January 29, 2023

 

God’s ways and God’s desires turn our human expectations upside down. Micah reminds us that God does not want extravagant gifts. God wants us to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk beside God. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus pronounces blessings on those who struggle: the poor in spirit, the grieving, the meek, the hungry, the persecuted. Writing to the church at Corinth, Paul declares that the message of the cross is foolishness to many, but God’s people find deep wisdom there. 

 

Micah 6:1-8; Psalm 15; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Matthew 5:1-12

 

 

February 5, 2023

 

A call to righteousness and a call to shine God’s light unites these readings. Isaiah calls for a fast of righteousness: loosing the bonds of injustice and breaking the yoke of the oppressed. The psalmist proclaims that the righteous shall never be moved but will be remembered forever, they will be a light for the upright. Jesus calls us the light of the world and warns that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. The epistle does not fit this theme but contrasts the spirit of this world and the Spirit of God. 

 

Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12); Psalm 112:1-9 (10); 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16); Matthew 5:13-20

 

 

February 12, 2023

 

Some good news throughout scripture is that God gives us choice. From the one struggling with addiction, to the one seeking freedom from abuse, to anyone seeking life’s purpose, the freedom to choose holds redeeming and life-giving power. With this agency, and by the Spirit’s help, we may, in the words of Deuteronomy, choose life over death. We may also, as Jesus teaches in Matthew, choose reconciliation with others over destructive pride and self-importance. Thanks be to God for the choices we are free to make and for the path Christ beckons us to choose. 

 

Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 119:1-8; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; Matthew 5:21-37

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February 19, 2023  TRANSFIGURATION SUNDAY

 

God’s glory pervades all of today’s readings. But how are we to respond to such magnificence? When the psalmist calls the people to tremble and the earth to quake, images of averting one’s eyes and falling down in fear come to mind. I can almost see that scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, when Indiana Jones and his girlfriend are the only ones who survive God’s mighty presence because they remember to close their eyes. But Jesus invites us to a different response: “Get up. Don’t be afraid.” Moses communes with God in the very presence of God’s glory and receives instruction for leading God’s people. The psalmist invites our trembling and quaking in the call to worship and extol God in all of God’s greatness. And even Peter recalls that God’s glorious words at Jesus’s baptism were words of love and affirmation. May God’s glory light our way, call us to worship, and give us the guidance we need to follow where we are called. 

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Exodus 24:12-18; Psalm 99; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew 17:1-9

 

 

February 22, 2023 ASH WEDNESDAY

 

Is this the fast that I choose? As we begin Lent, we must examine if our actions match what we profess. As we practice seeking this Lent, what kind of fast will you choose? How will you live your faith? How will you live the questions of your faith? In our spiritual practices, will we seek to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?

 

 

February 26, 2023  First Sunday in Lent

 

Today’s scriptures portray how easily we succumb to temptation and sin. Genesis tells the story of Adam and Eve listening to the serpent and eating the forbidden fruit in the garden. The psalmist tells how happy we are when our transgressions are forgiven and when our sin is covered. Romans claims that just as sin came into the world through one man, so salvation also came through one man, Christ Jesus. Finally, Matthew’s Gospel tells of Jesus’s temptation in the wilderness before he began his ministry. Temptation and transgression may be everpresent, but mercy and grace define who we are in the life of God. 

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7; Psalm 32; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11

 

 

March 5, 2023

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Our help is found in God. Our guidance is found in God. Our salvation is found in God. This help is a gift born in our lives from above, God’s Spirit breathing into our spirits. God’s help is as near as our next breath. These gifts—help, guidance, salvation—are offered without price. They are simply given through faith.

Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17; John 3:1-17