Living the Lectionary

1 John 4:7-21 “Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.” You would think the church could get this right since the com...

Psalm 22:25-31 Psalm 22 begins not with praise, but lament. “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” In the verses that follow human su...

Acts 8:26-40 The Ethiopian eunuch was well respected in the court of Candice but in Jerusalem he was denied access to the temple of the fa...

John 10:11-18 I had a Rambouillet lamb named Louie who grew up to be a sheep so tame as to be a nuisance. I’m not sure the Good Shepherd...

1 John 3:16-24 If my mind could convince my heart of the surpassing greatness of God’s goodness maybe it would stop condemning me. But t...

Psalm 23 Souls are restored when guided along right pathways even if it takes a rod and staff to get us there. That’s because we can ge...

Acts 4:5-12 The same Peter who cowered in the courtyard and wept bitterly because of it has become the rock who will not back down even wh...

Luke 24:36-48 “Peace be with you” doesn’t do the trick. “Look at my hands and feet” doesn’t dispel disbelief. Even touch me and see doesn’...

1 John 3:1-7 There is no way around it. Since we all sin we are all guilty of lawlessness even though in the love the Father has lavished ...

Psalm 4 When we love illusions and seek after lies we lose sleep even if we pass out in the process. Like a good magic trick we ask to see...

Acts 3:12-19 The scene that precedes this speech to the people is the healing of the lame man. “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I d...

Psalm 133 In three short verses Psalm 133 states the obvious and makes me wonder why the church doesn’t pursue unity with more purpose. In...

Acts 4:32-35 When believers are of one heart and mind there are no needy persons among them because believers are of one heart and mind. W...

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 “I would remind you brothers and sisters, of the good news…” is a recurring theme of the Corinthian correspondence. ...

Psalm 118 The Lord is the psalmist’s strength and song because in the “day that the Lord has made” the right arm of the Lord has acted val...

Acts 10:34-43 God’s “no partiality” is still particular even if the promise to Jews was extended to Gentiles. That doesn’t mean the natu...

Philippians 2:5-11 I cannot say equality with God is something I would let go of and I’m guessing you wouldn’t either. And if I found myse...

Psalm 31:9-16 Psalm 31 is the song of sorrow for the multitudes who suffer strength-failing sighs and waste away with grief. Scorned by en...

Isaiah 50:4-9 James, the brother of the Lord, presumes teachers will be judged more strictly for no other reason than that they presume ...

John 12:20-33 “We wish to see Jesus.” My grandmother, Lillian Smith, saw Jesus at the foot of her bed a few nights before she died. Her d...