Divergence on the Lectionary – Proper 13, Year B (track one)
First Reading 2 Samuel 11:26–12:13a When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband. And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Proper 12, Year B (track one)
First Reading 2 Samuel 11:1–15 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Proper 11, Year B (track one)
First Reading 2 Samuel 7:1–14a Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” And Nathan said to the […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Proper 10, Year B (track one)
First Reading 2 Samuel 6:1–5, 12b-19 David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts who sits enthroned […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Proper 9, Year B (track one)
First Reading 2 Samuel 5:1–5, 9-10 (omitted verses in italics) Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Behold, we are your bone and flesh. In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the LORD said to you, […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Proper 8, Year B (track one)
First Reading 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 (omitted verses in italics) After the death of Saul, when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. And on the third day, behold, a man came from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Proper 7, Year B (track one)
First Reading 1 Samuel 17: (1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49 (Optional verses in italics, omitted verses indented) Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Proper 6, Year B (track one)
First Reading 1 Samuel 15:34–16:13 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. The LORD said to […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Proper 5, Year B (track one)
First Reading 1 Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11:14-15) (optional verses shown in parentheses and italics) Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us […]
Chapter Seven – Staying On the Rails
Healing Ministry can be difficult and/or messy because Holy Spirit empowered ministries are often difficult and/or messy. Paul struggled with the congregation in Corinth because they were too enamored of their spiritual gifts and the church has had difficulties with its Spirit-led members ever since. We will not create problems for the leaders of our […]
Chapter Six – What Do We Do With Failure?
Not everyone we pray for will be immediately, miraculously healed. Not even half of them. I don’t keep count of my own success/failure ratio, but as I said in an earlier chapter, I don’t think my batting average would get me into the major leagues. Randy Clark, the most important of my mentors/teachers in healing […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Proper 4, Year B (track one)
First Reading 1 Samuel 3:1–10 (11-20) 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 see, was lying […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Trinity Sunday, Year B
First Reading Isaiah 6:1–8 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and […]
The Feast of Pentecost – Year B
First Reading Acts 2:1–21 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of […]
Chapter Five – The Five Step Method
In the preceding chapters I have tried to lay out the kind of foundation for healing prayer that I wish I’d had when I first came to this ministry. It is a bit of this and a bit of that from different ministries with which I’ve been affiliated to one degree or another over my […]
Divergence on the Lectionary – Seventh Sunday of Easter, Year B
First Reading Acts 1:15–17, 21-26 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For […]