Isaiah 55:1-9; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-9 Lent 3C Every now and then God unexpectedly puts me in just the right place at just the right time and I am alert enough to recognize that providence is at work. A few weeks ago I went to a city I’d never been before, on the road for the Presbyterian Outlook, gifted again to be among disciples of Jesus Christ seeking to be faithful in their spheres of influence. After speaking one evening at the church, a member came up to talk to me about a local ministry called Community Renewal. He then invited me to their weekly meeting the next morning, a Quaker-style gathering where those who felt moved to speak, spoke. A simple practice yet one, I would discover, that is deeply profound. I went the next day. The large room soon filled with a diverse group of people sitting in a circle of chairs around the entire perimeter of the space. We read one psalm and then one more. Then people spoke or didn’t. Giving thanks. Naming where … [Read more...]

Genesis 15:1-12,17-18; Luke 13:31-35 Lent 2C This week we are grateful to John Wurster for providing the lectionary reflection. In this short passage from Luke, Jesus is lamenting over Jerusalem, foreshadowing the suffering that awaits him there in the days to come. As he laments, he says, “How often I have desired to gather your children as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” How often I have desired.Desired. That’s a strong word. And it’s a rare word in the Gospel of Luke, appearing only one other time when Jesus is the subject.  I desire.  This phrase is pointing us to something significant about Jesus’ character. Jesus yearns deeply to gather us. With great feeling, great longing, Jesus seeks to gather us to himself, to bring us close, hold us, shelter us, keep us. It is a desire for an intimate relation with us. I’m not sure we very often think of God as desiring us, longing for us. We are more likely to see God as judging us or correcting us or punishing us or … [Read more...]

Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Luke 4:1-13 Lent 1C What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. This is, of course, the first question of the Shorter Catechism (the Westminster Shorter Catechism, to be exact), and for many years memorizing the shorter catechism was a required aspect of Presbyterian Christian formation. As of late, there has been some discussion of bringing back memorization as a means for teaching the faith. I get the arguments: biblical illiteracy is rampant, worship attendance spotty, innovative liturgy is trumping ancient creeds. But, here’s the thing: Wagging our fingers at folks rarely brings about the change we are after. And besides, there is a counter-argument that says all that matters is to be a good person and do the right thing. What does it matter if we know man’s chief end or the Lord’s Prayer or the Apostles’ Creed or Amazing Grace or A Mighty Fortress? Like everything else, we can Google it if we need to … [Read more...]

Exodus 34:29-35; 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2; Luke 9:28-36 Being in a cloud disorients. When fog envelops the landscape, the familiar drive up the curvy, hilly road to my home suddenly becomes scary and unpredictable, especially at night. Buck Island Road twists and turns. Under normal circumstances I navigate the corners mindlessly, although always with an eye for the route’s namesakes. But when the clouds hover on the ground I creep around each bend, able to see only a few feet in front of me. I become hyper alert despite my usual comfort with the terrain. Being in the cloud disorients. The gray mist casts a mystical shadow over trees, meadows and mountains. Our sense of sound becomes critical as our range and acuity of vision diminishes. Movement slows because we cannot see very far in front of us and have no idea what might emerge around us. As a child, I remember living near a large sea port, the surreal quality of hearing the fog horns of ships that I could not see until … [Read more...]

Genesis 45:3-11, 15; Luke 6:27-38 Ordinary 7C; Proper 2 The Genesis text for this week offers an image of what Jesus instructs in Luke. Jesus tells us to love our enemies. Pray for those who persecute us. Turn the other cheek. Be merciful. Do not judge. Do to others as we would have done to us. The list is as familiar as it is difficult. And yet, some people manage to embody these demanding, seemingly impossible instructions. Joseph does. Joseph asks first about his father, but his brothers remain so stunned they cannot speak. Joseph tells the very ones who threw him in a pit and left him for dead, “Come closer to me.” Surely, they imagine this proximity will bring retribution, but instead Joseph tells them, “Don’t be distressed or angry with yourselves.” He attributes their sinister behavior to divine providence, as life preserving in the midst of death. He assures the brothers who betrayed him that he will save them, their families, their flocks. He kisses them, weeps … [Read more...]

Jeremiah 17:5-10; Luke 6:17-26 Ordinary 6C / Proper 1 Blessed or cursed. Blessings and woes. Compare and contrast. Both the reading from Jeremiah and the one from Luke are a study in contrasts. If you like neat categories, clear distinctions in black and white, then this Sunday is for you. If, on the other hand, you prefer a nice shade of gray, room for interpretive wiggle room, well, this week’s texts might present a challenge. I confess, I am in the latter category. I like few things more than nuance, a hermeneutic of ‘perhaps this or maybe that.’ I relish the ability to say, “scholars disagree” or thoughtful people “come to different conclusions.” But I am afraid Jeremiah and Jesus will not let me waffle this week. Jeremiah breaks it down thusly: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord. Alternately, blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. (Jeremiah repeats himself, as if … [Read more...]