Tuesday Lectionary Leanings~~Entertaining angels unaware edition

Lord Jesus Christ, make those who love you, and who love you in return, mirrors of you to those who are unloving; that being drawn to your image they may reproduce it in themselves, light reflecting light, love kindling love, until God is all in all. Amen. After Christina Rossetti, 1894

Frank T. Griswold. Praying Our Days: A Guide and Companion (Kindle Locations 800-802). Kindle Edition. 

September 1! NO way.

I am so not ready for the end of summer (in fact I am still on vacation as I write this,) but here we are. In the U.S. we will be celebrating Labor Day weekend, many of us are gearing up for a new program year, and kids have either returned to school or will be doing so in the next few days. My oldest granddaughter is starting kindergarten tomorrow! This weekend my congregation will be joining others in our deanery for an end of summer picnic and outdoor Eucharist, complete with baptism. Appropriately enough our RCL readings for this 15th Sunday after Pentecost focus (in part at least) on the theme of hospitality.

Our Hebrew scripture reading from the prophet Jeremiah finds Jeremiah voicing God's lament that the people God brought out of Egypt have in essence abandoned the hospitality that awaited them in the promised land--both the abundance of the land and the largesse of God's love. Instead they have defiled the land and worshipped false gods, exchanging "their glory for something that does not profit," and digging out "cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns, that can hold no water." How much do those charges apply to the ways we choose to live today?  

Our new testament reading continues with the letter to the Hebrews. This section echoes the call to radical hospitality we hear in Jesus' teaching in the gospels (it especially brings Matthew to mind for me, but perhaps that is because Matthew is my favorite gospel.) This passage also hearkens back to Abraham's visit from the weary travelers, who were in fact angels in disguise. How often might we entertain angels unaware? And how often have we turned them away?

This week's gospel finds Jesus under close scrutiny as he joins some Pharisees for a Sabbath meal. Sabbath meals were times for gathering together family and friends, and in a culture where status was extremely important, one can imagine that there might have been some jockeying for invitations, and for the seats of honor. Jesus wants no part of that; in fact in counsels the arriving guests to take the lowest seats, and advises his hosts that in the future they should invite not those who will reciprocate in kind, but rather the poor and lowly who have no way of returning the kindness. How often is our hospitality tied to at least an implicit expectation that we will get "credit" for it? And can we let go of that?

So where are you headed on this first Sunday in September?  Are you winding up a summer series? Having a fall kick off? Riffing off Labor Day? Perhaps you'll choose the alternative readings from Sirach or Proverbs or focus on a psalm. Join the conversation whether you have questions, inspiration, or just want to say hi! The welcome mat is out, and the coffee is on!

Tuesday Lectionary Leanings~~Can I do that on Sunday? edition

Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. 

I'm getting ready for the second part of my vacation (time with family--hurrah!) so my mind is firmly fixed on "summer" but the brisk weather of the last few days reminds me that fall is just around the corner. Many of us are knee deep in preparations for the start-up of fall activities, but we still have those sermons to prepare. Do you know where you're headed for this week, the 14th Sunday after Pentecost?

For those of us following the RCL (readings here) we have a choice between two prophets for our first reading. We hear the story of the call of the prophet Jeremiah. This passage is evocative, both in the way God says,  "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you," and in the way Jeremiah responds to God's call and is reassured --haven't many of us experienced something like this? The alternative reading comes from Isaiah, so-called 'third Isaiah' this time, in which the prophet speaks to a post-exilic community, admonishing a people struggling to rebuild their vanquished city to remember their obligations to care for others and to honor God sincerely and promising God's blessings if they do so.

The new testament reading comes once again from the letter to the Hebrews and like the reading from Isaiah, both admonishes its hearer to remember their duty to God and encourages them on their way, reminding them that , "indeed, our God is a consuming fire."

In our gospel reading we continue to follow Jesus on his way to Jerusalem. It's the Sabbath and we find him teaching once again in a synagogue, where he encounters a woman bent over and unable to stand straight. When he heals this woman, the authorities call him out for breaking the Sabbath; Jesus responds, justifying his action and reminding us that our traditions can become hindrances when we adhere to them too strictly or for the wrong reasons.

Are you hearing God's words speaking to you yet? Feeling pulled in one direction or another? Finishing up a summer series? Wherever you're head, wherever you're floundering for that matter, join the discussion! We need each other!

Tuesday Lectionary Leanings~~Bringing fire to the earth edition

God of all the nations,
you rescued your people out of the Red Sea
and delivered Rahab from battle;
you rescue the lowly and needy from injustice and tribulation.
Surround us with so great a cloud of witnesses
that we may have faith to live by your word in our time,
courage to persevere in the race set before us,
and endurance in the time of trial. Amen.

It's that time of year: for some vacations are in full swing and for others the school year is beginning. And in the RCL, the readings are full of division and discord, warnings and judgment, interwoven with notes of faith and hope. Is this enough to get your preaching juices going?

We begin with a reading from the prophet Isaiah, who uses the analogy of a carefully planted and tended vineyard nonetheless producing wild grapes to describe what God has in store for God's chosen people if they don't mend their ways.The other OT choice comes from Jeremiah, who warns against prophets who preach word they were not commissioned to speak. Is not my [true} word like fire God asks. 

The gospel passage promises fire as well as Jesus announces that he comes to bring not peace but division, setting families one against another. The NT reading from the letter to the Hebrews provides the most hopeful note, as Paul continues to rehearse God's mighty acts of salvation in response to faith. 

These are not easy readings; how do you handle Jesus' hard sayings? Where do you find the Good News? Are you leaving these readings aside for the narrative lectionary or a summer series? Join the discussion and let us know where the Word is beckoning this week-- and if inspiration is yet to hit, join in anyway. Often one preacher's questions become another  preacher's fodder. 

Tuesday Lectionary Leanings ~~ Getting ready edition

• God of justice,
  your word is light and truth.
  Let your face shine on us to restore us,
  that we may walk in your way,
  seeking justice and doing good. Amen.    Prayer from here...  
• I'm on vacation this Sunday and the next, and I am keenly aware of how quickly our summer is passing! Here we are, the second Sunday in August, and many are deep into preparations for the resumption of full schedules after a summer slowdown and the onslaught of fall programs. And being ready is one of the themes for this  12th Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 14C. If you are following the RCL, the readings may be found here; if you are following the Narrative Lectionary, check here; if you are off lectionary, you tell us!
• The RCL readings this week are full of advice -- direct and indirect -- for people of faith trying to live what they believe. The Hebrew scripture comes from the opening passages of the Prophet Isaiah where we hear Isaiah's opening barrage of warnings to the people: all the sacrifice and incense and worship in the world is pointless if you are not "willing and obedient." That message can hit home in today's church as we figure out how that church can exist - and flourish - in the 21st century. The alternative OT reading comes from Genesis and calls us to faith as we hear the story of the childless Abram and God's promise that his descendants will be as numerous at the stars in the heavens.
  
• Faith faith continues as the theme in the NT reading from the letter to the Hebrews. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Paul writes, and then goes on to recall how God fulfilled his promise to the faithful Abram, and what that meant for those descendants going forward.
• Perhaps the most pointed advice comes in our gospel reading from Luke. We are deep into Jesus' travel narrative as he heads towards Jerusalem, teaching the twelve and those who follow along as make their way from town to town. We hear Jesus proffering a number of tidbits of advice, but the overall theme is to be ready--be reading for the coming of the Son of Man. And the underlying subtext might be heard as one of economic justice and stewardship.
  
  So where are you headed, preachers, in these dog days of summer? Here, there, wherever, join the conversation with questions, insights, whines. whatever you've got. 

Tuesday Lectionary Leanings~~Foxes have holes edition

• Beckoning God,
  as you moved in the lives of Elijah and Elisha,
  move in our lives,
  inviting us to journey to unknown territory,
  to listen for your voice,
  and to speak your prophetic word
  in a world that does not want to hear.
  empowered by your Spirit,
  grant us the courage we need
  to journey, trust, listen, speak,
  and accept your commission
                                                to be your faithful servant people. Amen

• It finally feels like summer here, and this week is the last week of school for the town kids (who got whomped with a whole lot of hurricane and snow days this year) which likely means small crowds this Sunday. The Word will still be preached, however, for those with ears to hear, and the will to come to church in spite of summer's allure, and this week's readings give us plenty to work with. 
• Our semi-continuous reading from Kings finds Elijah about to be taken up by God, and Elisha sticking with him to the very end, a model of faithfulness. Elisha asks for a double portion of Elijah's spirit; one wonders if he really knows what he's in for.  
• Jesus sets his face towards Jerusalem in our gospel from Luke, and we know what that means, but it's less clear that those around him get it.  Jesus responds to their somewhat conditional responses to his "Come and follow me" with a series of enigmatic replies..."Foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." "Let the dead bury their own dead.""No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." 

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  Paul's letter to the Galatians reminds us of the great commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. The part of the reading that is so often quoted, however, is the part about not gratifying the desires of the flesh, with its list of unacceptable behaviors (fornication, impurity, licentiousness etc.) Where I sit we need to be far more concerned with the embodying the fruits of the spirit -- things like love, patience, kindness, generosity and self-control. 
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  If you are a Buechner fan and thinking about Galatians, here's a link that might help you. 
• Where is the Word calling you this week, preachers? Are you invigorated and inspired by these readings or stuck in the summer doldrums? Going off lectionary, or on the narrative lectionary? Join the conversation and let us know what you are thinking/wondering/feeling. As always, this group is a great place to stir things up a bit and get the preaching mojo going.
  
  

Tuesday Lectionary Leanings~~Seeing the power of God edition

O Lord, make us have perpetual love and reverence for your holy Name, for you never fail to help and govern those whom you have set upon the sure foundation of your loving­ kindness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Book of Common Prayer, Collect for Proper 7


This week's readings offer us rich stories and images to work with. I mean, how can you go wrong with Jesus driving the demons from the Gerasene man into a herd of pigs that then run over the cliff and into a river. Did you ever wonder about the poor farmer who lost his livestock? And what about  Elijah, after acting so bravely, hiding from the wrath of Jezebel, and then standing on the mountain waiting for God to pass by? These encounters with the raw and magnificent power of God provide us with a wonderful opportunity to think both about that power, and about how we experience in our own lives. 

The power of God is found in the words of Isaiah as well, perhaps not so forcefully, but just as real, as he speaks of a God who offers hope to the people of Israel, even in the face of the suffering they have experienced during their long exile. How much do we need that hope in the face of pain and sorrow even today!

Paul's letter to the Galatians speaks to the power of God to bring unity to all of God's children through Jesus Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. But how do these words play out in our multi-cultural world, in a world that can seem increasingly fragmented into "them" and "us." 

Lots of good stuff here, preachers. Do you know where you are headed? Are you doing a special series for summer?  Following the narrative lectionary?  Where ever the Word is calling you, join the discussion,. We're here for questions, ideas, pondering, and even rants, should you need to do so. Always someone to listen amongst the RevGals!

Tuesday Lectionary Leanings~~Sinners and faith and forgiveness edition

Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  Collect for Proper 6



With the weather we've been having it feels like I should be preaching on Noah and the ark, but this week's readings take us in a different direction. In our reading from 1 Kings, Ahab is having a bad day. He wants to buy a vineyard next to his palace, but much to his dismay, the vineyard's owner refuses to sell and gives God as his excuse ("The Lord forbids that I should give you my ancestral inheritance.") Ahab is distraught and Jezebel decides to take matters into her own hands, arranging for the vineyard's owner to be killed. When she is sure that he is dead, Jezebel urges Ahab to take the vineyard for himself. God, however, sends Elijah to meet him, and when Ahab goes to claim the vineyard, Elijah delivers God's message of displeasure at what has taken place. Ahab has sold his soul to obtain the land. Not good. 

2 Samuel gives us another story of one acting to get what he wants and displeasing God along the way. The lectionary leaves out the backstory--David sees and desires Bathsheba, and sleeps with her despite knowing that she is married;  then he arranges to have Uriah, her husband, killed in battle. After Uriah's death, David takes Bathsheba as his wife. In our reading, Nathan comes and tells David a parable to clue him into the evil he has done. Once again, getting what you want at any cost can have drastic consequences. 

Paul's letter to the Galatians provides a more positive text as Paul reminds his audience that they (and we) are in fact saved by faith, not works. Although this message is a familiar one to those in the reformed traditions, it can still be hard to grasp and can seem at odds with Jesus' gospel imperatives. A challenging text to preach...but a good one. 

Finally our gospel finds Jesus in the house of Simon the Pharisee, where an uninvited woman anoints his feet with perfume and her tears. The woman's actions provide Jesus an opening to talk about forgiveness of sins, and to highlight his concern not only for sinners but also for those overlooked by society, including women. 

Do you have a homiletical direction for the week, or are you still searching? On lectionary or off? Summer series? Narrative lectionary?  Wherever you're headed, join the discussion with your questions, inspirations, frustrations, insights, or just to let us know you're here!

Readings found here or here.

Tuesday Lectionary Leanings~~Raising the widows' sons edition

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• Healing and compassionate God,
  your hands hold gently all creation,
  your touch brings life in the face of death,
  your love transforms destruction into grace.
  Touch our lives with your Spirit,
  brining new life and hope,
  so that we may live and serve you with joy and praise. Amen.

Welcome to Proper 5, preachers. Two of this week's readings (found here) are resurrection stories, narratives that demonstrate God's compassion as well as God's power and authority in the world, even in the face of death. These tales are rich with possibility: widows as representatives of the poor and oppressed who receive God's favor,  God acting in the world to relieve their suffering, Elijah and Jesus as agents of God's power, Jesus's demonstration of  his own authority.

Our first reading (whether you choose the long version of the short) is the story of Elijah's raising of the widow's son at Zarapheth. If you choose the longer reading, you also get the story of Elijah's sojourn with the widow, and the abundance he brings in the face of famine. Together these acts demonstrate to the widow that Elijah is indeed a "man of God."

Our gospel reading from Luke finds Jesus and his followers entering Nain when they encounter a funeral procession. Jesus is filled with pity for the plight of the widow returns her son to life, causing a great stir among the onlookers.

If resurrection stories aren't speaking to you this week, you might chose the passage from Galatians, in which Paul describes his credentials for preaching and teaching the gospel; the commentary at Working Preacher has some great suggestions for how to approach this text, if you, like me, find preaching Paul challenging.

We're only three weeks into the loooooong season of Pentecost and already I'm seeing comments about "Pentecost fatigue" over on Facebook.  Where are this week's readings leading you? Are you loving Luke or longing for Advent already? Doing something different for summer? Share your ideas, inspirations, questions and frustrations wherever you might be headed, on lectionary or off.

Tuesday Lectionary Leanings~Peace I leave with you edition

Living God,
long ago, faithful women
proclaimed the good news
of Jesus' resurrection,
and the world was changed forever.
Teach us to keep faith with them,
that our witness may be as bold,
our love as deep,
and our faith as true. Amen.

 By the time we actually preach this week's sermon it will be May, and hopefully spring, but liturgically we are still in the midst of Easter, which means our lectionary readings continue to be drawn from Acts, Revelation and John.  This week in Acts we find an account of Paul and his traveling companions in the act of discerning what Paul's vision means; They set out for Philippi, a Roman colony, where they encounter the faithful Lydia. journeying, ending up in the house of Lydia.

Our reading from the Revelation of John presents us with a vivid picture of the New Jerusalem. I cannot hear this reading without also hearing, "Shall we gather at the river?" My favorite rendition by the Miserable Offenders is now available on iTunes, but this version by Anonymous 4 is hauntingly beautiful as well.




The lectionary provides us with a choice of gospel readings this week. Our first option continues Jesus' farewell discourse to his disciples. Jesus reassures his faithful followers that that he will send an Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to empower them, and he promises them peace even as he leaves them behind. The alternative gospel reading, also from John finds Jesus outside the Sheep Gate going in to Jerusalem where he heals a lame man who lies by the gate, telling him to "Stand up, take your mat and walk."

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Where is the Spirit leading you this week?Will you explore Lydia and the ministry of women in the early church? Are you drawn by the images of paradise in the form of the New Jerusalem? Perhaps you are seeking the peace Jesus promises. Share your ponderings, your inspiration, your questions with us.

Tuesday Lectionary Leanings~Sheep, shepherds, and the Lamb edition

Holy Shepherd,
you know your sheep by name
and lead us to safety through the valleys of death.
Guide us by your voice,
that we may walk in certainty and security
to the joyous feast prepared in your house,
were we celebrate with you forever. Amen.


It's the fourth Sunday of Easter, and that brings us Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Or wait, Jesus is the Lamb. Confused anyone?


This year's Good Shepherd Sunday gospel finds Jesus in the temple precincts where he is asked point blank, "Are you the Messiah?" His answer was no doubt unsatisfactory to that particular audience and is still enigmatic in some ways; nonetheless it has provided solace for countless Christians over the centuries, and the image of Jesus as the shepherd is one that is familiar to all. Are you hearing the shepherd's voice as you prepare to preach?



We continue on our Eastertide trek through Revelation as well where we find Jesus the Lamb enthroned

 and surrounded by angels and throngs of the faithful robed in white who have "come through their ordeal" and been washed in the blood of the lamb. It's not your traditional pastoral scene, but the promise of the Lamb who will be the shepherd is reassuring none the less:

"They will hunger no more, and thirst no more;
the sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

 The reading from Acts provides an alternative to sheep and shepherd imagery as we find Peter in Joppa where he raises the faithful Tabitha from the dead, demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit invested in Jesus' disciples. What does this story promise us today, in a culture perhaps more skeptical of such things?

Many of us struggle with the familiarity of the Good Shepherd. Are you finding fresh inspiration? Are you off lectionary? Share your questions, frustrations and inspirations with us. Sometimes it takes a village to write a sermon, so to speak!

Readings may be found here or here

Tuesday Lectionary Leanings~~Rule of three edition

or as the sheep says...., "It's deja vu all over again!" But first, a prayer:

O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  Collect for the Third Sunday of Easter

We have a wealth of riches this week, preaching friends, and whether you want to make something of it or not, the number three occurs more than once in the texts assigned for  this third Sunday of Easter.

Our reading from the Acts of the Apostles chronicles that critical story of Saul/Paul's conversion experience on the road to Damascus. I love how it begins, "Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples..." That should get everyone's attention. After having a vision and being struck blind, Saul is visited by Ananias after three days, regains his sight and almost immediately begins to preach, proclaiming Jesus as Lord.

And then we have what may be my favorite post resurrection story. Peter (Peter the Denyer, anyone?), ever the one to be slow to catch on, is on the beach with some of the disciples when the resurrected Jesus joins them, his third post-resurrection visit. Seeing that they have no fish, he directs them where to cast the net, and when it is full to overflowing and they head back to shore, the Beloved Disciple finally recognizes Jesus. After they eat, perhaps giving Peter an opportunity to make up for his three denials, Jesus asks Peter three times, "Peter, do you love me?" and follows up with "...then feed my sheep."

If stories with three (days, sheep, questions) don't appeal, the reading from the Revelation of John provides a cast of thousands proclaiming, "Worthy is the lamb that was slaughtered..."

Where are you headed this third week of Easter? Are you joining Saul on the road to Damascus, or having breakfast on the beach with Jesus and Peter? Perhaps you are proclaiming glory to the lamb, or maybe you are off lectionary and headed in a whole other direction. If you know where you are being called, or if you are still listening for the scripture to speak to you, join in the discussion!


Readings may be found here or here.

Tuesday Lectionary Leanings~~Low Sunday edition

O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that we, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and pr

aise for ever and ever. Amen. Collect for Tuesday in Easter Week

Have you had a nap yet, preachers? I haven't, at least not a long one, because I spent Easter afternoon at a homeless ministry and Easter Monday doing taxes and other assorted and put-off-until-after-Easter-tasks. Nonetheless, it's time to start thinking about what comes next. For many of us it will be "low Sunday." I mean, after showing up on Palm Sunday and Easter, folks need a day off, right? (snark off).

After all the excitement of the empty tomb, this week we get John's version of Pentecost and good ol' Doubting Thomas. Thomas gets a bum rap in my book; I think his reaction is exactly what many of us would feel in his place, and in fact, may feel now. Show me the evidence. It's actually a great springboard for a discussion of faith and doubt and belief and unbelief if we can get beyond the overfamiliarity with the story.

If Thomas is old hat, you might choose Acts, where the apostles are hauled in front of the authorities because they have "filled Jerusalem with [Jesus'] teaching." Would we supply such strength of conviction today? Or perhaps you're inspired by the opening verses of the Revelation to John. Is an Eastertide series on Revelation or Acts in your future?

Wherever you're headed (even if it's back for another nap) share your thoughts, questions, doubts, or inspirations with us. We're all tired, no doubt, but we're all in this together.

Alleluia, alleluia!

Readings found here or here

Tuesday Lectionary Leanings~~Jerusalem, Jerusalem!

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

                                                                                                   ~Collect for the Second Sunday in Lent, Book of Common Prayer    

On this second Sunday in Lent we find Abram (not yet Abraham) deep in conversation with God, and Jesus engaging the Pharisees, hopefully fruitful contexts for preaching. 

Way back in Genesis 12, God has promised Abram and Sarai that their descendants will be as numerous as the stars, despite their childless state. With no pregnancy in sight, Abram has declared that he will make his nephew his heir, but God isn't liking this plan, and so he comes to Abram and renews his promise. The story of Abram/Abraham and Sarai/Sarah is one of waiting for all good things, and the necessity of patience, among other things. Is it speaking to you in this Lenten season?

 Jesus, on the other hand, is engaging earthly powers. The pharisees, who have dogged Jesus since the beginning of his ministry, have come with a warning that Herod wants to kill him, but Jesus offers a bold rejoinder with his  poignant lament over Jerusalem recognizing the inevitability of his death as a part of his ministry.

Paul's letter to the Philippians offers a note of encouragement for those attempting to lead lives of faith, reminding them that "our citizenship is in heaven." So many of us are in struggling congregations; how might Paul's words embolden encourage us?

Where are the readings leading you this week preachers? Are you in the midst of a Lenten series, or are you following the Narrative Lectionary?  Join the discussion and let us know what you're thinking, what  you are wondering, where you are feeling stretched or stymied. Everyone is welcome!

Tuesday Lectionary Leanings~Pancakes, and ashes, and Lent--oh my!

God of wilderness and water,

your Son was baptized and tempted as we are. 

Guide us through this season,

that we may not avoid struggle,

but open ourselves to blessing,

through the cleansing depths of repentance

and the heaven-rending words of the Spirit. Amen.

Here in the midst of the snowpocalypse, many of us missed Last Epiphany and t-fig, but it's time to move on, nonetheless. This week is chock of full of activity; we'll be eating pancakes on Tuesday night, perhaps having a pancake race, and burning last year's palms to make ashes. Some will be having packzis (something I never encountered until I moved to this area, where there are lots of folks of eastern European heritage) or king's cake as well.


And then on to Ash Wednesday.  We'll have Eucharist with imposition of ashes twice that day, with a kid's service as well. Will you be joining in the ashes-to-go phenomenon? If you're preaching the readings can be found HERE. Preachers can choose between two prophets: Joel, who cries out for repentance--truly turning back to God, or Isaiah, who warns against fasting undertaken for the wrong reasons, and calls instead for caring for the poor and oppressed. The gospel from Matthew, always a tricky one to preach just before imposing ashes, warns against practicing one's piety just to be seen, and reminds us that where our treasures are,  so too shall be our hearts.

And finally we are led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness with Jesus as we begin our Lenten journey. (READINGS HERE)  We begin with a reading from Deuteronomy that rehearses the salvation history of the people of Israel as Moses reminds them about the importance of offering their first fruits back to God--maybe a surprising choice for the first Sunday of Lent. The new testament reading from Paul's letter to the Romans, reaffirms the importance of confessing our faith in Jesus. And our gospel from Luke takes us into the wilderness where we watch as Jesus faces a series of temptations.

How will your Lenten journey begin? Do you have a special theme for the season, or special activities planned? Are you doing a sermon series? How is the word speaking to you this week? Join in the discussion and let us know!

Tuesday Lectionary Leanings~~T-fig, one more time!

Holy God, mighty and immortal,

you are beyond our knowing,

yet we see your glory in the face of Jesus Christ,

whose compassion illumines the world.

Transform us into the likeness of the love of Christ,

who renewed our humanity so that we may share in his divinity,

the same Jesus Christ, our Lord,

who live and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Readings and prayer found here.

Doesn't it feel like we just finished with Christmas? It certainly does to me, but perhaps that's because I just finished schlepping all the Christmas stuff back up to the attic). But time flies, and here we are at Last Epiphany, which can only mean one thing--it's time for t-fig again. (Actually it means that we are almost to Lent, too, but don't get me started about that!) This year we hear Luke's version of the story of Jesus transformed on the mountain top with Moses and Elijah, as Peter, James, and John watch in wonder. And the composers of the RCL have added a little gift: the optional healing story at the end. If you are completely burned out by the transfiguration, perhaps you'll want to focus on that.

Our OT reading gives us another transfiguration. It's the story of Moses coming down the mountain with the law, his face shining so brightly others cannot bear to look at him so that he ends up wearing a veil over his face. Paul refers to that veil in our NT reading from Corinthians, in a way that I find a bit troubling, but perhaps you'll have another take on it.

So where are you headed this week, preachers? Will you travel to the mountaintop with Jesus, or with Moses? Are you off lectionary, or perhaps following the Narrative Lectionary? Join the discussion and let us know where you are headed.

And welcome back to all the BE6.0 RevGals...hope you've got your land legs back. We missed you!