Divergence on the Lectionary – Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year A
First Reading Acts 2:42–47 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Third Sunday of Easter, Year A
First Reading Acts 2:14a, 36-41 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Second Sunday of Easter, Year A
First Reading Acts 2:14a, 22-32 (omitted verses in italics) But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Maundy Thursday (All Years)
First Reading Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Good Friday (All Years)
First Reading Isaiah 52:13–53:12 Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.As many were astonished at you— his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—so shall he sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths because […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Easter Sunday, Year A (Principal Service)
First Reading Acts 10:34–43 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Passion Sunday, Year A
Because the Passion Narrative for this Sunday is so long, I’m putting a link here so that you can click straight to the Comments and Questions for Discussion if you’d rather do that than scroll and scroll (and scroll). (Click Here for Comments and Questions.) First Reading Isaiah 50:4–9a The Lord GOD has given me […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Fifth Sunday in Lent, Year A
First Reading Ezekiel 37:1–14 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year A
First Reading 1 Samuel 16:1–13 The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” And Samuel […]
Repent
I wrote this some years ago when I was sending out weekly emails to many members of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. Looking it back over during this Lenten season, it still seems to ring. “I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and […]
A Fast from Striving
One of the most important things that I ever learned from Graham Cooke was the value of rest. Not naps, although I love naps now that I’m older, but rest. Rest isn’t about being still, although it results in much inner stillness. Rest isn’t about not doing anything. On the contrary, I can be very […]
Receiving Your Inheritance XVIII – 2 Lent, Year A
I remember when my youngest daughter was born. It took a lot longer for the contractions to do their work than I’d expected, but when they had, things started to happen pretty quickly. When Gretchen was born, she was mad. No two ways about it. She hollered at us for two hours straight. (I’d like […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Third Sunday in Lent, Year A
First Reading Exodus 17:1–7 All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Second Sunday in Lent, Year A
First Reading Genesis 12:1–4a Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. […]
Let the Women Preach
I recently decided to venture into the wilderness that is Twitter. I had set up an account some years ago and followed a lot of my favorite worship leaders and a few popular preachers, but it had remained dormant for some years. This time, when I crossed the threshold into the Twitterverse, I ran headlong […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – First Sunday in Lent, Year A
First Reading Genesis 2:15–17, 3:1–7 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you […]
