My Favorite Text Study

A collegial conversation with diverse voices around the Church about the lectionary texts for the coming Sunday.

We are back after a short fall break with a wonderful conversation with Pastor Heidi Torgerson. Pastor Heidi serves at Grace Lutheran Church (ELCA) in La Grange, IL. Pastor Heidi also writes a Substack newsletter, Tender Resistance, about the ministry she and her congregation do accompanying our immigrant neighbors, particularly at the local ICE detention center.

We are discussing the texts for October 18, 2026 (Lectionary 29A/Proper 24A). The texts are

Isaiah 45:1-7

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Matthew 22:15-22

What does Jesus mean when he says to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and render unto God what is God's?

Is this really a lesson in taxes...or do we learn more from the way Jesus disarms the political trap? What traps try to catch us?

Join the conversation on these texts over at the free My Favorite Text Study Substack.

There will be no text study for next week, October 25. See you in two weeks with a line up of more wonderful guests and diverse voices from around the Church!

Welcome to this week's conversation about the texts in the Revised Common Lectionary for September 20, 2026. My guest this week is Pastor Kathy Disbro Morris. Pastor Kathy serves at Holy Cross Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Reno, NV.

This week we are discussing the texts for Lectionary 25A (Proper 20A):

Jonah 3:10 - 4:11

Psalm 145:1-8

Philippians 1:21-30

Matthew 20:1-16

Pastor Kathy also just self-published her first novel! You can check it out on Amazon: Finally Home: A Story of Faith, Forgiveness, and Second Chances, by Kathy Disbro

Intro: 0:00 - 1:17

Preaching Context: 1:18 - 6:46

Announcing the Texts: 6:47 - 7:22

When God forgives our enemies: 7:23 - 11:54

What's fair and what's just: 11:55 - 16:52

Who is first in the Christian community?: 16:53 - 23:44

God always creates room for more: 23:45 - 27:16

Reward Vs. Grace: 27:17 - 30:34

The solution to envy and coveting: 30:35 - 34:00

What's the "for you": 34:00 - 38:30

Philippians: 38:31 - 44:20

Preaching "hack": 44:21 - 46:24

Conclusion and prayer: 46:25 - end

Referenced: Matthew Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, by Douglas Hare (John Knox Press, Knoxville, TN: 1993)

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This week Pastor Maria Rojas-Banda, pastor at Misión Luterana Unidad de Berwyn (Unity Lutheran Church) joins the text study as we talk about the lectionary texts for Sunday, September 13, 2026, particularly about what it means to forgive.

Pastor Maria points out that while we often think of forgiveness as a favor we do for someone else, the true power of forgiveness happens within ourselves, as we let go of resentment, hatred, and animosity. Of course, this is easier said than done. The grace we receive from God through Jesus is what allows us to forgive ourselves, which, in turn, makes it possible for us to forgive others.

This text is difficult for people -- because forgiveness is a complicated subject. What is on your mind as you think about the texts this week?

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Another solo episode! I'll be talking about the Lectionary texts for Lectionary 23A (Proper 18A), which are the scripture texts for Sunday, September 6, 2026. In these texts we have some very practical advice about conflict resolution, wrapped up in Jesus' teaching about what it means to be part of the faith community he is creating.

Ezekiel 33:7-11

Psalm 119:33-40

Romans 13:8-14

Matthew 18:15-20

Tune in next week when our guests return!

Intro and texts: 0:00 - 1:24

Sermon series idea: 1:25 - 4:04

Matthew 18 and direct conflict resolution: 4:05 - 7:08

Conflict and the community: 7:09 - 12:52

Speaking the difficult truth: 12:53 - 16:00

The good news: 16:01 - 19:38

My preaching hacks: 19:39 - 22:27

Prayer and end: 22:28 - end

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Welcome to the first solo episode of My Favorite Text Study! While this podcast is built around collegial conversation around the texts for the Revised Common Lectionary for the coming Sunday, sometimes calendars don't line up. I hope you will enjoy my thoughts about the texts for Sunday, August 30, 2026.

This week I introduce you to my preaching context. I serve as pastor at Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church, ELCA, in Chicago, IL. Next week you'll get to hear my preaching hack!

The texts are from Lectionary 22/Proper 17 A

Jeremiah 15:15-21

Psalm 26:1-8

Romans 12:9-21

Matthew 16:21-28

I will spend much of the time talking about the power of a theology of the cross and the ways that our theologies of glory so often become the cause of our suffering.

I hope you enjoy the conversation. And remember, it' s not a conversation without other voices! Join the free community at Substack and share your thoughts about what you heard on the podcast, as well as what you are wrestling with this week.

Intro: 0:00 - 1:46

Preaching Context: 1:47 - 4:11

Announcing the Texts: 4:12 - 4:36

Jeremiah -- A startling turn: 4:37 -- 11:24

Matthew -- It is necessary: 11:25 - 19:00

Theology of the Cross: 19:01 - 22:26

Romans - More persecution!: 22:27 - 24:29

Final Thoughts: 24:30 - end

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And, no, not fishing for people. The podcast is on vacation this week. I hope you are also finding opportunities for sabbath as the summer season draws to a close. Be sure to join me next week for the first solo episode of My Favorite Text Study. And I have some wonderful guests lined up this fall.

Have you been enjoying the podcast? Please consider taking a moment to leave a 5 star review and share the podcast with a friend or colleague. My Favorite Text Study is a great opportunity for both preachers and lay people to engage with the texts for the coming Sunday.

I look forward to you joining me again next week!

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This is a good week to start your sermon prep early, my friends -- this Gospel reading is a doozy! But don't worry, My Favorite Text Study is here to wrestle with the texts along with you. My conversation partner this week is Pastor Kyle Severson, lead pastor at St. Luke's Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Park Ridge, IL, a suburb of Chicago. I don't think we come out of the conversation with any easy answers...but this is a text that invites us deep into the hardest questions.

This conversation is around the texts for Lectionary 20/Proper 15A

Isaiah 56:1, 6-8 

Psalm 67

Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32

Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28

As always, you are invited to be part of the conversation. You can use the comments here, on Facebook (My Favorite Text Study) or join the community over on Substack (My Favorite Text Study is free to join).

And as we finish up episode six, I'd love to hear from you about what you find helpful and what would make this podcast even better. I want this to be a real resource for those of us who preach and those who want to dig deep into the scriptures. I also hope we will form a collegial community around this podcast. Please share your thoughts with me at [email protected]

Intro: 0:00 - 3:07

Preaching context: 3:08 - 5:14

Announcing the texts: 5:15 - 5:46

This gospel is tough!: 5:47 - 8:04

Parallels to earlier stories: 8:05 - 11:10

Challenging views of Jesus: 11:11 - 18:33

The woman's faith: 18:34 - 26:18

Practicing faithfulness: 26:19 - 28:04

What about verses 10 - 20: 28:05 - 32:15

Romans and Isaiah - Expanding the mission: 32:15 - 44:39

Preaching hack: 44:40 - 46:37

Prayer and conclusion: 46:38 - end

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Welcome to this week's text study! This week I am talking about the texts for Lectionary 19/Proper 14A with Pastor Julie Blum. Pastor Julie serves as pastor at Maple Leaf Lutheran Church in Seattle, WA. This week's texts are

1 Kings 19:9-18

Psalm 85:8-13

Romans 10:5-15

Matthew 14:22-33

If you like what you heard, please consider giving us a five star review and sharing the episode with someone you think would enjoy it. And don't forget to join the conversation over at Substack, where you can share your thoughts on the text.

Intro: 0:00 - 1:33

Preaching context: 1:34 - 4:34

Announcing the texts: 4:35 - 4:59

A joke!: 5:00 - 6:24

Wind, waves, and Jesus: 6:25 - 21:15

Fear and doubt: 21:16 - 28:19

Who is this really about?: 28:20 - 31:08

1 Kings - Elijah's complaint: 31:09 - 37:44

Echoes of Jonah?: 37:45 - 38:47

Romans -- it's still all about Jesus: 38:48 - 44:41

Preaching hack and finishing up: 44:42 - 46:20

Prayer and end: 46:21 - end

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Today I am joined by Pastor Katie Mueller, pastor at Bethany Lutheran Church in Crystal Lake, IL. We are discussing the texts for Lectionary 18/Proper 13 A, which will be read on Sunday, August 2, 2026.

Isaiah 55:1-5; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:13-21

Don't forget to head over to Substack and join in the online conversation about this week's texts!

Intro: 0:00 - 0:30

Preaching Context: 0:30 - 1:54

Announcing the Texts: 1:55 - 2:30

God's Abundance: 2:30 - 4:12

Isaiah 55: 4:13 - 13:23

Gospel - Feeding the Multitude: 13:24 - 19:47

Miracle even in Grief: 19:48 - 25:10

Eucharistic Connections: 25:11 - 26:31

What about the Leftovers?: 26:32 - 34:54

Romans -- Challenge and Gift: 34:55 - 41:19

A Few More Thoughts: 41:20 - 44:34

Preaching Hack: 44:35 - 47:18

Prayer and Conclusion: 47:19 - 49:01

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Today's text study is for Sunday, July 26, 2026.

The texts are

1 Kings 3:5-12; Romans 8:26-39; Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

My guest today is Pastor Bobby Lewis, the pastor of Joy Life Center, a new mission start in Chicago, IL.

Join the conversation on Facebook on the My Favorite Text Study page or on Substack. I'd love to hear what you are thinking about as you plan to preach this week!

Intro: 0:00 - 1:54

Welcome and Context: 1:55 - 4:43

Announcing the Texts: 4:44 - 5:17

1 Kings: Wisdom vs. Capitalism: 5:18 - 10:34

Romans: All Things are Good?: 10:35 - 19:31

Living Sacrifice: 19:32 - 26:16

Gospel: Counter-Cultural Signs: 26:17 - 33:16

The Unexpected Treasure: 33:17 - 40:39

Conclusion and Preaching Hack: 40:40 - 45:05

Prayer and End: 45:06- 47:51