Moving Forward - Weekly Lectionary Podcast

Romans 12:9-21 & Matthew 16:21-28 - Whatever else, Christians cannot participate in state violence.

Isaiah 51:1-6; Psalm 138; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20

So many folks are only worried about believing the right thing. And, don't get be wrong, believing wrong stuff is harmful. Also, belief is not nearly enough to build up the Kingdom of Heaven. Belief demands actions, as the lectionary texts for this week show.

Isaiah 56:`, 6-8; Psalm 67; Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32; Matthew 15:10-28 - So much of the national political discourse in the States is talking about foreigners and foreignness. Well, the Bible isn't exactly silent on the topic...

1 Kings 19:9-18 & Matthew 14:22-33 - Elijah on Mt. Horeb and Jesus walking on the water aren't the most closely related passages, until we see some beautiful symmetry comparing worship to kisses.

Isaiah 55:1-5; Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21; Matthew 114:13-21

"An unplowed field produces food for the poor, but injustice sweeps it away!" - Proverbs 13:23

This week, the lectionary texts take aim at how greed and markets lead to material inequity and distraction from God's words.

Psalm 119:129-136 & Matthew 13:31-33. 44-52 - Look, we all have our favorite books of the Bible, and those that we usually steer clear of, right? This week in the readings, Jesus makes a case for reading the whole collection of Scripture!

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 - "It's a parable, people!" In which Jesus tells his followers that their actions really do matter, and that making life more difficult for folks and being anti-law, are really, really bad.

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 - Look, I'm not going to try to play it cool. I love the parables. I think they are some of the best stuff we've got in the New Testament. But why parables? And, why does the context in which we hear the word matter so much?

Zech 9:9-12 & Matthew 1:16-30 - If "good news" is just for brains and future hopes, is it THE good news? Jesus didn't think so. No one is talking prosperity gospel around here. At the same time, becoming a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven should change embodied realities. Who do we eat with, what do we say [or not say], how do we move around or theorize space and inclusion? These were all issues that Jesus' first followers, and every follower of Jesus since, has had to rethink in light of the Good News.

Jeremiah 28:5-9 and Matthew 10:40-42 - You know the injunction - welcome a prophet as a prophet and receive a prophet's reward. But how do you know who is really speaking for God, and who is claiming to be a prophet to advance their own agenda? Jesus and Jeremiah have some lessons for us.