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Rev. Meg Jenista Kuykendall lives in Philadelphia, PA 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 young son, cooking with her husband, and exploring their new home of Philadelphia.
2 Samuel 11:26-12:13
Commentary
Proper 13B
It’s possible you got to the end of last week’s text deeply dissatisfied. Uriah, for all his integrity, is dead. David, for all his duplicity, has gotten his way. If this were the end, we might despair of justice and righteousness but, as it turns out, last week’s ending was just the cliff-hanger in a…
2 Samuel 11:1-15
Commentary
Proper 12B
Previously, in the Life of David… Before we proceed and in order that we can proceed well, it’s important to review where we’ve been in the life of David. When last we met our hero, he had wanted to build a temple for God’s dwelling place. Although it wasn’t the right move, we can easily…
2 Samuel 7:1-14
Commentary
Proper 11B
Spoke Too Soon In last week’s Old Testament reading, we had a shocking example of how politicians and public figures can use the Name of the Lord in vain, using it to baptize their causes and leadership. This week’s text is far more subtle but, in a sense, the transgression against the 3rd commandment remains. …
2 Samuel 6:1-19
Commentary
Proper 10B
Comments, Observations and Questions: There is a lot going on in these not-quite-20 verses of King David’s story. The pieces feel disparate but if you sting them together in the right way, you may actually find a somewhat convincing tale of failure —> redemption or sin —> salvation. Why Now? In at least one commentary,…
2 Samuel 5:1-10
Commentary
Proper 9B
Whose Idea? Something that ties together the two mini-texts within our larger lectionary reading for this week is the idea of Divine-human cooperation. In the first case, we knew long ago (all the way back in 1 Samuel 16) that God had chosen David to serve as the next king of Israel. But Saul (the…
2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27
Commentary
Proper 8B
Renewed for a New Season In his commentary on 1 and 2 Samuel, John Goldingay observes the way that 1 Samuel ends with Saul’s death, as though the series has ended. However, it is renewed for a new season and so 2 Samuel picks up the story in the Fall. You can practically hear the…
1 Samuel 17: (1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49
Commentary
Proper 7B
What’s not to like about this story? It has everything a good story needs: a scrappy young up-start, in intimidating and arrogant bully and a dramatic reversal of fortune with national consequences. For all that we say the Bible isn’t a book of heroes, this story — and it’s popularity in Sunday school classrooms around…
1 Samuel 15:34 – 16:13
Commentary
Proper 6B
Comments, Observations and Questions: God’s Regret? This week’s reading begins in an uncomfortable place: with the failure of King Saul — a King appointed by God. And so we are told that God regrets (in some translations, repents from) making Saul king. What are we to make of a God who regrets and/or repents? Folks…
1 Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11:14-15)
Commentary
Proper 5B
Getting Political This week’s lectionary reading fronts a larger section of text that tells us what happens when God’s people “get political.” From the start, God’s people have been shaped and sustained through covenants. Of course, there have always been leaders mediating this covenant — folks like Moses and Joshua feature prominently in that list. …
1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20)
Commentary
Proper 4B
Illustration It is a strange trick of the lectionary that we are back to 1 Samuel 3 for the season of Pentecost even though we just engaged it during the season of Epiphany — there are several archived sermon commentaries you can access for the text. For the purpose of this week, though, I want…
About Meg Jenista