Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Psalm, Psalm 119:129-136 Psalm 119:129-136 The longest chapter in the Bible is pretty well-known. And its subject matter is appropriate to the length. Psalm 119 is a rejoicing in the law of the LORD. And all facets of the law are expounded. Better here to...
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Old Testament, Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-9 Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-9 Each time I open the book of Deuteronomy I think, “Oh, I need to spend more time here.” It is a wonderful collection of, not just sermons by...
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Gospel, Mark 7:1-13 Mark 7:1-13 Whenever people begin to add things to the Bible-and I’m writing about moral demands-we need to run the other direction. Why? Because whenever...
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Psalms, Psalm 14 Psalm 14 Oh boy! Here we find words of our God that come to the point quickly, no apologies, and no place for backtalk. God labels us as fools. We are lazy, says the King. We are by...
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Old Testament, Isaiah 29:11-19 Isaiah 29:11-19 I know I have heard this idea expressed in several ways through the years. Distilling the thought comes down to this: “You can’t appreciate...
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Gospel, John 6:51-69 John 6:51-69 We continue where we left off last week. Wrapping our western, scientific heads around the discourse of Jesus in John 6 takes a bit of effort. Add to that, that in the American church landscape, many have actually been...
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Epistle, Ephesians 5:6-21 Ephesians 5:6-21 Perhaps the most asked questions received in ministry revolve around people seeking God’s will for their lives. Our text speaks, no it screams at...
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Old Testament, Proverbs 9:1-10 Proverbs 9:1-10 Dear readers-I have taken on the discipline (and it’s a joyful one) of reading a Proverb for each day of the month. I fear that perhaps the Book of Proverbs is a book...
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost: Gospel, John 6:35-41 John 6:35-41 The great Catholic novelist Flannery O’Connor famously quipped in a conversation where someone referred to the eucharist as a symbol, “Well, if it’s a symbol. to hell with it.” She went on to declare the...
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost: Epistle, Ephesians 4:17-5:2 Ephesians 4:17-5:2 How different do you want to be? How different from your neighbors and friends? Here’s one for Christians to really chew on: how different do you want to be than those in your own congregation? What does...
