em>Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012.

Hannah and Samuel

1 Samuel 2:1-10
In place of our usual psalm today we sing the prayer of Hannah, who celebrates her joy at the birth of her child in words that we will hear reflected in the New Testament in Mary’s song, the Magnificat. Both prayers sing of God lifting up the lowly and the poor while casting down the rich and powerful, but Mary doesn’t echo the words of vengeance that we hear in Hannah’s song. When we enjoy God’s blessings after suffering conflict in our lives, let’s try to model Mary’s grace in victory.

Second Reading: Hebrews 10:11-14
Today’s lesson from Hebrews continues to celebrate Christ’s priesthood and Christ’s sacrifice as superior to the sacrifices of the old priests in the Temple of Jerusalem, whose sacrifices “can never take away sins.” Most New Testament scholars agree that the author of Hebrews is trying lure back Jewish Christians who had returned to Judaism to escape persecution. Still, it’s hard to envision Christ as waiting for his enemies to “be a footstool for his feet.” Would you rather think of Jesus in this way, or as gentle Good Shepherd, when you pray?

Gospel: Mark 13:1-8
Jesus’s words about wars, earthquakes and famines in today’s Gospel give us a taste of the apocalyptic prophecies that will draw our attention through Advent next month. Today, Mark tells of Jesus in Jerusalem on his final journey toward the cross. He foretells the destruction of the Temple, a prophecy that will soon be held against him before the high priest. As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s incarnation, we remember his death and resurrection.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012.

First Reading: 1 Kings 17:8-16
It is fascinating that today’s lessons begin with a poor widow who answers a difficult call, and end with a similar story from Mark. Here, Elijah is hungry and thirsty, and God commands him to go to a poor widow who is a foreigner, not an Israelite – a directive that must have seemed strange. God commands the widow to feed Elijah, but she can’t understand, either. She has nothing but crumbs. There is a famine, and her son is dying. But they all trust in God, and a miracle follows. Her bit of oil and meal prove enough to feed everyone and to last until the drought ends. How will we respond when we have so little, yet God calls us to give so much?

Psalm 146
This opens the final quartet of Psalms, ending the book with ringing hymns of praise. It exults: “Praise God, O my soul!” But it also offers us quiet advice, as Americans conclude the messy business of electing our president. It’s fine to work within the system, and to celebrate if your candidate won. But the psalmist reminds us not to put all our trust in mortal princes … not even presidents. It’s God who will raise us up, God who will live forever. Praise the Lord!

Second Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28
As in last week’s reading in Hebrews, the author again highlights the differences between the sacrifice of Jesus and that of earthly high priests, who must sacrifice animals and repeat their sacrifices on our behalf over and over again. Jesus will return, he promises, not to deal with sin – that has already been done in Jesus’s sacrifice once and for all – but to save his faithful people.

Gospel: Mark 12:38-44
Jesus is in Jerusalem on his final journey, and he is challenging the establishment. First he scorns the scribes for their arrogance and hypocrisy. Then we hear the story of the widow’s mite: The poor widow has little, but unlike the scribes, she gives everything she has. That wins Jesus’s praise. Everything she has. Is Jesus repeating the advice he gave the rich young man in a recent reading? “Go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor.” Really?

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012.

First Reading: Job 42:1-6, 10-17
God responded to Job’s demands for a hearing, speaking from a whirlwind to remind Job of the magnificence of God’s creation, next to which which Job is tiny and insignificant. Job quietly, faithfully accepts this. Then comes good news: God restores Job’s fortunes, double what they had been before. Job lives out a long life with riches, a big family and the respect of his friends. Job’s story has a happy ending, but it’s worth remembering that even in the sad event that things don’t get better, God is God and loves us still.

Psalm 34:1-8
Today’s psalm, described as “Praise for Deliverance from Trouble,” fits in nicely with the story of Job. Having begun with a song of praise to exalt God’s name, the psalmist now prays for deliverance from his terror. God indeed saves him from all his troubles, and the psalmist responds with joy: “Taste and see that God is good is good; happy are they who trust in the Most High!”

Second Reading: Hebrews 7:23-28
Jesus, as God, makes a far greater high priest than the former high priests of the Temple, as the author of Hebrews points out repeatedly in these verses. The old high priests were mortal. Jesus lives forever, and intercedes for us to save us. Mortal high priests are sinful humans who must sacrifice repeatedly in their weakness. Jesus is without sin, and his sacrifice on the cross stands for us forever.

Gospel: Mark 10:46-52
Being blind in Jesus’ time left a person nothing to do but beg. People had only pity at best for Bartimaeus sitting by the Jericho road. Perhaps they might throw him a small coin when he begged for alms. When he heard Jesus passing by, Bartimaeus yelled as loud as he could yell, defying bystanders’ attempts to shush him. Jesus listened, Jesus healed him, and Bartimaeus, seeing now, chose to follow Jesus. How might we answer when Jesus asks, “What do you want me to do for you?”

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012.

First Reading: Job 38:1-7,34-41
Job, who has been lamenting his condition and looking everywhere for God, angrily demanding that God come out of hiding and hear him, now gets his wish. Or does he? A mighty God speaks to him out of a whirlwind and quickly sets Job quite literally in his place. God thunders, hurling poetic words at Job like thunderbolts: “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.” God is great. Job is small. And so are we.

Psalm 104:1-9,35, 37c
This hymn of exaltation must have rung out over the ancient Temple in Jerusalem with trumpet blasts and shouts of praise. It portrays God as creator and ruler over all creation and imagines God riding across the world on the wings of clouds, spreading out mountains and valleys, oceans and rivers.

Second Reading: Hebrews 5:1-10
The author of Hebrews is preaching a sermon historically understood as an effort to persuade first century Jewish Christians who had returned to Judaism to come back to Christ. It presents Jesus as the perfect high priest, offering up prayers and supplications for all, and learning obedience through his sufferings. He has now become our salvation, and we are called to imitate him.

Gospel: Mark 10:35-45
Don’t we love to volunteer? We’re eager to step forward, roll up our sleeves, and serve in the church and community. But do we love it even more when the work is done and we hear our name called out for public applause? Perhaps we should pay attention to what’s going on with the apostles, who Mark often portrays clueless and missing Jesus’s message. Are we ready to be the slave of all; to serve, not to be served; and if called, to give our lives in Christ’s service?