April 2022 – A Preacher’s Ponderings

Conversion

Third Sunday of Easter; 1 May 2022; Easter 3C (RCL); Acts 9:1-20; Psalm 30; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19.

Luke summarizes and compresses (and fictionalizes) the story of Paul’s conversion. Paul himself gives several accounts of it: in Galatians and in 2 Corinthians, both times as authorization for the gospel he preaches. But Luke catches the essential elements. The passage in John’s Gospel gives us something like a conversion story for Peter.

Reconciliation

Second Sunday of Easter; 24 April 2022; Easter 2C (RCL); Acts 5:27-32; Psalm 150; Revelation 1:4-8; John 20:19-31.

This passage in John is home to one of the most egregious mistranslations in the New Testament. In almost every translation, Jesus says to Thomas, “Do not doubt, but believe.” There is almost no way to construe the Greek to mean this. What the Greek says is μὴ γίνου ἂπιστος ἀλλὰ πιστός. A literal translation would be, Do not be untrustworthy, but trustworthy. Or, you could even translate as untrusty and trusty. And Thomas doesn’t doubt; he refuses to believe.

An idle tale

Easter Sunday; 17 April 2022; Easter Day C (RCL); Isaiah 65:17-25; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; 1 Corinthians 15:19-26; Luke 24:1-12.

Over the past few years, I’ve preached on the passage from John’s Gospel assigned for Year C, with its themes of a new creation (in the garden), and the journey toward God. This year, it seems good instead to preach on the Luke passage.

The Passion reading last Sunday ended with the women resting on the Sabbath day, according to the commandment. This seems to me a reflection, or a mirror image, of God’s rest on the Sabbath after creation. God had seen everything and declared it good; the women have seen the worst humanity can do. And they rested on the Sabbath day.

Sabbath rest

Palm/Passion Sunday; 10 April 2022; Sunday of the Passion C (RCL); Luke 19:28-40; Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 31:9-6; Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 22:14 – 23:56.

The readings for Palm/Passion Sunday always present the preacher with a challenge. Each of the Gospel writers’ Passion narrative has its own theological emphases, and there is too much reading to preach on it all. In fact, one is often tempted just to let the passion preach itself, and to add nothing. However, these readings always need some unpacking, and the unique circumstances of each year require interpretation.