Rev. Meg Jenista Kuykendall lives in Washington, DC, and is an ordained minister in the Reformed tradition. She earned her M.Div at Calvin Theological Seminary (2008) and her ThM, also at CTS (2019). She spent 15 years pastoring churches in Kalamazoo, MI, and Washington DC. Currently, Meg is studying for her PhD in public theology at Fuller Theological Seminary, with a particular focus on the intersection of political discipleship and pulpit ministry. She balances out her PhD research by reading Sandra Boynton and Mo Willems books with her one-year-old son, cooking with her husband, and enjoying the great city of Washington DC, which she is privileged to call home.
Acts 8:26-40
Commentary
Easter 5B
This section of Acts is filled with characters who challenge and expand our notion of belonging, the church and how Jesus saves. So what do we know about the man in this morning’s text? We know he was important enough to God that the Spirit sent Philip literally chasing his through the desert. We know…
Acts 4:5-12
Commentary
Easter 4B
This Sunday’s text picks up in the middle of a story in which a man is healed in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit. This becomes the platform for gospel proclamation in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. “Salvation is found in no one…
Acts 3:12-19
Commentary
Easter 3B
They didn’t know what they were doing or — more importantly — who they were doing it to when they handed Jesus over to be killed, disowning him before Pilate and asking for Barrabbas to be released instead. After a gut-punching litany of accusation like that, there’s a small grace, at least, in Peter’s willingness…
Acts 4:32-35
Commentary
Easter 2B
As we start in on a series of texts from Acts, I’m mindful that the lectionary gives us brief excerpts drawn out of significantly longer narratives. Although you may not be able to read the full story in the Scripture reading, I think it is essential that the narrative context of these excerpts is honored…
Isaiah 25:6-9
Commentary
Easter Day B
I wonder if there are many preachers who will choose to take the Old Testament Lection as their primary text on Easter Sunday morning? It seems to me that the greater gift and opportunity presented by this text is the way that it sings harmony on the song of resurrection. So I will offer my…
Isaiah 50:4-9
Commentary
Palm Sunday B
A Turn Toward the Passion Interestingly, the Lectionary provides two sets of readings for this last Sunday in Lent: (1) a Psalm and Gospel that celebrate the procession with the Palms and (2) a full set of four readings that look ahead to all that stands between the false and frivolous praise of Palm Sunday…
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Commentary
Lent 5B
Comments, Observations and Questions: Hearing “New Covenant” with the Ears of Ancient Israel The Israelites are in exile. The consequences of their disobedience and failure to keep their side of the bargain haunt them everyday — in the foreign language, customs, foods and, most grievously, religions of Babylon. So Jeremiah, who is often called the…
Numbers 21:4-9
Commentary
Lent 4B
The people of Israel have been wandering around in that desert for quite awhile. You know how this goes: slaves in Egypt, they are freed by God’s mighty hand, some plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. They make it to the border of the Promised Land, send in some spies who — with…
Exodus 20:1-17
Commentary
Lent 3B
Must Be Important Here we are, less than 6 months since the last time this text came up in the lectionary reading cycle. You can find my previous commentary here [Mary, can you add hyperlink?] At the least what we should consider when a text comes up more than once in a calendar year is…
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
Commentary
Lent 2B
Cutting Out the Covenant Perhaps the compilers of the Lectionary intended a compassionate reprieve for those who might have to explain the meaning of circumcision to their youngest and most inquisitive learners. It is, however, a lamentable omission for two reasons. The first is that it truncates the literary markers of covenant-making, which typically include…
About Meg Jenista