Tag: Spirituality
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Fifth Sunday After Epiphany, Yr A, 2023 – Epistle Passage: Listening to Paul carefully with an open spirit
“When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and…
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Season after Pentecost (Proper 17 [22]): The Psalm Passage – From praise to puzzlement to praise; a movement of the spirit
“O give thanks to the LORD, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples.” (Psalms 105:1) I am often impressed and stand in awe of the Revised Common Lectionary’s matching of various types of scripture passages. This week especially the Psalm’s passage seems to be right in line with the Old Testament…
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Season after Pentecost (Proper 17 [22]): The Epistle Passage – Preacher and Seeker read Paul out loud
Preacher:“Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.” Seeker: If you must compete, beloved listener, with you brother and sister – let it be a competition of caring, a race to show compassion, a contest of warm…
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Season after Pentecost (Proper 17 [22]): The Gospel Passage – The ups and downs of living a Christian life
Last week, although less than exactly one week ago, Peter had made it to the “top of the heap” in identifying that Jesus was the Son of God. Now, Jesus said that it was the God in Heaven who had revealed this to Peter and not Peter’s own glimpse into the Divine. This week Peter…
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Season after Pentecost (Proper 17 [22]): The Old Testament Passage – Called out by the Great “I AM”
Moses had discovered in his early adult life that he was not cut out to be the adopted son of the Pharaoh’s daughter. The story of his realization and departure from Egypt comes before this passage. “Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the…
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Season after Pentecost (Proper 16 [21]): The Psalm Passage – A Preacher and Seeker dialog dedicated to those who stand for peace and compassion
Preacher: “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side — let Israel now say – “ Seeker: If the Lord God had not been standing with us . . . Preacher: “ . . . if it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when our enemies attacked…
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Season after Pentecost (Proper 16 [21]): The Gospel Passage – Long ago, faith began
“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (Matthew 16:13-14) What does public opinion say? In the days we…
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Season after Pentecost (Proper 13 [18]): The Gospel Passage – Being Perfectly Divine and, Not So Much
“Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.” (Matthew 13:13) In my reading lately I have been presented several times with the concept that Jesus was both Divine and human –…
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Season after Pentecost (Proper 12 [17]): The Epistles Passage – It can be a hard life, beloved reader
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” (Romans 8:26) Paul has just got done exhorting us to hope, just as I have commended to hope even though you cannot see what you…
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Season after Pentecost (Proper 10 [15]) : The Psalm Passage – Summing up the theme for this week, and holy scripture in general
I am having a little bit of a challenge trying to figure out what Psalm passage to us. Normally I would use the one that is linked to the Old Testament passage that I used, but I sort of made use of both. (See Tuesday of this week.) I used the Isaiah passage most overtly,…
A Simple Desire 