Of Sow's Ears and Silk Purses

2010-06-27 05 Pentecost C, part 1

Being "fit" for the kingdom of God is not a matter of how straight one can plow. It's not a matter of plowing at all. The difference between sinner and saint, between the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God, is qualitative not quantitative. There ain't gonna be no sinners on their best behavior in heaven!

Readings: 1 Kings 19:15--16, 19--21 Psalm 16 Galatians 5:1, 13--25 Luke 9:51--62

The Truth Can Do What?

010-06-20 04 Pentecost C
The transformative truth takes sinners naked before God and mad with sin to clothe them and put in them a right mind; between the two there's a death and resurrection--first Jesus', then ours.
Lectionary Readings:
Isaiah 65:1--9
Psalm 22:19--28
Galatians 3:23--29
Luke 8:26--39

Pretension Busters: Adversity

check it out here:

St. Martie's Place

Bored and Curious

2010--06-13 03 Pentecost C
When Christ is preached again and again, Satan uses satiety and curiosity to tempt people to something new--a new and different word, perhaps? Succumbing to temptation, they violate the "one flesh"-ness of the body of Christ to which they've been conformed.
Lectionary Readings:
2 Samuel 11:26—12:10, 13–15
Psalm 32
Galatians 2:15–21
Luke 7:36—8:3

Life Out of Death

2010-06-06 02 Pentecost C
In the forgiveness of our sins Jesus Christ gives up his life and goes down to death so that we might have life brought out of our death in sin.
Lectionary Readings:
1 Kings 17:17–24
or 1 Kings 17:8–16 [17–24]
Psalm 30
or Psalm 146
Galatians 1:11–24
Luke 7:11–17

Boundaries by Choice: God's not Ours

2010-05-30 Holy Trinity Sunday C,
In the Anthanasian Creed we confess that God chooses us and puts limits on our idolatry, even our idolatry of the self and its works.
Lectionary Readings:
Proverbs 8:1–4, 22–31
Psalm 8
Romans 5:1–5
John 16:12–15

God's "Big Bird" Plan for Our Salvation

2010-05-23 Pentecost C
The Holy Spirit is one big bird plopped down on the entire earth yet anonymous--always pointing away from itself and saying, "Here's Jesus!"
Acts 2:1–21
or Genesis 11:1–9
Psalm 104:24–34, 35b