Date: Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, June 27th, 2021 Texts: Lamentations 3:22-33; Psalm 30; 2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 13-15; Mark 5:21-43 Context: The lessons for today don’t appear to work together very well.  The reading from Lamentations is a brief ray of sunlight in an otherwise very dark and sorrowful book.  The psalmist rightly directs praise to… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – June 27, 2021

Date: Fourth Sunday after Pentecost – June 20, 2021  Texts: Job 38:1-11; Psalm 124; 2 Corinthians 6:1-13; Mark 4:35-41  Context: At least in America, there is a stream of Christianity that emphasizes that life in Christ is a life victorious.  Not victorious solely over sin and Satan and death – which we are very definitely victors over… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – June 20, 2021

Date: Third Sunday after Pentecost ~ June 13, 2021  Texts: Ezekiel 17:22-24; Psalm 1; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Mark 4:26-34  Context: The season of Ordinal/Ordinary Time focuses us on the ongoing work of God the Holy Spirit in the world, the Church, and our individual lives.  The readings today collectively point us towards the miraculous and counter-intuitive nature of… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – June 13, 2021

Date: Seventh Sunday of Easter, May 16, 2021  Texts: Acts 1:12-26; Psalm 1; 1 John 5:9-15; John 17:11b-19  Context: The lectionary designates this the final Sunday of the season of Easter.  While technically accurate, it’s unfortunate that by falling on Thursday, the Ascension of our Lord is generally overlooked by the Church.  The readings emphasize our relationship to our resurrected… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – May 16, 2021

Date: Sixth Sunday of Easter ~ May 9, 2021  Texts: Acts 10:34-38; Psalm 98; 1 John 5:1-8; John 15:9-17  Context: We near the end of the Easter liturgical season.  The readings become more and more pointed – what is the response of God’s Easter people, how do we live who wait the return of our Lord in… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – May 9, 2021

Date: Fifth Sunday of Easter ~ May 2, 2021 Texts: Acts 8:26-40; Psalm 150; 1 John 4:1-21; John 15:1-8 Context: To appearances, Satan and the world continue to gain the upper hand over Jesus and his followers. Stephen has just become the first Christian to die for his faith. Yet Luke does not take the… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – May 2, 2021

Date: Third Sunday of Easter – April 18, 2021 Texts: Acts 3:11-21; Psalm 4; 1 John 3:1-7; Luke 24:36-49 Context: As we continue in the season of Easter (and every Sunday is really a celebration of Easter, regardless of the liturgical season) the readings emphasize the effects of the resurrection reality. Though a bit confusing… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – April 18, 2021

Date: Second Sunday of Easter – April 11, 2021 Texts: Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 148; 1 John 1:1-2:2; John 20:19-31 Context: Easter is a season as well as a specific date. Our Lord rose three days after his crucifixion, and this unparalleled event in human history is given a liturgical season to better flesh out more… Continue reading Reading Ramblings – April 11, 2021

For years now – over a decade – it has been my practice to provide some food for thought on the readings for worship. This does several things. It helps me begin my process of thinking about the texts for the upcoming Sunday, including some preliminary isogogical and exegetical work. It also hopefully has been… Continue reading Reading Ramblings Intro