Narrative Lectionary from Working Preacher

When everything feels dead and hope seems lost, can dry bones live again? 

In this powerful episode for the Second Sunday of Advent, hosts Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester explore Ezekiel's stunning vision of the valley of dry bones—a message of hope for exiles who believed they were completely cut off from God.

The conversation unpacks the rich Hebrew word "ruach" (spirit/breath/wind) that runs throughout Ezekiel 37, revealing how God promises to breathe new life into seemingly hopeless situations. Unlike Jeremiah who wrote from Jerusalem to the exiles, Ezekiel himself was living in exile, speaking directly into the despair of a displaced people whose city had been destroyed and who felt abandoned by God.

This isn't just ancient history. Whether you're an individual feeling spiritually dried up, or part of a congregation that seems to have lost its vitality, this text speaks directly to that despair. As the hosts emphasize, the Israelites' lament—"our bones are dried up, our hope is lost, we are cut off completely"—represents the deepest kind of spiritual crisis. Yet God's response through Ezekiel is a vivid, visual promise: I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live.

The discussion highlights how Advent functions as a season of holy waiting and exile, longing for home. Kathryn notes Michael Chan's powerful observation that "Ezekiel's audience lives life with an open wound," and that the journey to genuine hope begins with "a hard stare into the eyes of truth." 

This isn't false optimism—it's hope grounded in the God of life who has the power to bring resurrection even from death-dealing situations.

Whether you're preparing a sermon, teaching a Bible study, or seeking personal encouragement, this episode offers both scholarly insight and pastoral wisdom for one of Scripture's most memorable visions of hope.

TIMECODES:

00:00 Advent Life and Exile

02:54 Ezekiel's Vision of Hope

05:52 The Power of God in Despair

09:00 Understanding Yahweh's Promise

11:07 Hope Amidst Exile

🎧 Listen now and equip yourself for your preaching journey! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with fellow preachers.

Mentioned in this episode:

Celebrate Working Preacher's 19th anniversary!

This fall, Working Preacher is celebrating 19 years as a lectionary resource. Thank you for giving generously to ensure the site's future as a source for Narrative Lectionary resources, including this podcast.

Support Working Preacher

Join Profs. Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester for the Third Sunday of Advent as they explore Isaiah 55:1-13, a climactic prophetic word from the end of Second Isaiah that offers hope at the close of exile.

This episode examines the vivid marketplace imagery of God's free invitation—"Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price"—and unpacks how this passage bridges exile and restoration while pointing toward the incarnation in John's Gospel.

Key Themes Explored: * The marketplace imagery of Isaiah 55 and its evocative call to spiritual nourishment * God's everlasting covenant with David and its messianic significance * The shift from literal food to spiritual sustenance and hope * How covenant relationship transforms celebration beyond surface-level feasting * The expansion of God's covenant to include all nations, not just Israel * Connections between Advent themes and Isaiah's vision of restoration

TIMECODES: 00:00 Hope in Exile: The Message of Isaiah 55 03:01 The Invitation to Spiritual Nourishment 06:33 Feasting and Relationship: Beyond the Surface 08:48 Covenant and Inclusion: A Universal Message

🎧 Listen now and equip yourself for your preaching journey! Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share with fellow preachers.

🔗 Find more episodes and resources here: https://www.workingpreacher.org/.

Follow along with the commentary on Isaiah 55:1-13 written by Michael J. Chan at https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/narrative-lectionary/word-accomplishes-gods-purpose/commentary-on-isaiah-551-13-3.

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/oTLMX-i0L8E.

When everything feels dead and hope seems lost, can dry bones live again?

In this powerful episode for the Second Sunday of Advent, hosts Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester explore Ezekiel's stunning vision of the valley of dry bones—a message of hope for exiles who believed they were completely cut off from God.

The conversation unpacks the rich Hebrew word "ruach" (spirit/breath/wind) that runs throughout Ezekiel 37, revealing how God promises to breathe new life into seemingly hopeless situations. Unlike Jeremiah who wrote from Jerusalem to the exiles, Ezekiel himself was living in exile, speaking directly into the despair of a displaced people whose city had been destroyed and who felt abandoned by God.

This isn't just ancient history. Whether you're an individual feeling spiritually dried up, or part of a congregation that seems to have lost its vitality, this text speaks directly to that despair. As the hosts emphasize, the Israelites' lament—"our bones are dried up, our hope is lost, we are cut off completely"—represents the deepest kind of spiritual crisis. Yet God's response through Ezekiel is a vivid, visual promise: I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live.

The discussion highlights how Advent functions as a season of holy waiting and exile, longing for home. Kathryn notes Michael Chan's powerful observation that "Ezekiel's audience lives life with an open wound," and that the journey to genuine hope begins with "a hard stare into the eyes of truth."

This isn't false optimism—it's hope grounded in the God of life who has the power to bring resurrection even from death-dealing situations.

Whether you're preparing a sermon, teaching a Bible study, or seeking personal encouragement, this episode offers both scholarly insight and pastoral wisdom for one of Scripture's most memorable visions of hope.

TIMECODES: 00:00 Advent Life and Exile 02:54 Ezekiel's Vision of Hope 05:52 The Power of God in Despair 09:00 Understanding Yahweh's Promise 11:07 Hope Amidst Exile

🎧 Listen now and equip yourself for your preaching journey! Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share with fellow preachers.

🔗 Find more episodes and resources here: https://www.workingpreacher.org/.

Follow along with the commentary on Ezekiel 37:1-14 written by Michael J. Chan at https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/narrative-lectionary/ezekiel-valley-of-dry-bones/commentary-on-ezekiel-371-14-12.

📢 Follow us for updates: https://www.facebook.com/workingpreacher

https://www.instagram.com/workingpreacher/

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/1fjYO_GrPX8.

Join Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester as they explore Daniel 3:1 [2-7] 8-30 for the First Sunday of Advent (November 30, 2025).

This episode kicks off the Advent season, a season of hope and reflection. It offers lessons from the Book of Daniel on exile, hope, martyrdom, and humor/satire as one way to exercise faithfulness in the face of authority.  

🎧 Listen now and equip yourself for your preaching journey! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with fellow preachers.

🔗 Find more episodes and resources here: https://www.workingpreacher.org/.

Follow along with the commentary on Daniel 3 written by Mark Hamilton at  https://workingpreacher.org/commentaries/narrative-lectionary/daniel-the-fiery-furnace/commentary-on-daniel-31-2-7-8-30-2.

Mentioned in this episode:

Celebrate Working Preacher's 19th anniversary!

This fall, Working Preacher is celebrating 19 years as a lectionary resource. Thank you for giving generously to ensure the site's future as a source for Narrative Lectionary resources, including this podcast.

Support Working Preacher

Join Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester as they explore Jeremiah 29:1, 4-14 for Christ the King Sunday (November 23, 2025). This powerful episode examines Jeremiah's shocking letter to the Babylonian exiles, where God calls His people not to resist, but to settle down, build homes, and seek the welfare of the very city that conquered them.

The hosts unpack the jarring nature of Jeremiah's message—marry, have children, pray for Babylon—in contrast to the rage expressed in Psalm 137. They explore how this ancient text speaks to anyone finding themselves in an unexpected place or life circumstance, offering hope through one of Scripture's most famous promises: "For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).

This episode offers fresh perspective on exile, hope, and what it means to live faithfully in a mixed society while maintaining covenant relationship with God. Perfect preparation for Advent's themes of hope and waiting.

🎧 Listen now and equip yourself for your preaching journey! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with fellow preachers.

🔗 Find more episodes and resources here: https://www.workingpreacher.org/.

Follow along with the commentary on Jeremiah 29:1, 4-14 written by Michael J. Chan at https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/narrative-lectionary/jeremiahs-letter-to-exiles/commentary-on-jeremiah-291-4-14-6.

📢 Follow us for updates: https://www.facebook.com/workingpreacher https://www.instagram.com/workingpreacher/

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/8OC47zmtgCQ.

#narrativelectionary  #biblecommentary  #workingpreacher

Mentioned in this episode:

Celebrate Working Preacher's 19th anniversary!

This fall, Working Preacher is celebrating 19 years as a lectionary resource. Thank you for giving generously to ensure the site's future as a source for Narrative Lectionary resources, including this podcast.

Support Working Preacher

Join Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester as they explore Isaiah 9 in this week's Narrative Lectionary podcast. Moving from the northern prophets to the southern kingdom, the hosts examine Isaiah's vision of hope and justice centered in Jerusalem.

This familiar passage—"For unto us a child is born"—is often associated with Advent and Handel's Messiah, but what did it mean in its original context? The conversation unpacks Isaiah's prophecy during a time of Assyrian invasion, the connection to King Hezekiah's reign, and the enduring themes of justice (mishpat) and righteousness (tzedekah) that echo through the prophetic tradition.

The hosts wrestle with the tension between Isaiah's vision of endless peace and our present reality of ongoing conflict. How do we hold both the promise of Christ's birth and the "not yet" fulfillment of complete peace? Discover how prophetic hope functions not as self-generated optimism, but as a shaft of light piercing the darkness—God's future breaking into our present and pulling us forward.

This episode offers fresh perspective on a well-known text, connecting it to David's covenant, the broader prophetic witness, and the already-but-not-yet reality of God's kingdom.

TIMECODES: 00:00 Introduction to Isaiah and Prophetic Themes 03:05 The Context of Isaiah's Message 05:58 The Dissonance of Promise and Reality 09:01 Hope Amidst Darkness

🎧 Listen now and equip yourself for your preaching journey! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with fellow preachers.

🔗 Find more episodes and resources here: https://www.workingpreacher.org/.

Follow along with the commentary on Isaiah 9:1-7 written by Mark Hamilton at https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/narrative-lectionary/isaiah-a-child-is-born/commentary-on-isaiah-91-7-5.

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/NtEa6nfk0gE.

#narrativelectionary  #biblecommentary  #workingpreacher

Mentioned in this episode:

Celebrate Working Preacher's 19th anniversary!

This fall, Working Preacher is celebrating 19 years as a lectionary resource. Thank you for giving generously to ensure the site's future as a source for Narrative Lectionary resources, including this podcast.

Support Working Preacher

Join Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester as they explore the powerful message of the prophet Amos in this week's episode of I Love to Tell the Story, a podcast on the Narrative Lectionary for November 9th, 2025.

The prophet Amos brings one of the most challenging messages in Scripture—calling out the disconnect between religious observance and social justice. Though he was a farmer from the Southern Kingdom, Amos was sent to speak truth to power in the Northern Kingdom around 760-780 BCE. His ministry may have lasted only two years, but his words continue to resonate today.

In this episode, we discuss: * The meaning of "The Lord roars from Zion" and Amos's prophetic mission * The dangerous disconnect between piety and justice * What biblical justice (mishpat) and righteousness (tzedek) really mean * Why Amos declares "I hate, I despise your festivals" * The call to "let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream" * How this message connects to modern calls for justice, including Martin Luther King Jr.'s use of Amos

As one of the hosts shares: "If you like the prophet Amos, you don't understand him." This episode will challenge you to examine the gap between religious practice and care for the vulnerable in our own time.

TIMECODES: 00:00 Introduction to Amos and Contextual Background 02:47 The Call for Justice and Social Awareness 05:51 Understanding Justice and Righteousness 08:51 The Nature of Seeking God 12:18 Conclusion and Reflection on Amos' Message 14:21  Outro

🎧 Listen now and equip yourself for your preaching journey! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with fellow preachers.

🔗 Find more episodes and resources here: https://www.workingpreacher.org/.

Follow along with the commentary on Amos 1:1-2; 5:14-15, 21-24 written by Mark Hamilton at https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/narrative-lectionary/amos-justice-rolls-down/commentary-on-amos-11-2-514-15-21-24-4.

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/FlUrAIfZK6U.

In this episode of "I Love to Tell the Story," hosts Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester explore one of the most dramatic narratives in the Hebrew Bible: Elijah's journey to Mount Horeb and his encounter with God in the "sound of sheer silence" (or "still small voice").

After his dramatic victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, the prophet Elijah flees from Queen Jezebel's threats and travels from the northern territories all the way to Mount Horeb in the south—literally going "off the map." Exhausted and despairing, Elijah asks God to take his life, claiming he alone is left faithful to God.

But God has other plans. In a powerful theophany (divine appearance), God shows Elijah that the divine presence is not in the mighty wind, earthquake, or fire—as it was for Moses—but in the sound of sheer silence. God redirects the self-righteous prophet back to his calling, reminding him that he's not alone and that his work isn't finished yet.

The hosts discuss how this passage functions as a mirror for our own tendencies toward self-righteousness, the importance of reading it dramatically to capture its emotional depth, and how God's gracious persistence calls us out of ourselves and into service for others.

TIMECODES: 00:00 Introduction to the Narrative Lectionary 02:06 Elijah's Journey and Emotional Turmoil 08:16 God's Communication and the Theophany 11:49 Elijah's Vocation and God's Call 12:47 Conclusion and Reflection on God's Grace

🎧 Listen now and equip yourself for your preaching journey! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with fellow preachers.

🔗 Find more episodes and resources here: https://www.workingpreacher.org/.

Follow along with the commentary on 1 Kings 19:1-18 written by Mark Hamilton at https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/narrative-lectionary/god-speaks-to-elijah/commentary-on-1-kings-191-18-5.

📢 Follow us for updates: https://www.facebook.com/workingpreacher https://www.instagram.com/workingpreacher/

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/9B5UxVg2QDw.

#narrativelectionary #lutherseminary #workingpreacher

Mentioned in this episode:

Celebrate Working Preacher's 19th anniversary!

This fall, Working Preacher is celebrating 19 years as a lectionary resource. Thank you for giving generously to ensure the site's future as a source for Narrative Lectionary resources, including this podcast.

Support Working Preacher

Join Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester on "I Love to Tell the Story" as they explore the narrative lectionary reading for October 26th, focusing on the building of Solomon's Temple from 1 Kings 8:1-13.

In this episode, the hosts discuss the transition from King David's reign to his son Solomon, who fulfills David's vision of building a permanent temple for worship. They examine how the temple serves as a central place where God's presence is "intensified" while not confining God to a single location - similar to how we understand the sacraments today.

Key topics covered: * The significance of the Ark of the Covenant and the stone tablets at the temple's heart * How the covenant relationship ("I will be your God, you will be my people") remains central to worship * The connection between this reading and Reformation Sunday * Personal reflections on visiting St. Peter's Basilica and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher * The importance of communal worship versus privatized religion * How sacred spaces connect us to the communion of saints across centuries

The hosts bring their expertise from Luther Seminary to illuminate how this ancient story speaks to contemporary questions about worship, community, and God's presence among us.

🎧 Listen now and equip yourself for your preaching journey! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with fellow preachers.

🔗 Find more episodes and resources here: https://www.workingpreacher.org/.

Follow along with the commentary on 1 Kings 5:1-5; 8:1-13 written by Amy G. Oden at https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/narrative-lectionary/solomons-temple-2/commentary-on-1-kings-51-5-81-13-4.

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/lDjDrts7gYU.

#1kings #preaching #narrativelectionary #biblecommentary #workingpreacher

Mentioned in this episode:

Celebrate Working Preacher's 19th anniversary!

This fall, Working Preacher is celebrating 19 years as a lectionary resource. Thank you for giving generously to ensure the site's future as a source for Narrative Lectionary resources, including this podcast.

Support Working Preacher

Join hosts Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester as they dive deep into one of the most compelling stories from the Hebrew Bible - the call and anointing of David from 1 Samuel 16:1-13, paired with the powerful verses from Psalm 51 about creating a clean heart.

In this episode, we explore: * Why Samuel's mission to anoint David was an act of treason * The dramatic irony of Samuel falling into the same trap he's warned against - judging by appearances * The ancient symbolism of shepherds as kings throughout the Near East * How God's value system clashes with human expectations of leadership * The Hebrew understanding of "heart" as the seat of wisdom and discernment, not just emotion * Why the youngest son pattern appears throughout Scripture * How David's capacity for repentance becomes more important than his perfection

This podcast explores the Narrative Lectionary, offering fresh insights into familiar Bible stories and their relevance for today's world. Whether you're a pastor preparing for Sunday, a student of Scripture, or someone seeking deeper understanding of these ancient texts, this conversation will challenge how you think about leadership, calling, and God's surprising choices.

🎧 Listen now and equip yourself for your preaching journey! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with fellow preachers.

🔗 Find more episodes and resources here: https://www.workingpreacher.org/.

Follow along with the commentary on 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 51:10-14 written by Amy G. Oden at https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/narrative-lectionary/god-calls-david/commentary-on-1-samuel-161-13-psalm-5110-14-4.

Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/UU72mewxkX4.

Mentioned in this episode:

Celebrate Working Preacher's 19th anniversary!

This fall, Working Preacher is celebrating 19 years as a lectionary resource. Thank you for giving generously to ensure the site's future as a source for Narrative Lectionary resources, including this podcast.

Support Working Preacher