Narrative Lectionary: Sheep and Goats (Matt 25:31-46)

This week, the Narrative takes us through the vision of the sheep and the goats, a riff on Ezekiel’s vision of sheep. Matthew continues to lay out glimpses of what the kindom of heaven will be like, and what the return of the Son of Man will reveal. Working Preacher Commentary is here. This is… Read More

11th Hour Preacher Party – Oil with your Prodigals?

Hi there preachers, would-be-preachers, gonna-preach-eventually-preachers, I-know-I-have-words-somewhere-preachers… this is your one stop shop for collective groaning, sharing of goodies (virtual), ideas, words of encouragement and general Oh-my-Goodness-where-did-the-week-go calls for help. It’s the middle of Lent; here in Scotland this means two things this week – it’s Mothering Sunday and time for us to catch up with… Read More

Friday Festival: Into the Mess

Do we fear mess? The season of Lent invites us into the messy unknown.  By exploring spiritual practices and wrestling with any discord in our hearts, we invest in the Lenten wilderness process as we see in our friend’s blogs. April Fiet dives into a physically space to sort through items – specifically Flip Flops… Read More

Ask the Matriarch: Providing Congregational Care in a Multi-Staff Setting

This week’s question explores the ministry challenge of how to provide quality congregational care in a multi-staff setting. Dear Matriarchs: I am a Senior Pastor serving with an Associate Pastor, a Minister of Music, a Youth Pastor (seminary student), and a Faith Formation Director (layperson). Providing good care to the congregation is a meaningful part… Read More

RCL: The Prodigal Edition

With suicide in the U.S. headlines once again in recent days, I cannot help but hear messages of hope and extravagant love in the texts this week. There is comfort and there is challenge in these passages. What are we willing to risk in order to share hope and healing to those most vulnerable among… Read More

Narrative Lectionary: Oil Crisis

Matthew 25:1-13 Working Preacher commentary is here. Let me start out by saying I’m opposed to the very premise in this parable, that women should be sitting around in the dark, just waiting for some guy to arrive. I know, I know. That’s not the point of the story. But some days it is for… Read More