Category: Lectionary

11 January 2015
First Sunday after Epiphany
The Baptism of our Lord
Epiphany 1B (RCL)
Genesis 1:1-5
Psalm 29
Acts 19:1-7
Mark 1:4-11

In the old Episcopal lectionary, the first two readings and Psalm were the same for the First Sunday after Epiphany for all three years; only the Gospel reading changed. We had the accounts of Jesus’ baptism by John from Matthew in Year A; Mark in Year B and Luke in Year C. The OT was from Isaiah, the first of the Servant Songs (I have taken you by the hand and kept you) and Peter’s sermon to Cornelius from Acts was the second lesson (truly I know God shows no partiality). In the RCL for Year B, we have a snippet of the creation account in Genesis 1, and the story of Paul laying hands on the believers in Corinth, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, after they receive baptism in Jesus’ name. Continue reading “A renewed people”

21 December 2014
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Advent 4B (RCL)
2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16
Canticle 15
Romans 16:25-27
Luke 1:26-38

All four Gospels deal, at least obliquely, with the embarrassment of Jesus’ irregular birth. Mark has the crowd call Jesus “the son of Mary,” which pretty clearly indicates that Mark was aware of rumors of Jesus’ illegitimacy. Matthew and Luke both create birth narratives that have Jesus conceived in unusual circumstances. Even John appears to hint at the fact in the prologue, in the line in which God gives to those who believe in Jesus the power to become children of God, “born not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or the will of a man,” which appears to be a euphemism for rape. Matthew’s narrative has Jesus recapitulate the history of Israel (sojourn in Egypt, etc.), while Luke sums up the theology of the suffering servant and the restoration of the world through Israel.

Most appealing in Luke’s narrative is the angel’s announcement that the Holy Spirit will come upon her, and the power of the Most High will overshadow her. Continue reading “The ark of the new covenant”

14 December 2014
Third Sunday of Advent
Advent 3B (RCL)
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Psalm 126
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28

John’s account of John the Baptist varies in significant ways from the account given by the synoptic Gospels. In the first instance, John does not record Jesus’ baptism, whether by John or anyone else for that matter. John the Baptist simply reports having seen the spirit descend from heaven like a dove. Jesus does not go into the wilderness in John’s Gospel. John also does not give us any content of the Baptist’s preaching, other than his testimony concerning Jesus — mostly that the Baptist is not the Messiah, nor Elijah nor the prophet (like Moses). Significantly, John does not record the transfiguration, nor Jesus’ word that the Baptist is Elijah. John the Evangelist is setting up a very different scheme of typology from the synoptics. Continue reading “Incognito”

7 December 2014
Second Sunday of Advent
Advent 2B (RCL)
Isaiah 40:1-11
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
2 Peter 3:8-15a
Mark 1:1-8

Mark conflates several quotations from the Old Testament in this opening passage. Exodus 23:20-21 reads “See, I am sending an angel before you to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared. Be attentive to him and heed his voice.” Malachi 3:1 reads “Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me; and suddenly there will come to the Temple the Lord whom you seek, and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire.” And, of course Isaiah 40:3 reads, “A voice cries out: ‘in the desert prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God.” By conflating these three quotations, Mark manages to allude to the people’s first entry into the land (Exodus), the return from Exile (Isaiah), and the expected final return of God to the Temple (Malachi). John the Baptist is pressed into service to announce all three events. Jesus is the promise of all three. Continue reading “Into the wilderness”

30 November 2014
First Sunday of Advent
Advent 1B (RCL)
Isaiah 64:1-9
Psalm 80:1-7, 16-18
1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:24-37

The First Sunday of Advent is always important for a parish named Church of the Advent. We always observe the day as our festal day, though the tone of the season is anticipatory rather than celebratory. Year B is always the most difficult year to celebrate this day as a feast: Oh, that you would tear open the heavens and come down. This is a cry of desperation, not a cry of celebration. “In those days, after that suffering” is not a text to encourage joy. Continue reading “Hoping”

23 November 2014
Last Sunday after Pentecost
The Reign of Christ
Proper 29A (RCL)
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Psalm 100
Ephesians 1:15-23
Matthew 25:31-46

The parable of the sheep and goats is another passage from Matthew’s Gospel we’ve heard so many times, that we almost can’t hear it anymore. Like the beatitudes, we hear it with centuries of sentiment behind it. “Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you have done it unto me.” we pat ourselves on the back for giving canned good to the food pantry, toys for the children and coats to the homeless. I don’t think that is why Matthew is telling the story. The parable is about recognition and failure to recognize: both sheep and goats ask, “When did we see you?” Continue reading “Inasmuch”

9 November 2014
Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 27A (RCL)
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
Psalm 78:1-7
1 Thessalonians 413-18
Matthew 25:1-13

Paul’s first letter to the Church at Thessalonika is the first written evidence we have of a person named Jesus claimed as Lord by a small band of misfits in the Roman Empire. Paul probably wrote the letter around the year 50. On other evidence, we can assume Jesus died around the year 30. This letter then gives us the state of reflection on the person of Jesus twenty years after his death. Clearly Paul taught and the Thessalonians believed that this Jesus would “come back” after his death, in some apocalyptic scenario that involved the summons of an archangel and the trumpet of God. Already, by 50, people were wondering why this return was so long delayed. Many who had believed had died before seeing the parousia, the official visit of Jesus as Lord (that’s what parousia means).

Paul uses the euphemism of “falling asleep” for death. Continue reading “Shine a light”

Sunday 1 November 2014
All Saints’ Day (observed)
All Saints’ A (RCL)
Revelation 7:9-17
Psalm 34:1-10, 22
1 John 3:1-3
Matthew 5:1-12

All Saints’ Day and the beatitudes. One is tempted to say, “Ho hum.” Blessed are the pure in heart — we’re all supposed to be pure in heart, so that we can be saints, right? Those robed in white are they who have come through the great tribulation — the martyrs sing before the throne of God.

When we read the beatitudes, and hear the word “Blessed,” we tend to think of how fortunate those named will be in the future. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is [will be] the kingdom of heaven. In fact, the word makarios is probably best translated, “How honorable.” Continue reading “All Saints’ Day”

26 October 2014
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 25A (RCL)
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Matthew 22:34-46

The reading from Matthew stands at the end of a series of conflicts between Jesus and various groups within the Judean context: Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees, Temple authorities. We’ve heard the parable of the vineyard and the – rather unjoyous – wedding feast, and disputes about paying taxes to Caesar, the resurrection and now about the greatest commandment and the lineage of the Messiah. The section ends with a question about whether the Messiah is David’s son or not. With Matthew, this should send us scurrying back to see if we can find the opening parenthesis. Sure enough, back in chapter 21, as Jesus entered Jerusalem, the people were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” The cleansing of the Temple, and all the disputes and parables happen within these parentheses about the lineage of the Messiah. Continue reading “Who is the Christ?”