Moving Forward - Weekly Lectionary Podcast

Nehemiah 8:1-11; Psalm 19; Luke 4:14-21 - Sometimes it's difficult to recognize good news as such. I get so swamped in bad news, that I'm cautious when something actually sounds good. Did I read that correctly? Or, I wait for something bad to happen, too scared to believe that good is possible in this world. In the lectionary readings this week, people insist that the Good News is really real, and...

John 2:1-11 It is a common experience of preachers to have someone come up after the service and say to us, "It felt like you were talking just to me," and then the person proceeds to quote us, only we didn't happen to say anything close to what the person heard. Through God's Word, different people heard what they need to hear, even in different words at the same time. At the Wedding at Cana, Jes...

Isaiah 43:1-7 & Luke 3:15-22 My preferred metaphor for God is King. That feels appropriate to me, and is well-supported in Scripture. And yet, the parent motif is every bit as strong throughout the Biblical text, and sometimes, that is what I need to hear. This week, the lectionary readings focus on depicting God as a loving parent who is just crazy about God's kids.

Jer 31:7-14; Psa 147:12-20 & John 1:10-18 How many times are we preemptively underwhelmed because of our low expectations? Whether with concerts, politicians, vacations, or family members, sometimes we just expect too little and see exactly what we are looking for. This week, the lectionary readings invite us to see that the work of God is greater than we could ask or imagine.

1 Sam 2:18-20, 26; Luke 2:41-52 [and a little bit of Col 3...]: What do we do with the boyhood stories of Jesus and Samuel? Is there any wisdom for life here? I'm a parent, and I have parents [hi Mom and Dad!]. The lectionary passages this week discuss how to hold onto the good stuff that our folks gave us, and how to give good gifts to our kiddos.

Luke 2:1-20 What difference does it make that there are two words translated as "inn" in Luke's Gospel? Who were the shepherds the to whom the angels appeared? Re-reading Luke's birth narrative with contextualized eyes helps us re-frame the Jesus' nativity in the context of his life.

Micah 5:1-5 & Luke 1:39-55: Thank God we do not live our lives in a vacuum of faith. We need other folks to pray for us and give us words of comfort and wisdom (and sometimes I need rebuke, if I'm being honest...). Sometimes we give words and prayers to other folks too. This week, we encounter folks who believe the word of the Lord, however they hear God speak.

Zephaniah 3:14-20, Isaiah 12:2-6 & Luke 3:7-18 - What's with all the judgement and forgiveness? Can't God just be cool and tone down the anger and compassion? Well, no, actually. The Gospel, in Luke is framed as God coming to do something about the ways that humans mistreat each other - and God! God is passionate about Justice and Reconciliation. The lectionary readings this week tell of God's...

Luke 21 & Jeremiah 33 - So, there's been a little bit up upheaval in leadership in the States as I prepared for this week. And, since I'm on vacation, I'm not checking the news anymore. So, who knows what is going on. But the more I think about political leaders, the more I need to be reminded that Advent is here, and my job is to prepare to welcome Jesus on the earth. What does that look like...

John 18:33-37 - On Christ the King Sunday, what is Jesus' real mission? And who are Jesus' real servants? Where is Jesus' real kingdom? And, why is Cory such a picture-taking fool?

Hebrews 10:11-14, 19-25 & Mark 13:1-8 - What can we learn from how Jesus leaves the earthly temple, and from how he enters the Heavenly temple? Well, why do we enter and why do we leave holy spaces? Usually, we enter because we are looking for an encounter with God and an experience of transcendence. And usually we leave because we need to get back to work or normal life, or because we witness...

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