Living the Lectionary

Romans 4:13-25 Abraham “is the father of us all” is how Paul puts it. Three faiths claim what Paul proclaims. Father Abraham and Mother ...

Mark 8:27-38 The divine thing Peter’s mind could not comprehend was how his idea of a butt kicking, conquering hero Messiah could underg...

Psalm 22:23-31 The Gospels only record Jesus crying out “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1) but I imagine he recite...

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16 Ninety-nine is not too old for a new life and a name change although Abraham might have preferred to be circumcise...

Mark 1:9-15 When immediately after hearing “You are my Son, the Beloved” you are driven into the wilderness where Satan and the wild beas...

1 Peter 3:18-22 I am freezing my ashes off in Chicago where I am interviewing for Calvary’s 2015/16 intern. I’ll tell you this. We would...

Psalm 25:1-10 “Do not remember the sins of my youth” is the psalmist plea to God for the sins the psalmist cannot forget. It is often tr...

Genesis 9:8-17 It is not stated plainly but I think “never again” carries with it a certain amount of regret. Or if not regret at least ...

Mark 9:2-9 There is nothing in this text that indicates the disciples intended to build dwelling places of worship so they could stay on...

2 Corinthians 4:3-6 I think sometimes the minds of unbelievers see the Gospel more clearly than those who have been given the light of...

Psalm 50:1-6 The God far off comes near in fire and smoke and tempest to judge those who think their sacrifices will keep the righteou...

2 Kings 2:1-12 This is a weird story of water partings and whirlwinds and pregnant pauses – “Yes, I know: be silent." But when the ...

Mark 1:29-39 Jesus needed to get away for awhile just to pray. He wasn’t escaping from the burden of being a blessing to a feverish moth...

1 Corinthians 9:16-23 “I have become all things to all people” is not such a good thing to be unless it is “all for the sake of the Gosp...

Psalm 147:1-11, 20c The God of abundant power, who can hurl down hail like crumbs and whip up a winter storm like the one that burie...

Isaiah 40:21-31 The One who sits above the circle of the earth and stretches out the heavens like a curtain, who brings princes to nau...

Mark 1:21-28 The unclean spirit who cries out in the synagogue obeys Jesus and comes out of the man. The scribes reject Jesus and on mor...

1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Differences in theology and practice rarely lead one side to change behavior so as not to offend the other. The mor...

Psalm 111 The gracious and merciful Lord is ever mindful of the covenant which is to say God remembers us even if we forget to give than...

Deuteronomy 18:15-20 Jesus will run into the problem of a prophet raised up “from among your own people” as a “prophet is not without ho...