Transfiguration Sunday

Psalm: Psalm 2 or Psalm 99
Old Testament: Exodus 24:12-18
Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9
Epistle: 2 Peter 1:16-21

Today is Transfiguration Sunday! Each year, on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, we celebrate the Transfiguration in the life of Christ. The Lectionary and the Christian Calendar, as I have said before, revolve around the major events in the life of Christ. I think we are all familiar with the events of the Transfiguration. Jesus brings Peter, James, and John up to a high (unnamed and thus unidentified) mountain. This event in itself may not have been unusual since we know that Jesus often escaped the crowd, sometimes to a mountain, to pray and be alone. We also know that Peter, James, and John were a part of Jesus' "inner circle" and sometimes were able to interact with Jesus in ways the other nine disciples did not. But something unique and unexpected happened this time when they went up on the mountain.

Epiphany Week 7

Psalm: Psalm 119:33-40

Old Testament: Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18

Gospel: Matthew 5:38-48

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23

I hope I can get this post written today and actually published. It has probably been a year since I have actually sat down, on a Sunday, and written the blog. I tend to get them done, but sometimes they are a week or two late. This week I really want to draw our attention to the reading from Matthew. The Sermon on Mount contains some of the most difficult teachings from Jesus. The reason for this is of course the fact that in these 3 chapters he deals almost entirely with ethical issues--how we are to behave. He gets right at the heart of proper human behavior. No one likes to be told how to act and we especially don't like to be told to do things that are not in our own self-interest. And this is something that was as true for Jesus' audience as it is today. Jesus' audience had the same human fears, desires, motivations, and all the emotions that we do. Human nature doesn't change.

Epiphany Week 6

Psalm: Psalm 119:1-8

Old Testament: Deuteronomy 30:15-20

 or Sirach 15:15-20

Gospel: Matthew 5:21-37

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Today all of our passages concern the Law of the Lord to the Israelites. In Christian circles the Law tends to get ignored, belittled, or just studied as a historical reality that some people once followed. Of course in the scope of this blog I can't explore all the facets of the Law in Israel's day and especially not all the ways Christians are to relate to it. So I will offer some brief observations based on the four texts and hopefully we can gain some relevant insights.

Epiphany Week 5

Psalm: Psalm 112:1-9, 10
Old Testament: Isaiah 58:1-9a, 9b-12
Gospel: Matthew 5:13-20
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 2:1-12, 13-16

Today is Super Bowl Sunday! I'm not sure how that relates to the life of the church or the Lectionary, but no doubt churches all over the country will try to make some connection. Indeed my home church today is having a "Jersey Sunday" in an effort to connect to the sports crowd and is having a sermon themed on sports. With all that is happening in the world, all the scripture we can expound on, and the depth of theology to explore (coupled with the theological illiteracy of the average Christian), it seems a waist to spend a Sunday on something so shallow. But we have to remember that we live in a era when church is cancelled because the Christian holiday of Christmas falls on a Sunday!