Lectionary Notes for Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year A

Readings for Fifth Sunday After Epiphany, 2/9/14:

Isaiah 58:1-12, Psalm 112:1-10, 1 Corinthians 2:1-16, Matthew 5:13-20

Isaiah 58:1-12:

All the readings for today are significant in that this liturgical Sunday - Fifth Epiphany - and the few following - only show up occasionally depending on the date of Easter. Enjoy these texts - they may not appear in the lectionary again for a while!
vs. 1 - "Shout out, do not hold back!" - What are you holding back? What needs to be shouted out boldly? What holds us back from saying what needs to be said?
God responds to the people complaining that God doesn't see how devout they are by saying that God knows though they might fast, they still fight and oppress and act violently. Empty devotion doesn't impress God.
vs. 6-7 - "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice . . . is it not to share your bread with the hungry?..." Our acts of devotion must be tied with a purpose of justice for all.
vs. 11 - "You shall be like a watered garden." Doesn't this just sound delightful, especially in the midst of (at least in Syracuse, NY) a cold, snowy winter? That's the kind of abundance and fullness that can only come when our life is lived for the good of all.

Psalm 112:1-10

vs. 1 "Happy are those who fear the Lord." I've asked before and again. What does it mean to fear God? Do you fear God? Is this what God wants us to feel?
vs. 3 - A little prosperity gospel, no?
vs. 7 Of course fearing God here is set up in opposition to evil - the righteous don't fear evil tidings, because they are secure in the Lord. In this way, verse one makes more sense to me.

1 Corinthians 2:1-16

Paul says he came to the Corinthians not with "lofty words" but with weakness. That's so counter-cultural, isn't it? Our culture doesn't value weakness. What would it mean for you to present yourself with weakness to show the power of God? What would weakness look like in your life specifically? As pastors, is there pressure to show only our strengths when we present the gospel?
vs. 9 - Paul quotes an unknown/unclear source - "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him" - This verse was very comforting to me at a time when I wondered why it seemed God's plans and my plans were never the same! The verses following talk about God's wisdom, what God knows, the Spirit knows, and the limits of our human understanding.

Matthew 5:1-12:

These verses feature in Godspell, and I can't read them without thinking of the different presentations I've seen of these passages in productions.
Salt flavors, salt preserves/keeps food edible/usable.
Elsewhere, we read that Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus is the light, we are the light. I think we are the light because the light of Christ is within us.
"so that they may see your good works." You may debate whether good works are part of "salvation" or not, but either way, we're not excused from doing them, and Jesus says they give glory to God.
"not to abolish but to fulfill." How many different ways we try to get around that and interpret that statement! Jesus brings the law into fullness - the full meaning of the law. Tie this in perfectly with the Isaiah text - a command - fasting - is not "full" if it is done while abusing others.

Sermon for First Sunday in Lent, Year B, "Jesus in the Wilderness," Mark 1:1-4, 9-15

Sermon 2/18/18 Mark 1:1-4, 9-15 Jesus in the Wilderness You’ve heard me say before that the gospel of Mark is my favorite gospel. Part of the reason I love it is because of Mark’s brevity. I don’t love that he’s short on details, exactly. I love that he seems practically breathless in getting the good news of Jesus to us, and that he seems to believe that the news is so good it isn’t even going to take very many words to convince you of his message! His frantic style strikes me as showing both how important and how convincing he believes Jesus’s message to be. But, then we arrive at a Sunday like today, and I find myself a little frustrated perhaps, or at least a little challenged by Mark. In the lectionary, the series of the first Sunday in the season of Lent always focuses on the temptation of Jesus – his time in the wilderness, where he confronts Satan, and commits to God’s path rather than the flashy alternative Satan presents. This is the fo

Sermon for the First Sunday in Advent, "Hope: A Thrill of Hope," Mark 1:1-8

Sermon 11/26/17 Mark 1:1-8 Hope: A Thrill of Hope Are you a pessimist or an optimist? Is the glass of life half empty, or half full? My mom and I have gone back and forth about this a bit over the years. She’s wildly optimistic about most things, and sometimes I would say her optimism, her hopefulness borders on the irrational. If the weather forecast says there’s a 70% chance of a snowstorm coming, my mom will focus very seriously on that 30% chance that it is going to be a nice day after all. I, meanwhile, will begin adjusting my travel plans and making a backup plan for the day. My mom says I’m a pessimist, but I would argue that I’m simply a realist , trying to prepare for the thing that is most likely to happen, whether I like that thing or not. My mom, however, says she doesn’t want to be disappointed twice, both by thinking something bad is going to happen, and then by having the bad thing actually happen. She’d rather be hopeful, and enjoy her state of

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Sermon 12/3/17 Mark 13:24-37, Isaiah 11:1-10 Peace: All Is Calm, All Is Bright “Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright. Round yon’ virgin mother and child. Holy infant, so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace.” This week, I read news stories about North Korea testing a missile that perhaps could reach across the whole of the United States. This week, I spoke with a colleague in ministry who had, like all churches in our conference, received from our church insurance company information about how to respond in an active shooter situation. She was trying to figure out how to respond to anxious parishioners and yet not get caught up in spending all of their ministry time on creating safety plans. This week, we’ve continued to hear stories from people who have experienced sexual assault and harassment, as the actions, sometimes over decades, of men in positions of power have been

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