Reformation Sunday: First Reading: Revelation 14:6-7 Revelation 14:6-7 Each year Reformation Sunday rolls around. Of course, it is a date in our country that is shared with Halloween. For better or worse, at least from the world’s...
Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost: Gospel, Mark 10:23-31 Mark 10:23-31 Can it still be a “thing"? People speak and wrangle and argue over what saves us before God. And people actually believe weak, paltry, sinful-to-the-core...
Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost: Epistle, Hebrews 4:1-13 Hebrews 4:1-13 The writer to the Hebrews is challenging his readers/hearers on all fronts as they make (hopefully) earnest investigation of his claims about Jesus. Just a few verses...
Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost: Psalm, Psalm 119:9-16 Psalm 119:9-16 How do I walk in and through this dark world in a God-pleasing way? Well, the very first step is to admit your inability to walk in and through this dark world in a...
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost: Gospel, Mark 10:17-22 Mark 10:17-22 Stunning. Simply stunning. This is one of those pieces of Holy Scripture, when you read it you simply cannot be in the middle. It’s...
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost: Epistle, Hebrews 3:12-19 Hebrews 3:12-19 The first couple of verses of our epistle reading this week are harrowing, but hopeful. “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart...
Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost: Old Testament, Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 Beware the “minor” prophets. That book of twelve authors that closes the Old Testament I’ve written before that the “minor” label can be...
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost: Gospel, Mark 10:2-16 Mark 10:2-16 Last night was one of those “aha” moments reading the Bible. Looking over the gospel text for the week, I honestly noticed for the first...
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost: Psalm, Psalm 128 Psalm 128 The psalms of ascent were sung by Israel as they went to festival in the city of the Great King. Most of them are brief, many are...
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost: Old Testament, Genesis 2:18-25 Genesis 2:18-25 Marriage is good. It is established by God. And the “liturgy” of the first marriage will never be improved upon. The first...
