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Psalm 130
Lent 5A
[…] Profundis in older Bibles—the Latin for “from the depths.” And that just might make this an appropriate preaching passage for the Fifth Sunday in Lent in the COVID-19 pandemic when many of us will not be able to gather in our sanctuaries with our congregations. The Gospel lection is the raising of Lazarus in […]
Ephesians 5:8-14
Lent 4A
[…] relationships, his followers do as well. Of course, those who proclaim and hear Ephesians 5 on this particular Sunday live under the virtual worldwide cloud the coronavirus (COVID-19) casts. Nearly all of us wonder just how God wants God’s dearly loved children who are light in the Lord to live as children of light […]
John 3:14-21
Lent 4B
[…] of the three available COVID vaccines is what everyone is talking about. Facebook of late has featured a lot of posts of people happily displaying their CDC COVID-19 vaccine cards after getting the first and/or second dose. This has led to lots of “Congrats!” comments but not a few evidences of what we could […]
2 Corinthians 12:2-10
Proper 9B
[…] his 2021 hearers. After all, in the past 18 months we’ve surely learned if not been reminded that we are weak. Among the countless reasons why the COVID-19 pandemic may have proven to be so devastating is that it has challenged 21st century assumptions that we’re largely invulnerable. We in the West naturally assumed […]
Psalm 100
Proper 6A
[…] thanksgiving and praise. Well, maybe it’s just me in early June 2020 but perky is not the mood one finds in most of the world right now. COVID-19 and racial violence and tensions on every side have curdled the moods—even the outlook—of many people. We’d love to sing in one big choir. That is, […]
John 20:1-18
Easter Day A
In a recent article on preaching in these days of COVID-19 isolation and fear, I suggested that despite the sadness we are all feeling at not being able to gather for Easter services in 2020, we don’t want to preach downer sermons. We don’t want our own disappointment at not being able to preach […]
1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50
Epiphany 7C
[…] nutrition made things like poor eyesight common. Fewer than 10% of children lived until their tenth birthdays. Part of North American shock at the virulence of the COVID-19 pandemic may stem from our amnesia about bodies’ vulnerability. Up until about two years ago at least some of us assumed that epidemics were largely the […]
Romans 16:25-27
Advent 4B
[…] people thought of God as more “legalistic.” So Romans 16’s proclaimers might explore with our hearers a kind of parallel between the “mystery” of God’s grace and COVID-19. After all, both God’s grace and COVID operated even before people fully recognized and understood them – though God’s grace has existed infinitely longer than COVID. […]
John 20:19-31
Easter 2A
Locked inside because of fear. Sound familiar to anyone? Well, alas, yes it does just now. We will loop back to this COVID-19 related thought below but first let’s look at the disciple at the center of this post-Easter story. Poor Thomas. He is the classic example of the old saying, “Make just one […]
Hebrews 10:11-14, (15-18), 19-25
Proper 28B
The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to mitigate it have changed the way at least some Christians have met or are currently “meeting together” (25). Restrictions have forced at least some of us to meet together remotely rather than in the same building. Restrictions have also forced some Christians to worship somewhat differently even when […]
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