#proper 27a

Photo by Tegan Mierle on Unsplash And into a life of love and trustProper 27A  |  Matthew 25:1-13 Let’s reset the scene. Jesus was at the Temple. It’s what we know as Holy Week. They are about to prepare for the Passover. While Jesus is awaiting his final trial. The disciples have watched as all of these different leaders—chief priests and scribes, Pharisees and their disciples, and the…

A look at the gaps in the lectionary. This week: the gap between Proper 25A and 27AThe text: Matthew 23-24 After several weeks of gospel readings proceeding directlty from the previous reading, we now experience a jump forward to chapter 25. If you celebrated All Saints’ Day last week, then the gospel you didn’t use was Matthew 23:1-12.  I covered that reading last week. Doom and Gloom To…

The Time to Shine

The parable of the bridesmaids is a story of dysfunction in the middle of a pandemic. Which makes it pretty fitting for us.

Facing the darkness that would consume us Proper 27A | Matthew 25:1-13

Photo by Daniel Reche from Pexels

Pain. Discomfort. Fear. Anxiousness. Things that consume. Emotions that fill our hearts with darkness. Jealousy. Outrage. Loss. Big, vague ideas that flood us with…

Getting In - Jesus isn't nearly as focused about our getting into heaven as we are

In the parable of the bridesmaids, Jesus gives us, not instructions on how to get into heaven, but an example of how not to.

Proper 27A  |  Matthew 25:1-13

It was about this time 4 years ago when my friend Bruce died. He was a faithful and pious man. He had a real certainty about church teaching that I never did. Some of it we didn’t see eye-to-eye on, but I promised him that regardless of what…

Matthew 25:1-13, Being Prepared for the Lord’s Delay

[November 9, 2014] With this morning’s reading we consider carelessness in view of the delay of the Messiah’s “Second Advent.” In Matthew 24:1-31 Jesus spoke to his disciples privately about the immanent desecration of the Temple and the attendant suffering. Jesus also spoke of the coming of the Son of Man in the clouds of heaven (Daniel 7:13-14) with power and great glory when he would gather…