Monday Thoughts on the Readings for Sunday, August 5th, 2018

In the state where I grew up, students, teachers, and school officials still have another five weeks of summer vacation before the start of the new school year.  Where I am now, however, the school year starts in four days.  Therefore, this upcoming Sunday is our Rally Day/Back to School Sunday.  We will have a blessing for all students, teachers, and other school employees as they begin a new school year.  We will also have a community meal followed by a time of games and activities as one last summer bash before the work of the school year truly begins.  As we go through the week, I will be looking for ways to connect these passages to the new beginning that many are experiencing this week.

We are also on week 2 of the "Bread of Life Discourses" in John 6.  The day after the Feeding of the 5,000, a crowd travels follows Jesus to another community and initiates a conversation, hoping that Jesus will reproduce the miracle he did the previous day.  But Jesus takes the conversation in a different direction...

As always, after each reading, I leave my commentary and questions in italics.  If you have an insight to share or a question to ask, please leave it in the comment section below!


Exodus 16:2 - 4, 9 - 15

2 The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.   3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not.

 9 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the Israelites, 'Draw near to the LORD, for he has heard your complaining.'"   10 And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.   11 The LORD spoke to Moses and said,  12 "I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"

 13 In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.   14 When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground.   15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.

- Exodus 16 is the second story after the Israelites’ dramatic escape from Egypt (ch. 14) and the resulting celebration (ch. 15).  In the first story, the Israelites’ complained against Moses that they did not have enough clean water to drink.  Now, not only are they complaining about the lack of food, they are also claiming that life was better as slaves in Egypt!  It took that little time for the people to complain against Moses and against the Lord.
- The Israelites are in the midst of change.  But now the change is getting difficult and the people are ready to quit.  How often do we initiate change in our lives and in our communities only to quit when the process of change becomes difficult?  As one speaker at the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering claimed, we must be willing to be uncomfortable if we are going to lead any type of change.
- The Lord’s provision of quail and manna (literally “What is it?”) lasted throughout the Exodus until the Israelites were established in the Promised Land and were harvesting their first crops.

Psalm 78:23 - 29

 23 Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven;

 24 he rained down on them manna to eat, and gave them the grain of heaven.

 25 Mortals ate of the bread of angels; he sent them food in abundance.

 26 He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind;

 27 he rained flesh upon them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas;

 28 he let them fall within their camp, all around their dwellings.

 29 And they ate and were well filled, for he gave them what they craved.

- Psalm 78 is a poetic telling of Israel’s history from the Exodus to the appointment of David as king.  Much of this psalm focuses on the Exodus.  In this portion, we hear the account of the Lord providing food in the wilderness.

Ephesians 4:1 - 16

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called,  2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,  3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.   4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling,  5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,  6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

 7 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift.   8 Therefore it is said, "When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people."

 9 (When it says, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth?   10 He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.)   11 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,  12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,  13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.   14 We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.   15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,  16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.

- This Ephesians passages presents two main messages.  The most popular message is that the Lord gives each of us spiritual gifts.  While our gift(s) may not be listed in verses 11 and 12, this list (and any other list in the New Testament) is not meant to be all-inclusive.  That being said, what does it mean to be an apostle (literally a person who is sent out), a prophet, or an evangelist in our current context?

- The second message that we may skip over in our rush to talk about spiritual gifts is that these gifts are given to build up and support the united Body of Christ.  If our gifts are causing division within the Body of Christ, then either these gifts are not spiritual gifts or we are not using our gifts in accordance with our calling.

John 6:24 - 35

24 So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?"   26 Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.   27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal."   28 Then they said to him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?"   29 Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent."   30 So they said to him, "What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing?   31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"   32 Then Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.   33 For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."   34 They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."

 35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

- It appears that the people say the right thing.  When Jesus speaks of the “true bread from heaven” that “gives life to the world,” the people respond “Sir, give us this bread always.”  (John 6:32 – 34)  This is a very similar conversation to the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:13 – 15) where Jesus claims that he will provide water that becomes an internal “spring of water gushing up to eternal life” and the woman responds “Sir, give me this water…”  So why was the woman received positively and the crowd that followed Jesus to Capernaum received negatively?

- The crowd asked Jesus, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you?  What work are you performing?”  (John 6:30)  Though the question seems innocent enough on its own, it betrays the crowd’s purpose.  Most of the people in the crowd were present when Jesus miraculously fed 5,000 people/families with the food meant for one or two people.  The people have already received the sign to see and trust Jesus’ message!  They should not need another sign from Jesus to prove that he is the one sent by the Father into the world.

- What are the Greek terms for “hungry” and “thirsty” in John 6:35?  Are these terms significant in terms of symbolism?

Monday Thoughts on the Readings for Sunday, July 29th, 2018

This week is the start of the Revised Common Lectionary's five-week study of John 6, the "Bread of Life" discourses.  The event that kicks off this chapter is John's telling of "The Feeding of the 5,000," which offers plenty of angles for a sermon but also carries the risk of inserting details from Matthew's, Mark's, or Luke's account of the story.  Where a pastor or preacher goes with this passage depends greatly on what is happening in the life of the pastor/preacher and what is happening in the life of the community where the pastor/preacher serves.

As you read through John 6 and the other readings below, what draws your interest?  What stands out to you today that you either never noticed before or you have noticed previously but never found to be of significance before this reading?  Do you have a question about this story that no one has ever adequately answered?  What do you take away from this telling of the story?

After each reading, I will share my thoughts and responses using italics.  I invite you to share your questions and reflections in the comment section below.


Jeremiah 23:1 - 6

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the LORD.  2 Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the LORD.  3 Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply.  4 I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the LORD.

5 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.  6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness."

“Baal-shalishah” is translated roughly as “master of three” or “three masters/lords”

Typically, the first fruits offering is taken straight to the Temple.  It seems significant that this unknown man deviated from this tradition (requirement?) and gave a portion of it to Elisha.

Considering that one person would travel with 2 or 3 loaves (read – dinner rolls) for a day’s journey, this offering of 20 barley loaves could feed 7 – 10 people without the Lord’s intervention.

Psalm 145:10 - 18

 10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your faithful shall bless you.

 11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power,

 12 to make known to all people your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds.

 14 The LORD upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.

 15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.

 16 You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing.

 17 The LORD is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.

 18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 

Psalm 145 praises the Lord’s generosity in all things.  One specific claim is that the Lord “gives them their food in due season.”  The Lord generously provides for each of us; if we do not have “enough,” then either something has disrupted the Lord’s supply line or we need to re-evaluate what we define as “enough.”

Ephesians 3:14 - 21

 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.  16 I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.  18 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

 20 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3 reads like the end of the letter; instead, it is merely the halfway point.

Here, the Lord’s generosity includes the presence of Christ and the Holy Spirit as well as the love of Christ.  I also note the claim that the Lord is able to “accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine.”  This is demonstrated by the Gospel reading.  This is also something that we need to hear today, as our concern over whether we have “enough” for the Church to survive threatens every new idea and call for ministry.

John 6:1 - 21

 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias.  2 A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick.  3 Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples.  4 Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near.  5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?"  6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do.  7 Philip answered him, "Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little."  8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?"  10 Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all.  11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.  12 When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost."  13 So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets.  14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world."

 15 When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

 16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.  18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.  19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified.  20 But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid."  21 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.

According to Philip, 200 denarii would not be enough to give everyone a snack, much less a meal.  1 denarius would purchase the daily food for one person.

The five loaves and two fish sound like a meal for two people (parent and child, perhaps?).  Jesus provides generously for the people, turning this meal for two into a meal for over 5,000 people!

Wednesday Thoughts on the Lectionary Readings for Sunday, July 22nd, 2018

Our lectionary readings this week play on the image of a "shepherd" and the multiple levels of meaning of that image within Israel.  Sometimes, a shepherd is just a shepherd.  But at other times, a "shepherd" is actually a symbol of a king, the one who "shepherds" the kingdom and its people.  The way we hear a passage can change depending on whether the "shepherd" is a true shepherd or a reference to the king.

I have added my responses in italics below each reading.  I invite you to share your questions, insights, and responses in the comments below.

Jeremiah 23:1 - 6

"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the LORD.  2 Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the LORD.  3 Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the LORD. 5 The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness.""

The Lord is having a hard conversation with the leaders of the Israelites.  The Lord is pointing out that the leaders are the ones who have caused the people to scatter.  This is likely a result of the leaders/kings worshipping other gods, which encouraged the people to worship other gods.  The Lord will soon act to establish a new king from David’s lineage and bring the Lord’s people back into the “flock.”  We now look back at this passage and hear this as a promise of Christ.

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;

 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.

 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff-- they comfort me.

 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.

Psalm 23 is the most popular psalm.  When paired with Jeremiah 23, we hear the proclamation that “the Lord is my (king).”  How does the psalm change when we exchange the word “shepherd” for “king?”

Ephesians 2:11 - 22

 11 So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called "the uncircumcision" by those who are called "the circumcision"-- a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands-- 12 remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. 15 He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, 16 and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. 17 So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18 for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, 20 built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; 22 in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.

“So then” means that this passage is building off of the intro we heard in last week, where the Lord does all things for us in Christ, as well as the statement in Ephesians 2:8 – 9 that we are saved by grace through faith as a gift from God.

Christ has broken the divisions between different nations and other ways of dividing us into groups.  In Christ, there is only one group: the children of God.

The Lord builds us together as the body of Christ/the Church.  The current generation of the Church is built upon all of the previous generations of the Church and the cornerstone of Christ.

Mark 6:30 - 34, 53 - 56

 30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54 When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, 55 and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

We are skipping over some big stories in this chapter.  The gap between verse 34 and verse 53 includes Mark’s accounts of the Feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus Walking on Water.  We will pick up the Feeding of the 5,000 next week, but we will hear John’s account of it.

Mark 6:30 picks up with the disciples telling Jesus “what they had done and taught.”  They are returning from a period of time when Jesus sent them in pairs to other communities to proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven had drawn near in Jesus and to heal the sick and cast out demons just as Jesus has been doing.

Mark 6:56 mentions that people were being healed just by touching the fringe of Jesus’ cloak.  This was the same item that the bleeding woman touched before her healing.  If it was not apparent before, it is now apparent that the woman who was unclean because of her bleeding did not cause Jesus, or his cloak, to become unclean.  Instead, she was healed…and Jesus, through the cloak, continues to heal others.

Monday Thoughts on the Readings for Sunday, July 15th, 2018

After two weeks of not preaching on Sunday (attending the ELCA Youth Gathering in Houston, Texas on July 1st and providing space on July 8th for our teenage attendees to share with the congregation their experiences at the Gathering), I am back to my regular sermon-prep schedule.  The themes from the ELCA Youth Gathering, "This (including God's call, love, grace, and hope as well as Jesus) changes everything!" and the theme from this week's Vacation Bible School, "Building Christmas," will be weighing on my mind as I prepare to preach.  Any connection back to these themes will help others hear these readings in a new way.

As always, you can find my comments in italics after each reading.  If you have an insight, a comment, or a question, please leave it in the comments below!

Amos 7:7 - 15:

7This is what [the Lord God] showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. 8And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, 
 “See, I am setting a plumb line
  in the midst of my people Israel;
  I will never again pass them by;
 9the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate,
  and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste,
  and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.”
  10Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the very center of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. 11For thus Amos has said, 
 ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
  and Israel must go into exile
  away from his land.’ ”
12And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; 13but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”
  14Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, 15and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ ”

Readings from Amos 7 usually focus solely on the plumb line.  This week, we get the reaction from Amaziah and Amos’ response.  Amaziah’s report to Jeroboam intensifies (exaggerates?) Amos’ prophetic message, likely as a way of stirring Jeroboam to act against Amos.  Then Amaziah turns back to Amos, telling Amos to be a prophet somewhere else.  Amos responds by saying that the Lord has sent him to prophesy in this place to these people.  Amos may not be a citizen of the Northern Kingdom, Israel (this was during the time of the divided kingdom: Israel was the Northern Kingdom while Judah, including Jerusalem, was the Southern Kingdom), but the Lord sent him here and he will not leave until the Lord sends him elsewhere.


Have you ever been sent away from home for a season, either for work or for ministry?  What was that like for you?  Were you at peace with the change, or were you longing for home until you returned?


Psalm 85:8 - 13

8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
 9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
 10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
 11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.
 12 The LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
 13 Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps.


We have yet to find a way to turn “righteousness” into a verb.  The best way to think about righteousness in an active way is doing or performing an act of the Lord’s justice, which is based on mercy and grace.  Thinking in these terms, it will be acts of the Lord’s justice based on the Lord’s mercy and grace that will prepare the Lord’s pathway.


Ephesians 1:3 - 14

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. 5He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight 9he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, 12so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. 13In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

Whom do we include among the “us” in this passage?  In other words, whom has God chosen as adopted children?  What are the limits to our understanding of “us?”  If we are not among God’s adopted children, is because God has excluded us?  Or do we find ourselves on the outside because we have excluded ourselves?


We are “marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit” when we are baptized.

Mark 6:14 - 29

14King Herod heard of [the disciples’ preaching,] for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.” 15But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”
  17For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because Herod had married her. 18For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. 21But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. 22When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” 23And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” 24She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” 25Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, 28brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. 29When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

This week during VBS, we are discussing how Jesus entered the world to rebuild the world.  Certainly, a world where we are more comfortable killing someone than allowing ourselves to be embarrassed in front of others is a world that needs to be repaired and rebuilt.

We see that people are still wrestling with Jesus’ identity.  The people recognize that Jesus is something more than just another rabbi, but they have yet to identify Jesus as the Messiah.  This leaves them comparing Jesus to the prophets of old…or perceiving that Jesus is the resurrected John the Baptist.

The reader remembers the scene from chapter 1 where John baptizes Jesus, so the reader knows that Herod is wrong when he identifies Jesus as the resurrected John the Baptist.

Wednesday Thoughts on the Readings for Sunday, June 24th, 2018

There is so much going on around us.  As a nation, we are wrestling with the issues of immigration, asylum, justice, mercy, and compassion.  As a community, we are learning of a terrible fire that killed one person and hospitalized another.  As a congregation, we have many families in various stages of grief and many who are battling cancer or severe illness.

In the midst of all this turmoil, we come to the Bible readings for this upcoming Sunday, June 24th.  While we have the opportunity to commemorate St. John the Baptist, we will be using the Lectionary 12 readings during worship.

With all of these things in the background, plus whatever is happening in your life, what are the important ideas, themes, insights, and questions that pop into your mind as your read these passages?  I will share my thoughts below in italics.  I encourage you to use the comments section to tell me what reactions these readings (and my additional comments) provoke within you.


Job 38:1 - 11

 1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind:
 2 "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
 3 Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me.
 4 "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.
 5 Who determined its measurements-- surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?
 6 On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone
 7 when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?
 8 "Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb?--
 9 when I made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band,
 10 and prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors,

 11 and said, 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stopped'? (Job 38:1-11 NRS)

God’s response to Job and his friends comes after approximately 35 chapters of debating the goodness and righteousness of God.  Job believes that he is be unjustly persecuted by God.  Some of Job’s friends are pushing him to confess the sin for which God is punishing him.  God’s invitation/demand for Job (and the others?) to “gird up your loins” means that he was asking him/them to tie up their long robe/tunic/garment, which often extended down near one’s ankles while walking or at leisure.  By “girding” the garment, the wearer would have more freedom of movement for labor or combat.  The rest of the passage can be summarized as God saying to Job, “Here’s who I am.  Who the heck are you?”


Psalm 107:1 - 3, 23 - 32

 1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.

 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, those he redeemed from trouble

 3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

 23 Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the mighty waters;

 24 they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep.

 25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.

 26 They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their calamity;

 27 they reeled and staggered like drunkards, and were at their wits' end.

 28 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress;

 29 he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.

 30 Then they were glad because they had quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.

 31 Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind.

 32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

Usually, the psalm serves as a response to the first reading.  On this day, however, the psalm seems to prepare us for the Mark 4 reading.  Other than the similarities to the claim that the Lord created the sea, this seems to point more to Jesus calming the storm than the Lord’s statement to Job.

2 Corinthians 6:1 - 13

 1 As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain.

 2 For he says, "At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you." See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!

 3 We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,

 4 but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities,

 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;

 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love,

 7 truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;

 8 in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true;

 9 as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see-- we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed;

 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

 11 We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you.

 12 There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours.

 13 In return-- I speak as to children-- open wide your hearts also.

Paul points to the reception he has received from some among the Corinthians, which is similar to the negative reception he has received from other communities.  He is used to being welcomed with afflictions, beatings, and imprisonments.  And yet, he and his coworkers continue to pursue their callings and greet communities with open arms and hearts.  Paul declares that whatever hard feelings exist between the Corinthians and Paul (and, by extension, his coworkers) come from the Corinthians who are pushing back against Paul.

Mark 4:35 - 41

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side."

 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him.

 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.

 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"

 39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.

 40 He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?"

 41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" (Mar 4:35-41 NRS)

Those who are following Christ are still wrestling with just who Jesus is.  They have witnessed him heal illnesses and injuries as well as cast out demons.  But it appears that controlling nature is considered a step above these previous actions.

I remember a gentleman on a radio program broadcast in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area who proclaimed that all things could be healed by a declaration of “Peace, Be Still!” To be clear, he meant that each of us could claim this power of God, declare “Peace, Be Still!” at a problem, and the problem would go away.  It has yet to work for me.

Wednesday Thoughts on the Readings for Sunday, June 17th, 2018

Good afternoon!  God's peace and wholeness to you as you read this post!

Unfortunately, we had another death within the congregational community last week.  Preparations for the funeral and care for the family took up the time I would have used to put together my responses to the readings from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) for Sunday, June 10th.

But this is a new week, and here are my reactions and questions after reading through the RCL readings for this upcoming Sunday, June 17th.  Many will be celebrating this day as "Fathers' Day," but the Church does not officially celebrate this social holiday.  We may mention it during the prayers, but we will not make it a focal point during the worship service.

As always, you will find the RCL readings below.  After each reading, you will find my comments in italics.  If you would like to ask a clarifying question or offer your own insights into these passages, I encourage you to do so in the comments.

Please enjoy!


Ezekiel 17:22 - 24

22Thus says the Lord God: 
 I myself will take a sprig
  from the lofty top of a cedar;
  I will set it out.
 I will break off a tender one
  from the topmost of its young twigs;
 I myself will plant it
  on a high and lofty mountain.
 23On the mountain height of Israel
  I will plant it,
 in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit,
  and become a noble cedar.
 Under it every kind of bird will live;
  in the shade of its branches will nest
  winged creatures of every kind.
 24All the trees of the field shall know
  that I am the Lord.
 I bring low the high tree,
  I make high the low tree;
 I dry up the green tree
  and make the dry tree flourish.
 I the Lord have spoken;
  I will accomplish it.

The entirety of Ezekiel 17 is fascinating.  The chapter sets a context for the three verses we hear today.  We combine the political drama with the divine proclamation.  The “king” of Israel is now a vassal of Babylon.  However, the king has struck an agreement with other nations under a plan to overthrow the rule of Babylon.  The Lord proclaims that the king will fall because of this treachery.  The Lord will then pick a branch and establish this branch as the new leader of the nation.  Does this point to the next king, who will be faithful to the Lord?  Or does this point to Jesus?  Are these identities mutually exclusive?

Some quick Google research reveals that some species of trees grow better from planted twigs/branches compared to planted seeds.  Planting a sprig from the top of a tree is a very common method of planting new trees.  The tree that grows from the planted twig will be an exact replica of the tree from which the twig was taken.  ~ Gardening Know How  This causes us to ask: symbolically, what did the cedar tree mean for Israel in the days of Ezekiel?


Psalm 92:1 - 4, 12 - 15

It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
 2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,
 3 to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.
 4 For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

 12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
 13 They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.
 14 In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap,

 15 showing that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

According to Psalm 92, those who grow within the house of the Lord will always remain healthy and fruitful, even in old age.  “Fruitful” likely means that the person is still serving in mission and ministry, carrying out the will of God by serving others.


2 Corinthians 5:6 - 10 [11 - 13] 14 - 17

6So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord—7for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.
  [11Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. 12We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. 13For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. ] 14For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. 15And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.
  16From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 17So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

The confidence in 2 Corinthians comes from the promise of resurrection, of mortality being swallowed up by life (5:4), which is guaranteed by the gift of the Holy Spirit (5:5).

How many people in our society today boast about themselves as a way of giving their audience a reason to listen to the speaker?

All have died, and all who are baptized into Christ, the one who died and was raised for us, now live in Christ.  Therefore, they (we) are new creations who know Christ in new ways.


Mark 4:26 - 34

26[Jesus] said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground,27and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”
  30He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
  33With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

This parable in Mark 4 comes after Mark’s version of the more popular “Parable of the Sower.”  Therefore, those who are reading or hearing all of the Gospel of Mark have already heard about the differences between types of “soil.”

“The seed of both black and white mustard is similar in size, about 1.0 to 3.0 mm (1/8 inch)(11) so it is not the smallest seed but it is the smallest seed of those which "you plant in the ground" clearly indicating that the Lord was not comparing the mustard seed to all plants but only to those which were commonly grown. There would be numerous plants familiar to His audience with smaller seeds, of which the best example would be the seed of the black orchid. But there are few plants which grow so large in one season as a mustard, and few plants would be characterized by such rapid germination of the seed. Mustard planted one day could begin growing the next.” ~ ODU Plants of the Bible

Mustard plants grow very quickly once they have been planted.  In the right soil and sunlight conditions, mustard plants can grow to be 10 feet tall.  When the seed of faith is planted in good soil, many things can sprout and grow quickly, revealing the Holy Spirit’s presence within and blessing on our ministry in Christ’s name.  And if something does not grow, that should cause us to question whether the problem is the soil (not the right place/time), the seed (not a seed of faith/calling of the Spirit), or both.

Connection between the birds in Ezekiel 17 living under the branches of the new tree and the birds in Mark 4 finding rest under the branches of the mustard plant.