Divergence on the Lectionary – Easter Sunday, Year B (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 B
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 B
First Reading Jeremiah 31:31–34 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year B
First Reading Numbers 21:4–9 From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – The Third Sunday In Lent, Year B
First Reading Exodus 20:1–17 And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. “You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that […]
The Stations of the Cross (online)
Introduction In the Passion, Jesus laid bare the way that God’s children have used the death of the innocent to distance themselves from their own dependence on violence. By removing the scales from our eyes, Jesus has broken forever the power of violence in our lives. We will never again be able to convince ourselves […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Second Sunday in Lent, Year B
First Reading Genesis 17:1–7, 15-16 (Omitted verses included in italics) When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” Then Abram fell on his […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – First Sunday in Lent, Year B
First Reading Genesis 9:8–17 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Last Sunday after the Epiphany, Year B
First Reading 2 Kings 2:1–12 Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year B
First Reading Isaiah 40:21–31 Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year B
First Reading Deuteronomy 18:15–20 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice […]
Revelation – A Manifesto of Joy
Revelation – A Manifesto of Joy will be a six week Zoom discussion of the most fascinating and confusing book in the Bible. (First six Fridays in Lent at Noon, EST) In it we’ll try to discover not just the social and religious background for Revelation, but also try to unearth the Gospel that lies […]
Divergence on the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, Year B
First Reading Jonah 3:1–5, 10 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly […]
The Second Sunday After the Epiphany – Year B
First Reading 1 Samuel 3:1-10(11-20) optional verses in italics Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – First Sunday after the Epiphany, Year B
First Reading Genesis 1:1–5 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – First Sunday after Christmas, All Years
First Reading Isaiah 61:10-62:3 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself […]