#proper 9a

How to Defy Expectations with HopeProper 9A  |  Genesis 24, Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 Last week’s terror no doubt lingers. When Abraham took his son up a mountain intending to offer him as a sacrifice. We can imagine the nightmares that followed. For both of them. But mostly for Isaac. He was to be the victim. And in a very real way, he was anyway. For one does not simply move on from such horror…

For Sunday  Proper 9A Collect O God, you have taught us to keep all your commandments by loving you and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to you with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Reading Matthew…

Photo by Ahmad Odeh on Unsplash [I’m on vacation for the month of July. But I’m still blogging. This isn’t a sermon or a reflection I’ve written with anyone in mind. Just thoughts that happen alongside the lectionary.] Last week, extreme weather drove trees and power lines to the ground, covering the community in constant darkness. The sense of powerlessness, communicated our profound lack…

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash We shouldn’t be super surprised when Jesus calls people out. Even in a case like the one we get this week (Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30) when he seems to call out everyone. At least everyone alive right then. Which is a whole other thing. So what is the frustration about? Not the particulars. And also not “sin”. These ways we whittle it down to the most…

Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash [cropped] For SundayProper 9A Collect O God, you have taught us to keep all your commandments by loving you and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to you with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for…

A look at the gaps in the lectionary. This week: the gap between Proper 8A and 9AThe text: Matthew 11:1-15 This is a small jump this week. But any is significant. What we miss is pretty simple. The first verse changes the focal point of the story. All of chapter 10 was Jesus preparing his newly-dubbed Apostles for their sending out into the world. Jesus now heads from city to city teaching.…