Ordinary Time week 5

Psalm: Psalm 130 or Psalm 30
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27
  or Lamentations 3:23-33
  or Wisdom of Solomon 1:13-15, 2:23-24
Gospel: Mark 5:21-43
Epistle: 2 Corinthians 8:7-15


Well the last week of June has come and gone if you can believe it. Of course we on the coast here are still under some June gloom and humidity. In our readings this week we continue in the same three places we have been in the last few weeks: the story of David, the Gospel of Mark, and 2 Corinthians.

I want to start with 2 Cor. because we haven't had the chance to discuss it the last few weeks. It is very difficult to read these 9 verses out of context. Even looking at the rest of chapter 8 doesn't really tell us what Paul is talking about. In order to make since of the "gracious work" Paul is talking about we have to look back at 1 Cor. 16:1-4. In Paul's closing remarks of that Epistle he asks the "holy ones," by which he means the people in the church, to raise money and bring it to their gatherings for the believers in Jerusalem. Paul was planning for him or his representatives to present a gift to the Jewish believers in Jerusalem from the churches in the rest of the Roman Empire. And we know that he was able to accomplish this mission from the book of Acts. But in our passage here in 2 Cor. 8, Paul is reminding them of the task he had set before them and urging them to be charitable and to actually desire that they would want to be charitable. Something might have happened in the church to stop them raising money, but Paul is reminding them that it is a good thing they are doing.

Ordinary time week 4

Psalm: Psalm 9:9-20 or Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32
  or Psalm 133 
Old Testament: 1 Samuel 17 (1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49
  or 1 Samuel 17:57-18:5, 10-16 or Job 38:1-11 
Gospel: Mark 4:35-41 
Epistle: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13

This week we have 2 interesting stories juxtaposed with each other. One the one hand, in our Old Testament reading we continue the story of David and the early monarchy in Israel. On the other hand, In the Gospel reading Jesus calms the storms while he and his disciples are on the Sea of Galilee. Let us look at each story and then see what they have in common.

Ordinary Time Week 2

Psalm: Psalm 138 or Psalm 130
Old Testament: 1 Samuel 8:4-11, 12-15, 16-20,
  11:14-15 or Genesis 3:8-15
Gospel: Mark 3:20-35
Epistle: 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1

Today marks the second week of Ordinary Time, but since last Sunday was Trinity Sunday, it feels like the proper start to Ordinary Time. For some of you it may also feel like summer has begun, but here on the coast we are still mild and nice. I must confess that after reading our 4 passages today there is very little connection between them. One the one hand we have the finding and anointing of King Saul and then in the Gospel reading Jesus embarrassing his family and his teaching about where his authority comes from. Then a Psalm about the Lord's favor and Paul's words about being more concerned about the inward unseen things then the outward visual things. So at first reading, my question was why these 4 passages? I have been thinking about this for a few days and I still haven't come up with an answer so I would love some insight into the matter if any of you have any.