their second chance! The first time Moses brought the commandments down the mountain, his face shining with the reflected glory of God, he found them worshipping a golden calf, and he smashed the tablets in anger. Then the people repented, God forgave them and gave them another chance. God gives us another chance every time we sin and turn back, again and again and again.

Psalm 99
This mighty ancient hymn envisions God as a powerful king receiving loud chants of praise. In the temple in Jerusalem, two cherubim – scary angels depicted as lions with wings and human faces – were placed atop the Ark of the Covenant to serve as God’s throne. The Psalmist understands God as no petty tyrant but a mighty ruler who demands justice. Throughout the bible, the Israelites got in trouble every time they forgot their covenant call to love their neighbors and care for the widow, the orphan and the stranger.

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:12 – 4:2
In this letter to his congregation at Corinth, Paul recalls the reading about Moses with his shining face, but he takes the image of the veil that Moses used to conceal his Godly glow, and turns it around to express the idea that Jesus “unveils” God’s covenant in all its shining glory. God’s light can transform us. It inspires us to take the message of the Gospels to the world.

Gospel: Luke 9:28-36, 37-43a
As we come to the Gospel through the prior readings, suddenly we see it anew. Peter, John and James, mouths dropping in awe, see Jesus with Moses and Elijah, but now Jesus, not Moses, is the shining one, his face and clothing aglow as he is transfigured in God’s light and voice. God’s voice declares Jesus his son and chosen One. “Listen to him,” booms the divine voice, a command that rings down the ages to all generations. How do we listen for Jesus’ voice? What do we hear?

Epiphany 4C

Posted on February 1, 2013 by admin

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013.

The Prophet Jeremiah, Roman School Fresco, c 1120.

First Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-10
If not us, then who? If not now, when? This call to mission goes back to Rabbi Hillel, not long before Jesus’s time. We hear it echoed in today’s readings, beginning with Jeremiah, another Old Testament prophet who foresaw destruction and exile coming for Israel because the people had forgotten their covenant to follow God’s way. Jeremiah thought he was too young for such a chore, and feared his message would anger his hearers. But God put words in his mouth and strength in his spine and sent him out. How do we listen for God’s call? Do we act in fear or trust?

Psalm 71:1-6
The full psalm from which today’s verses are taken is thought to represent the view of a poet-elder, looking back over life and singing thanks for God’s constant presence and protection. We hear cries for God’s help: “Deliver me! Rescue me! Listen! Save me!” And then, trust in God’s strength gives us hope. Sturdy rock and refuge and fortress; trustworthy rescuer and protector. Praise God, the Psalmist sings, for God has been there since the beginning.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Here is Paul’s familiar celebration of love! Many of us think of this as a wedding reading, but it might surprise you to know that Paul is not speaking of romantic love but another emotion, translated from a different Greek word (“agape”). This is the gentle but powerful love that binds us all as worshipers in Christian community, giving us the strength to carry out God’s work together. Look around in church today. Think about the challenges we face. Then think about this reading again.

Gospel: Luke 4:21-30
We pick up right where we left off last week in Luke’s Gospel, with Jesus in his home-town synagogue. At first he wins the people’s applause, but then he gets himself in trouble right away, reminding them that Scripture’s call is to care for widows, lepers, outsiders. Jesus will go to “the least of these,” not just hang out comfortably with his friends and neighbors. Echoing Jeremiah’s plight, Jesus gets an angry, threatening response. But this doesn’t turn him from God’s call.

Epiphany 3C

Posted on January 22, 2013 by admin

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013.

Jesus in the Synagogue

First Reading: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Jerusalem and the temple are still under reconstruction after the return from exile in Babylon. We hear from the “minor” prophet Nehemiah, who – like the priest and prophet Ezra – is thought to have been sent from Persia to help the Israelites re-settle in Jerusalem. It is fascinating to see echoes of the ancients with our own Sunday liturgy: The people stand, pray, bow, hear the Bible reading and something like a sermon, then joyfully disperse to celebrate their Sabbath.

Psalm 19
First in today’s Psalm, we sing the glory of God. Then we sing the glory of God’s law, which the Psalmist understood as the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament that set out God’s covenant with the people: the holy scrolls that the scribe Ezra read to the community in the first reading. The heavens and the skies themselves pour out the glory of God and of God’s work in the law.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Following last Sunday’s declaration that every member has a role in the church, Paul now likens the people of Corinth – and all of us – to the body of the risen Christ in the world. All the parts of the body are necessary. All have to work together. The eye, the hand, the ear, the leg … none can go it alone. What works for our bodies works for our church: We’re all in this together, and we need and respect one another!

Gospel: Luke 4:14-21
Jesus begins his public ministry in the synagogue, reading from the Prophet Isaiah. The verse he chooses makes a powerful statement: He claims as his own the call to bring good news to the poor … proclaim release to the captives … give sight to the blind and freedom to the oppressed. If this sounds familiar, it should! This is the message that Jesus preached, the way that he told his people to bring in God’s kingdom on earth. And it sounds a lot like the Magnificat, the song of joy that his mother, Mary, sang, when she learned of his coming birth. When we act as Jesus’s hands in the body of Christ, this is the work we are called to do.

Epiphany 2C

Posted on January 15, 2013 by admin

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013.

The wedding feast at Cana

First Reading: Isaiah 62:1-5
Israel has returned from exile to Jerusalem, to Mount Zion, site of the temple. But the joyous celebration of return is over now, and the people recognize that a long, hard time of rebuilding lies ahead. “I will not keep silent … I will not rest,” pledges the prophet, promising to continue calling on God’s help until the temple and the city are rebuilt. God delights in the people and the land like a bridegroom and will bring the people joy. Listen for another story of God blessing a new marriage in today’s Gospel.

Psalm 36:5-10
The Psalm picks up in the middle of a song, and to this point its narrative has been discouraging. Just before today’s verses, the Psalmist – perhaps like Isaiah looking at the hard work to be done on Mount Zion – has sung of being surrounded by wicked and deceitful people who fear neither God nor evil. But now the song turns to chords of hope. In contrast to human wickedness, God showers us with amazing grace and abundant love. God’s protection and faithfulness come to us all, in that day and in this day.

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
The Christian community at Corinth, in Greece, probably consisted of fewer than 100 people, about the size of an average Episcopal church; but it had plenty of issues with differences of opinion, arguments and even cliques. In this pastoral letter sent to them from far away, Paul reminds the congregation that every member is blessed with God’s grace; every member has a role in bringing the good news of Jesus to the world.

Gospel: John 2:1-11
John paints a lovely picture of Jesus at a wedding feast, where the wine is flowing so freely that the host’s supplies soon run dry. When his mother calls him to save the situation, he complies, revealing new wine that’s even better than the old. There’s plenty of symbolism to work with here, but I like the underlying story: Jesus’s first miracle, according to John, occurs at a social event of table fellowship, enjoying good food and good drink with family and friends.

Epiphany 1C/Baptism of Our Lord

Posted on January 13, 2013 by admin

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013.

Baptism of Christ

First Reading: Isaiah 43:1-7
Both our Old Testament readings invoke images of water today as we celebrate the baptism of Jesus. Isaiah prophesies that the Israelites in exile will return to Jerusalem, kept safe by God through fire and water. In Baptism we give thanks for the gift of the water over which the Holy Spirit moved in creating the world, through which God led Israel out of bondage; in which Jesus received John’s baptism, and in which we are reborn though baptism in Christ.

Psalm 29
In today’s psalm, a thundering temple hymn, the faithful sing of God’s power as seen in a great storm. Thunder and lightning, wind and noise, flashing fire and mighty winds that shake the earth and topple trees: But these are not things to fear. They are signs of the mighty power and majesty of God. As the storm comes to a close, we are left with God’s promises of strength and peace. We share in these gifts through our baptism.

Second Reading: Acts 8:14-17
The Acts of the Apostles, a sequel to Luke’s Gospel, tells the exciting story of the apostles and Paul taking the new church across the ancient Mediterranean, spreading the Good News to both Jews and Gentiles. In today’s short reading we get a glimpse of Peter and John baptizing new Christians in Samaria. Remember that the Samaritans were longtime enemies of the Jews (which is why the Good Samaritan was so surprising), but now the apostles venture boldly out, not just staying safely among “their kind.”

Gospel: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
In Luke’s account of Jesus’s baptism, he shows us images of water and fire that seem to echo what we heard in the readings from Isaiah and Psalms. The people had wondered if John the Baptist was the Messiah, but John told them no: The one who is coming – Jesus – is far more powerful than he. Then today’s reading skips three verses in which Herod put John in prison. When we return, Jesus has been baptized, the Holy Spirit appeared as a dove, and God’s voice from heaven announced that Jesus is God’s son. Let’s remember today that as baptized Christians we too are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own for ever.

Illuminations

Welcome to Illuminations. We hope these brief reflections on Sunday's readings will help you prepare thoughtfully for worship.