Daily Lectionary Reading for Year A
Jesus called 12 disciples and named them Apostles. That act alone says a lot about what it means to be the church. Could Jesus have changed the world on his own, without the 12 and others who would follow him? He certainly had the power to heal people and feed crowds. Why did you think he called these twelve? Along the way, he called you to follow him, too. You might have thought to be less than qualified. You might have wondered what you could contribute to the work Jesus was doing. But he called you to the waters of Baptism and gave you his Spirit. Jesus believed then and believes now that you can be an important person to help build the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. Even though we are not able to gather in person as a church right now, we are still disciples. Our work of loving, teaching, healing, and advocating for the oppressed does not end. Continue to read scripture with a heart open to what God is saying today. Consider the things you say and do through the lens of Jesus Christ. Build up love. Tear down hate. Serve your neighbor. Remember that you were called by Christ to do this work. Peace, Dean
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Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
In yesterday's lectionary reading, Sarah died. Go back and read the compassionate, empathetic response by the Hittites as Abraham seeks a burial place for his wife. Have you ever had to make arrangements at the time of death? It can be a time filled with emotion and exhaustion. In the depth of grief, you are being asked a thousand questions and expected to make a million decisions. What do you remember about that time? Were there some who honored your loss the way that the Hittites honored Abraham's love for Sarah? Today, Abraham dies. "Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people." Both Ishmael and Isaac come together to bury their father. Sometimes these moments bring out the best in a family. And, sometimes the pressure and the pain makes being a family at the time of death difficult. It seems as though Ishmael and Isaac were doing their best to honor their father. They buried him with Sarah in the cave he purchased from the Hittites. There is a flow to these stories of death. A pause in the routine of our daily life. We often stop, remember, honor, and praise God for a loved one. Looking back, you see so often God's hand in that person's life story. You take time to grieve what once was and is no more. During this last year, our family has walked this journey of death. My dad's sisters Pat and Juanita, his brother Dick, and sister-in-law Laurie died. My mom's sister Dorothy died, and her oldest and last sibling Lois is in hospice care at home in San Diego. They represent an entire generation that raised me up. And so, I join all who have come before, and stand at the edge of the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. Join me in this place. Let us think about those who have died. Together, let us stop, remember, honor, and praise God. Tell someone how it feels remembering someone who has died. It is an honor and a privilege to be told those stories. Peace, Dean Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
Are your dreams more vivid these days? Do you find yourself seeing people you miss and feeling almost certain your dreams are really happening? NPR had an entire show on this phenomenon. Our dreams are a combination of high stress, altered routines, and hopes/fears for the future. One person shared that she had a dream of being on a boat but never being able to get to her destination. How scary! And perhaps reflective of feeling stuck, or watching folks who went on a cruise stranded on the ship with the coronavirus. Someone called me and told me they had a dream about Will. Sometimes I dream of being in worship in the sanctuary again. What are your dreams these days? Isn't Psalm 126 a beautiful text? When the Lord restored our fortunes we were like those who dream. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with shouts of joy. I would like to think we will experience that kind of exuberant elation when there is finally a vaccine for the coronavirus. When we can safely hug, and sing, and worship without fear, what a day that will be! A dream come true! Or, can you imagine if the world joins with the thousands of people marching for justice to finally bring about a time when we can all affirm that indeed, black lives do matter? What a day that will be when we make structural and attitudinal changes to honor the lives and experiences and end the violence? If the world can change one heart at a time so that a person with black or brown skin doesn't have to fear for their future, what a day that will be. A dream come true! God is certainly at work. And so should we. If we want an end to the virus we need to stay vigilant. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Honor safe distancing. Think about the good of others. Pray for a cure. If we want to change generations of racism and violence we need to stay vigilant. Demand justice for all who have been hurt. Use your power to lift others up. Listen to experiences other than your own. Make new relationships. Carry a prayer in your pocket and model for all children what it means to be a neighbor. I hope you get time for a deep sleep tonight. And I hope you dream wonderful dreams. And I hope we can work to make the dreams we share come true. Peace, Dean Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A How do you say thank you to someone who saved your life? The sense of gratitude is as deep as it can be. Without their help and intervention, the course of your life would never be the same. When I was a student at Vanderbilt Divinity School, my internship was in The Upper Room building. I worked at the General Board of Discipleship, Division on Worship. One afternoon in The Upper Room Chapel, my supervisor collapsed from a stroke. She could not speak or move. She was terrified. Someone had the sense to dial 911, and soon a paramedic was on the scene. He looked her in the eyes. He spoke to her in gentle tones. He assessed her needs and got her swiftly to the hospital. She recovered fully, not long afterward. And then she set out on a mission to find out who the paramedic was who saved her life. All she could remember was his eyes. She needed to say thank you. It was imperative to her that he knew the role he played during a terrifying moment. Psalm 116 feels like discovering God was that paramedic who saved your life. How can I ever thank you enough? You have saved me. I will remember and honor you forever. Has God lifted you when you have fallen? Has God saved your life and put you on a new path? Give God all the praise. I remember when David Letterman came back on the air after his open-heart surgery. He called the entire medical team out and thanked them individually. Their skills and knowledge breathed into him new life. He would forever be grateful. I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. Take some time in prayer today. Give God thanks and praise for watching over your life. Peace, Dean Attachments area Preview YouTube video David Letterman - 1st Show After Heart Surgery David Letterman - 1st Show After Heart Surgery Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
Genesis 21:1-7 tells of the birth of Isaac. If you ever doubt that the seemingly impossible is possible with God, just read the story of Genesis. The God who creates all things out of the shapeless void brings a future and a hope through the unlikely birth of a child. His name is Isaac. Abraham and Sarah must have smiled when they gave him that name. It means, "He laughs." Life is hard right now. Perhaps you can find a few minutes to laugh. Find something absurd. Think of a few dad jokes. Read the funnies. Laugh, or help someone else laugh today. Here's a joke: An elderly woman walked into the local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. "Where would you like to sit?" he asked. "The front row, please," she said. "You really don't want to do that," the usher said. "The pastor is really boring." "Do you happen to know who I am?" the woman inquired. "No," he said. "I'm the pastor's mother," "Do you know who I am?" he asked. "No," she said. "Good." You can find other bad jokes here on the Prairie Home Companion Joke Show. I don't vouch for them, and I don't offer excuses or ignore any inappropriate actions by the host. It does make me laugh, and God knows sometimes I need that. Peace, Dean Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
John 14:25-26 “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you." This Advocate, the Holy Spirit, is teaching us and reminding us of the love of Jesus every day. The world is changing. We have an opportunity to be a part of significant new possibilities as we affirm that Black Lives Matter. We are on the cusp of a new day as we work toward reducing violence and increasing justice. How will it come to be? The Advocate, the Holy Spirit is at work in our breathing, our praying, and our working. Take a look at this video about the Holy Spirit. Allow yourself to imagine what the Spirit is up to these days. Does it give you hope? Does it inspire you to work for change? If you would like to continue this kind of study, The Bible Project has a Church At Home study. Here is last week's study on the Holy Spirit. I will send to you and others who are wanting to learn in this time apart a new study each Saturday. You can study alone or reach out for discussion. Let me know if you would like to join this online study going forward. You can unsubscribe at any time. Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A I just read that the time we have spent at home to protect ourselves and others saved approximately 60 million people from being infected with the coronavirus. I imagine we will have to continue to be careful for a long time. Thank you for doing your part to take this virus seriously. It is an act of Christian compassion to save the lives of others. You have probably learned a lot about yourself in this time apart. Maybe you now know that you are amazing at doing a puzzle. Or, that you would rather sit quietly in prayer than watch television. 1 Corinthians reminds us that we all have our gifts that together build up the Body of Christ. "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good." It seems like if there is going to be transformative change to address issues of racism and violence, it is going to take everyone's gifts. It will take each person's expression of the Spirit for the common good. As Eugene Peterson puts it, imagine what can happen when all of these gifts work together: wise counsel, clear understanding, simple trust, healing the sick, miraculous acts, proclamation, distinguishing between spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues. You be you. And help to bring about justice and healing. I invite you to take THIS Spiritual Gifts Inventory. Maybe you have taken it in the past. I wonder if your gifts have changed over time? I hope you will find a way to use your Spiritual gifts to respond to the suffering of the oppressed and live into the love of Jesus. Peace, Dean Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A My dog's name is Megan. She is a beautiful Golden Retriever. Megan came to live here after a friend from college found out she was marrying someone who was allergic to dogs. I am not sure how old Megan is, but she is definitely long in the tooth. She has trouble standing up and sitting down. She doesn't hear much anymore. She sleeps most of the day and night. But, when Megan sees the face of her friend Ty Tanis, she becomes almost like a puppy again. Her tail gives away her joy. She moves faster than I thought possible. She smiles. Megan has worn a path at our fence as she walks back and forth, back and forth 100 times hoping that Ty will bring her over to his house. There she can be with her friends Wrigley and Bear, Lindy and Kirgin, and Ty. There is a line in Psalm 29 that says, "The voice of the Lord makes Lebanon skip like a calf." When Megan sees Ty and the Tanis family, even though she is an old, greying dog, she skips like a calf. She knows that she is loved by them, unconditionally. She knows she is safe in their presence. She looks forward to being with them. Does the thought of God make you skip like a calf? Do you break out in a grin knowing that God has a home that is safe and warm and welcoming for you? Do you feel like a child again when you think about the way God loves you unconditionally? Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name, worship the Lord in holy splendor. Peace, Dean |
REv. Dean N. PrentissI am blessed to be the Pastor at Wesley Park UMC. Find Daily Lectionary Readings Here. Archives
February 2021
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