Living the Lectionary

John 1:1-18 These opening verses of John’s gospel are like an overture of a grand symphony. The themes and images and theology that will m...

Ephesians 1:3-14 Paul spent a good bit of time in Ephesus but it was not as pleasant as the opening of his letter might lead one to beli...

Psalm 147:12-20 There have been times when events at Calvary and the assigned text from the lectionary have been so in sync as to be prop...

Jeremiah 31:7-14 In Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy and Fairytale the American theologian, Frederick Buechner, writes “th...

2 Samuel 2:18-26; Psalm 148; Colossians 3:12-17; Luke 2:41-52 Ten years ago on Christmas Day someone left a little red hound puppy at the c...

Luke 2:41-52 I’ve taken to writing my blog at Roots Coffeehouse on Grapevine Highway. It’s across from the TCC campus and I pass it after ...

Colossians 3:12-17 During the season of Lent I “Pastor up” as our Youth Director Janelle likes to say which means I wear my cleric everyday....

Psalm 148 I once heard a Psalty Kids Praise CD that said when a cow goes moo it’s praising God. I don’t mean to be a neigh-sayer when it co...

1 Samuel 2:18-26 This is just the beginning of Samuel’s story but the beginning of the end for Eli. It is a tragic tale of a father who cann...

Micah 5:2-5; Psalm 801-7; Hebrews 10:5-10; Luke 1:39-56 How did we get to the fourth Sunday of Advent so quickly? When I was a child it took...

Luke 1:39-56 Mary went with haste to the hill country for good reason. To be unwed and pregnant was not a condition a woman wanted to be fou...

Hebrews 10:5-10 The book of Hebrews contains some memorable verses like “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do n...

Psalm 80:1-7 The lectionary offers the option of using Mary’s song, “My soul magnifies the Lord...” in place of the psalm, but I think the l...

Micah 5:2-5 Josh and I came out of LA Fitness at 7 AM and got in the car. I opened the console to get my phone but it wasn’t there. Neither ...

Zephaniah 3:14-20; Isaiah 12:2-6; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18 In the old Red hymnal that preceded the old Green hymnal the Latin name of ...

Luke 3:7-18 We don’t hear many “Brood of Vipers” sermons in the Lutheran church. It’s not that we don’t all need and even welcome a stern wo...

Philippians 4:4-7 When this lesson came up at our Monday staff meeting our custodian Tammy started to sing “Rejoice in the Lord always and a...

Isaiah 12:2-6 Isaiah 25:2-6 is the text for The First Song of Isaiah by Jack Noble White. The first time I heard it was some fifteen years a...

Zephaniah 3:14-20 These are the last verses of the short book of Zephaniah. The rest of the book reads more like the first verse of the prop...

Advent 2c - Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 1:68-79; Philippians 1:3-11; Luke 3:1-6 It seems to me that winter has arrived overnight and I for one do no...