Notes on Bible Readings 2026
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These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 12 July..
Genesis 25:19-34. The Birth and Youth of Esau and Jacob. Esau Sells His Birthright
We enter this story after Isaac and Rebekah have been married 20 years. With no children, Isaac prays to God. Rebekkah conceives, and twins, Esau and Jacob are born. The conflict and/or lack of closeness between the twins become apparent as time passes. Esau could not see any value in an intangible birthright, in a covenant with God when the tangible and tasty stew was right before him.
Psalm 119:105-112 This is both the longest psalm and the longest chapter in the Bible. It may have been written by Ezra after the Temple was rebuilt as a repetitive meditation on God’s Word and how it helps us grow in faith.
Psalm 119 has 22 carefully constructed sections, each corresponding with a different letter in the Hebrew alphabet. In this section of Psalm 119, every line in each of these 8 verses begins with a word that starts with the letter Nun in the Hebrew alphabet. Nun (נ) is the 14th letter - it represents the "N" sound.
Almost every verse mentions God’s Word. Such repetition was common in Hebrew culture. People did not have personal copies of the Scriptures to read, so God’s people memorised the Word and passed it along orally. The structure of this psalm allowed for easy memorization. It emphasises maintaining steadfast obedience and finding joy in divine teachings, even when facing severe trials or opposition. Jacob is neither evil nor perfectly virtuous. He is human. So is Esau. This does not excuse them; but it does help us reflect on the ways God’s work gets done through ordinary people.
(It’s interesting to note that Jacob was a younger son as were Isaac, David and Joseph.)
Romans 8:1-11. Life in the Spirit This is the fourth Sunday of a series of readings referring to sin, from the lectionary readings from Romans. Paul is writing to the church at Rome, which is composed of Jews and gentiles, and he is laying out what the Christian life entails. Traditionally, there has been much made about the word ‘flesh’ in these readings, (last week it was the word ‘member’) where Paul seems to associate our physical desires and longings with sin.
As in other weeks when talking about sin, we need not think of sin only as individuals, but to see how ‘flesh’ can refer to our weakness as a society, to commit to doing what needs to be done to address inequality and to offer greater support for those who need a social safety net: persons with disabilities, the single-parent family, the elderly, the orphan, the refugee, the unhoused, the hungry.
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23. The Parable of the Sower Matthew 13, comprises seven parables. Beginning in 13:3, the word ‘parable’ occurs twelve times in
the chapter. The word derives from a Greek word meaning ‘to throw alongside’. Thus the notion of comparison is that one event is set alongside something else to be illuminated by the comparison. I think we learnt at Sunday School that a parable was an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. This parable presents a story involving a peasant farmer. This scenario was familiar to the gospel’s largely rural audience who knew well the ways of its agriculturally-based society. The sower sows seeds which fall into four different types of ground with quite different consequences. The disciples had asked Jesus why he spoke in parables. (verse 10) In identifying the seed as ‘the word of the kingdom’, Jesus offers a clear hint that the sower is himself, pointing the description of Jesus’s work as ‘proclaiming the good news of the kingdom’.
Genesis 25:19-34. The Birth and Youth of Esau and Jacob. Esau Sells His Birthright
We enter this story after Isaac and Rebekah have been married 20 years. With no children, Isaac prays to God. Rebekkah conceives, and twins, Esau and Jacob are born. The conflict and/or lack of closeness between the twins become apparent as time passes. Esau could not see any value in an intangible birthright, in a covenant with God when the tangible and tasty stew was right before him.
Psalm 119:105-112 This is both the longest psalm and the longest chapter in the Bible. It may have been written by Ezra after the Temple was rebuilt as a repetitive meditation on God’s Word and how it helps us grow in faith.
Psalm 119 has 22 carefully constructed sections, each corresponding with a different letter in the Hebrew alphabet. In this section of Psalm 119, every line in each of these 8 verses begins with a word that starts with the letter Nun in the Hebrew alphabet. Nun (נ) is the 14th letter - it represents the "N" sound.
Almost every verse mentions God’s Word. Such repetition was common in Hebrew culture. People did not have personal copies of the Scriptures to read, so God’s people memorised the Word and passed it along orally. The structure of this psalm allowed for easy memorization. It emphasises maintaining steadfast obedience and finding joy in divine teachings, even when facing severe trials or opposition. Jacob is neither evil nor perfectly virtuous. He is human. So is Esau. This does not excuse them; but it does help us reflect on the ways God’s work gets done through ordinary people.
(It’s interesting to note that Jacob was a younger son as were Isaac, David and Joseph.)
Romans 8:1-11. Life in the Spirit This is the fourth Sunday of a series of readings referring to sin, from the lectionary readings from Romans. Paul is writing to the church at Rome, which is composed of Jews and gentiles, and he is laying out what the Christian life entails. Traditionally, there has been much made about the word ‘flesh’ in these readings, (last week it was the word ‘member’) where Paul seems to associate our physical desires and longings with sin.
As in other weeks when talking about sin, we need not think of sin only as individuals, but to see how ‘flesh’ can refer to our weakness as a society, to commit to doing what needs to be done to address inequality and to offer greater support for those who need a social safety net: persons with disabilities, the single-parent family, the elderly, the orphan, the refugee, the unhoused, the hungry.
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23. The Parable of the Sower Matthew 13, comprises seven parables. Beginning in 13:3, the word ‘parable’ occurs twelve times in
the chapter. The word derives from a Greek word meaning ‘to throw alongside’. Thus the notion of comparison is that one event is set alongside something else to be illuminated by the comparison. I think we learnt at Sunday School that a parable was an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. This parable presents a story involving a peasant farmer. This scenario was familiar to the gospel’s largely rural audience who knew well the ways of its agriculturally-based society. The sower sows seeds which fall into four different types of ground with quite different consequences. The disciples had asked Jesus why he spoke in parables. (verse 10) In identifying the seed as ‘the word of the kingdom’, Jesus offers a clear hint that the sower is himself, pointing the description of Jesus’s work as ‘proclaiming the good news of the kingdom’.
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 5 July.
Genesis 24:34-38,42-49,58-67
Abraham sends a servant to find a wife for Isaac. Abraham’s servant, Eliezer, stops by a well and prays for a suitable wife.
Rebekah comes to the well. She offers to draw water for the camels, but one camel can drink 20-30 gallons of water at a time, and there are 10 camels! She is not only beautiful, it seems, but exceedingly strong.
After hearing the story from Abraham’s servant, Rebekah’s family agrees and Rebekah herself does not hesitate to go with him to Abraham. She is not only strong, but decisive.
This story ends with the meeting of Rebekah and Isaac, and the text says explicitly that Isaac loved Rebekah. In the patriarchal culture of ancient Israel, love was not considered a necessary ingredient in a marriage.
Genesis 24:34-38,42-49,58-67
Abraham sends a servant to find a wife for Isaac. Abraham’s servant, Eliezer, stops by a well and prays for a suitable wife.
Rebekah comes to the well. She offers to draw water for the camels, but one camel can drink 20-30 gallons of water at a time, and there are 10 camels! She is not only beautiful, it seems, but exceedingly strong.
After hearing the story from Abraham’s servant, Rebekah’s family agrees and Rebekah herself does not hesitate to go with him to Abraham. She is not only strong, but decisive.
This story ends with the meeting of Rebekah and Isaac, and the text says explicitly that Isaac loved Rebekah. In the patriarchal culture of ancient Israel, love was not considered a necessary ingredient in a marriage.
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This image is from the Vienna Genesis, an early 6th-century Greek manuscript painted with tempera on purple-dyed vellum. It depicts the biblical story of Rebecca and Eliezer at the well. It uses continuous narration to show Rebecca twice: leaving her town to fetch water and then helping Eliezer water his camels. The scene blends classical Roman artistic traditions— the personification of the river as a reclining nude figure – with Christian art.
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Psalm 45:10-17
Psalm 45 was composed to celebrate a king’s wedding. After a description of his royal glory and kingdom his bride, the queen, is introduced. She is encouraged to forget her people and her father’s house.
Many interpret this psalm as referring to Christ, and His bride—the church.
An alternate reading for this Sunday is from the Song of Solomon 2:8-13; another reading about love.
Springtime Rhapsody
8 The voice of my beloved!
Look, he comes,
leaping upon the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
My beloved speaks and says to me:
‘Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away;
11 for now the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
12 The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtle-dove
is heard in our land.
Romans 7:15-25a
Like last week’s reading from Romans 6:12-23, this week’s reading from Romans 7: 15-25a features Paul’s teaching on the tension and struggle between life in the Spirit and life in the flesh.
The struggle that Paul depicts in 7:14-25a resonates with many people in today’s culture, let alone in the ancient early Christian Church.
The teachings we can draw from this chapter are several. What does it mean to be a Christian? The answer from this passage is that our mindset and attitude must be godly and everybody whose mind is controlled by the Spirit delights in Jesus Christ.
If God dwells in us, then we must allow God to control our lives and this means lead us to a relationship with Jesus. We are to remember that there is no discipleship without a relationship with the Spirit of God and for believers to enjoy eternal life, they must be transformed in their thinking, attitude, and way of life.
Matthew 11:16-19,25-30. Jesus thanks his Father
At the beginning of chapter 11, John’s disciples ask Jesus, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’
Jesus describes the people who cannot recognise the truth when it is right in front of them. They thought that John the Baptist was a demon and considered Jesus to be a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. They describe Jesus by the company he keeps. Jesus compares them to children.
From verse 25, Jesus prays thanking the Father because God has ‘hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and revealed them to infants.’
The ‘wise and intelligent’ may refer to any who reject Jesus and his message, but perhaps especially to the religious leaders.
Jesus’ prayer then turns to the well known invitation: Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest.
Who are the ones labouring wearily who are heavily burdened?
Again, it is the common people rather than their leaders.
Psalm 45 was composed to celebrate a king’s wedding. After a description of his royal glory and kingdom his bride, the queen, is introduced. She is encouraged to forget her people and her father’s house.
Many interpret this psalm as referring to Christ, and His bride—the church.
An alternate reading for this Sunday is from the Song of Solomon 2:8-13; another reading about love.
Springtime Rhapsody
8 The voice of my beloved!
Look, he comes,
leaping upon the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
My beloved speaks and says to me:
‘Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away;
11 for now the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
12 The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtle-dove
is heard in our land.
Romans 7:15-25a
Like last week’s reading from Romans 6:12-23, this week’s reading from Romans 7: 15-25a features Paul’s teaching on the tension and struggle between life in the Spirit and life in the flesh.
The struggle that Paul depicts in 7:14-25a resonates with many people in today’s culture, let alone in the ancient early Christian Church.
The teachings we can draw from this chapter are several. What does it mean to be a Christian? The answer from this passage is that our mindset and attitude must be godly and everybody whose mind is controlled by the Spirit delights in Jesus Christ.
If God dwells in us, then we must allow God to control our lives and this means lead us to a relationship with Jesus. We are to remember that there is no discipleship without a relationship with the Spirit of God and for believers to enjoy eternal life, they must be transformed in their thinking, attitude, and way of life.
Matthew 11:16-19,25-30. Jesus thanks his Father
At the beginning of chapter 11, John’s disciples ask Jesus, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’
Jesus describes the people who cannot recognise the truth when it is right in front of them. They thought that John the Baptist was a demon and considered Jesus to be a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. They describe Jesus by the company he keeps. Jesus compares them to children.
From verse 25, Jesus prays thanking the Father because God has ‘hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and revealed them to infants.’
The ‘wise and intelligent’ may refer to any who reject Jesus and his message, but perhaps especially to the religious leaders.
Jesus’ prayer then turns to the well known invitation: Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest.
Who are the ones labouring wearily who are heavily burdened?
Again, it is the common people rather than their leaders.
Notes on the Readings: These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 28 June.
Genesis 22:1-14. The Command to Sacrifice Isaac
How do we react to this reading? It’s horrifying—that Abraham would plan to kill his son as an act of faith and that God would command it. As one commentator wrote ‘As I was reading this again, I kept going back to the Hebrew, wondering if perhaps we have been reading it wrongly, if there is another way of translating verse 2. There isn’t. The text is surprisingly unambiguous. Take your son, your only son, whom you love, that is, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him up there as a burnt offering.
Which is worse—that God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, or that Abraham seemingly complies without protest?
Earlier we read that Abraham laughed when God told him that Sarah would bear a child and that she would become the mother of nations. There are indications that Abraham still doesn’t quite trust God to accomplish what God promised or believe that God is a god of his word. So God asks Abraham to demonstrate his faith by trusting God with his hopes, his future, his deepest longings, his only son whom he loves.
Genesis 22:1 describes it as a test, perhaps signalling to the reader that God had no intention of going through with it.
An alternate reading for this Sunday is Jeremiah 28:5-9
Psalm 13. Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies. A Psalm of David.
Psalm 13 is a prayer for when we are at our lowest. It is a prayer for help — which is the most common type of psalm. Roughly 1/3 of the psalms are prayers for help. These psalms are cried ‘out of the depths’ or when ‘the waters have come up to my neck’. (69:1) As such, these psalms give expression to the greatest moments of human pain. But they do so in a way that claims the promise of God’s presence in the midst of our suffering and also the promise that the God-who-is-with-us will preserve us from evil and bring us to a new day when ‘the sun will rise and light will dawn’. An important part of these psalms is the expression of anger, confusion, questioning, and despair: ‘How long, O Lord?’
An alternate reading for this Sunday is Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18
Romans 6:12-23
Last week we read from Romans 6, verses 1-11, about sin and death in relation to new life after baptism when we decide to be dead to sin and go on living in Christ Jesus. Today’s verses follow on. Paul is teaching that this new walk with Christ is a work of grace in which resurrection power propels believers to live worthy lives. Their new walk is a journey. Pilgrims on the journey can be helped in three ways: First, Paul advocates freedom from the power of sin for believers when they make a conscious effort not to sin. They can also be aware that Christ’s crucifixion was a once and for all event launching humanity into an abundance of grace and no one will ever take that away from believers. And thirdly, believers can bear in mind that the gift of grace and salvation calls them to live in obedience as a verification of the work done by Jesus during his ministry.
Matthew 10:40-42. Rewards
One approach to understanding Matthew 10:40-42 might be to focus our attention on what it means to be ‘sent’. Perhaps not all are sent to be wandering missionaries, preachers and teachers who depend on others for shelter and sustenance, but that doesn’t mean we are off the hook.
All who are baptised are sent into the world to tell and embody the good news of Jesus Christ.
All are sent to bring Christ to others with humility and vulnerability, being willing to risk rejection.
Genesis 22:1-14. The Command to Sacrifice Isaac
How do we react to this reading? It’s horrifying—that Abraham would plan to kill his son as an act of faith and that God would command it. As one commentator wrote ‘As I was reading this again, I kept going back to the Hebrew, wondering if perhaps we have been reading it wrongly, if there is another way of translating verse 2. There isn’t. The text is surprisingly unambiguous. Take your son, your only son, whom you love, that is, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him up there as a burnt offering.
Which is worse—that God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, or that Abraham seemingly complies without protest?
Earlier we read that Abraham laughed when God told him that Sarah would bear a child and that she would become the mother of nations. There are indications that Abraham still doesn’t quite trust God to accomplish what God promised or believe that God is a god of his word. So God asks Abraham to demonstrate his faith by trusting God with his hopes, his future, his deepest longings, his only son whom he loves.
Genesis 22:1 describes it as a test, perhaps signalling to the reader that God had no intention of going through with it.
An alternate reading for this Sunday is Jeremiah 28:5-9
Psalm 13. Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies. A Psalm of David.
Psalm 13 is a prayer for when we are at our lowest. It is a prayer for help — which is the most common type of psalm. Roughly 1/3 of the psalms are prayers for help. These psalms are cried ‘out of the depths’ or when ‘the waters have come up to my neck’. (69:1) As such, these psalms give expression to the greatest moments of human pain. But they do so in a way that claims the promise of God’s presence in the midst of our suffering and also the promise that the God-who-is-with-us will preserve us from evil and bring us to a new day when ‘the sun will rise and light will dawn’. An important part of these psalms is the expression of anger, confusion, questioning, and despair: ‘How long, O Lord?’
An alternate reading for this Sunday is Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18
Romans 6:12-23
Last week we read from Romans 6, verses 1-11, about sin and death in relation to new life after baptism when we decide to be dead to sin and go on living in Christ Jesus. Today’s verses follow on. Paul is teaching that this new walk with Christ is a work of grace in which resurrection power propels believers to live worthy lives. Their new walk is a journey. Pilgrims on the journey can be helped in three ways: First, Paul advocates freedom from the power of sin for believers when they make a conscious effort not to sin. They can also be aware that Christ’s crucifixion was a once and for all event launching humanity into an abundance of grace and no one will ever take that away from believers. And thirdly, believers can bear in mind that the gift of grace and salvation calls them to live in obedience as a verification of the work done by Jesus during his ministry.
Matthew 10:40-42. Rewards
One approach to understanding Matthew 10:40-42 might be to focus our attention on what it means to be ‘sent’. Perhaps not all are sent to be wandering missionaries, preachers and teachers who depend on others for shelter and sustenance, but that doesn’t mean we are off the hook.
All who are baptised are sent into the world to tell and embody the good news of Jesus Christ.
All are sent to bring Christ to others with humility and vulnerability, being willing to risk rejection.
Notes on the Readings: These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 21 June.
Genesis 21:8-21. Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away
Hagar is a bit of an embarrassment; the foreign slave girl, whom Abraham impregnated and who gave birth to his first-born son, Ishmael. From Sarah’s perspective, Hagar and later Ishmael are clearly a problem to be dealt with. Hagar and Ishmael must go. As the oldest son, Ishmael would have been entitled to a double-portion of the inheritance and certainly would have occupied pride of place among Abraham’s sons. As such, Sarah’s focus seems to be on safeguarding Isaac’s power and privilege. Hagar and Ishmael are freed and sent into the wilderness. God continued to care for them. These stories are in Genesis to remind us that God loves the slaves and refugees of our world – the Hagars and the Ishmaels.
An alternate reading for this Sunday is Jeremiah 20:7-13
Psalm 86:1-10, 16,17. Supplication for Help against Enemies. A Prayer of David.
Psalmists turn to God knowing they are vulnerable, but also deeply trusting – knowing that God is gracious, patient and steadfast in love. We come to God not because life is simple, but because God welcomes us: our fears, our griefs, our hopes. God hears the cries of all people – First Nations, migrants, refugees, and those pushed to the margins.
An alternate psalm for this Sunday is Psalm 69:7-10, 16-18
Romans 6:1b-11. Dying and Rising with Christ
The passage for this Sunday is a continuation of the discussions on the implications of the gospel for the gentiles. We know we can live new lives, sanctified through Christ, living righteously. The mark of this new life begins with baptism. Why does Paul connect baptism with sin, or to be more specific, how does baptism represent our death to sin? Two moments help us see more clearly the connection between baptism and the forgiveness of sins: Jesus’s baptism and Pentecost. With John the Baptist, we hear that baptism is associated with the confession of sins and the coming of the Holy Spirit. John came ‘proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins’. Later, in Acts, at Pentecost, after Peter’s sermon and the people ask him what to do next, he advises
them, ‘Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven’.
Matthew 10:24-39. Whom to Fear. Not Peace, but a Sword Fear. Is there any more pervasive or powerful motivating force in human experience?
From the moment we are born, we learn to fear the world around us, certainly to fear the stranger, sometimes to fear even those who are closest to us.
Jesus recognises that fear will also cause the failure of discipleship. Jesus’ disciples courageously leave the security of their homes and families to follow him as they proclaim the advent of God’s reign, but they, too, will know and ultimately bow before the power of fear.
‘Do not fear’ is the dominant, recurrent message in verses 24-31. But first Jesus offers a warning: whatever fate awaits teachers or masters also awaits their disciples and slaves. Verses 32-39 again encourage disciples to remain firm in their commitment to Jesus and their mission, even when that
mission generates inevitable conflicts, even within their families. Verse 34 is crucial: Jesus has called his disciples to be peacemakers.
So Jesus is teaching that we need:
• to recognise the human power of fear
• to be aware of the conflict and division that the gospel inevitably produces
• to develop a deep understanding and conviction that God is always present in mercy and compassion.
Genesis 21:8-21. Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away
Hagar is a bit of an embarrassment; the foreign slave girl, whom Abraham impregnated and who gave birth to his first-born son, Ishmael. From Sarah’s perspective, Hagar and later Ishmael are clearly a problem to be dealt with. Hagar and Ishmael must go. As the oldest son, Ishmael would have been entitled to a double-portion of the inheritance and certainly would have occupied pride of place among Abraham’s sons. As such, Sarah’s focus seems to be on safeguarding Isaac’s power and privilege. Hagar and Ishmael are freed and sent into the wilderness. God continued to care for them. These stories are in Genesis to remind us that God loves the slaves and refugees of our world – the Hagars and the Ishmaels.
An alternate reading for this Sunday is Jeremiah 20:7-13
Psalm 86:1-10, 16,17. Supplication for Help against Enemies. A Prayer of David.
Psalmists turn to God knowing they are vulnerable, but also deeply trusting – knowing that God is gracious, patient and steadfast in love. We come to God not because life is simple, but because God welcomes us: our fears, our griefs, our hopes. God hears the cries of all people – First Nations, migrants, refugees, and those pushed to the margins.
An alternate psalm for this Sunday is Psalm 69:7-10, 16-18
Romans 6:1b-11. Dying and Rising with Christ
The passage for this Sunday is a continuation of the discussions on the implications of the gospel for the gentiles. We know we can live new lives, sanctified through Christ, living righteously. The mark of this new life begins with baptism. Why does Paul connect baptism with sin, or to be more specific, how does baptism represent our death to sin? Two moments help us see more clearly the connection between baptism and the forgiveness of sins: Jesus’s baptism and Pentecost. With John the Baptist, we hear that baptism is associated with the confession of sins and the coming of the Holy Spirit. John came ‘proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins’. Later, in Acts, at Pentecost, after Peter’s sermon and the people ask him what to do next, he advises
them, ‘Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven’.
Matthew 10:24-39. Whom to Fear. Not Peace, but a Sword Fear. Is there any more pervasive or powerful motivating force in human experience?
From the moment we are born, we learn to fear the world around us, certainly to fear the stranger, sometimes to fear even those who are closest to us.
Jesus recognises that fear will also cause the failure of discipleship. Jesus’ disciples courageously leave the security of their homes and families to follow him as they proclaim the advent of God’s reign, but they, too, will know and ultimately bow before the power of fear.
‘Do not fear’ is the dominant, recurrent message in verses 24-31. But first Jesus offers a warning: whatever fate awaits teachers or masters also awaits their disciples and slaves. Verses 32-39 again encourage disciples to remain firm in their commitment to Jesus and their mission, even when that
mission generates inevitable conflicts, even within their families. Verse 34 is crucial: Jesus has called his disciples to be peacemakers.
So Jesus is teaching that we need:
• to recognise the human power of fear
• to be aware of the conflict and division that the gospel inevitably produces
• to develop a deep understanding and conviction that God is always present in mercy and compassion.
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 14 June.
Genesis 18:1-15. A Son Promised to Abraham and Sarah
Three strangers arrive. Hospitality customs were a vital part of the culture of the ancient near east. The people followed these customs as formal, even sacred, codes of conduct. While Abraham makes the invitation to the strangers, he does very little of the work to provide for them. Sarah is instructed to make cake for them and a servant is instructed to prepare meat. Abraham is told that his wife will have a child, despite her age. After helping to prepare the food for the guests, Sarah does not get to enjoy the meal. The conversation between Abraham and the visitors directly concerns Sarah and her well-being. The story raises a question: ‘Whom do we leave on the margins when we make decisions that directly affect others’ lives?’ Too often, the privileged few leave the marginalised out of the conversations, assuming that they know what is best for them. How different would it be if all were included in the decision-making.
Psalm 116. Thanksgiving for Recovery from Illness
The psalm opens with the genuine profession ‘I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications’. It is the heartfelt response of one who is overcome by God’s mercy towards him, mercy which has fostered in him not just gratitude but a deeper feeling of love. The psalmist had been in the grip of death; his life, was finished. But having heard his cry, the Lord saved him. As with all psalms of thanksgiving, the connection here between God’s saving act and the psalmist’s gratitude is significant.
Romans 5:1-8. Results of Justification
In the previous chapter, Paul talked of Abraham’s hope and develops the concept in chapter 5. For Paul, hope isn’t wishful thinking, but absolute certainty about the future because it is grounded in God’s faithfulness to keep promises. That is what God will do for the believer in Christ who is secure in what God has done.
Matthew 9:35-10:8. The Harvest Is Great, the Labourers Few. The Twelve Apostles
Jesus gives the Twelve clear instructions, then sends them forth to do his works and proclaim his message. Once sent, however, they are on their own. They must assess the responses of the cities; they must determine whether to stay or to move along. The 12 apostles are named – an interesting collection - the ‘first’ apostle Peter will deny the Lord three times and the last apostle Judas will betray him to death, while two apostles in between held opposite positions on the Roman occupation. Tax collector Matthew worked for the Romans, while Simon the zealot worked against them. But these assorted apostles are entrusted with Jesus’ work of proclamation and healing.
Psalm 100 is an alternate psalm for this Sunday.
Jim Taylor (a Canadian writer) has written a paraphrase of psalm 100. It is a psalm of unbridled joy and it seemed to Jim that no one expressed that kind of
unselfconscious joy the way children do.
Leap and dance with joy--
The showers have ended, the sun has come out again.
Splash through the puddles!
Roll in the grass!
Let laughter rise in the air like flights of sparrows!
This is God's world!
God made it, God made us--and it is good!
We spoil it if we stare at it through sour faces.
God set us free to frolic, to gambol, to celebrate the gift of life.
So dance your way down the garden;
scatter rose-petals with every step.
With every breath, enjoy the goodness of God!
From the beginning of time, God has poured out love;
God will continue loving until time grinds to a close.
Genesis 18:1-15. A Son Promised to Abraham and Sarah
Three strangers arrive. Hospitality customs were a vital part of the culture of the ancient near east. The people followed these customs as formal, even sacred, codes of conduct. While Abraham makes the invitation to the strangers, he does very little of the work to provide for them. Sarah is instructed to make cake for them and a servant is instructed to prepare meat. Abraham is told that his wife will have a child, despite her age. After helping to prepare the food for the guests, Sarah does not get to enjoy the meal. The conversation between Abraham and the visitors directly concerns Sarah and her well-being. The story raises a question: ‘Whom do we leave on the margins when we make decisions that directly affect others’ lives?’ Too often, the privileged few leave the marginalised out of the conversations, assuming that they know what is best for them. How different would it be if all were included in the decision-making.
Psalm 116. Thanksgiving for Recovery from Illness
The psalm opens with the genuine profession ‘I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications’. It is the heartfelt response of one who is overcome by God’s mercy towards him, mercy which has fostered in him not just gratitude but a deeper feeling of love. The psalmist had been in the grip of death; his life, was finished. But having heard his cry, the Lord saved him. As with all psalms of thanksgiving, the connection here between God’s saving act and the psalmist’s gratitude is significant.
Romans 5:1-8. Results of Justification
In the previous chapter, Paul talked of Abraham’s hope and develops the concept in chapter 5. For Paul, hope isn’t wishful thinking, but absolute certainty about the future because it is grounded in God’s faithfulness to keep promises. That is what God will do for the believer in Christ who is secure in what God has done.
Matthew 9:35-10:8. The Harvest Is Great, the Labourers Few. The Twelve Apostles
Jesus gives the Twelve clear instructions, then sends them forth to do his works and proclaim his message. Once sent, however, they are on their own. They must assess the responses of the cities; they must determine whether to stay or to move along. The 12 apostles are named – an interesting collection - the ‘first’ apostle Peter will deny the Lord three times and the last apostle Judas will betray him to death, while two apostles in between held opposite positions on the Roman occupation. Tax collector Matthew worked for the Romans, while Simon the zealot worked against them. But these assorted apostles are entrusted with Jesus’ work of proclamation and healing.
Psalm 100 is an alternate psalm for this Sunday.
Jim Taylor (a Canadian writer) has written a paraphrase of psalm 100. It is a psalm of unbridled joy and it seemed to Jim that no one expressed that kind of
unselfconscious joy the way children do.
Leap and dance with joy--
The showers have ended, the sun has come out again.
Splash through the puddles!
Roll in the grass!
Let laughter rise in the air like flights of sparrows!
This is God's world!
God made it, God made us--and it is good!
We spoil it if we stare at it through sour faces.
God set us free to frolic, to gambol, to celebrate the gift of life.
So dance your way down the garden;
scatter rose-petals with every step.
With every breath, enjoy the goodness of God!
From the beginning of time, God has poured out love;
God will continue loving until time grinds to a close.
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 7 June.
Genesis 12:1-9. The Call of Abram
Genesis 12 is a key text for understanding not only the whole book of Genesis, but also the whole Old Testament. Before this chapter, we have all the familiar stories that make up what biblical scholars call the primaeval history — Creation, the Fall, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Flood. Beginning with this chapter, the focus narrows; we read stories about one particular couple, Abram/Abraham and Sarai/Sarah, and their family. So far all we know about Abram is that his wife’s name was Sarai, that he moved from Ur (in latter-day Babylonia) to Haran (in latter-day Assyria) with his father, and that Sarai was barren. From this brief genealogy, there seems no particular reason to single out Abram. Who is this particular Mesopotamian that God should call him specifically and make astounding promises to him? The rabbis said, it was because he was the first monotheist. This story is from Rabbinic literature, not the Bible. Abram’s father, Terah, was a maker of idols. Abram, while still in his father’s household, knew that the idols were false gods and that there was only one true God. One night he went into his father’s workshop and smashed and burned all his father’s idols. Therefore, the rabbis concluded, he was worthy of God’s choosing.
Hosea 5:15-6:6 is an alternate reading for this Sunday
Psalm 33. The Greatness and Goodness of God
Psalm 33 is a hymn of praise celebrating God’s steadfast love, creative power, and sovereign control over history. It calls for joyful, skilful worship and encourages trusting God's reliable, eternal plans. The Psalm opens with a call for the righteous to praise God with music, specifically urging them to ‘sing a new song’ with skill and loud shouts. It emphasises that God created the cosmos through God’s spoken word and that God’s word is righteous and true. The psalm concludes by highlighting God's watchful eyes on those who fear God, acting as a ‘help and shield’.
Psalm 50:7-15 is an alternate reading for this Sunday
Romans 4:13-25. God’s Promise Realised through Faith
In chapter 4 Paul takes up the story of Abraham as a proof that justification is by faith, not works. After all, he says, the great patriarch Abraham was justified by faith, not by observing works of the law.
In Romans 4:13-15 Paul picks up an earlier part of the story of Abraham. On that occasion, God promised the land of Canaan to Abram’s descendants. Abraham received the promises ‘through righteousness by faith’, not ‘through the law’. Like so much in the letters of Paul, this passage is difficult to follow. It is filled with biblical allusions concerning the law of Moses and Abraham and the promise given to him; and it contains the theological concept of righteousness. Yet it is a powerful passage, and it speaks eloquently to Christian faith.
Matthew 9:9-13. The Calling of Matthew
Jesus typically calls busy folks. He called the first four disciples—Peter and Andrew while they were casting a net into the sea, and James and John were in the boat with their father mending their nets. In verse 13 Jesus calls Matthew, a toll/tax collector to follow him. Matthew was working at his desk.
Matthew 9:18-26. A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
The second part of this reading brings us into two healing stories—a synagogue leader’s daughter and a woman suffering from chronic bleeding. These two individuals stand at opposite ends of the social spectrum: The synagogue leader is prominent, while the woman is unnamed and ostracised. The synagogue leader is confident enough to walk directly up to Jesus, while the woman lives in a state of shame and desires to move unnoticed. The woman’s faith is remarkable. She believes that simply touching Jesus’ cloak will heal her.
For both people, Jesus responds with equal compassion.
Genesis 12:1-9. The Call of Abram
Genesis 12 is a key text for understanding not only the whole book of Genesis, but also the whole Old Testament. Before this chapter, we have all the familiar stories that make up what biblical scholars call the primaeval history — Creation, the Fall, Cain and Abel, Noah and the Flood. Beginning with this chapter, the focus narrows; we read stories about one particular couple, Abram/Abraham and Sarai/Sarah, and their family. So far all we know about Abram is that his wife’s name was Sarai, that he moved from Ur (in latter-day Babylonia) to Haran (in latter-day Assyria) with his father, and that Sarai was barren. From this brief genealogy, there seems no particular reason to single out Abram. Who is this particular Mesopotamian that God should call him specifically and make astounding promises to him? The rabbis said, it was because he was the first monotheist. This story is from Rabbinic literature, not the Bible. Abram’s father, Terah, was a maker of idols. Abram, while still in his father’s household, knew that the idols were false gods and that there was only one true God. One night he went into his father’s workshop and smashed and burned all his father’s idols. Therefore, the rabbis concluded, he was worthy of God’s choosing.
Hosea 5:15-6:6 is an alternate reading for this Sunday
Psalm 33. The Greatness and Goodness of God
Psalm 33 is a hymn of praise celebrating God’s steadfast love, creative power, and sovereign control over history. It calls for joyful, skilful worship and encourages trusting God's reliable, eternal plans. The Psalm opens with a call for the righteous to praise God with music, specifically urging them to ‘sing a new song’ with skill and loud shouts. It emphasises that God created the cosmos through God’s spoken word and that God’s word is righteous and true. The psalm concludes by highlighting God's watchful eyes on those who fear God, acting as a ‘help and shield’.
Psalm 50:7-15 is an alternate reading for this Sunday
Romans 4:13-25. God’s Promise Realised through Faith
In chapter 4 Paul takes up the story of Abraham as a proof that justification is by faith, not works. After all, he says, the great patriarch Abraham was justified by faith, not by observing works of the law.
In Romans 4:13-15 Paul picks up an earlier part of the story of Abraham. On that occasion, God promised the land of Canaan to Abram’s descendants. Abraham received the promises ‘through righteousness by faith’, not ‘through the law’. Like so much in the letters of Paul, this passage is difficult to follow. It is filled with biblical allusions concerning the law of Moses and Abraham and the promise given to him; and it contains the theological concept of righteousness. Yet it is a powerful passage, and it speaks eloquently to Christian faith.
Matthew 9:9-13. The Calling of Matthew
Jesus typically calls busy folks. He called the first four disciples—Peter and Andrew while they were casting a net into the sea, and James and John were in the boat with their father mending their nets. In verse 13 Jesus calls Matthew, a toll/tax collector to follow him. Matthew was working at his desk.
Matthew 9:18-26. A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed
The second part of this reading brings us into two healing stories—a synagogue leader’s daughter and a woman suffering from chronic bleeding. These two individuals stand at opposite ends of the social spectrum: The synagogue leader is prominent, while the woman is unnamed and ostracised. The synagogue leader is confident enough to walk directly up to Jesus, while the woman lives in a state of shame and desires to move unnoticed. The woman’s faith is remarkable. She believes that simply touching Jesus’ cloak will heal her.
For both people, Jesus responds with equal compassion.
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 31 May.
Genesis 1: 1-2:4a. Six Days of Creation and the Sabbath
For some of us, the creation account recalls the overly-interpretive illustrations from children’s Bibles. Others recall the glorious image of the creation of Adam that covers the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Still others might recall a crisis of faith when placing the creation account within the content of high school biology.
In ancient Israel, Genesis 1-2:4a would have recalled other accounts of the origins of the world. Creation narratives were unapologetically polytheistic.
There were many deities, and they each had changing roles and forms. Marduk was associated with water, vegetation, and eventually magic and the chief god. Assur was leader of a rival group of gods in northern Mesopotamia. Back in Egypt, a different set of gods quarrelled over legitimacy beginning with Osiris and Seth and then Seth and Horus.
The creation story in Genesis 1-2:4 is fiercely monotheistic. Not only is there only one God, but this God is sovereign and powerful. God says - and it happens.
The God of Genesis 1-2:4a provides assurance. God is one. God is powerful. And God created us in his image. This opening passage of our Bible is the essence of the good news.
Psalm 8. Divine Majesty and Human Dignity. A Psalm of David.
Psalm 8 is the first hymn of praise in the Psalter. There are many more to follow. Psalm 8 reveals that those suffering at the hands of evil forces are those made in the image of God and valued highly by their creator. Indeed, the psalm proclaims that people are God’s agents on earth. This psalm is the only hymn in the Psalter spoken entirely to God. It emphasises God’s sovereignty. The first parts of verses 1 and 9 are identical. They give structure to the psalm and draw attention to the majesty and sovereignty of God. Glory and honour are words used to describe monarchs, but here they describe all human beings.
2 Corinthians 13:11-13. Final Greetings and Benediction
On this Sunday that celebrates the mystery of the holy trinity, Paul’s final words to the Corinthians underscore the church’s reliance on the power of the divine for hope of its transformation. Paul’s closing remarks in 2 Corinthians include stern admonition and loving exhortation. It is, perhaps, fitting that 2 Corinthians should close with both a warning and with love. This final appeal for the presence of Christ’s grace, God’s love, and the Spirit’s fellowship
bears witness to the divine power that has created and sustained both the Corinthian church and the church today. God is the very source of our life in Christ Jesus, and in Christ we are a new creation.
Matthew 28: 16-20. The Commissioning of the Disciples
The arrest and crucifixion of Jesus was a deeply disorienting experience for his followers, destroying in a matter of hours the great hopes and dreams they all shared. They had lost the one they loved and admired. To see Jesus alive after his death, which they naturally assumed had ended everything, must have been utterly astonishing. Nothing in their history or Jewish faith had prepared them for what was occurring. To say they struggled to understand would be an understatement.
Matthew 28.16-20 provides the narrative of the last recorded encounter with Jesus by the disciples; and the final words of Jesus close the Gospel.
Genesis 1: 1-2:4a. Six Days of Creation and the Sabbath
For some of us, the creation account recalls the overly-interpretive illustrations from children’s Bibles. Others recall the glorious image of the creation of Adam that covers the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Still others might recall a crisis of faith when placing the creation account within the content of high school biology.
In ancient Israel, Genesis 1-2:4a would have recalled other accounts of the origins of the world. Creation narratives were unapologetically polytheistic.
There were many deities, and they each had changing roles and forms. Marduk was associated with water, vegetation, and eventually magic and the chief god. Assur was leader of a rival group of gods in northern Mesopotamia. Back in Egypt, a different set of gods quarrelled over legitimacy beginning with Osiris and Seth and then Seth and Horus.
The creation story in Genesis 1-2:4 is fiercely monotheistic. Not only is there only one God, but this God is sovereign and powerful. God says - and it happens.
The God of Genesis 1-2:4a provides assurance. God is one. God is powerful. And God created us in his image. This opening passage of our Bible is the essence of the good news.
Psalm 8. Divine Majesty and Human Dignity. A Psalm of David.
Psalm 8 is the first hymn of praise in the Psalter. There are many more to follow. Psalm 8 reveals that those suffering at the hands of evil forces are those made in the image of God and valued highly by their creator. Indeed, the psalm proclaims that people are God’s agents on earth. This psalm is the only hymn in the Psalter spoken entirely to God. It emphasises God’s sovereignty. The first parts of verses 1 and 9 are identical. They give structure to the psalm and draw attention to the majesty and sovereignty of God. Glory and honour are words used to describe monarchs, but here they describe all human beings.
2 Corinthians 13:11-13. Final Greetings and Benediction
On this Sunday that celebrates the mystery of the holy trinity, Paul’s final words to the Corinthians underscore the church’s reliance on the power of the divine for hope of its transformation. Paul’s closing remarks in 2 Corinthians include stern admonition and loving exhortation. It is, perhaps, fitting that 2 Corinthians should close with both a warning and with love. This final appeal for the presence of Christ’s grace, God’s love, and the Spirit’s fellowship
bears witness to the divine power that has created and sustained both the Corinthian church and the church today. God is the very source of our life in Christ Jesus, and in Christ we are a new creation.
Matthew 28: 16-20. The Commissioning of the Disciples
The arrest and crucifixion of Jesus was a deeply disorienting experience for his followers, destroying in a matter of hours the great hopes and dreams they all shared. They had lost the one they loved and admired. To see Jesus alive after his death, which they naturally assumed had ended everything, must have been utterly astonishing. Nothing in their history or Jewish faith had prepared them for what was occurring. To say they struggled to understand would be an understatement.
Matthew 28.16-20 provides the narrative of the last recorded encounter with Jesus by the disciples; and the final words of Jesus close the Gospel.
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 24 May.
Acts 2:1-13. The Coming of the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:14-21. Peter Addresses the Crowd
This narrative from Luke (the writer of Acts) describes the completion of what John the Baptist began. It describes not the birth of the church but
the empowerment of believers to bear witness to the ends of the earth. This story follows Luke’s retelling of the ascension of Jesus , the gathering
of Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem—some 120 in all, and the choice of a 12th man to replace Judas. Following this passage, we hear Peter’s interpretation of the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The result of Peter’s speech, according to Luke, is the conversion of thousands, and the beginning of the earliest
churches. Today’s lectionary passage begins with the 120 gathered together. Luke then describes the coming of the Holy Spirit as the sound of a rushing
wind, an apparition of tongues resting on each, and the gift of the ability to speak in other languages .
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
The main subject of the psalm is the order of the world and the sovereignty of the God who created and maintains it. This subject in turn instills confidence that God can and will order the lives of those who seek God by keeping them to God’s purpose and away from evil.
Psalm 104:24-30 describes again God’s mastery over all the creatures of the earth. The section ends with two important claims: God gives all creatures their food and God gives them the breath of life, without which they could not survive.
Numbers 11: 24-30 is an alternative reading for this Sunday.
1 Corinthians 12:3b-13
The Corinthians are looking for what it means to be people of faith. They are engaged in what seems to be a lively discussion with the apostle Paul. It was not that Paul simply told them what to do, and that was the end of it. Apparently, many feel as though they brought something special to the life of the church:
wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. Paul reminds them that they are all dependent upon the spirit in their ability to confess Christ as Lord as well as in the variety of gifts that they bring to the community.
Acts 2:1-21 is an alternative reading for this Sunday.
John 20:19-23. Jesus Appears to the Disciples
Liturgical observances of Pentecost are informed almost entirely by the familiar story in Acts 2 - with images of fire, prayers offered in multiple languages, and attention to the church’s prophetic vocation. The Johannine Pentecost, as this passage is sometimes called, (Pentecost from the Book of John) gets much less attention. In John’s Gospel, Jesus does not impart the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (the Jewish Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot, which falls on the fiftieth day after Passover). Here, the Spirit comes at Easter, during Jesus’ first post-resurrection appearance to a collection of his followers. In this passage we encounter the Spirit with less of a universal tone (in comparison to Acts); the focus here is more particular, focused on the identity and sending of a community – the gathered disciples. Fear is seen in the scene. Jesus’ followers are in a locked room, explaining to us the importance of the language that introduces Jesus’ commission: ‘Peace to you’.
John 7:37-39 is an alternative reading for this Sunday.
Acts 2:1-13. The Coming of the Holy Spirit
Acts 2:14-21. Peter Addresses the Crowd
This narrative from Luke (the writer of Acts) describes the completion of what John the Baptist began. It describes not the birth of the church but
the empowerment of believers to bear witness to the ends of the earth. This story follows Luke’s retelling of the ascension of Jesus , the gathering
of Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem—some 120 in all, and the choice of a 12th man to replace Judas. Following this passage, we hear Peter’s interpretation of the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The result of Peter’s speech, according to Luke, is the conversion of thousands, and the beginning of the earliest
churches. Today’s lectionary passage begins with the 120 gathered together. Luke then describes the coming of the Holy Spirit as the sound of a rushing
wind, an apparition of tongues resting on each, and the gift of the ability to speak in other languages .
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
The main subject of the psalm is the order of the world and the sovereignty of the God who created and maintains it. This subject in turn instills confidence that God can and will order the lives of those who seek God by keeping them to God’s purpose and away from evil.
Psalm 104:24-30 describes again God’s mastery over all the creatures of the earth. The section ends with two important claims: God gives all creatures their food and God gives them the breath of life, without which they could not survive.
Numbers 11: 24-30 is an alternative reading for this Sunday.
1 Corinthians 12:3b-13
The Corinthians are looking for what it means to be people of faith. They are engaged in what seems to be a lively discussion with the apostle Paul. It was not that Paul simply told them what to do, and that was the end of it. Apparently, many feel as though they brought something special to the life of the church:
wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. Paul reminds them that they are all dependent upon the spirit in their ability to confess Christ as Lord as well as in the variety of gifts that they bring to the community.
Acts 2:1-21 is an alternative reading for this Sunday.
John 20:19-23. Jesus Appears to the Disciples
Liturgical observances of Pentecost are informed almost entirely by the familiar story in Acts 2 - with images of fire, prayers offered in multiple languages, and attention to the church’s prophetic vocation. The Johannine Pentecost, as this passage is sometimes called, (Pentecost from the Book of John) gets much less attention. In John’s Gospel, Jesus does not impart the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (the Jewish Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot, which falls on the fiftieth day after Passover). Here, the Spirit comes at Easter, during Jesus’ first post-resurrection appearance to a collection of his followers. In this passage we encounter the Spirit with less of a universal tone (in comparison to Acts); the focus here is more particular, focused on the identity and sending of a community – the gathered disciples. Fear is seen in the scene. Jesus’ followers are in a locked room, explaining to us the importance of the language that introduces Jesus’ commission: ‘Peace to you’.
John 7:37-39 is an alternative reading for this Sunday.
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 17 May.
Acts 1: 6-11. The Ascension of Jesus
Acts 1: 12-14. Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas Falling forty days after Easter (on a Thursday!) Ascension Day has never had a really important place in the church calendar. But it has a prominent role in Christian creeds echoing the claim that Jesus ascended into heaven. Only Acts 1 provides a full narrative of the event. It contains a promise You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses. Modern interpreters have difficulty taking the ascension story as a straightforward, historical account. Though absent as a character in Acts after chapter 1, the influence of Jesus throughout the rest of the book is profound. Jesus is at the centre of the churches. He guides the church in its missionary efforts; he empowers the disciples to perform miracles. The ascended and exalted Jesus, though absent as a character, is nonetheless a constant presence throughout the book.
Psalm 68: 1-10, 32-35. Praise and Thanksgiving. A Psalm of David. A Song. Psalm 68 celebrates the appearance of God as divine king and lists the implications of God’s rule throughout the world. This psalm has many interpretive difficulties — several one-of-a-kind words, obscure allusions, unknown geographical locations, and a less-than-clear structure. It has been suggested that Psalm 68 is a hymn to God’s power and majesty … the overall
impression is of a triumphal parade which culminates in Zion.
1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11. Suffering as a Christian Suffering is a major theme in 1 Peter. The word is mentioned twelve times in this short letter.
This repetition makes it clear that the audience is experiencing difficult circumstances. And yet the writer wants to remind them that they are not alone in their suffering. How fitting for our times! As so much of the world suffers wars and we remember the pandemic, perhaps we can find some solace in knowing that we, too, are united in our suffering. We are never suffering alone. Our understanding of Christ’s suffering should not be limited to the physical pain that
he endured on the cross. The mental and spiritual anguish of betrayal and separation should be remembered.
John 17:1-11. Jesus Prays for His Disciples This reading is a prayer of Jesus, and it comes near the end of the lengthy Farewell Discourse in the Gospel of John. Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus makes explicit references to his coming death. Here, in his final prayer for his disciples, he offers them a final word of comfort and challenge. The lectionary has placed Jesus’ prayer concerning glory at the end of the Easter season, but in John’s gospel the prayer occurs as the last supper is finishing, so that it leads into Easter. We can understand the hopes and dreams Jesus has for his disciples. The prayer describes the relationship Jesus has with God as well as his relationship to the world into which God has sent him.
Acts 1: 6-11. The Ascension of Jesus
Acts 1: 12-14. Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas Falling forty days after Easter (on a Thursday!) Ascension Day has never had a really important place in the church calendar. But it has a prominent role in Christian creeds echoing the claim that Jesus ascended into heaven. Only Acts 1 provides a full narrative of the event. It contains a promise You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses. Modern interpreters have difficulty taking the ascension story as a straightforward, historical account. Though absent as a character in Acts after chapter 1, the influence of Jesus throughout the rest of the book is profound. Jesus is at the centre of the churches. He guides the church in its missionary efforts; he empowers the disciples to perform miracles. The ascended and exalted Jesus, though absent as a character, is nonetheless a constant presence throughout the book.
Psalm 68: 1-10, 32-35. Praise and Thanksgiving. A Psalm of David. A Song. Psalm 68 celebrates the appearance of God as divine king and lists the implications of God’s rule throughout the world. This psalm has many interpretive difficulties — several one-of-a-kind words, obscure allusions, unknown geographical locations, and a less-than-clear structure. It has been suggested that Psalm 68 is a hymn to God’s power and majesty … the overall
impression is of a triumphal parade which culminates in Zion.
1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11. Suffering as a Christian Suffering is a major theme in 1 Peter. The word is mentioned twelve times in this short letter.
This repetition makes it clear that the audience is experiencing difficult circumstances. And yet the writer wants to remind them that they are not alone in their suffering. How fitting for our times! As so much of the world suffers wars and we remember the pandemic, perhaps we can find some solace in knowing that we, too, are united in our suffering. We are never suffering alone. Our understanding of Christ’s suffering should not be limited to the physical pain that
he endured on the cross. The mental and spiritual anguish of betrayal and separation should be remembered.
John 17:1-11. Jesus Prays for His Disciples This reading is a prayer of Jesus, and it comes near the end of the lengthy Farewell Discourse in the Gospel of John. Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus makes explicit references to his coming death. Here, in his final prayer for his disciples, he offers them a final word of comfort and challenge. The lectionary has placed Jesus’ prayer concerning glory at the end of the Easter season, but in John’s gospel the prayer occurs as the last supper is finishing, so that it leads into Easter. We can understand the hopes and dreams Jesus has for his disciples. The prayer describes the relationship Jesus has with God as well as his relationship to the world into which God has sent him.
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 10 May.
Acts 17: 22-31 The Areopagus is a rocky out crop, northwest of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. It is the site where the Apostle Paul delivered his sermon to the Athenians.
Psalm 66:8-20 This psalm is part of a hymn that extols God’s mighty deeds on behalf of God’s people. Verses 1-12 are more about the Israelites and how God saved them, pointing specifically to God for saving them at the Red Sea. But the psalm concludes with the testimony of an individual who thanks God for rescuing her or him from trouble. Some scholars think that Psalm 66 is actually a combination of two psalms that were originally separate. The psalm concludes in verse 20 with an affirmation of God’s care for the psalm singer—God has not rejected the singer’s prayer or removed God’s steadfast love.
Paul was tasked with carrying Christ’s name to the Gentiles. The Areopagus sermon is the fullest and most dramatic speech of Paul’s missionary career.
Paul began with a compliment to his audience. ‘Athenians! I see that you are very religious.’ He had walked around the city and observed the many objects of worship, even discovering an altar on hich had been inscribed, ‘To an unknown god’. Paul used the inscription to show them that what they worshipped in ignorance was what he was proclaiming to them. Paul then claimed that this unknown God is none other than the Creator God.
1 Peter 3:13-22. The Sufferings of the Early Christ-believers It is not easy to seriously consider the idea that there is merit in facing difficulties for the
sake of an idea or a belief. There appears to be some doubt about the date 1 Peter was written.
The situation referred to in 1 Peter 3:13-22 could range from mild abuse and mockery at the hands of the families of these new Christ-believers, to open, official, harsh persecution by Roman officials under Domitian (81-91 CE). In reflecting upon the message of the epistle, it is not necessary to know for sure what kind of suffering the early Christ-believers were facing. Identifying oneself as a Christ-believer in the first century CE was not something common. The writer gives them comfort in the knowledge that Jesus himself suffered. The author of 1 Peter uses Jesus as an example that suffering can be a part of the path of a faithful Christ-believer. The story of Jesus presents comfort to the believers. It helps them understand that being righteous and obedient to God’s will does not provide a protection against pain and suffering.
John 14:15-21. The Promise of the Holy Spirit Jesus, in this farewell talk, offers solace and encouragement to his disciples, intertwining the themes of love, obedience, and the promise of the Holy Spirit. This passage emphasises that genuine love for Jesus is shown by keeping his commandments, firmly
based on the expansive love of God. The promised Advocate, the Spirit of truth, will empower the believing community to embody and proclaim this love.
Jesus begins by directly linking love and obedience: ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments.’
Acts 17: 22-31 The Areopagus is a rocky out crop, northwest of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. It is the site where the Apostle Paul delivered his sermon to the Athenians.
Psalm 66:8-20 This psalm is part of a hymn that extols God’s mighty deeds on behalf of God’s people. Verses 1-12 are more about the Israelites and how God saved them, pointing specifically to God for saving them at the Red Sea. But the psalm concludes with the testimony of an individual who thanks God for rescuing her or him from trouble. Some scholars think that Psalm 66 is actually a combination of two psalms that were originally separate. The psalm concludes in verse 20 with an affirmation of God’s care for the psalm singer—God has not rejected the singer’s prayer or removed God’s steadfast love.
Paul was tasked with carrying Christ’s name to the Gentiles. The Areopagus sermon is the fullest and most dramatic speech of Paul’s missionary career.
Paul began with a compliment to his audience. ‘Athenians! I see that you are very religious.’ He had walked around the city and observed the many objects of worship, even discovering an altar on hich had been inscribed, ‘To an unknown god’. Paul used the inscription to show them that what they worshipped in ignorance was what he was proclaiming to them. Paul then claimed that this unknown God is none other than the Creator God.
1 Peter 3:13-22. The Sufferings of the Early Christ-believers It is not easy to seriously consider the idea that there is merit in facing difficulties for the
sake of an idea or a belief. There appears to be some doubt about the date 1 Peter was written.
The situation referred to in 1 Peter 3:13-22 could range from mild abuse and mockery at the hands of the families of these new Christ-believers, to open, official, harsh persecution by Roman officials under Domitian (81-91 CE). In reflecting upon the message of the epistle, it is not necessary to know for sure what kind of suffering the early Christ-believers were facing. Identifying oneself as a Christ-believer in the first century CE was not something common. The writer gives them comfort in the knowledge that Jesus himself suffered. The author of 1 Peter uses Jesus as an example that suffering can be a part of the path of a faithful Christ-believer. The story of Jesus presents comfort to the believers. It helps them understand that being righteous and obedient to God’s will does not provide a protection against pain and suffering.
John 14:15-21. The Promise of the Holy Spirit Jesus, in this farewell talk, offers solace and encouragement to his disciples, intertwining the themes of love, obedience, and the promise of the Holy Spirit. This passage emphasises that genuine love for Jesus is shown by keeping his commandments, firmly
based on the expansive love of God. The promised Advocate, the Spirit of truth, will empower the believing community to embody and proclaim this love.
Jesus begins by directly linking love and obedience: ‘If you love me, you will keep my commandments.’
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 3 May.
Acts 7:55-60 Before these chapters, the church is centered in Jerusalem. After them, the church moves out of Judea. It describes the martyrdom of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, who is killed by stoning after accusing the Sanhedrin of resisting the Holy Spirit. Filled with the Spirit, Stephen sees Jesus standing at God's right hand, echoing Christ's passion by forgiving his murderers and commending his spirit. A young man named Saul of Tarsus bore witness to the
stoning of Stephen.
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16. Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies. A Psalm of David. According to Luke, the last words that Jesus spoke from the cross were taken from this psalm. “Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last.” The last words of Stephen before he died as a martyr were also from this psalm, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”.
1 Peter 2:2-10 In this Easter season, the letter of 1 Peter supplies useful images for pondering the significance of Christ’s resurrection for faith-filled living.
In 1 Peter 2:2-10, the writer piles one image on top of another, encouraging readers to imagine the boundless possibilities of Christian existence. Some of those images include: moving from darkness to light, babies drinking milk, constructing God’s temple, believers as God’s family. Images abound in this passage! And no one image captures everything there is to say about the resurrection. Rather, they suggest different pathways forward to ponder and adopt.
John 14:1-14. Jesus the Way to the Father This text is frequently read at funerals, and for good reason. It contains promises that are profoundly comforting in the face of the death of a loved one. But this reading is not only about life after death. The text has a lot to do with our lives here and now.
The setting is Jesus’ farewell address at his last supper with his disciples. Jesus has washed his disciples’ feet and has explained to them what this means. He has foretold his betrayal by Judas, and Judas has slipped out into the night. He has told his disciples that he will be with them only a little while longer, and that where he is going, they cannot come. He has also foretold Peter’s imminent denial. Jesus responds to the anxiety of his disciples by saying, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me’. Jesus calls them back to this fundamental relationship of trust and assures them that he is not abandoning them.
Acts 7:55-60 Before these chapters, the church is centered in Jerusalem. After them, the church moves out of Judea. It describes the martyrdom of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, who is killed by stoning after accusing the Sanhedrin of resisting the Holy Spirit. Filled with the Spirit, Stephen sees Jesus standing at God's right hand, echoing Christ's passion by forgiving his murderers and commending his spirit. A young man named Saul of Tarsus bore witness to the
stoning of Stephen.
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16. Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies. A Psalm of David. According to Luke, the last words that Jesus spoke from the cross were taken from this psalm. “Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last.” The last words of Stephen before he died as a martyr were also from this psalm, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”.
1 Peter 2:2-10 In this Easter season, the letter of 1 Peter supplies useful images for pondering the significance of Christ’s resurrection for faith-filled living.
In 1 Peter 2:2-10, the writer piles one image on top of another, encouraging readers to imagine the boundless possibilities of Christian existence. Some of those images include: moving from darkness to light, babies drinking milk, constructing God’s temple, believers as God’s family. Images abound in this passage! And no one image captures everything there is to say about the resurrection. Rather, they suggest different pathways forward to ponder and adopt.
John 14:1-14. Jesus the Way to the Father This text is frequently read at funerals, and for good reason. It contains promises that are profoundly comforting in the face of the death of a loved one. But this reading is not only about life after death. The text has a lot to do with our lives here and now.
The setting is Jesus’ farewell address at his last supper with his disciples. Jesus has washed his disciples’ feet and has explained to them what this means. He has foretold his betrayal by Judas, and Judas has slipped out into the night. He has told his disciples that he will be with them only a little while longer, and that where he is going, they cannot come. He has also foretold Peter’s imminent denial. Jesus responds to the anxiety of his disciples by saying, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me’. Jesus calls them back to this fundamental relationship of trust and assures them that he is not abandoning them.
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 26 April.
Acts 2:14a. 43-47. Life among the believers This account follows directly on from the story of Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit had been experienced. These verses summarise the daily life of the earliest Christian community in Jerusalem. The passage is fairly easy to understand in terms of the picture it describes. Its challenge comes in discerning how to apply it. Is the life of this community to be taken as a model for Christian life today? If so, it would be hard to deny that most Christians are missing the mark on some key points. If it is not to be so taken, then what does the passage mean for us? Teaching, fellowship, eating together, and prayer have always been common Christian practices. The chief challenge of the passage comes in verses 44-45. The members of the community sold their possessions, held all things jointly, and distributed to others as there was need. Our lives, communal and individual, ought to reflect our experiences of God’s grace and action among us. What message do we send to the world about God by our own attitudes and deeds concerning our possessions? How can our own lives better reflect what God has done for us and the living presence of Jesus in our midst?
Psalm 23. The Divine Shepherd. A Psalm of David. This psalm is often used in the context of death and in a funeral service. But the psalm’s language and imagery may be more fitting for the season of Easter when the Church tries to discern how to live in light of Jesus’ resurrection. Psalm 23 is thus more
about how a person lives in relationship to God than how one faces death. Verse 1 summarises the message of the whole psalm ‘The Lord is my shepherd’,
acknowledging God as the one who protects and guides. Shepherd connotes more than someone who herds sheep. Shepherd was a royal metaphor in the ancient Near East. So to call God Shepherd is to acknowledge God as the one who rules over one’s life, surrendering it to the will of God.
1 Peter 2:19-25 The lectionary text for this week provides a compelling commendation to Christians to do what is right even if it brings suffering. In the first-century context, it would have been read aloud to small, house-church communities scattered across modern-day Turkey. Peter is addressing household slaves. Jesus is the example to follow not only for these slaves but also for other believers. Jesus did not retaliate when he was maligned. He was innocent though insulted, and, even then, he did not respond in revenge. Instead, he entrusted himself to God, the final judge of all injustice.
And again, there is the image of the shepherd.
25 You had wandered away like sheep.
Now you have returned to the one
who is your shepherd and protector. (CEV)
John 10:1-10 Jesus the Good Shepherd
The focus of this portion of John 10, is on Jesus as the door or gate of the sheepfold. Jesus tells them, I am the gate for the sheep. The function of the gate is to keep the sheep together in the sheepfold during the night, safe from thieves and predators. During the day the gate is opened so that the sheep can go out, following their shepherd, to find pasture. The gate and the shepherd work together for the well-being of the sheep. Jesus is both the gate and the shepherd; he guards and protects his sheep from danger, and he provides for their nourishment. Much has been written about sheep being rather unintelligent animals. It is true that without a shepherd, they may not be able to find food or water, and that they will easily get lost and not be able to find their way home. However, the thing that Jesus emphasises about sheep is that they know the voice of their shepherd. They recognise the voice of the one who cares for them. They follow their shepherd but will not follow a stranger whose voice they do not know. What about us? Do we recognise the voice of the Good Shepherd over all the other voices promising abundance?
Acts 2:14a. 43-47. Life among the believers This account follows directly on from the story of Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit had been experienced. These verses summarise the daily life of the earliest Christian community in Jerusalem. The passage is fairly easy to understand in terms of the picture it describes. Its challenge comes in discerning how to apply it. Is the life of this community to be taken as a model for Christian life today? If so, it would be hard to deny that most Christians are missing the mark on some key points. If it is not to be so taken, then what does the passage mean for us? Teaching, fellowship, eating together, and prayer have always been common Christian practices. The chief challenge of the passage comes in verses 44-45. The members of the community sold their possessions, held all things jointly, and distributed to others as there was need. Our lives, communal and individual, ought to reflect our experiences of God’s grace and action among us. What message do we send to the world about God by our own attitudes and deeds concerning our possessions? How can our own lives better reflect what God has done for us and the living presence of Jesus in our midst?
Psalm 23. The Divine Shepherd. A Psalm of David. This psalm is often used in the context of death and in a funeral service. But the psalm’s language and imagery may be more fitting for the season of Easter when the Church tries to discern how to live in light of Jesus’ resurrection. Psalm 23 is thus more
about how a person lives in relationship to God than how one faces death. Verse 1 summarises the message of the whole psalm ‘The Lord is my shepherd’,
acknowledging God as the one who protects and guides. Shepherd connotes more than someone who herds sheep. Shepherd was a royal metaphor in the ancient Near East. So to call God Shepherd is to acknowledge God as the one who rules over one’s life, surrendering it to the will of God.
1 Peter 2:19-25 The lectionary text for this week provides a compelling commendation to Christians to do what is right even if it brings suffering. In the first-century context, it would have been read aloud to small, house-church communities scattered across modern-day Turkey. Peter is addressing household slaves. Jesus is the example to follow not only for these slaves but also for other believers. Jesus did not retaliate when he was maligned. He was innocent though insulted, and, even then, he did not respond in revenge. Instead, he entrusted himself to God, the final judge of all injustice.
And again, there is the image of the shepherd.
25 You had wandered away like sheep.
Now you have returned to the one
who is your shepherd and protector. (CEV)
John 10:1-10 Jesus the Good Shepherd
The focus of this portion of John 10, is on Jesus as the door or gate of the sheepfold. Jesus tells them, I am the gate for the sheep. The function of the gate is to keep the sheep together in the sheepfold during the night, safe from thieves and predators. During the day the gate is opened so that the sheep can go out, following their shepherd, to find pasture. The gate and the shepherd work together for the well-being of the sheep. Jesus is both the gate and the shepherd; he guards and protects his sheep from danger, and he provides for their nourishment. Much has been written about sheep being rather unintelligent animals. It is true that without a shepherd, they may not be able to find food or water, and that they will easily get lost and not be able to find their way home. However, the thing that Jesus emphasises about sheep is that they know the voice of their shepherd. They recognise the voice of the one who cares for them. They follow their shepherd but will not follow a stranger whose voice they do not know. What about us? Do we recognise the voice of the Good Shepherd over all the other voices promising abundance?
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 19 April.
Acts 2:14a, 36. Peter Addresses the Crowd
Acts 2:37-41. The First Converts This reading for the Third Sunday of Easter continues Peter’s speech on the Day of Pentecost. Peter’s words to the crowds in his audience echo the preaching of both John the Baptist and Jesus, Repent, and be baptised every one of you … so that your sins may be forgiven.
Repentance is one of the main themes in Acts. Convinced of their guilt in the death of Jesus, the audience seeks an appropriate response. They ask the apostles what they should do. Peter is asking his audience to change their minds about who they believe Jesus to be. The new believers should follow up their new understanding by being baptised in the name of Jesus, described by Luke as the Christ.
Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19. Thanksgiving for Recovery from Illness Psalm 116 tells the story of an individual’s deliverance from death. The psalm begins with a member of the congregation giving a testimony. ‘The Lord has answered my prayer’, says the one giving the testimony, ‘and I’m going to keep calling on the Lord for help for the rest of my life’. The writer tells what he has learned about God from this experience. He makes some general statements: the Lord is gracious, righteous and merciful and watches over ordinary people. Then he summarises his own experience, When I was brought low, God saved me.
1 Peter 1:17-23 First Peter has important words to speak, both for those who feel alienated from society and for those who find themselves comfortable within it. Many of the people to whom it was written lived as outsiders in their communities. Others had grown up in the area and knew the local culture well but had left the faith they were raised in to become Christians. Whether they were Jews who had become Christians, or foreigners who had moved into the area, they were regarded by some as strangers. Through Jesus’ resurrection, 1 Peter says, God has given Christians a new birth into a new family. The
precious gift of Christ’s lifeblood has redeemed them, that is, set them free from the old way of life handed down by their ancestors.
Luke 24:13-35. The Walk to Emmaus This reading is the story of the walk to Emmaus. It occurs right after the Easter story in the Gospel of Luke.
The story is found only in Luke’s Gospel. The location of Emmaus has never been identified with certainty, but it was near the city of Jerusalem.
The story begins abruptly. ‘Two of them’ are on the road to Emmaus. There is no clear indication of who the two were. They are not part of the original apostles as the story ends with them going to report to ‘the eleven’ what had happened. These two persons have no idea who Jesus was when he approached them.
It is in the second part of the story that the identity of the stranger becomes known to the travellers on the road. They are gathered at the table, and their guest ‘took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them’.
Acts 2:14a, 36. Peter Addresses the Crowd
Acts 2:37-41. The First Converts This reading for the Third Sunday of Easter continues Peter’s speech on the Day of Pentecost. Peter’s words to the crowds in his audience echo the preaching of both John the Baptist and Jesus, Repent, and be baptised every one of you … so that your sins may be forgiven.
Repentance is one of the main themes in Acts. Convinced of their guilt in the death of Jesus, the audience seeks an appropriate response. They ask the apostles what they should do. Peter is asking his audience to change their minds about who they believe Jesus to be. The new believers should follow up their new understanding by being baptised in the name of Jesus, described by Luke as the Christ.
Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19. Thanksgiving for Recovery from Illness Psalm 116 tells the story of an individual’s deliverance from death. The psalm begins with a member of the congregation giving a testimony. ‘The Lord has answered my prayer’, says the one giving the testimony, ‘and I’m going to keep calling on the Lord for help for the rest of my life’. The writer tells what he has learned about God from this experience. He makes some general statements: the Lord is gracious, righteous and merciful and watches over ordinary people. Then he summarises his own experience, When I was brought low, God saved me.
1 Peter 1:17-23 First Peter has important words to speak, both for those who feel alienated from society and for those who find themselves comfortable within it. Many of the people to whom it was written lived as outsiders in their communities. Others had grown up in the area and knew the local culture well but had left the faith they were raised in to become Christians. Whether they were Jews who had become Christians, or foreigners who had moved into the area, they were regarded by some as strangers. Through Jesus’ resurrection, 1 Peter says, God has given Christians a new birth into a new family. The
precious gift of Christ’s lifeblood has redeemed them, that is, set them free from the old way of life handed down by their ancestors.
Luke 24:13-35. The Walk to Emmaus This reading is the story of the walk to Emmaus. It occurs right after the Easter story in the Gospel of Luke.
The story is found only in Luke’s Gospel. The location of Emmaus has never been identified with certainty, but it was near the city of Jerusalem.
The story begins abruptly. ‘Two of them’ are on the road to Emmaus. There is no clear indication of who the two were. They are not part of the original apostles as the story ends with them going to report to ‘the eleven’ what had happened. These two persons have no idea who Jesus was when he approached them.
It is in the second part of the story that the identity of the stranger becomes known to the travellers on the road. They are gathered at the table, and their guest ‘took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them’.
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 12 April.
Acts 2: 14a, 22-32. Peter Addresses the Crowd
The lectionary readings for the Sundays after Easter contain passages from the Acts of the Apostles rather than a reading from the Hebrew Bible.
In Acts, Luke instructs Jesus’ followers, especially new Gentile believers, in the stories of the tradition. The history of God’s relationship with Israel arises as a major theme just as it does in Luke’s Gospel. Verse 14a is repeated next Sunday as the introduction to the reading. Peter emphasises Jesus’ human origins, as a person from the outlying region of Galilee, but nevertheless mighty in deeds of power, signs, and wonders, all made possible through the power of God. Even the crucifixion was according to God’s plan. Turning again to the Hebrew Bible, Peter’s speech connects Jesus to his ancestor David.
Verses 25-28 draw upon Psalm 16:8-11, the Greek translation from the Hebrew Bible, which Luke quoted from. As with the quotation from Joel, Luke is demonstrating that Jesus is the fulfilment of God’s promises. However, unlike David, who remained bound to death in a tomb, God raised Jesus to new life.
Psalm 16. Song of Trust and Security in God. A Miktam* of David. The psalm is one of trust in uncertain times. The opening verse asks for God’s protection and refuge. The theme of the reading is to trust in the Lord and to ignore those who say otherwise. It means to trust God in the face of an uncertain future. The psalm ends with praise for what is to come assuring the readers that the future is secure in God’s hands.
*Miktam (or Michtam) is an obscure term found in the titles of six Psalms attributed to David in the Hebrew Bible. While its precise definition is unknown, it likely signifies a golden poem, an indelible song, or a technical musical term for a prayerful, contemplative poem.
1 Peter 1:3-9. A Living Hope 1 Peter 1:7 describes a faith that is more precious than gold but able to be understood through the image of gold. Faith, like gold, must be refined, tested, and purified; made genuine. Over the next four weeks the Revised Common Lectionary gives us four readings covering most of the first two chapters of 1 Peter. Each of these readings from 1 Peter speaks to the shaping of identity in the fledgling Christian community.
The four readings contain the fundamental language of faith, spoken by the author of 1 Peter, to establish, to shape, and to grow the early Christian community. Such language, employed for the shaping of Christian identity, is fitting not only for the early life of faith, but for the ongoing, present-day
life of faith, and its church.
John 20: 19-31
John 20.19-23. Jesus Appears to the Disciples
John 20:24-29. Jesus and Thomas
John 20:30-31. The Purpose of This Book
The two interconnected scenes are episodes of recognition that John has compiled to lead his audience down a path of trust in Jesus. There have already been moments of recognition in John’s post-resurrection scenes—Peter and the other disciple stumbling into the tomb, and Mary changing from misidentifying Jesus as the gardener to recognising him when he calls her name. The disciples have come to recognise the resurrected Jesus and are sent out with the breath of the Spirit. But not every disciple was there. A week later, Thomas gets his proof in a dramatic post-resurrection scene. Jesus appears to the disciples again and wishes them peace, but then he addresses Thomas specifically. Thomas believes - uttering the central statement of the Gospel of John, ‘My Lord and my God!’
Acts 2: 14a, 22-32. Peter Addresses the Crowd
The lectionary readings for the Sundays after Easter contain passages from the Acts of the Apostles rather than a reading from the Hebrew Bible.
In Acts, Luke instructs Jesus’ followers, especially new Gentile believers, in the stories of the tradition. The history of God’s relationship with Israel arises as a major theme just as it does in Luke’s Gospel. Verse 14a is repeated next Sunday as the introduction to the reading. Peter emphasises Jesus’ human origins, as a person from the outlying region of Galilee, but nevertheless mighty in deeds of power, signs, and wonders, all made possible through the power of God. Even the crucifixion was according to God’s plan. Turning again to the Hebrew Bible, Peter’s speech connects Jesus to his ancestor David.
Verses 25-28 draw upon Psalm 16:8-11, the Greek translation from the Hebrew Bible, which Luke quoted from. As with the quotation from Joel, Luke is demonstrating that Jesus is the fulfilment of God’s promises. However, unlike David, who remained bound to death in a tomb, God raised Jesus to new life.
Psalm 16. Song of Trust and Security in God. A Miktam* of David. The psalm is one of trust in uncertain times. The opening verse asks for God’s protection and refuge. The theme of the reading is to trust in the Lord and to ignore those who say otherwise. It means to trust God in the face of an uncertain future. The psalm ends with praise for what is to come assuring the readers that the future is secure in God’s hands.
*Miktam (or Michtam) is an obscure term found in the titles of six Psalms attributed to David in the Hebrew Bible. While its precise definition is unknown, it likely signifies a golden poem, an indelible song, or a technical musical term for a prayerful, contemplative poem.
1 Peter 1:3-9. A Living Hope 1 Peter 1:7 describes a faith that is more precious than gold but able to be understood through the image of gold. Faith, like gold, must be refined, tested, and purified; made genuine. Over the next four weeks the Revised Common Lectionary gives us four readings covering most of the first two chapters of 1 Peter. Each of these readings from 1 Peter speaks to the shaping of identity in the fledgling Christian community.
The four readings contain the fundamental language of faith, spoken by the author of 1 Peter, to establish, to shape, and to grow the early Christian community. Such language, employed for the shaping of Christian identity, is fitting not only for the early life of faith, but for the ongoing, present-day
life of faith, and its church.
John 20: 19-31
John 20.19-23. Jesus Appears to the Disciples
John 20:24-29. Jesus and Thomas
John 20:30-31. The Purpose of This Book
The two interconnected scenes are episodes of recognition that John has compiled to lead his audience down a path of trust in Jesus. There have already been moments of recognition in John’s post-resurrection scenes—Peter and the other disciple stumbling into the tomb, and Mary changing from misidentifying Jesus as the gardener to recognising him when he calls her name. The disciples have come to recognise the resurrected Jesus and are sent out with the breath of the Spirit. But not every disciple was there. A week later, Thomas gets his proof in a dramatic post-resurrection scene. Jesus appears to the disciples again and wishes them peace, but then he addresses Thomas specifically. Thomas believes - uttering the central statement of the Gospel of John, ‘My Lord and my God!’
Sunday, April 5, Worship will be at 9.30am. The Preacher will be Rev Jenny Busch
Easter Day
The liturgical colour is white
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 5 April.
The great fifty days of Easter includes eight Sundays beginning with the Easter Vigil and concluding on the Day of Pentecost. The season celebrates the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 10:34-43. Gentiles Hear the Good News
The book of Acts is an epic tale of the evolution of a movement into an establishment. In this book we learn how a small group of Jesus-followers develops into “the church.” In a book that describes miracle after miracle and takes its readers on adventure after adventure, it is in these few verses that Peter declares the complete gospel: Jesus of Nazareth was anointed and chosen by God. He received the Holy Spirit, and with its power he went around doing good and healing those who were oppressed. He was put to death, dying on a tree. God raised him on the third day, and he appeared to a chosen few. Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins.
This is the gospel! The good news of Jesus the Christ.
(Jeremiah 31:1-6 is an alternate reading)
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24. A Song of Victory Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 is a, joyful, liturgical hymn of thanksgiving for God’s enduring love and victory, often used during Passover and as an Easter text for Resurrection celebration.
All four Gospels report that the crowd at Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem recited Psalm 118:25–26.
The reading begins with and is dominated by thanksgiving. Hence, the opening verses set the tone for the lectionary reading, and for the Easter celebration, by offering thanks to God for God’s “steadfast love”. Who is the individual who speaks the psalm? (It is written in the first person.) Who professes, “The LORD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation”; declares, “I shall not die, but I shall live”; and says, “I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation”? Some scholars believe the king of Judah was the original voice who prayed in Psalm 118. The psalm does not identify the speaker, however, and that leaves the psalm open to interpretation and to apply its words to new situations. The early church naturally connected the psalm to the resurrected Jesus. His resurrection was “the day” God had made. He was the one who came in the name of the Lord. In these ways the psalm expounds on Jesus’ identity as the son of David (Matthew 21:9), the king of Israel (John 12:13).
Colossians 3:1-4. The New Life in Christ
The language of Colossians 3:1-4 is metaphorical, full of images. It talks about ‘being raised with Christ’, about ‘Christ being seated at the right hand of God’, about the ‘things that are above’. A common Easter exchange is ‘Christ is risen!—He is risen indeed!’ A Colossians variation on the theme might be: ‘You have died!—I have been raised with Christ!’ Both assertions are true. Colossians is all about the wide-ranging vision that comes from the resurrection. You see yourself as dead, and you equally see yourself as alive. You carry out the business of this earth in public, yet your life is also hidden with Christ in God. When Christ is revealed in his glory, you also will be revealed in the same glory, despite your status as sinner transferred from the kingdom of darkness.
(Acts 10:34-43 is an alternate reading).
John 20:1-18. The Resurrection of Jesus
John gives us the story that lies at the heart of the Gospel. Jesus, who was crucified, has been raised. We watch as Mary, Peter, and an unnamed disciple discover that Jesus’ tomb is now empty—the outward and visible sign that Jesus has conquered death and that a new creation has begun. Then Mary meets her risen Lord. Her grief turns to joy, and she brings the good news that has been proclaimed throughout the ages: ‘I have seen the Lord’.
This portion of John’s gospel is like a play with three acts: a story about people searching, about sadness and fear, about action, surprise, and joy. Mary Magdalene has broken through her fear to tend to the body of her teacher and friend. All gospel accounts of this moment vary on some points. But what is consistent is the day and that it is Mary Magdalene who is the first to go to the tomb. When Mary finds that the stone has been removed, she jumps to the conclusion that has someone has entered the tomb and stolen the body. The author does not tell us whether she entered or even looked in the tomb. Did she really know that the body of Jesus was not there? Finally, she questions a man she believes is the gardener. ‘I have seen the Lord’, she announces. Her message declares the new beginning that God has prepared for all of us.
(Matthew 28:1-10 is an alternate reading)
Easter Day
The liturgical colour is white
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 5 April.
The great fifty days of Easter includes eight Sundays beginning with the Easter Vigil and concluding on the Day of Pentecost. The season celebrates the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 10:34-43. Gentiles Hear the Good News
The book of Acts is an epic tale of the evolution of a movement into an establishment. In this book we learn how a small group of Jesus-followers develops into “the church.” In a book that describes miracle after miracle and takes its readers on adventure after adventure, it is in these few verses that Peter declares the complete gospel: Jesus of Nazareth was anointed and chosen by God. He received the Holy Spirit, and with its power he went around doing good and healing those who were oppressed. He was put to death, dying on a tree. God raised him on the third day, and he appeared to a chosen few. Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins.
This is the gospel! The good news of Jesus the Christ.
(Jeremiah 31:1-6 is an alternate reading)
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24. A Song of Victory Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 is a, joyful, liturgical hymn of thanksgiving for God’s enduring love and victory, often used during Passover and as an Easter text for Resurrection celebration.
All four Gospels report that the crowd at Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem recited Psalm 118:25–26.
The reading begins with and is dominated by thanksgiving. Hence, the opening verses set the tone for the lectionary reading, and for the Easter celebration, by offering thanks to God for God’s “steadfast love”. Who is the individual who speaks the psalm? (It is written in the first person.) Who professes, “The LORD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation”; declares, “I shall not die, but I shall live”; and says, “I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation”? Some scholars believe the king of Judah was the original voice who prayed in Psalm 118. The psalm does not identify the speaker, however, and that leaves the psalm open to interpretation and to apply its words to new situations. The early church naturally connected the psalm to the resurrected Jesus. His resurrection was “the day” God had made. He was the one who came in the name of the Lord. In these ways the psalm expounds on Jesus’ identity as the son of David (Matthew 21:9), the king of Israel (John 12:13).
Colossians 3:1-4. The New Life in Christ
The language of Colossians 3:1-4 is metaphorical, full of images. It talks about ‘being raised with Christ’, about ‘Christ being seated at the right hand of God’, about the ‘things that are above’. A common Easter exchange is ‘Christ is risen!—He is risen indeed!’ A Colossians variation on the theme might be: ‘You have died!—I have been raised with Christ!’ Both assertions are true. Colossians is all about the wide-ranging vision that comes from the resurrection. You see yourself as dead, and you equally see yourself as alive. You carry out the business of this earth in public, yet your life is also hidden with Christ in God. When Christ is revealed in his glory, you also will be revealed in the same glory, despite your status as sinner transferred from the kingdom of darkness.
(Acts 10:34-43 is an alternate reading).
John 20:1-18. The Resurrection of Jesus
John gives us the story that lies at the heart of the Gospel. Jesus, who was crucified, has been raised. We watch as Mary, Peter, and an unnamed disciple discover that Jesus’ tomb is now empty—the outward and visible sign that Jesus has conquered death and that a new creation has begun. Then Mary meets her risen Lord. Her grief turns to joy, and she brings the good news that has been proclaimed throughout the ages: ‘I have seen the Lord’.
This portion of John’s gospel is like a play with three acts: a story about people searching, about sadness and fear, about action, surprise, and joy. Mary Magdalene has broken through her fear to tend to the body of her teacher and friend. All gospel accounts of this moment vary on some points. But what is consistent is the day and that it is Mary Magdalene who is the first to go to the tomb. When Mary finds that the stone has been removed, she jumps to the conclusion that has someone has entered the tomb and stolen the body. The author does not tell us whether she entered or even looked in the tomb. Did she really know that the body of Jesus was not there? Finally, she questions a man she believes is the gardener. ‘I have seen the Lord’, she announces. Her message declares the new beginning that God has prepared for all of us.
(Matthew 28:1-10 is an alternate reading)
Sunday Worship will be at 2.30pm. The Preacher will be Rev Bernie Jarius Palm / Passion Sunday
The liturgical colour is purple
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 29 March
Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday is the first Sunday of Holy Week. The two titles point to different emphases on the day. Palm Sunday focuses our attention on the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem when the people shouted, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’
(Mark 11:9). Passion Sunday focuses our attention on Jesus’ suffering that is to come in the week ahead.
Isaiah 50:4-9a. The Servant’s Humiliation and Vindication. A reading for both Palm and Passion Sunday. As an introduction to Holy Week, this text provides the Christian year with an understanding of Jesus’ journey to the cross.
Isaiah 50:4–9 is one of the four Servant Songs. It emphasises the cost of being faithful to the Lord’s calling and God’s vindication of the servant’s
obedience. Isaiah 50:4–9 is written in the first person. The prophet is equating himself with the servant or is speaking about the experience of the suffering of the servant as though from a first-hand experience. Verse 6 is the crux of the reading. It describes the servant’s suffering at the hands of his enemies.
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29. A Song of Victory The reading for Palm Sunday
Psalm 118 is a thanksgiving psalm that unfolds in several distinct movements:
(verses 1–4) A call to community thanksgiving
(verses 5–18) A description of the crisis with a call for help and rescue
(verse 19–21) Individual thanksgiving
(verses 22–29) Community thanksgiving. The Psalm begins with a simple affirmation; ‘Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.’
It became an important psalm for the New Testament writers and they linked the imagery of the rejected cornerstone to Jesus Christ himself. It seems certain that the Psalm writer had no idea that what he wrote would be the inspiration for other writers 1,000 years later - Jesus, Peter, and the Gospel writers.
Psalm 31: 9-16 is the reading for Passion Sunday
Philippians 2:5-11 This reading is for both Palm and Passion Sunday This Christ Hymn of Philippians 2 can present a powerful theological reflection on the significance of Jesus’ work and avoidance of oppressive power. Jesus is not a passive victim who enters willingly into his mission. He empties himself of all claims to divine glory and honour to become a human being—not a human of high status and honour, but a lowly servant serving other human beings. He humbles himself even to the point of dying a slave’s death, for the shameful and tortuous form of execution by crucifixion was reserved for slaves and rebels against Roman rule. This Jesus is the one whom God highly exalts and to whom God gives the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend… and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. One day every knee will bend before him and every tongue will join in confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Matthew 21:1-11. Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem The reading for Palm Sunday
Jesus’s triumphal entry in Matthew’s gospel is intriguing because it is difficult. Why are there two donkeys? Why does Jesus enter Jerusalem seated on a donkey and a colt? It is impossible, it makes no sense. And yet this is exactly what Matthew says: The disciples] brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them and he sat on them. (21:7). He sat on them. Matthew is the only gospel to mention two donkeys. Mark has a colt, as does Luke; John has a young donkey. Matthew makes the point as Jesus rides into Jerusalem. The people shout, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’. Only in Matthew do they hail Jesus as Son of David. They are calling him King.
The reading for Passion Sunday is either Matthew 26:14-27, 66 or Matthew 27:11-54.
The liturgical colour is purple
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 29 March
Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday is the first Sunday of Holy Week. The two titles point to different emphases on the day. Palm Sunday focuses our attention on the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem when the people shouted, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’
(Mark 11:9). Passion Sunday focuses our attention on Jesus’ suffering that is to come in the week ahead.
Isaiah 50:4-9a. The Servant’s Humiliation and Vindication. A reading for both Palm and Passion Sunday. As an introduction to Holy Week, this text provides the Christian year with an understanding of Jesus’ journey to the cross.
Isaiah 50:4–9 is one of the four Servant Songs. It emphasises the cost of being faithful to the Lord’s calling and God’s vindication of the servant’s
obedience. Isaiah 50:4–9 is written in the first person. The prophet is equating himself with the servant or is speaking about the experience of the suffering of the servant as though from a first-hand experience. Verse 6 is the crux of the reading. It describes the servant’s suffering at the hands of his enemies.
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29. A Song of Victory The reading for Palm Sunday
Psalm 118 is a thanksgiving psalm that unfolds in several distinct movements:
(verses 1–4) A call to community thanksgiving
(verses 5–18) A description of the crisis with a call for help and rescue
(verse 19–21) Individual thanksgiving
(verses 22–29) Community thanksgiving. The Psalm begins with a simple affirmation; ‘Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.’
It became an important psalm for the New Testament writers and they linked the imagery of the rejected cornerstone to Jesus Christ himself. It seems certain that the Psalm writer had no idea that what he wrote would be the inspiration for other writers 1,000 years later - Jesus, Peter, and the Gospel writers.
Psalm 31: 9-16 is the reading for Passion Sunday
Philippians 2:5-11 This reading is for both Palm and Passion Sunday This Christ Hymn of Philippians 2 can present a powerful theological reflection on the significance of Jesus’ work and avoidance of oppressive power. Jesus is not a passive victim who enters willingly into his mission. He empties himself of all claims to divine glory and honour to become a human being—not a human of high status and honour, but a lowly servant serving other human beings. He humbles himself even to the point of dying a slave’s death, for the shameful and tortuous form of execution by crucifixion was reserved for slaves and rebels against Roman rule. This Jesus is the one whom God highly exalts and to whom God gives the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend… and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. One day every knee will bend before him and every tongue will join in confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Matthew 21:1-11. Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem The reading for Palm Sunday
Jesus’s triumphal entry in Matthew’s gospel is intriguing because it is difficult. Why are there two donkeys? Why does Jesus enter Jerusalem seated on a donkey and a colt? It is impossible, it makes no sense. And yet this is exactly what Matthew says: The disciples] brought the donkey and the colt and put their cloaks on them and he sat on them. (21:7). He sat on them. Matthew is the only gospel to mention two donkeys. Mark has a colt, as does Luke; John has a young donkey. Matthew makes the point as Jesus rides into Jerusalem. The people shout, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’. Only in Matthew do they hail Jesus as Son of David. They are calling him King.
The reading for Passion Sunday is either Matthew 26:14-27, 66 or Matthew 27:11-54.
Notes on the Readings for Sunday, March 22:
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 22 March.
Ezekiel 37:1-14. The Valley of Dry Bones
God asks, ‘Can these bones live?’ Even the driest places can be filled with new life. At God’s word, the bones come together, are covered with flesh and breath returns. We are being invited to bring our ‘dry places’ to God – our struggles, our fears and feelings of hopelessness and trust that God’s spirit can breathe life into them.
Psalm 130. Waiting for Divine Redemption. A Song of Ascents. In Psalm 130, the writer calls out to God from the depths of human suffering, hoping for, expecting, and insisting on God’s hearing. The psalmist has every confidence that God will hear and respond. Grief, depression, illness, poverty, abuse—any of these experiences, and so many more, can plunge us into a deep darkness. Pain, whether physical, psychological, spiritual, or a combination, can be so isolating that we feel abandoned to our misery, even by God.
The writer cries out with the sure conviction that God cares. Verse 5 states that the psalmist trusts in the promises God has made and waits for their fulfilment, and twice in verse 6 the psalmist describes his or her soul as waiting for the Lord.
Romans 8:6-11 fits into a larger discussion about the way believers take on the form of Christ. In these verses, Paul builds on his description of the believer’s life in Christ, for which he has laid the foundation in Romans 6. There, Paul exposes the incongruity of sin in the life of the believer (6:1-4), and then develops a series of contrasts to explain the new life in Christ: it is characterised by the movement from one state of being, to another (death to life), from one
master to another (sin to God), from one principle to another (law to grace), and one kind of activity to another (wickedness to righteousness).
John 11:1-45
John 11:1-16. The Death of Lazarus.
John 11:17-27. Jesus Weeps.
John 11:28-37. Jesus the Resurrection and the Life.
John 11:38-45. Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life.
John 11:1- 45 tells the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from death, a dramatic display of his power over death and a foreshadowing of his own resurrection.
It is significant that the story of Lazarus is only in the Gospel of John and is the Gospel reading for the last Sunday in Lent, the Sunday immediately preceding Palm/Passion Sunday. In the Gospel of John, it is the raising of Lazarus to life that incites the plot for Jesus’ arrest and death.
In John 11:46-57, the chief priests and the Pharisees are told what Jesus did and ‘from that day on they planned to put him to death’. The chief priests want to get rid of the evidence as well, and plan to put Lazarus to death ‘since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus’. It is Jesus’ very claim, ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ that provoked his death.
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 22 March.
Ezekiel 37:1-14. The Valley of Dry Bones
God asks, ‘Can these bones live?’ Even the driest places can be filled with new life. At God’s word, the bones come together, are covered with flesh and breath returns. We are being invited to bring our ‘dry places’ to God – our struggles, our fears and feelings of hopelessness and trust that God’s spirit can breathe life into them.
Psalm 130. Waiting for Divine Redemption. A Song of Ascents. In Psalm 130, the writer calls out to God from the depths of human suffering, hoping for, expecting, and insisting on God’s hearing. The psalmist has every confidence that God will hear and respond. Grief, depression, illness, poverty, abuse—any of these experiences, and so many more, can plunge us into a deep darkness. Pain, whether physical, psychological, spiritual, or a combination, can be so isolating that we feel abandoned to our misery, even by God.
The writer cries out with the sure conviction that God cares. Verse 5 states that the psalmist trusts in the promises God has made and waits for their fulfilment, and twice in verse 6 the psalmist describes his or her soul as waiting for the Lord.
Romans 8:6-11 fits into a larger discussion about the way believers take on the form of Christ. In these verses, Paul builds on his description of the believer’s life in Christ, for which he has laid the foundation in Romans 6. There, Paul exposes the incongruity of sin in the life of the believer (6:1-4), and then develops a series of contrasts to explain the new life in Christ: it is characterised by the movement from one state of being, to another (death to life), from one
master to another (sin to God), from one principle to another (law to grace), and one kind of activity to another (wickedness to righteousness).
John 11:1-45
John 11:1-16. The Death of Lazarus.
John 11:17-27. Jesus Weeps.
John 11:28-37. Jesus the Resurrection and the Life.
John 11:38-45. Jesus Raises Lazarus to Life.
John 11:1- 45 tells the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from death, a dramatic display of his power over death and a foreshadowing of his own resurrection.
It is significant that the story of Lazarus is only in the Gospel of John and is the Gospel reading for the last Sunday in Lent, the Sunday immediately preceding Palm/Passion Sunday. In the Gospel of John, it is the raising of Lazarus to life that incites the plot for Jesus’ arrest and death.
In John 11:46-57, the chief priests and the Pharisees are told what Jesus did and ‘from that day on they planned to put him to death’. The chief priests want to get rid of the evidence as well, and plan to put Lazarus to death ‘since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus’. It is Jesus’ very claim, ‘I am the resurrection and the life’ that provoked his death.
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 15 March.
1 Samuel 16:1-13. Samuel Anoints David
One of the primary messages of this story is that God is again providing for the welfare of the people, just as God had previously provided deliverance from Pharaoh; and with manna, water, and the law in the wilderness. At the start of 1 Samuel 16, God says to Samuel: ‘I have provided for myself a king among [Jesse’s] sons’. We may not sense what God is doing in our lives or how God is leading us. Even the great prophet Samuel did not know what God was doing.
The central drama in 1 Samuel 16 is a well-known story. Jesse brought each of his seven sons before Samuel to see which son would be anointed as king.
Ancient audiences would have been touched by the irony that the one who was thought too insignificant to be considered for the role of king was actually already fulfilling his future vocation: shepherding the flock.
When David was brought in, the Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one’. What a powerful message that this reading has to offer us and our times. The Lord says, ‘The Lord does not see as mortals see: they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
Psalm 23. The Divine Shepherd. A Psalm of David.
A paraphrase of the 23rd Psalm written by James Taylor in his collection, Everyday Psalms.
1 Samuel 16:1-13. Samuel Anoints David
One of the primary messages of this story is that God is again providing for the welfare of the people, just as God had previously provided deliverance from Pharaoh; and with manna, water, and the law in the wilderness. At the start of 1 Samuel 16, God says to Samuel: ‘I have provided for myself a king among [Jesse’s] sons’. We may not sense what God is doing in our lives or how God is leading us. Even the great prophet Samuel did not know what God was doing.
The central drama in 1 Samuel 16 is a well-known story. Jesse brought each of his seven sons before Samuel to see which son would be anointed as king.
Ancient audiences would have been touched by the irony that the one who was thought too insignificant to be considered for the role of king was actually already fulfilling his future vocation: shepherding the flock.
When David was brought in, the Lord said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one’. What a powerful message that this reading has to offer us and our times. The Lord says, ‘The Lord does not see as mortals see: they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
Psalm 23. The Divine Shepherd. A Psalm of David.
A paraphrase of the 23rd Psalm written by James Taylor in his collection, Everyday Psalms.
|
God has walked with me; I could ask nothing more.
God has given me green meadows to laugh in, clear streams to think beside, untrodden paths to explore. When I thought the world rested on my shoulders, God put things into perspective. When I lashed out at an unfair world, God calmed me down. When I drifted into harmful ways, God straightened me out. God was with me all the way. I do not know what lies ahead, but I am not afraid. I know you will be with me. Even in death, I will not despair. You will comfort and support me. |
Though my eye dims and my mind dulls,
you will continue to care about me. Your touch will soothe the tension in my temples; my fears will fade away. I am content. In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with me. All through life, I have found goodness in people. When life ends, I expect to be gathered into the ultimate goodness of God. |
Ephesians 5:8-14
This reading focuses upon light and darkness. Paul reminds the Ephesians of the radical transformation they’ve undergone, and the life that transformation demands. Light is the nature of their identity, and that should determine how they think about it — in other words, how they live, what they think, feel, say, and do. Because the light of Christ has come, the Ephesians have been radically transformed, and they have a call, a responsibility, to usher in the shining of his light upon others so they too can be transformed.
Therefore it says, ‘Sleeper, awake!
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.’
John 9:1-12. A Man Born Blind Receives Sight
John 9: 13-34. The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
John 9:14-41. Spiritual Blindness
This week’s reading is another in a series of encounters with Jesus in John with this one focused, along with the Old Testament text, on seeing rightly.
Blindness and sight are explicitly mentioned in 24 of the chapter’s 41 verses. The details of the miracle itself are repeated four times — that Jesus put mud on the eyes of the blind man and then he regained his sight. At the center of the narrative, before the healing and after it, is Jesus, the giver of sight and the very
light of the world in which true sight becomes possible.
This reading focuses upon light and darkness. Paul reminds the Ephesians of the radical transformation they’ve undergone, and the life that transformation demands. Light is the nature of their identity, and that should determine how they think about it — in other words, how they live, what they think, feel, say, and do. Because the light of Christ has come, the Ephesians have been radically transformed, and they have a call, a responsibility, to usher in the shining of his light upon others so they too can be transformed.
Therefore it says, ‘Sleeper, awake!
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.’
John 9:1-12. A Man Born Blind Receives Sight
John 9: 13-34. The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
John 9:14-41. Spiritual Blindness
This week’s reading is another in a series of encounters with Jesus in John with this one focused, along with the Old Testament text, on seeing rightly.
Blindness and sight are explicitly mentioned in 24 of the chapter’s 41 verses. The details of the miracle itself are repeated four times — that Jesus put mud on the eyes of the blind man and then he regained his sight. At the center of the narrative, before the healing and after it, is Jesus, the giver of sight and the very
light of the world in which true sight becomes possible.
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 8 March.
Exodus 17:1-7. Water from the Rock
The wilderness stories in Exodus share a number of things in common. First, the accounts happen while Israel journeys from Egypt to Sinai. Second, the central conflicts are about scarcity of food and water. Third, the people blame the leadership of Moses (and sometimes Aaron) for their troubles. Fourth, God hears the grievances of God’s people and responds to them by providing resources that directly address their needs. The inclusion of Moses’ staff is a significant detail. The story begins in Exodus 4, when God turns this ordinary shepherd’s implement into a sign of divine power by transforming it into a snake. The staff was designed to convince the Israelites that the God of their ancestors had heard their cries and had sent a deliverer. The provision of water from the rock follows from the assurance that God is indeed present with these people.
Psalm 95. A Call to Worship and Obedience
The psalm opens with a call to praise. The NRSV rendering come/make a joyful noise is probably too tame for the Hebrew verbs that call for shouting and singing aloud, a noisy shout of homage. The call is for a procession to worship with this joyful singing. The movement is to the outer courts and then toward the sanctuary, the holy place of worship and the place of divine presence. The reason given in Psalm 95 is that God is king, linked here with creation language. God created the world from its depths to its heights, from the sea to the dry land, all the world, and God reigns over it. The second call to praise narrows the focus. The congregation is now called to come and bow down, to kneel before the creator.
Romans 5:1-11. Results of Justification?
Are we drawn to Paul’s letters because of their immediacy and transparency? Do we see in them communities that struggled, as we do, with how to live together and live out the gospel? We see people who squabbled over who could and could not eat certain foods; who could and could not speak in church; and who could or could not marry; disagreements that continue to this day. In Paul’s letters he rejoiced in all God had done for him and everyone else — Jew and Gentile. But, at the same time, he writes openly of his failure to live up to God’s expectations, as we also do. Romans 5:1-11 weaves together themes of faith, love, hope, and glory, threading them through the story of Christ, the past work of God on our behalf, our current standing as God’s beloved children, and the future God holds in trust for us. Having been justified by faith, we have peace. Peace with God.
John 4:5-42
This story of the Samaritan woman at the well is the second of four encounters with Jesus in John this Lent. This meeting begins with social boundary-crossing, when Jesus asks the Samaritan woman for a drink. She is surprised that he is speaking with a Samaritan. Then the disciples will later be particularly concerned that he is talking with a woman. It begins with water. Jesus’ thirst, then the ensuing conversation with the woman, a bit wary of him and his
boundary-crossing, and then the living water gushing up to eternal life that he will offer her and for which she will ask. The reference to living water confuses her, referring to water that is flowing rather than still, while also meaning linking it to the gift of eternal life gushing up in the believer who receives Jesus’ gift.
Exodus 17:1-7. Water from the Rock
The wilderness stories in Exodus share a number of things in common. First, the accounts happen while Israel journeys from Egypt to Sinai. Second, the central conflicts are about scarcity of food and water. Third, the people blame the leadership of Moses (and sometimes Aaron) for their troubles. Fourth, God hears the grievances of God’s people and responds to them by providing resources that directly address their needs. The inclusion of Moses’ staff is a significant detail. The story begins in Exodus 4, when God turns this ordinary shepherd’s implement into a sign of divine power by transforming it into a snake. The staff was designed to convince the Israelites that the God of their ancestors had heard their cries and had sent a deliverer. The provision of water from the rock follows from the assurance that God is indeed present with these people.
Psalm 95. A Call to Worship and Obedience
The psalm opens with a call to praise. The NRSV rendering come/make a joyful noise is probably too tame for the Hebrew verbs that call for shouting and singing aloud, a noisy shout of homage. The call is for a procession to worship with this joyful singing. The movement is to the outer courts and then toward the sanctuary, the holy place of worship and the place of divine presence. The reason given in Psalm 95 is that God is king, linked here with creation language. God created the world from its depths to its heights, from the sea to the dry land, all the world, and God reigns over it. The second call to praise narrows the focus. The congregation is now called to come and bow down, to kneel before the creator.
Romans 5:1-11. Results of Justification?
Are we drawn to Paul’s letters because of their immediacy and transparency? Do we see in them communities that struggled, as we do, with how to live together and live out the gospel? We see people who squabbled over who could and could not eat certain foods; who could and could not speak in church; and who could or could not marry; disagreements that continue to this day. In Paul’s letters he rejoiced in all God had done for him and everyone else — Jew and Gentile. But, at the same time, he writes openly of his failure to live up to God’s expectations, as we also do. Romans 5:1-11 weaves together themes of faith, love, hope, and glory, threading them through the story of Christ, the past work of God on our behalf, our current standing as God’s beloved children, and the future God holds in trust for us. Having been justified by faith, we have peace. Peace with God.
John 4:5-42
This story of the Samaritan woman at the well is the second of four encounters with Jesus in John this Lent. This meeting begins with social boundary-crossing, when Jesus asks the Samaritan woman for a drink. She is surprised that he is speaking with a Samaritan. Then the disciples will later be particularly concerned that he is talking with a woman. It begins with water. Jesus’ thirst, then the ensuing conversation with the woman, a bit wary of him and his
boundary-crossing, and then the living water gushing up to eternal life that he will offer her and for which she will ask. The reference to living water confuses her, referring to water that is flowing rather than still, while also meaning linking it to the gift of eternal life gushing up in the believer who receives Jesus’ gift.
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 1 March.
Genesis 12: 1-4a. The Call of Abram
The call of Abram is a watershed moment in the book of Genesis and is celebrated in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. God calls Abram and Sarai to leave a settled place and become migrants. Although their final destination is Canaan, Abram and Sarai’s journey from Haran is a long one, and their safe
passage depends upon the hospitality of the people they meet along the way. Abram and Sarai — whose names will soon be changed to Abraham and Sarah — are wealthy travellers. Yet this brief reading reminds us that Sarah and Abraham’s journey is not about what they are doing, but about what God is doing.
Psalm 121. Assurance of God’s Protection. A Song of Ascents.
Psalm 121, the second Song of Ascents, is an individual hymn of thanksgiving sung by the psalm singers on the approach to Jerusalem; the hills of Jerusalem are in view and God guides the singers’ feet. Two voices are present in the psalm — an individual singer, who states firm trust in the Lord, and a respondent who assures the singer that the Lord will indeed guard the singer.
Romans 4:1-5. The Example of Abraham
Romans 4:13-17. God’s Promise Realised through Faith The epistle that Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome was a letter he intended to be sent, not to
one, but to a number of church communities scattered throughout the city. This passage is about why we dare to trust God. God makes promises that bind us to God. This is very good news for us right now in the twenty-first century when we are still longing for God's shalom in this world.
John 3:1-17. Nicodemus Visits Jesus
This well-known passage from John shows Jesus discussing the three persons of the Trinity. The narrator portrays Nicodemus as a learned man with impressive credentials, describing him not only as a Pharisee but as ‘a ruler of the Jews’. Nicodemus thinks that he, as a religious leader, understands who Jesus is and who God is. But lacking both courage and commitment, he has come to visit Jesus by night. Far from being a follower of Jesus, he is unwilling even to be seen with him. Mystified, Nicodemus asks, ‘How can anyone be born after growing old?’ Jesus explains that by water and the Spirit, God gives people rebirth into the reign of God, shaped and sustained by the Spirit who bears them. In his conversation with Nicodemus Jesus refers to all three persons of the Trinity. God is the One who loves the cosmos and who, unwilling to let it perish, gives the Son. God sends the Son not to condemn the world and its inhabitants, but to rescue and restore them. Jesus is both the Son of God and human, the Son of Man. He descended from heaven and has ascended to heaven, thus connecting heaven and earth. Those who place their trust in Jesus will have eternal life, being reborn by water and the Spirit.
Genesis 12: 1-4a. The Call of Abram
The call of Abram is a watershed moment in the book of Genesis and is celebrated in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. God calls Abram and Sarai to leave a settled place and become migrants. Although their final destination is Canaan, Abram and Sarai’s journey from Haran is a long one, and their safe
passage depends upon the hospitality of the people they meet along the way. Abram and Sarai — whose names will soon be changed to Abraham and Sarah — are wealthy travellers. Yet this brief reading reminds us that Sarah and Abraham’s journey is not about what they are doing, but about what God is doing.
Psalm 121. Assurance of God’s Protection. A Song of Ascents.
Psalm 121, the second Song of Ascents, is an individual hymn of thanksgiving sung by the psalm singers on the approach to Jerusalem; the hills of Jerusalem are in view and God guides the singers’ feet. Two voices are present in the psalm — an individual singer, who states firm trust in the Lord, and a respondent who assures the singer that the Lord will indeed guard the singer.
Romans 4:1-5. The Example of Abraham
Romans 4:13-17. God’s Promise Realised through Faith The epistle that Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome was a letter he intended to be sent, not to
one, but to a number of church communities scattered throughout the city. This passage is about why we dare to trust God. God makes promises that bind us to God. This is very good news for us right now in the twenty-first century when we are still longing for God's shalom in this world.
John 3:1-17. Nicodemus Visits Jesus
This well-known passage from John shows Jesus discussing the three persons of the Trinity. The narrator portrays Nicodemus as a learned man with impressive credentials, describing him not only as a Pharisee but as ‘a ruler of the Jews’. Nicodemus thinks that he, as a religious leader, understands who Jesus is and who God is. But lacking both courage and commitment, he has come to visit Jesus by night. Far from being a follower of Jesus, he is unwilling even to be seen with him. Mystified, Nicodemus asks, ‘How can anyone be born after growing old?’ Jesus explains that by water and the Spirit, God gives people rebirth into the reign of God, shaped and sustained by the Spirit who bears them. In his conversation with Nicodemus Jesus refers to all three persons of the Trinity. God is the One who loves the cosmos and who, unwilling to let it perish, gives the Son. God sends the Son not to condemn the world and its inhabitants, but to rescue and restore them. Jesus is both the Son of God and human, the Son of Man. He descended from heaven and has ascended to heaven, thus connecting heaven and earth. Those who place their trust in Jesus will have eternal life, being reborn by water and the Spirit.
Lent is a season of preparation and discipline that begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes at sundown on Holy Saturday. During the forty weekdays and six Sundays in Lent, the church remembers the life and ministry of Jesus and renews its commitment to him in Christian discipleship. This season is the traditional time to prepare for baptisms and confirmations.
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 22 February.
Genesis 2:15-17
As a Lenten text, it seems that we are being asked to think about humanity, its nature and limitations, the consequences of our actions and our responsibility for this world. Lent invites us to this kind of reflection, as we move toward Holy Week.
Genesis 3:1-7. The First Sin and Its Punishment
Psalm 32. The Joy of Forgiveness. A psalm of David. A Maskil
Maskil is a Hebrew term found in 13 Psalms, meaning ‘wise’, often indicating an instructive psalm or a penitential psalm. These Psalms centre on the confession of sin and were a part of the worship of ancient Israel. Today many churches participate in confession as part of their worship. The Lord’s Prayer offers further opportunity for confession when we ask God to forgive us our sins (trespasses/debts) as we forgive those who have sinned against us.
The lectionary reading for this first Sunday of Lent has often been misinterpreted: The woman was to blame, Eve is considered the weaker sex and thus susceptible to the snake, so leading her innocent husband astray. A 15th century document Malleus Maleficarum was used to condemn women accused of witchcraft. This harmful document claimed that ‘women were, from their creation, imperfect and lustful beings who posed grave dangers to men’.
Reading further in this story in Genesis, with its theme of human frailty that is so fitting in the time of Lent, we notice God’s grace amidst depravity. In spite of the frailty, the shame and the precarious nature of the human condition outlined in this text, the powerful witness of a God who continues to remain in relationship with us can be seen.
Romans 5:12-19. Adam and Christ
This text has been the source of some of Christianity’s most controversial, challenging, and distinctive doctrines. It was the basis of Augustine’s doctrine of original sin and for Karl Barth’s claim that Paul is saying that just as Adam was the source of humanity that could not escape obedience to sin, Christ is the source of humanity freed from obedience to sin. It is not simply that Christ cancelled out Adam’s mistake. It is that Christ more than made up for Adam’s
trespass; Christ outdid himself, Christ made up when perhaps God, through Christ, could simply have reversed Adam’s mistake in a legalistic, accountant kind of way. The free gift operates in a different place from the audit room, the court room. The free gift operates in the arena of love.
Matthew 4:1-11. The Temptation of Jesus
Jesus has been led by the Holy Spirit for a purpose: to be tempted or tested by the devil; as proof of his readiness as God’s beloved Son for the mission entrusted to him. Throughout the scriptures, the wilderness represents a place of preparation, a place of waiting for God’s next move, a place of learning to trust in God’s mercy. For forty days and nights Jesus remained in the wilderness, getting ready for what comes next.
Forty: the days and nights that Noah and his family endured the deluge on board the ark.
Forty: the days and nights Moses fasted on Mount Sinai as he inscribed the words of God’s commandments.
Forty: the days and nights Elijah fasted in the desert before receiving a new commission from God.
Forty: the years the Israelites wandered the wilderness in preparation for their arrival in the Promised Land.
Forty: the days of the season of Lent as Christians participate in Jesus’ ministry and follow his way toward the cross.
How might we make ourselves ready for the way of the Lord in the places we are called to be? To what
mission is God calling the church? What is needed for the congregation, corporately and individually, to be
prepared?
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 22 February.
Genesis 2:15-17
As a Lenten text, it seems that we are being asked to think about humanity, its nature and limitations, the consequences of our actions and our responsibility for this world. Lent invites us to this kind of reflection, as we move toward Holy Week.
Genesis 3:1-7. The First Sin and Its Punishment
Psalm 32. The Joy of Forgiveness. A psalm of David. A Maskil
Maskil is a Hebrew term found in 13 Psalms, meaning ‘wise’, often indicating an instructive psalm or a penitential psalm. These Psalms centre on the confession of sin and were a part of the worship of ancient Israel. Today many churches participate in confession as part of their worship. The Lord’s Prayer offers further opportunity for confession when we ask God to forgive us our sins (trespasses/debts) as we forgive those who have sinned against us.
The lectionary reading for this first Sunday of Lent has often been misinterpreted: The woman was to blame, Eve is considered the weaker sex and thus susceptible to the snake, so leading her innocent husband astray. A 15th century document Malleus Maleficarum was used to condemn women accused of witchcraft. This harmful document claimed that ‘women were, from their creation, imperfect and lustful beings who posed grave dangers to men’.
Reading further in this story in Genesis, with its theme of human frailty that is so fitting in the time of Lent, we notice God’s grace amidst depravity. In spite of the frailty, the shame and the precarious nature of the human condition outlined in this text, the powerful witness of a God who continues to remain in relationship with us can be seen.
Romans 5:12-19. Adam and Christ
This text has been the source of some of Christianity’s most controversial, challenging, and distinctive doctrines. It was the basis of Augustine’s doctrine of original sin and for Karl Barth’s claim that Paul is saying that just as Adam was the source of humanity that could not escape obedience to sin, Christ is the source of humanity freed from obedience to sin. It is not simply that Christ cancelled out Adam’s mistake. It is that Christ more than made up for Adam’s
trespass; Christ outdid himself, Christ made up when perhaps God, through Christ, could simply have reversed Adam’s mistake in a legalistic, accountant kind of way. The free gift operates in a different place from the audit room, the court room. The free gift operates in the arena of love.
Matthew 4:1-11. The Temptation of Jesus
Jesus has been led by the Holy Spirit for a purpose: to be tempted or tested by the devil; as proof of his readiness as God’s beloved Son for the mission entrusted to him. Throughout the scriptures, the wilderness represents a place of preparation, a place of waiting for God’s next move, a place of learning to trust in God’s mercy. For forty days and nights Jesus remained in the wilderness, getting ready for what comes next.
Forty: the days and nights that Noah and his family endured the deluge on board the ark.
Forty: the days and nights Moses fasted on Mount Sinai as he inscribed the words of God’s commandments.
Forty: the days and nights Elijah fasted in the desert before receiving a new commission from God.
Forty: the years the Israelites wandered the wilderness in preparation for their arrival in the Promised Land.
Forty: the days of the season of Lent as Christians participate in Jesus’ ministry and follow his way toward the cross.
How might we make ourselves ready for the way of the Lord in the places we are called to be? To what
mission is God calling the church? What is needed for the congregation, corporately and individually, to be
prepared?
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 15 February.
Exodus 24:12-18
Exodus 24:12–18 has shaped the traditions of transfiguration that we find in the Synoptic Gospels. Placed on Transfiguration Sunday, this passage, which describes Moses’ encounter with the Lord on Mount Sinai, brings the season of Epiphany to a conclusion. Today’s passage can be divided according to Moses’ movement towards the Lord’s presence on the mountain:
• The Lord’s instructions to Moses (v. 12)
• Moses’ ascent to the mountain (vv. 13–15a)
• The glory of the Lord settles on the mountain (15b–17)
• Moses enters the cloud (v. 18)
As Moses ascends the mountain and draws closer to the glory of the Lord, he is removed from the others who are with him.
Psalm 99 Praise to God for His Holiness
In response to the holy God who creates, sustains, and judges the world, the Enthronement Psalms (Psalms 93 and 95-99) call on all creation, not just humanity, to praise God.
Verse 1 of Psalm 99 is a clear call to people beyond the children of Israel to ‘tremble’ at the presence of God, who is a ‘lover of justice’.
Psalm 99 is a fitting lectionary reading for Transfiguration Sunday. The Transfiguration story in the New Testament is yet another appearance of God. Jesus, the man, is transfigured into his godly likeness. Following ideas and behaving according to principles that do not always put our personal wants and
pleasures first may be the most profound means by which we can ‘extol the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain’.
(Psalm 2 is an alternative psalm for this Sunday.)
Mount Sinai - a mountain on the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. It is one of several locations claimed to be the biblical Mount Sinai, the place where, according to the sacred scriptures of the three major Abrahamic religions (Torah, Bible, and Quran), the Hebrew prophet Moses received the Ten Commandments
from God.
2 Peter 1:16-21. Eyewitnesses of Christ’s Glory Peter has written to the believers, reminding them that through God’s divine power they have already been
given everything they need for life and godliness, and he encourages them to add virtuous living to their life of faith. The narrative about Christ’s transfiguration is not just a story that Peter and the apostles made up to manipulate potential converts. Instead, they are sharing an eyewitness account of a supernatural experience that transformed their understanding of Jesus. He was not just a Messiah but was also the Son of God who embodied the glory of God.
In addition to the eyewitness account of the transfiguration, Peter points to the Old Testament prophets, as further evidence that he isn’t just making up myths about Jesus. As we think about the transfiguration of Jesus, we are blessed to have the witness of the apostles as recorded in the New Testament and the wisdom of the Old Testament to guide the church.
Matthew 17:1-9 The Transfiguration
At the transfiguration Jesus’ fearful disciples watch as he is transformed and shines with heavenly glory. The transfiguration marks a point in a series of scenes that define who Jesus is. At both his baptism and transfiguration the heavenly voice announces that he is God’s son. At his temptation, in Gethsemane, and at his crucifixion, Jesus wrestles with the humiliation, suffering, and abandonment that he, as Son of God, must endure. Finally the resurrected Jesus claims his identity, sending his disciples out to teach and baptise in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. While Peter is speaking, a brilliant cloud overshadows them. A voice from the cloud in Matthew 17 echoes the words of the heavenly voice at Jesus’ baptism: ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’
Exodus 24:12-18
Exodus 24:12–18 has shaped the traditions of transfiguration that we find in the Synoptic Gospels. Placed on Transfiguration Sunday, this passage, which describes Moses’ encounter with the Lord on Mount Sinai, brings the season of Epiphany to a conclusion. Today’s passage can be divided according to Moses’ movement towards the Lord’s presence on the mountain:
• The Lord’s instructions to Moses (v. 12)
• Moses’ ascent to the mountain (vv. 13–15a)
• The glory of the Lord settles on the mountain (15b–17)
• Moses enters the cloud (v. 18)
As Moses ascends the mountain and draws closer to the glory of the Lord, he is removed from the others who are with him.
Psalm 99 Praise to God for His Holiness
In response to the holy God who creates, sustains, and judges the world, the Enthronement Psalms (Psalms 93 and 95-99) call on all creation, not just humanity, to praise God.
Verse 1 of Psalm 99 is a clear call to people beyond the children of Israel to ‘tremble’ at the presence of God, who is a ‘lover of justice’.
Psalm 99 is a fitting lectionary reading for Transfiguration Sunday. The Transfiguration story in the New Testament is yet another appearance of God. Jesus, the man, is transfigured into his godly likeness. Following ideas and behaving according to principles that do not always put our personal wants and
pleasures first may be the most profound means by which we can ‘extol the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain’.
(Psalm 2 is an alternative psalm for this Sunday.)
Mount Sinai - a mountain on the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. It is one of several locations claimed to be the biblical Mount Sinai, the place where, according to the sacred scriptures of the three major Abrahamic religions (Torah, Bible, and Quran), the Hebrew prophet Moses received the Ten Commandments
from God.
2 Peter 1:16-21. Eyewitnesses of Christ’s Glory Peter has written to the believers, reminding them that through God’s divine power they have already been
given everything they need for life and godliness, and he encourages them to add virtuous living to their life of faith. The narrative about Christ’s transfiguration is not just a story that Peter and the apostles made up to manipulate potential converts. Instead, they are sharing an eyewitness account of a supernatural experience that transformed their understanding of Jesus. He was not just a Messiah but was also the Son of God who embodied the glory of God.
In addition to the eyewitness account of the transfiguration, Peter points to the Old Testament prophets, as further evidence that he isn’t just making up myths about Jesus. As we think about the transfiguration of Jesus, we are blessed to have the witness of the apostles as recorded in the New Testament and the wisdom of the Old Testament to guide the church.
Matthew 17:1-9 The Transfiguration
At the transfiguration Jesus’ fearful disciples watch as he is transformed and shines with heavenly glory. The transfiguration marks a point in a series of scenes that define who Jesus is. At both his baptism and transfiguration the heavenly voice announces that he is God’s son. At his temptation, in Gethsemane, and at his crucifixion, Jesus wrestles with the humiliation, suffering, and abandonment that he, as Son of God, must endure. Finally the resurrected Jesus claims his identity, sending his disciples out to teach and baptise in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. While Peter is speaking, a brilliant cloud overshadows them. A voice from the cloud in Matthew 17 echoes the words of the heavenly voice at Jesus’ baptism: ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’
These are the Revised Common Lectionary readings for Sunday 8 February.
Isaiah 58:1-9a(9b-12) False and True Worship
Isaiah 58 is a call to preach.
Verse 3 encapsulates the thought that runs throughout the reading. The will of the ‘religious’ and the will of the Lord are at loggerheads:
Religious folks: ‘Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’
The Lord: ‘Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day and oppress all your workers.’
Rather than perpetuate empty religious ideas, the Lord calls the people to a different kind of fast — a different kind of faithful ideal.
Religious practice, no matter how beautifully executed, is meaningless when the love and mercy of the Lord are not extended as our own love and mercy.
Psalm 112:1-9. Blessings of the Righteous
There are two connections that could be made between Psalm 112 and Matthew 5. The first highlights the liturgical season: the light/darkness theme of Epiphany. A second, is to think of Psalm 112 as an extended beatitude: blessed are those who fear the Lord (verse 1), who delight in his commandments (verse 1), who are gracious, merciful and righteous (verse 4), who deal generously (verse 5), who conduct their affairs with justice (verse 5), who have given to the poor (verse 9).
1 Corinthians 2:1-16. Proclaiming Christ Crucified
In the first chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul is addressing the quarrelling and division among the Christians in Corinth. In chapter 2, he begins to reflect on having ‘maturity’ in Christ. The focus turns to the Spirit of Christ through whom power is demonstrated and wisdom cultivated.
Paul uses the collective ‘you’ to speak of the call to the Corinthian Christians. The theme of ‘called to be saints together’ is emphasised again as Paul asserts he did not come with lofty words of wisdom so that there was not a reliance on human wisdom, instead, calling on them to have ‘the mind of Christ.’
It is through the Spirit of God that we understand, comprehend and exercise the gifts bestowed on us by God.
Matthew 5:13-20. Salt and Light
Jesus’ short sayings about salt appear in each Gospel. In each instance, salt is the common image Jesus uses for painting a picture of how he hoped his followers would act and be in the world.
Salt is not useful by itself. Its value comes in its application on other things. So, the followers of Jesus are called to exist for others. Yet, Jesus warns that salt may become useless, that is, losing its taste or value.
In the same way, light allows us to see. Living when, and where we do, it is difficult to imagine a world without light.
In Jesus’ usage, the light was not simply to allow others to see whatever they wished but it was for others to witness the acts of justice that Jesus’
followers perform.
The images of ‘salt’ and ‘light’ are to excite the imagination of Jesus’ listeners.
Just as ‘salt’ and ‘light’ relate to the tasks of Jesus’ faithful followers in the world, so Jesus’ emphasis on the law is about doing good. In this section, Jesus explores the meaning of the law but does not want to discontinue it.
Isaiah 58:1-9a(9b-12) False and True Worship
Isaiah 58 is a call to preach.
Verse 3 encapsulates the thought that runs throughout the reading. The will of the ‘religious’ and the will of the Lord are at loggerheads:
Religious folks: ‘Why do we fast, but you do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’
The Lord: ‘Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day and oppress all your workers.’
Rather than perpetuate empty religious ideas, the Lord calls the people to a different kind of fast — a different kind of faithful ideal.
Religious practice, no matter how beautifully executed, is meaningless when the love and mercy of the Lord are not extended as our own love and mercy.
Psalm 112:1-9. Blessings of the Righteous
There are two connections that could be made between Psalm 112 and Matthew 5. The first highlights the liturgical season: the light/darkness theme of Epiphany. A second, is to think of Psalm 112 as an extended beatitude: blessed are those who fear the Lord (verse 1), who delight in his commandments (verse 1), who are gracious, merciful and righteous (verse 4), who deal generously (verse 5), who conduct their affairs with justice (verse 5), who have given to the poor (verse 9).
1 Corinthians 2:1-16. Proclaiming Christ Crucified
In the first chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul is addressing the quarrelling and division among the Christians in Corinth. In chapter 2, he begins to reflect on having ‘maturity’ in Christ. The focus turns to the Spirit of Christ through whom power is demonstrated and wisdom cultivated.
Paul uses the collective ‘you’ to speak of the call to the Corinthian Christians. The theme of ‘called to be saints together’ is emphasised again as Paul asserts he did not come with lofty words of wisdom so that there was not a reliance on human wisdom, instead, calling on them to have ‘the mind of Christ.’
It is through the Spirit of God that we understand, comprehend and exercise the gifts bestowed on us by God.
Matthew 5:13-20. Salt and Light
Jesus’ short sayings about salt appear in each Gospel. In each instance, salt is the common image Jesus uses for painting a picture of how he hoped his followers would act and be in the world.
Salt is not useful by itself. Its value comes in its application on other things. So, the followers of Jesus are called to exist for others. Yet, Jesus warns that salt may become useless, that is, losing its taste or value.
In the same way, light allows us to see. Living when, and where we do, it is difficult to imagine a world without light.
In Jesus’ usage, the light was not simply to allow others to see whatever they wished but it was for others to witness the acts of justice that Jesus’
followers perform.
The images of ‘salt’ and ‘light’ are to excite the imagination of Jesus’ listeners.
Just as ‘salt’ and ‘light’ relate to the tasks of Jesus’ faithful followers in the world, so Jesus’ emphasis on the law is about doing good. In this section, Jesus explores the meaning of the law but does not want to discontinue it.
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