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Psalm 65: (1-8), 9-13
Proper 10A
For every psalm that stands out in some way or that is well-known for some reason, there are probably three or four psalms that are not very familiar and that frankly kind of all blend into one another. Most Jews and Christians know Psalms 23 and 100 well. Psalm 46 is a regular go-to poem…
Genesis 25:19-34
Proper 10A
Here we are, stuck in Ordinary Time. We’ve spent half the church year celebrating the mighty acts of God in Jesus Christ our Lord, but now the fireworks are over. Now we are plodding along through ordinary time. Except this time is extraordinary, too, because God is walking with us each step of the way….
Psalm 145:8-14
Proper 9A
The Lectionary has carved out just seven verses from the middle of Psalm 145 but in truth, the whole Psalm sounds the same notes. Coming as this poem does near the very end of the Hebrew Psalter, we are definitely in the final exultation of singular praise with which this collection concludes. The Psalms have…
Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
Proper 9A
The last time we saw Isaac, he was being laid on the altar by his father Abraham (Genesis 22). It is now many years later. Abraham has laid his wife, Sarah, in a grave purchased from the surrounding Hittites (Genesis 23). And now he has one more item of unfinished business. Isaac is 40 years…
Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18
Proper 8A
Most of what makes Psalm 89 such an interesting poem cannot be seen if you restrict yourself to just the 8 verses the Lectionary has carved out of the psalm’s full 52 verses. Because this poem that begins in such an upbeat tone and with such a full-throated desire to sing praise to God for…
Genesis 22:1-14
Proper 8A
As we walk along with God, we all go through tough times. Many Christians handle tough times with the following theological framework. Satan will use these tough times to tempt us, to try to move us away from God, so that we attempt to make our own blessing. God will use these tough times to…
Psalm 69:7-10, (11-15), 16-18
Proper 7A
If this were a typical year, an ordinary summer season, probably not too many preachers would gravitate to the somewhat plaintive, somewhat brooding 69th Psalm. In the Year A Lectionary for this particular year, this also falls on Father’s Day for those who observe this. It’s getting to be summer, vacation season, a time for…
Genesis 21:8-21
Proper 7A
During Ordinary Time in the church’s calendar, we are encouraged in our walk with the God who has done great things for us. The opening line from Charles Dicken’s masterpiece, A Tale of Two Cities, perfectly summarizes a particularly poignant time in Abraham’s walk with God. “It was the best of times, it was the…
Psalm 100
Proper 6A
It’s such a perky psalm. So upbeat. It’s a call for the whole cosmos to sing as one. One big happy choir entering God’s gates with 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…
Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7)
Proper 6A
We are only two Sundays into Ordinary Time, having concluded our celebration of the great festivals of the faith with Pentecost Sunday. So, it might seem a bit strange to return to Christmas today, but indulge me for a moment. It doesn’t take a brilliant biblical scholar to see parallels between this story of Sarah…
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