Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
Matthew 26:6-13 The first sentence, verses 6 and 7, are remarkable. Jesus is eating a meal at the home of Simon the Leper. We can assume that Jesus was in the home and at the table of one who suffered from a skin condition that made him ritually unclean. His leprosy restricted his access to the temple or the synagogue. Leviticus 14 lays out the complicated process for one who has been cleansed from leprosy to be able to rejoin the community. And yet Jesus was at his table, eating his food, gathered with his disciples and others. Sometimes we can take strides ahead more by the things that we do than the words that we say. I do not know the details or the full story of Simon the Leper. But I can suspect that Jesus lifted the stigma of leprosy by his presence. Others might have been less fearful knowing that Jesus was not afraid. By choosing to eat at Simon's house, Jesus was changing the focus from the label given to Simon, to Simon himself. Can you think of times you have helped overcome the perception others have of someone simply by being a friend? The second part of this first sentence describes a woman present with an alabaster jar of costly perfume. Sometimes we miss how connected Jesus was to women. Mary must have taught him valuable lessons about the exceptional worth and abilities of women. In a patriarchal society, the elevated role of women in the story of Jesus is remarkable. This woman brings a beautiful jar of costly perfume to this dinner party. She pours the perfume over Jesus' head as he reclines at the table. Take a moment to imagine what is happening. Do you think the woman was nervous? What do you think she said as she offered Jesus this gift? Imagine how Jesus closed his eyes as the perfume ran over his hair, face, neck, and robe. Imagine how the perfume filled the room with a beautiful and powerful fragrance. Do you think the woman regretted pouring out this expensive gift? Sometimes faith makes us do things that others think to be foolish. What does it feel like when you give a gift to the church? Imagine the gift you give to be as beautiful and powerful as the gifts in this gospel's first sentence. The gift of life and dignity. The gift that blesses. The gift that is extraordinary and surprising, beautiful and loving. The gift that is not wasted but continues to bless even today. One sentence tells us so much about Jesus. Thanks be to God. Peace, Dean
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Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A Romans 11:33-36 is a doxology - a liturgical praise of God. "For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." I'll let Chuck from Chuck Knows Church say a bit more about the Doxology. And, I'll let the group Selah (remember that word from yesterday's reflection on the Psalm?) sing the Doxology in a way that will give you shivers. Oh, the sound of music in a sanctuary is so holy and eternal. How can you praise God in word and song today? Peace, Dean Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
I love the Psalms. I love thinking about people singing the Psalms in worship throughout the centuries. Sometimes a song gets to a deeper emotional place than anything else. We do not know the tunes of the Psalms. Another mystery are some of the superscriptions and directions. Words like "Selah", "miktam" from Psalm 56, or directions like "to the tune of the doe of the morning" from Psalm 22 are interesting, yet unknown in their exact meaning. Psalm 8 from today's reading simply says, "For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of David." No one really knows what "gittith" is referring to. I give our music team so much credit. Sometimes they speak in a language I do not understand. Here is an exchange as they prepare for worship music for an upcoming Sunday: I'm starting the organ track now and will have my two vocal tracks (one is just the ad libs and doubling my high part at the end.) Adrianne, in that last "To the One" at 57-58, can you take the bottom part, which I think doubles Dave an octave up? So we'll have doubles of each part. The places to double the unison "Lift your hands, lift your heart, to the one" line are at: m. 24-26, on the repeat at m.24 with a jump to coda at 36-37, then twice in a row at m.52-56. Beautiful things take coordination and planning. Musical notation helps singers and musicians follow the music together, like a map so they can find their way. For many of us this language of musical direction is full of mystery. Take a look at this video that helps to describe the musical notations found in music today. (You can stop at the 2:31 mark.) I don't think it matters much that they are not speaking English. :) Sing a song today! Sing a Psalm today, with whatever tune you find in your heart. Maybe you will discover what gittith really sounds like! Peace, Dean Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
Pericope (per-rick-oh-pee) is a word that describes a sentence or portion of scripture. Sometimes you can get all you need to reflect on God through a pericope. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself." You could sit with that for a while. The context and references would be helpful, but that pericope gives you much to think about. I have asked you to engage in a text over the last three days. To pull a phrase or sentence out of the story of Joseph and his brothers would miss the fuller context. Much of the Bible is made up of narrative stories that are best understood when taken as a whole. What do you think you gleaned from reading Genesis 43-49 in its entirety? There is tension and drama. As we read we wonder what Joseph will choose to do. He was wronged by his brother. Now that he is in a seat of power will he exact his revenge? Can you feel the emotions of a father? The jealousy of the brothers? The distinct differences of the Egyptian way of life? The guiding principles of Joseph's faith? When Joseph finally revealed who he was to his brothers, could you hear the weeping echoing and feel the embraces? One who was lost was now found. One who had died was now alive. The sons of Israel would become the twelve tribes. This story of losing and finding would continue through the generations, just as it continues in our story today. When we take time to read the whole story, we can witness the way God is at work pulling us closer when we have faded apart. Maybe there is someone you would like to call and talk with about these readings from Genesis. And maybe this story will give you insights into your life and God's presence as we continue to live God's story. Peace, Dean Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
Please continue reading the story of Joseph and his brothers in Genesis. We will reflect more on that story tomorrow. For many, today marks the beginning of a new school year. Mixed in with the excitement of learning, discovery, social engagements, and good work is the worry around COVID-19. Please pray for students, faculty, staff, administrators, families, and communities as they navigate these unchartered waters. Whether in the school building or at home, may each student be blessed in their education. Pray Psalm 130. A Back-to-School Litany Read Luke 2:41-52 One: As we begin this new school year, we give thanks that God has given us the ability to learn many things in many ways. All: We learn in school, but we also learn in church, in our family, in our homes, online, in our community, and in the world. All: Learning is a gift from God. One: The Bible tells us that Jesus learned and studied, just as we do. All: And Jesus grew in wisdom. One: We ask God's blessing on this new school year, that it may be a time when we appreciate and fully use God's gift of learning. We ask God to guide us to learn safely and to protect all who are vulnerable from the Covid-19 virus. All: We ask God to bless our schools and teachers. One: We ask God to bless our classmates and friends. All: We ask God to bless our principals, counselors, and librarians. One: We ask God to bless those who prepare our lunches, those who drive us to school, and those who keep our schools clean and safe. All: We give thanks to God for books and computers and all the things that help us learn. One: We give thanks to God for the gift of learning! Prayer: Loving God, sometimes a new school year seems exciting or scary or both. Sometimes school is great, and sometimes it is hard. But we know that whether we are excited or scared, you are with us. We know that whether school is great or hard, you are with us. We thank you for always being with us. Watch over everyone who is part of the school. Help them to wear a mask, stay socially distant from one another, wash their hands, and look out for one another. Their work makes the world better. Please, protect them all. Help us to remember to show our thanks for your gift of learning by doing our best every day. Amen. Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
Continue reading Genesis 43-46. In today's passage, one of Jacob's sons, Judah, pleads with Joshua to take the place of his youngest brother and bear the punishment for a crime that he did not commit. Judah was looking after his youngest brother Benjamin and was willing to sacrifice his safety for the safety of his brother. In the early 1970s, there were six of us in the car. I was sitting in the front seat between my sister Jodie and my brother Eric. I don't know if the car had seatbelts - I don't remember us wearing seatbelts much in the '70s. It was snowy and icy, and as we made our way through the traffic light, a truck was unable to stop at the red light. The semi skidded uncontrolled directly for us. As my sister made some split-second, life-saving driving decisions that reduced the collision to the back of the car, my brother instinctively threw himself on me. I can still feel his weight, holding me down, as the car spun out of control, doing everything he could to protect me from harm. Who has been Judah for you? Has someone put their safety aside to save you? Not everyone has those instincts. Pray today about those times you have helped others or others have helped you. Peace, Dean
Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
As we enter into a new week, please consider an alternative reading and reflection schedule. I encourage you to read fully the story of Joseph reuniting with his brothers from Genesis 43-45 over the next three days. Remember, Joseph's brothers had sold him to merchants out of jealousy and told their father that he had been killed by wild animals. They could never have imagined that Joseph would rise to the highest offices in Egypt. Dressed as an Egyptian, the brothers did not recognize him as he asked about his father and his youngest brother. Follow this drama this week. We will reflect upon it Thursday. The Council in Jerusalem from Acts 15 is a pivotal moment in the Christian church. The Apostles, including Paul, were witnessing the power of the Gospel at work in the world. Large numbers of conversions followed the work of the evangelists sharing the Word in the world. Many were Gentiles - those who were not Jewish and were not circumcised. The tradition and law held circumcision to be the sign of the covenant. One faction argued that the law is the law, and new converts must undergo circumcision. Another group argued that circumcision was not necessary. Not only would it dissuade people from following Christ, but it also ignored how God was still speaking to the people. Rather than stick to rules and regulations that excluded people from faith in Christ, the Council in Jerusalem decided to welcome in all the people of the world. The decision was to Draw the Circle Wide. And that work continues today. What are your thoughts about the issues that tend to divide the church today? How might God be at work to bring the good news to more people? What are the hardest things about doing things in a new way? Peace, Dean Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
Read Psalm 133. We will focus on this Psalm during worship this Sunday. What is God saying to you today through this Psalm? Revelation 15 seems to be a relevant place to focus this morning. The coronavirus has altered the way we live. With a COVID-19 related death in the US every 80 seconds the threat is real. Add an economic crisis, disruption of travel and altering of interactions, face masks as the new norm, worshiping in ways that protect the vulnerable, children parents and teachers sorting out school options, the postponement of football, and the pending descent of locusts, it’s hard to keep from gazing at Revelation with eyebrows raised. The Book of Revelation is a complex, coded work written at a time of social and political unrest. What might God do when the world is coming to an end? What forces could God unleash to finally wrestle creation away from the powers of this world to ultimately bring about the kingdom of heaven? Every age and time has had to grapple with Matthew 24. Jesus speaks of the end of the age. There will be wars and rumors of wars, etc. He also says, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." Some faith traditions focus intently on the signs of the end of the age. Pentecostal and evangelical traditions emphasize getting yourself ready for the end of the world so that you can enter into heaven. The United Methodist and other mainline protestant traditions do not ignore the call to repentance and readiness for the coming of Christ. But the clarion call is to recognize Christ in the world here and now and to work to bring peace to all through the love and care of others. Do the work Jesus has given us to do and trust God in all things. Are we living in a time when the seven angels are bringing the seven plagues? Who knows. God is in control and there is nothing to fear. Whether or not all that is happening and the things that are yet to come are signs of the end of the age or are challenges we will need to overcome, we can respond. We can love one another and serve others as Christ has taught us. What does that look like for you? 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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