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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 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…
Isaiah 6:1-8
Commentary
Trinity Sunday B
Illustration For many congregations in North America, this lectionary text will coincide with graduation celebrations — a season when the story of God’s calling and, especially, God’s overcoming our weakness and frailty to accomplish God’s purposes will be a very live factor in the sanctuary on Sunday mornings. This would be a great Sunday to…
Acts 2:1-21
Commentary
Pentecost
Illustration One year, the week before Pentecost, I was volunteering with an interfaith food pantry, hosted by a Christian congregation. Twice, my fellow volunteers — both Jewish — asked about the change in the sanctuary decor and so I had the opportunity to talk with them about Pentecost. I mentioned how all the Jews were…
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Commentary
Easter 7B
Image: May often signals a season of transition in the church. Graduations, maybe the end of a Sunday school season with thanks to the teachers and time off in the summer. These ends often don’t immediately lead to new beginnings but, rather, to in-between times. It’s hard to live in “in between” spaces — in…
Acts 10:44-48
Commentary
Easter 6B
Sermon Introduction/Set-Up Consider: what are the activities, practices, traditions, theological convictions, sacred cows that make your congregation unique? What gives your church its sense of identity? Now, before beginning the sermon, consider making an “announcement.” Effective immediately, the church will no longer be doing any of those things. No Sunday worship. No programming. No prayer….
About Meg Jenista