According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a tribe is “a social group comprising numerous families, clans, or generations together with slaves, dependents, or adopted strangers.” According to my entirely unscientific and utterly subjective recall: I first encountered the word “tribe” in the context of after-school TV reruns of wild West shows from the 50’s and 60’s.… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: Unexpected Points of Connection
On this Sunday in which the northern hemisphere is in deep summer, images of new life and growth show up in our lectionary offerings. In our journey through Genesis, Jacob is on a road trip, fleeing the furious twin from whom he finagled a birthright and stole a blessing. With a stone for a pillow,… Read More
Revised Common Lectionary: On the Law
Last Sunday’s passage from the Sermon on the Mount ended with Jesus’ assurance that he did not come to abolish the law. He assured his listeners that, to use the King James language, not “one jot or one tittle” would pass from the law, until all was fulfilled. The understanding of Jesus as “lawgiver” is… Read More
RCL: Origin Stories
In her final, beautiful book, the late, luminous Rachel Held Evans wrote, The role of origin stories, both in the ancient Near Eastern culture from which the Old Testament emerged and at that familiar kitchen table where you first learned how your grandparents met, is to enlighten the present by recalling the past. Origin stories… Read More
Narrative Lectionary: Literal Interpretation
The text for the week is here. The Working Preacher commentary is here. I commend the WP podcast to you! If I were striving for a two-minute sermon this week, I would say, “In my years of preaching and pastoring, I have been asked about literal interpretations of scripture. How do we understand Revelation? When… Read More
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