Narrative Lectionary: Can we get to Jerusalem Already? Edition (Luke 18:31-19:10)

There are stories that remain with us for years. This week’s text offers up one of them (though would I remember it so well without this sappy little song???). Many chapters ago Luke told us that Jesus had set his face toward Jerusalem. Surely we must be getting close by now right? On the other… Read More

Revised Common Lectionary: The See and Be Seen Edition

Sight and vision are at the heart of the texts this week. This theme is subtle at first, but grows stronger through the readings until it cannot be missed in the Gospel. In 1 Samuel, one wonders what God saw in David that was clearly missing in the Jesse’s other sons who were older, more… Read More

Narrative Lectionary: Lost Souls (Luke 16:19-31)

I recently damaged the side mirror on my car, and was lamenting the need to go to the dealer for a replacement.  Sad previous experience had taught me that this would be very expensive.  “Don’t do that,” one of our church custodians told me, “there’s a much cheaper way to do it.”  He told me… Read More

Friday Festivals: Saints and Others

Friday Festival – March 17, 2017 On St. Patrick’s Day, our bloggers are finding all kinds of saintly behavior – and some sins. At yoga class, Lindsay Hardin Freeman encounters an image of the Samaritan woman who stands up to Jesus, and gets a glimpse of her past and possibly future selves in a feisty… Read More

Narrative Lectionary–Fun with Theodicy!

This week, we have two stories from Luke 13. Verses 1-9 has Jesus talking about a recent tragedy in the news–when a tower fell on some people in Siloam, bringing up the age old question–why do bad things happen to good people? He follows it up with an illustration of a fig tree not doing… Read More

11th Hour Preacher Party: Temptation Edition

Welcome to Lent 1 and the season of temptation and spiritual discipline. This week we get stories about the temptation of Adam and Eve and of Jesus, and a comparison of the sin of Adam to the salvation of Jesus (in the RCL). The Narrative Lectionary brings us the Golden Rule, the story of the Good… Read More

RCL: Tempted by the Devil Edition

You know it’s the first Sunday of Lent when Satan shows up in more than one text. Here we are again with Eve and Adam eating of the forbidden fruit because Eve fell prey to a sneaky serpent. Then we are out in the desert with Jesus again as he faces the temptations of appetites,… Read More