Moving Forward - Weekly Lectionary Podcast

Luke 21 & Jeremiah 33 - So, there's been a little bit up upheaval in leadership in the States as I prepared for this week. And, since I'm on vacation, I'm not checking the news anymore. So, who knows what is going on. But the more I think about political leaders, the more I need to be reminded that Advent is here, and my job is to prepare to welcome Jesus on the earth. What does that look like? A huge part of it, I think, is to recognize who Jesus is: the Righteous King

John 18:33-37 - On Christ the King Sunday, what is Jesus' real mission? And who are Jesus' real servants? Where is Jesus' real kingdom? And, why is Cory such a picture-taking fool?

Hebrews 10:11-14, 19-25 & Mark 13:1-8 - What can we learn from how Jesus leaves the earthly temple, and from how he enters the Heavenly temple? Well, why do we enter and why do we leave holy spaces? Usually, we enter because we are looking for an encounter with God and an experience of transcendence. And usually we leave because we need to get back to work or normal life, or because we witness something that turns us off so that we don't want to be in that space anymore. I would suggest that this is all true of Jesus. Let's study!

Hebrews 9:24-28 & Mark 12:38-44: Have you ever been nervous to enter a religious space, like when visiting a new church for the first time? I know I have! This week, the lectionary texts talk about how, who and what Jesus welcomes in both the earthly and heavenly temples. And, this week gives me a chance to reflect on a visit to Amritsar.

Hebrews 9:11-14 & Mark 12:28-34 - One of my best friends started a program in New Testament, she loves the learning, but misses academic kindness and fuller inclusion. This experience is all too common in our congregations, as we check kindness at the door in favor of other values. Too often we think only of the one [or two] tables Jesus flipped, and not nearly enough of the hundreds of tables Jesus sat at with folk who thought, worshiped and loved differently. This week the lectionary passages are all about Jesus’ kindness, which, after all, is a full-on fruit of the Spirit.

Hebrews 7:23-38 & Mark 10:46-52 You like show tunes? I know I do! And as I was reading the passages for this week, I couldn't help but think how "wicked"ly aligned they were with being changed for the better and for good. The author of Hebrews talks about how Jesus changes expectations for High Priesthood, and Bar Timaeus experiences a drastic life change for the better, and for good, and acts accordingly.

Hebrews 5:1-10 & Mark 10:35-45 - Have you ever noticed that people in power like to, you know, wield that power? It's fun to be in charge and make other people do what you want them to do! We see this from the playgrounds to the halls of governance, to, sadly, sometimes the Church. But Jesus says it is not to be that way among us!!! What lessons of humble leadership do the lectionary readings call us to this week? Come and listen (but only if you want to...).

Hebrews 4:12-16 & Mark 10:17-31

Blech! That in-between feeling where the action has started, but we haven't accomplished the goals yet. In the doldrums in-between starting a project and turning it in; beginning therapy and actually seeing improvements; starting a new job and actually getting your feet underneath you... How do you remain faithful to the calling, purpose and task while you're in the in-between wilderness? Hebrews and Mark describe faithfulness in the in-between.

Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12 & Mark 10:2-16

Is this the week when we're assigned one of the divorce passages? Yes. Can we locate this passage inside of God's care for humans and Jesus' welcome into a new kind of family? You'd better believe it!

Esther 7 & 9; Mark 9:38-50 - What to do about abuse and genocidal intentions, from the Bible!