Mind the Gap: Lectionary Commentary

As always, we love spending time with the psalms! This one made us think about sabbath and racial justice, and how those two things can be connected in surprising ways! To view the document about dismantling racism referenced toward the end of the episode, please click here . Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:21 - What's on your mind? 06:46 - reading the text 08:59 - commentary 23:33 - outro s...

This gap is several chapters long making it difficult to cover everything, but it contains evergreen questions about the problems of choosing political leaders. We also spend some time reflecting on what it means to be anointed. Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:21 - What's on your mind? 06:40 - reading the text 09:53 - commentary 26:39 - outro sequence Lectionary commentary for the 3rd Sunday...

On Pentecost Sunday, it's also important to talk about why we need the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, and we think the gap text here helps us do that. Stick around for the end of the episode where we go on a tangent about translation and gender. Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:21 - What's on your mind? 09:00 - reading the text 11:45 - commentary 25:52 - outro sequence 26:47 - tangent Lectionary...

Similar to Maundy Thursday's gap, the verses for this week shorten the time we spend with Judas and his experience of Jesus' ministry. Join us for a conversation about how and why Christians should spend time with Judas' story and what--if any--connections it might have for Mother's Day. Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:21 - What's on your mind? 05:15 - reading the text 7:32 - commentary 25:0...

Sunday School songs, jingle bells, St. John Chrysostom... Easter Sunday can feel like a high-pressure event, but we want to remind all our preachers and lay folks that it's not about what we do, it's about what God has done for us! Christ is risen. Alleluia! Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:21 - What's on your mind? 07:43 - reading the text 10:50 - commentary 25:55 - outro sequence Lectionary...

Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:21 - What's on your mind? 06:40 - reading the Psalm 09:03 - commentary 19:12 - reading the gospel 24:36 - commentary 36:07 - outro sequence Lectionary commentary for Maundy Thursday (2024) Psalm 116:3-11 and John 13:18-31a Hosts: Pastor Annemarie Hartner-Cook Pastor Rebecca Truland Music: London Calling by Ryan Andersen FMA Podcast Suggestion by Stephan Sieber...

In which Annemarie reminds us that the Magnificat is important to sing all year long and we talk about how we need to be reminded of God's deliverance over and over and over again. Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:21 - What's on your mind? 07:02 - reading the text 9:45 - commentary 23:07 - outro sequence Lectionary commentary for Lent 4B (2024) Psalm 107:4-16 Hosts: Pastor Annemarie Hartner-C...

This week's episode discusses gender justice, including the death of a nonbinary child, and conflict in the Holy Land. If either of those topics are not something you are prepared to listen to today, please either come back another time or check out some of our other content. Take care of yourselves, share God's love and justice with the world, and have a blessed Lent. Timestamps: 00:01 - title se...

Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:20 - What's on your mind? 06:10 - reading the scripture from Joel 10:14 - Joel commentary 24:40 - reading the scripture from Matthew 28:04 - Matthew commentary 39:15 - outro sequence Lectionary commentary for Ash Wednesday (2024) Joel 2:3-11 and Matthew 6:7-15 Hosts: Pastor Annemarie Hartner-Cook Pastor Rebecca Truland Music: London Calling by Ryan Andersen FM...

Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:20 - What's on your mind? 08:07 - reading the scripture 010:54 - commentary 27:05 - outro sequence Lectionary commentary for the 5th Sunday after Epiphany in Year B (2024) Psalm 147:12-20b Hosts: Pastor Annemarie Hartner-Cook Pastor Rebecca Truland Music: London Calling by Ryan Andersen FMA Podcast Suggestion by Stephan Siebert from the Free Music Archive , CC...

Are you looking for examples of repentance or justice to use in your preaching? This week's gap has a great blueprint for both of those. It also makes great connections with the gospel reading and even the larger liturgical season. Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:31 - What's on your mind? 08:07 - reading the scripture 010:31 - commentary 25:24 - outro sequence Lectionary commentary for the 3...

"God is everywhere" is both law and gospel. Where do you feel pulled to preach this week: vocation? prejudice? self esteem? We love being in our Psalms Era. Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:25 - What's on your mind? 06:15 - reading the scripture 09:04 - commentary 24:11 - outro sequence Lectionary commentary for the 2nd Sunday after Epiphany in Year B (2024) Psalm 139:7-12 Hosts: Pastor Annem...

Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:21 - What's on your mind? 05:33 - reading the scripture 07:58 - commentary 25:09 - outro sequence Lectionary commentary for Epiphany (2024) Psalm 72:8-9 Hosts: Pastor Annemarie Hartner-Cook Pastor Rebecca Truland Music: London Calling by Ryan Andersen FMA Podcast Suggestion by Stephan Siebert from the Free Music Archive , CC BY-NC

How many different times can we say the word "house?" Honestly folks, this gap is the most baffling yet in terms of wondering why on earth the verses were taken out, but we found lots of connections for Advent 4 and even bridging to Christmas Eve in this one. It's been an amazing year of Mind the Gap, and we can't wait to do more text study with you in 2024! Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:5...

In which keeping track of whether we're talking about John the Baptist or John the Evangelist is hard. We've also got metaphor, tabernacles, and fleshiness to consider in this week's episode. We pray that God has made your Advent a holy and hope-filled season so far, preachers. Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:47 - What's on your mind? 05:46 - reading the scripture 09:16 - commentary 24:32 -...

Verb tenses, movie connections, time traveling and more--that's what awaits in our episode about the gap in the psalm for Advent 2B. Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:58 - What's on your mind? 06:48 - reading the scripture 09:05 - commentary 22:57 - outro sequence Lectionary commentary for the second Sunday of Advent in Year B (2023) Psalm 85:3-7 Hosts: Pastor Annemarie Hartner-Cook Pastor Reb...

Sometimes, no matter how much we prepare, studying scripture brings us to places we didn't anticipate. We're leaning into the tension that the season of Advent holds: light and dark, already and not yet. Keep awake, preachers. Statement on the Celebration of Advent and Christmas in the Midst of the War , from the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem ( www. ELCJHL.org ) Timestamps: 00:...

Finding Your Roots, student debt, politics in church, and shepherding get covered in our episode for the final Sunday of Year A! We're saying goodbye to Matthew and looking forward to beginning our Advent commentaries. Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:35 - What's on your mind? 06:04 - reading the scripture 09:19 - commentary 24:25 - outro sequence Lectionary commentary for Christ the King Sun...

We hope you're willing to follow us down the rabbit hole! Here's a list of some of the resources and media that were mentioned in this week's episode: Dies Irae Recordings (medieval chant) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OBB5-bP6qs (Verdi's Requiem) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6cogix3cwQ (The Ballad of Sweeney Todd) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjC3v--uiak (The Bells of Notre Dame) https:...

We're noticing an interesting pattern in what tends to get left out of these scripture gaps. It doesn't hurt to remind ourselves that we respond to God's acts of faithfulness and salvation; God doesn't act because we've earned it! If you're planning to preach on the parable of the bridesmaids, we even found some links to it here in the Joshua reading. Blessings on your preaching, friends! Timestam...

Whether you are using the assigned texts for All Saints or sticking to those for the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost, we spend some time in the psalms thinking about how our bodies express grief and carry reminders of God's promises. We also chat about things that literally and figuratively imprison us. Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:35 - What's on your mind? 07:20 - reading the text for All Sa...

What names would you give to the voices of doubt or fear in your life and community? How can confession and lament remind us of salvation and blessing? Join us for discussion of Psalm 106:7-18! Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:35 - What's on your mind? 04:48 - reading the text 08:11 - commentary 23:25 - outro sequence Lectionary commentary for the 20th Sunday after Pentecost in Year A (2023)...

Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:35 - What's on your mind? 06:15 - reading the text 09:22 - commentary 30:00 - outro sequence Lectionary commentary for the 19th Sunday after Pentecost in Year A (2023) Exodus 20: 5-6, 10-11 Hosts: Pastor Annemarie Hartner-Cook Pastor Rebecca Truland Music: London Calling by Ryan Andersen FMA Podcast Suggestion by Stephan Siebert from the Free Music Archive , C...

With two texts to cover this week, Annemarie and Rebecca find themselves discussing children's sermons, St Francis, the Babylonian exile, and more. Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:35 - What's on your mind? 06:14 - reading the text from the Psalms 08:57 - Psalm commentary 20:46 - reading the text from Ezekiel 26:55 - Ezekiel commentary 39:13 - outro sequence Lectionary commentary for the eigh...

We're back with plagues, Augustine, and links to the gospel for the gap in the semicontinuous psalm on the 17th Sunday after Pentecost. Timestamps: 00:01 - title sequence 01:35 - What's on your mind? 06:55 - reading the scripture 10:23 - commentary 27:22 - outro sequence Lectionary commentary for the 17th Sunday after Pentecost in Year A (2023). Psalm 105:23-36 Hosts: Pastor Annemarie Hartner-Cook...