Moving Forward - Weekly Lectionary Podcast

Hebrews 9:24-28 & Mark 12:38-44: Have you ever been nervous to enter a religious space, like when visiting a new church for the first time? I know I have! This week, the lectionary texts talk about how, who and what Jesus welcomes in both the earthly and heavenly temples. And, this week gives me a chance to reflect on a visit to Amritsar.

Hebrews 9:11-14 & Mark 12:28-34 - One of my best friends started a program in New Testament, she loves the learning, but misses academic kindness and fuller inclusion. This experience is all too common in our congregations, as we check kindness at the door in favor of other values. Too often we think only of the one [or two] tables Jesus flipped, and not nearly enough of the hundreds of tables...

Hebrews 7:23-38 & Mark 10:46-52 You like show tunes? I know I do! And as I was reading the passages for this week, I couldn't help but think how "wicked"ly aligned they were with being changed for the better and for good. The author of Hebrews talks about how Jesus changes expectations for High Priesthood, and Bar Timaeus experiences a drastic life change for the better, and for good, and acts...

Hebrews 5:1-10 & Mark 10:35-45 - Have you ever noticed that people in power like to, you know, wield that power? It's fun to be in charge and make other people do what you want them to do! We see this from the playgrounds to the halls of governance, to, sadly, sometimes the Church. But Jesus says it is not to be that way among us!!! What lessons of humble leadership do the lectionary readings...

Hebrews 4:12-16 & Mark 10:17-31 Blech! That in-between feeling where the action has started, but we haven't accomplished the goals yet. In the doldrums in-between starting a project and turning it in; beginning therapy and actually seeing improvements; starting a new job and actually getting your feet underneath you... How do you remain faithful to the calling, purpose and task while you're in...

Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12 & Mark 10:2-16 Is this the week when we're assigned one of the divorce passages? Yes. Can we locate this passage inside of God's care for humans and Jesus' welcome into a new kind of family? You'd better believe it!

Esther 7 & 9; Mark 9:38-50 - What to do about abuse and genocidal intentions, from the Bible!

Proverbs 31:10-31; James 3:13-4:3 & Mark 9:30-37 - we all know "haste makes waste," right? But we don't always live it, and frequently wait until it's too late to prepare for challenges that come our way. Here's a little insight from across the Bible urging us to wisely prepare for what might be headed our way. HINT: Loving and taking care of people will be involved....

James 3: 1-12 & Mark 8:27-38 - Everybody knows that what we say matters, and that our words have consequences, right? Well, maybe not everybody... but still, Jesus and his brother James want us all to know that what we say is important, and shapes our life and community.

Mark 7:24-37 - When a Syrophonenician woman impacts Jesus' ministry...

James 1:17-27 & Mark 7:1-23

1 Kings 8:22-30 [31-40] & John 6:56-69 When times get tough, the tough (and everyone else) ask, "Umm, is this really necessary?" And if it isn't we leave, right? But, what happens when, like Richard Gere in an Officer and a Gentleman, we've got no place else to go? This week in the podcast, we talk about what it's like when you're already the only place for you.

1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 & John 6:51-58 Do you ever feel like you don't really "get" what the Bible is saying? Well, you're in excellent company! This week, we're talking about folks who do - and don't - really get what God is trying to say.

2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 & John 6:35, 41-51 Recognizing God's anointed leaders, and their responses to challenges

2 Samuel 1126-12:13a & John 6:24-35 David's got an appetite for sex. The crowd has an appetite for bread and a military leader. God say, "Hold on, that's not right!"

2 Samuel 11:1-15 & John 6:1-21 When you know the right thing, go the right way!

2 Sam 7:1-14; Psalm 89:20-37 & Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 We just have a bunch of times when God says, "hey, settle down there, partner! Don't overdo it!"

2 Samuel 6:1-6, 12b-19

2 Samuel 5:1-15, 9-10 & Mark 6:1-13 - "Everyone is Welcome" our signs proclaim, but is it true? Goodness, I hope so! This week, we talk about the necessity of full welcome

Mark 5:21-43 - Jesus sets a family right

Mark 4:35-41 - Cory reflects on how living through a recent tornado helps him think about Jesus calming storms differently.

1 Samuel 15:34- 16:13 & Mark 4:26-34 Saul, Samuel and Parable-Hearers all have their minds absolutely blown by their expectations being upended.

1 Samuel 8:4-20 & Mark 3:20-35. How do we deal with families, expectations, disappointments and rejection? Two Bible stories help us think through being in families.

1 Sam 3:1-10 & Mark 2:23-3:6

At the beginning of Ordinary Time, the lectionary texts invite us to reflect on how it is that we see God