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Acts 2:1-21
Pentecost A
Trouble in the Text In the ancient Mediterranean world when Jesus was born, you could count on the fact that everyone spoke Greek as, if not a first, then a second or third language. It had something like the linguistic power of English in the world today. You could travel the world safely knowing you…
Acts 1:6-14
Easter 7A
It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday After the miracle of Christ’s ascension, it took a little while for folks to move on. A bit like Peter who wanted to build shelters on the Mount of Transfiguration, now the apostles’ feet are frozen on the Mount of Olives. So much so, that it took…
Acts 17:22-31
Easter 6A
Trouble in the Text The Apostle Paul had just taken the express train out of Berea. The Christians there showed him wonderful hospitality but the religious zealots from nearby Thessaloniki came into town to rough him up. So his peeps bundled him off to Athens, where Scripture tells us, he was waiting for Silas and…
Acts 7:55-60
Easter 5A
The Lectionary text is only 5 verses long but it is in the context of one and a half chapters telling us the story of Stephen. Making connections to the five verses in the Lectionary, I will use my commentary to tell this larger story. Illustration Reformation scholar Kenneth Woo’s newly released book, Refugee Calvin,…
Acts 2:42-47
Easter 4A
Illustration A magazine profile of celebrity chef turned daytime television host, Rachael Ray, boasted this headline on their cover: “Rachael Ray finds inspiration in cooking her family and her dog.” It matters where you put the comma. Giving Rachel Ray the benefit of the doubt, one assumes she likes three things — cooking (COMMA) her…
Acts 2:14, 36-41
Easter 3A
Illustration I was, it may surprise some of you to learn, a theatre geek in high school. Of course I loved to be on stage performing for an audience (I know, right? Shocker.) But I also helped with costumes, did some stage managing and student directing. But my favorite part wasn’t the flush of pride,…
Acts 2:14a, 22-32
Easter 2A
Commentary: Note: although this Lectionary text takes only a portion of Peter’s sermon, this commentary reaches to both sides a bit to make some general comments on the content of the sermon as well as the kind of people/the nature of the church it intends to birth. Qualities of a Spirit-Filled Sermon What does a…
Acts 10:34-43
Epiphany 1A
Few accusations carry more emotional wallop than that of favoritism. Some children hurt their parents by accusing them of favoring one child over another. How many employees haven’t at least quietly suspected their bosses were playing favorites with some of their workers? At least this Sunday’s Epistolary Lesson’s Peter has the courage to admit he’d…
Acts 2:1-21/Genesis 11:1-9
Pentecost
The people of the earth have just been through it. The whole of their lives drowned in a flood. Because of their wickedness. And because God is a Holy God, God is not afraid to punish wickedness. But now that God has set the people on dry ground, they are still a little shook. So…
Acts 16:16-34
Easter 7C
Seeing Double A unique aspect of Luke’s writing—both in the Gospel as well as the book of Acts—is the way he pairs stories. Placing two characters back-to-back we are meant to wonder what makes them different. Usually, it’s all kinds of social, economic, political, religious demographic factors intended to demonstrate that, ordinarily, these two people…
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