Tripp Fuller

Bruce Reyes-Chow joins the LectioCast, and God tries to convince him to rejoice. He resists… but only for a while.

Zephaniah 3:14-20  Bruce doesn’t want us to get too crazy about celebration without taking stock of where it comes from. Daniel draws attention to the beautiful peculiar. And then, what does it mean to be a gathered people, and how do we embody that divine action?

Isaiah 12:2-6 Here Bruce gets personal: we have to be able to articulate what salvation means to us or else our attempts to preach on it are going to fall flat.

Philippians 4:4-7 Rejoicing, being a people of gentleness, being anxious for notion, and receiving God’s peace—all seem to demand a sustained posture of trust. What if I don’t have to be in control for the world to be set to rights?

Luke 3:7-18 We wonder aloud whether anyone is going to preach on this?! John goes apocalyptic on the crowds, and promises that Jesus will be the executor of his warnings about a purging fire. There’s also a challenging thread about financial justice in the middle, one that we might practice enacting with our communities.

Footnote: Mark Scandrette’s guidebook for experimenting with handling our money and time (including “Have Two, Give One”): Free: Spending Your Time and Money on What Matters Most.

Bruce Reyes-Chow 

A 3rd Generation Chinese/Filipino, armchair sociologist, and technology enthusiast Bruce writes, speaks, and teaches on faith, race, parenting, and technology in a variety contexts from seminaries to conferences to congregations to pre-schools.

Bruce has been a Presbyterian pastor for 20 years serving multi-generational, multicultural, and urban congregations in San Francisco. He was also the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA) from 2008-2010.

Bruce is a sporadic blogger and has written three books: The Definitive-ish Guide for Using Social Media in the Church (Shookfoil Books, 2012), and But I Don’t See You as Asian: Curating Conversations about Race (2013), 40 Days, 40, Prayers, 40 Words: Lenten Reflections for Everyday Life (WJK Press, 2016)

Bruce lives in San Francisco with is wife, three daughters, and two canines. You can connect with Bruce on most social networks via @breyeschow

Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, blogger, and New Testament professor who lives in San Francisco, CA. He holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of a pair of books, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is off to the printers. He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (jrdkirk.com). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

Micha Boyett joins the LectioCast to talk through the business of waiting on the Lord for Advent week 2. We uncover how the biblical texts expect a beautified people waiting for a beautiful and celebrated arrival of God.

Malachi 3:1-4  Micha draws our attention to how much time is spent focusing on the messenger rather than the Lord himself. We see again that what we are waiting for is divine safety.

Luke 1:68-79 We ask the recurring question, Who are our enemies from whom we need to be saved? In the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks this question and how we respond to it carries added potency. How do we name enemies for the purpose of praying for forgiveness, and in such a way as to not be afraid?

Philippians 1:3-11 We see a beautiful picture of shared life together in Christ, intimate partnership, and hope for what the church can be. And we also learn what Daniel’s life verse was—the one with which he signed all his letters in his pious days!

Luke 3:1-6 Luke sets the global stage of Jesus’ arrival (including Texas?!) in order to set us up for a story that is good news for all people. Micha invites us to soak in the beauty of the metaphors. And maybe to listen to Handel’s Messiah again.

 Micha Boyett is the author of Found: A Story Questions, Grace, and Everyday Prayer. She’s passionate about monasticism and ancient Christian spiritual practices and how they inform the contemporary life of faith. She writes about prayer, motherhood, and her new journey with Down syndrome at michaboyett.com.  Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, blogger, and New Testament professor who lives in San Francisco, CA. He holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of a pair of books, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is off to the printers. He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (jrdkirk.com). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

Daniel was joined by his beloved brother, Alex Kirk, who helped shine all kinds of preaching light on passages about the reign of God’s faithful king.

2 Samuel 23:1-7 Daniel wants us to incorporate people into worship—his pet heresy. Alex directs the conversation toward how God names us and identifies us as God’s own. Daniel reinterprets it through Jesus. As he does.

Psalm 132:1-12 (13-18) A song of David that shows us how the Kingdom moves: we move God to remember, we invite God to join the spaces we already occupy, the presence of God moves into the place where the righteous king is enthroned.

Revelation 1:4b-8 A piling up of titles for Jesus as ruling king. Christ is enthroned as resurrected king—hope for people who might have to pass through death themselves.

John 18:33-37 Jesus’ kingship and kingdom—not from the world, but present in this world anyway.

Alex Kirk is the Lead Pastor at Chatham Community Church in Pittsboro, NC. He served on InterVarsity staff for sixteen years and was the lead editor on the latest rendition of InterVarsity’s Small Group Leader Handbook. You can find his Sunday’s Best Three Minutes video series at the Chatham Church Facebook Page.

Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, blogger, and New Testament professor who lives in San Francisco, CA. He holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of a pair of books, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is off to the printers. He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (jrdkirk.com). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

Carol Howard Merritt joined Daniel to kick off the new Lectionary year with some reflections on faithful waiting.

Jeremiah 33:14-16  Carol reflects on biblical anticipations of the future that should expel our fear in hope of safety. Daniel rides his human-representatives-of-God hobby horse.

Psalm 25:1-10 Carol runs the ideas of trust and waiting through the lens of pregnancy. (This is exactly why we have women on during Advent—a gender bias whose value Carol confirms!)

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 From waiting on God to waiting on and hoping for an earthly reunion. At its best, community is a source of joy—and people who can hold my faith for me when I cannot hold it myself.

Luke 21:25-36 Is this about Jesus’ future return? Or Jesus’ enthronement? How does the Kingdom of God come near? Lots of questions linger over this passage. Carol brings some environmental redemption.

Don’t dissipate and debauch!

 Rev. Carol Howard Merritt (@CarolHoward) is a Senior Consultant for the Center for Progressive Renewal. She is the award-winning author of Tribal Church (Alban) and Reframing Hope (Alban) and a frequent contributor to books, websites, magazines, and journals. She is a regular columnist at the Christian Century where her blog is hosted. She’s a Presbyterian (USA) minister whose writing, speaking, and teaching is anchored in theological and sociological insight. Visit: http://www.carolhowardmerritt.org/ Follow her blog at http://tribalchurch.org.

Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, blogger, and New Testament professor who lives in San Francisco, CA. He holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of a pair of books, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is off to the printers. He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (jrdkirk.com). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.

Daniel was joined by folks from around the world for the second ever Periscope party recording session. Unfortunately, he doesn’t speak Turkish. That liability aside, the readings for the penultimate Sunday of the church year took us into the liminal space between those actions of God we have seen and the acts of God we hope for in the future.

1 Samuel 1:4-20 We try to map childlessness and birth within the larger picture of God’s work at decisive moments in Israel’s story. And we remember not to let our piety keep us from challenging the ways God is absent or neglectful.

1 Samuel 2:1-10 A song that celebrates the birth of a child, but with geopolitical overtones. Conquered enemies? The upside down economy of the kingdom of God runs right through the song—pair it with the Beatitudes and you’re good to go.

Hebrews 10:11-14, (15-18), 19-25 The last days are inaugurated, and yet there is waiting. The fulfillment and the “end” has begun, but there is still waiting in hope. Psalm 110 awaits if full and final fulfillment. I even drop a three-point sermon for you!

Mark 13:1-8 Jesus prophesying about Jerusalem’s destruction. And let’s all calm down about “I am.” Then we have to wrestle, again, with how the deliverance of God’s people and geopolitical transformation come hand-in-hand.

Daniel Kirk is a writer, speaker, blogger, and New Testament professor who lives in San Francisco, CA. He holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Duke University and is the author of a pair of books, Unlocking Romans: Resurrection and the Justification of God and Jesus Have I Loved, but Paul? His third book A Man Attested by God: the Human Jesus of the Synoptic Gospels, is off to the printers. He blogs regularly at StoriedTheology.com  (jrdkirk.com). You can follow him on Twitter @jrdkirk and on Facebook at Facebook.com/jrdkirk.