Lectio Cascadia

Reading: Psalm 82

God takes his stand in the divine council;

They don’t know; they don’t understand;

I hereby declare, “You are gods,

Rise up, God! Judge the earth

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Reading: Galatians 6:7-16

Make no mistake, God is not mocked. A person will harvest what they plant. Those who plant only for their own benefit will harvest devastation from their selfishness, but those who plant for the benefit of the Spirit will harvest eternal life from the Spirit. Let’s not get tired of doing good, because in time we’ll have a harvest if we don’t give up. So then, let’s work for the good of all whenever we have an opportunity, and especially for those in the household of faith.

Look at the large letters I’m making with my own handwriting! Whoever wants to look good by human standards will try to get you to be circumcised, but only so they won’t be harassed for the cross of Christ. Those who are circumcised don’t observe the Law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised, so they can boast about your physical body.

But as for me, God forbid that I should boast about anything except for the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world has been crucified to me through him, and I have been crucified to the world. Being circumcised or not being circumcised doesn’t mean anything. What matters is a new creation. May peace and mercy be on whoever follows this rule and on God’s Israel.

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Reading: Luke 9:51-62

Not long before it was time for Jesus to be taken up to heaven, he made up his mind to go to Jerusalem. He sent some messengers on ahead to a Samaritan village to get things ready for him. But he was on his way to Jerusalem, so the people there refused to welcome him. When the disciples James and John saw what was happening, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to destroy these people?”

But Jesus turned and corrected them for what they had said. Then they all went on to another village.

Along the way someone said to Jesus, “I’ll go anywhere with you!”

Jesus said, “Foxes have dens, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man doesn’t have a place to call his own.”

Jesus told someone else to come with him. But the man said, “Lord, let me wait until I bury my father.”

Jesus answered, “Let the dead take care of the dead, while you go and tell about God’s kingdom.”

Then someone said to Jesus, “I want to go with you, Lord, but first let me go back and take care of things at home.”

Jesus answered, “Anyone who starts plowing and keeps looking back isn’t worth a thing to God’s kingdom!”

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Reading: Galatians 3:23-29 (my paraphrase)

Before the coming of this allegiance, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the allegiance that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our babysitter until the Anointed One came that we might have holy belonging by holy allegiance. Now that this allegiance has come, we are no longer under a babysitter.

So in the Anointed One, Jesus, you are all children of God through allegiance, for all of you who were baptized into the Anointed One have clothed yourselves with the Anointed One, the Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in the Christ, Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

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Reading: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31

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Lectionary - Acts 2:1-21

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Reading: Psalm 67

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Lectionary: Revelation 21:1-6

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Reading: Acts 9:36-43

I would never have caught the neighborly theme of this episode if it weren't for my friends at the Parish Collective, namely Tim Soerens, Paul Sparks, and Dr. Dwight Friesen. Give them a follow and a shout-out for leading hundreds of folks across the continent in sacred reading exercises of this story of Dorcas.

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