Bruce Epperly on the Lectionary, Pentecost + 8 (C)
This is a very interesting Adventurous Lectionary.
This is a very interesting Adventurous Lectionary.
While there is much violence in the Old Testament (and a certain amount in the New), the basic ideas of grace are still expressed regularly. Nowhere is this clearer, in my opinion, than in the appeal to salvation history in passages of judgment and of exhortation. The Old Testament passage and the Psalm for Proper…
Bruce Epperly challenges us to think more carefully about God and human suffering in his Adventurous Lectionary for the week. Takeaway: Adventurous theological reflection challenges images of God as unilateral punisher and bully. These images are unworthy of Jesus of Nazareth.
Scriptures: Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 133; (John 20:19-31) There are two major responses to fear in a group. One is to gather together and seek mutual support. The other is to scatter, with each individual seeking his own safety. One can see this in action in military history. Many military leaders have recognized the importance of…
This is just a very short note with a link. I’d like to tie the repentance described in Psalm 32 to Leviticus 6 (5 in Hebrew). I wrote about that previously on my Participatory Bible Study Blog. This passage describes the priestly doctrine of repentance.
The texts are 1 Samuel 3:1-10(11-20), Psalm 139:1-6,13-18, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, and John 1:43-51. The common theme that stuck in my mind was on receiving God’s word. We frequently focus on how God gives his word, how reliable it is, how reliable God is, and how we must trust what God says. But how often…
Reversal is a common theme in the teachings of Jesus. The poor are blessed? The persecuted are blessed? How silly is that? And today we have another reversal in our gospel passage (Mark 12:38-44). The widow who puts in two little coins that might, optimistically, add up to a penny, is the one who put…