~creating community for clergywomen~
The end is near. Continuing Matthew’s theme, John the Baptist carries a heavy load of pointing out that the kingdom of God is immanent. A source of comfort to Mary in her magnificat, it is a source of worry for those in powers. John the Baptist promises radical restructuring of the world. “Who warned you… Read More
When it comes to Advent, I’m a bit of a traditionalist. By this I mean that I prefer the old themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. I don’t think we can go wrong with these. On the other hand, I’m not fond of the references to the Second Coming that are included in the… Read More
Soon, we will be in the season of Advent, where we prepare for the coming of Christ as a baby on Christmas. The readings during Advent remind us of the end of days, which will usher in the reign of Christ. The purpose of Advent is to prepare us both for the coming of Christ… Read More
This morning as I was pondering the interesting mix of texts on offer, I had a sudden realization: these were the Revised Common Lectionary texts for Sunday November 13, 2016– the Sunday following the U.S. presidential election. I chose then as I choose this week, to use the Isaiah and Luke texts. About two-thirds of… Read More
This week’s texts play with the tension between a living and permanent God. Luke 20:27-38 starts with the foolish humans asking a question. It is important to note that these Sadducees are Jewish, like Jesus is a Jew and to avoid making an anti-Semitic argument about how wrong they are. The Sadducees, are however, human.… Read More
For all the saintswho from their labors rest……and we, somewhere in the space between mourning and jealousy, continue to labor in a world that assumes little opportunity for rest. The law is slack and judgment is perverted (Habakkuk 1:4), our bodies groan day & night and our strength is dried up (Psalm 32:3-4), faithful discipleship… Read More
So many texts to choose from this week! Even more if you observe Reformation Sunday. Sometimes it’s hard to tell what holds all the texts together. This week I see a very clear thread of humility. In one way or another each of these texts reminds us that God is God and we are not.… Read More
As a church professional, I get to hear some pretty terrible theology sometimes, from people who assume that I believe as they do. Can you relate? One of those things that I often hear is that the “Old Testament God” is vengeful while the “New Testament God” is forgiving. Passages like this week’s from Jeremiah… Read More
Grace and gratitude seem to be at the heart of the lectionary choices for this coming Sunday. But so do notions of who is in and who is out; what excludes us from community and what welcomes us in; who is an “alien,” and what does that mean in God’s economy of grace. I will… Read More
Luke 17:5-10 I love how I block things. For example I had no idea that the beloved Mustard Seed text was juxtaposed so handily with a troubling text about slavery and masters. I’m sure the issue is my whiteness in a white context. In the United States, at least, we are too often tempted to… Read More
