Lectionary Notes for 23rd Sunday after Pentecost, Year B

Readings for 23rd Sunday after Pentecost, 11/4/12:
Ruth 1:1-18, Psalm 146, Hebrews 9:11-14, Mark 12:28-34
Ruth 1:1-18:

Ruth tends to be a favorite book of the Bible for people. Why do you think that is? I suppose it has a bit of romance, a love story, of which there are actually few in the scriptures. But the real love story here is not between Ruth and Boaz, but Ruth and Naomi. Ruth goes beyond what law and duty demands for her mother-in-law. She isn't just following rules, but following a heart that tells her that though her legal ties to Naomi are over, she has a greater obligation to stay with Naomi.
Verses 16 and 17 have become a favorite text of mine that some couples choose for their wedding, which is interesting given that the text is a conversation between a mother and daughter in law. But this is about Ruth committing to have her path in life be the path that Naomi takes. It is an intentional decision. It doesn't just happen to them, Ruth makes it happen by her choices.

Psalm 146:

"Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help." What/who do you put your trust in? How does how you live show who you trust? Does the way you live communicate your trust in God?
"When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish." This reminds me of the slogan I've seen - "He who dies with the most toys still dies."
:6-:9 - These verses mirror Isaiah 61 in the tasks of justice that God has a reputation for: care for the oppressed, food for the hungry, freedom for captives, sight for the blind, presence for the stranger, assistance to widows and orphans. Repeatedly we hear that this is what God is about. What is your reputation of care? How are you helping bring God's tasks of justice to reality?

Hebrews 9:11-14

We continue with the author's high priest Jesus imagery. This is the answer usually given for why Christians no longer follow the laws of the Old Testament, those in particular that have to do with sacrifice. Jesus, in place of all these animal sacrifices, gives his own blood as "eternal redemption." The author reasons, if animal sacrifice gave enough temporary purity, how much more redemption can Jesus' sacrifice get us? The ultimate amount more...
"purify our conscience" - Is your conscience pure? I'd say despite Christ's actions, mine is still not always pure. But more specifically, what does it mean to "purify our conscience from dead works?" Everything we are still holding guilt over, I guess.

Mark 12:28-34:

"seeing that he answered him well" - A rare glimpse of a scribe asking a question not to trap Jesus, but out of genuine curiosity.
Faithful Jews would know that love of God was the greatest commandment. Jesus clearly links loving God to love of neighbor, trying them together, making them support, relate to each other.
The scribe agrees with Jesus and says this is more important than temple law and ritual. I wonder how other hearers responded to this.
"You are not far from the kingdom of God." Imagine Jesus telling you such a thing! I believe this may be the only place in the gospels where he says something like this to someone, other than perhaps more general beatitudes about seeing the kingdom.

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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