Owner: Unlikely Conversation: a Lectionary Blog URL:http://unlikelyconversation.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2007 22:57:49 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Always: Curious husband and dad looking at the world his daughters are growing up in through a Lectionary lens. Sometimes: Lutheran Preacher in Minnesota on the Edge in the Mid-Western Prairie and the Hiawatha Valley reading scripture and loving life. New Site statistics:Click here
Neighbors Matter Luke 10:25-37 2007-07-09 10:16:00 What is faith about?
Is faith a personal matter—is faith only about my life or is faith about others beyond me?
Jesus met a man who thought hard about this question asking him, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" He was asking this question after the 70 (or 72) had just come back from declaring the kingdom. It was an honest question; and Jesus gave an honest answer. The answer Read more:Neighbors
Independence Day 2007 2007-07-03 22:08:00 231 years ago a great experiment began as one group of men sought to separate themselves from another group of men. Women and minorities weren't invited, yet, but something big was starting.
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and Read more:Independence
, Independence Day
What Move's you? 2007-07-02 16:43:00 There are so many things to get excited about in this life. Everything from a great baseball team to a great job could be the reason that you're moved to celebrate. And there are are plenty of other reasons why we might be moved. Tough, tragic news moves us to action just as much, maybe sometimes even more, than the good news that moves us to rejoice. Our faith is about action and trust, our
Look ahead Luke 9:51-62 2007-06-25 14:19:00 Jesus and his friends were traveling in Samaritan territory. He sent messengers ahead
to the next town to announce his impending arrival. When Jesus arrived he was not accepted. Luke 9:53 says he was unwelcome because, "his face was set toward Jerusalem."
The old feud between Jews and Samaritans was on in Jesus day, same as it had been for centuries. The Jews believed the center of
Watch out Daemons. He's coming for you. Luke 8:26-39 2007-06-18 16:45:00 In Luke's story about the man possessed by a "Legion" of daemons, we see what God can do to transform the most desperate situation. The man was living on the edge of society: in the tombs. He was naked and alone. Today we might call it mental illness, addiction, or some other tragic situation; regardless of what we think of the story with modern eyes the basic outline is clear. A man needed
Mercy and Love Define Jesus, not us. Luke 7:36-8:3 2007-06-11 16:47:00 A woman was forgiven. A man was angry. He didn't think she deserved it.
It's a basic story and there's no telling how many times it has happened in the history of the world? One person is forgiven and another is angry. Jesus
forgives things we wouldn't. He forgives people we wouldn't. The unforgiving person didn't see forgiveness as reasonable or even possible for a woman caught in such
Do you see the mission: Galatians 1:11-24 2007-06-04 14:30:00 this is a ramble
but hey, I'm on vacation and celebrating the arrival of a new puppy this week
pax
unlikely
Reading Galatians is a reminder that Paul had a mission and he wasn't afraid of talking about it. There's no doubt. He was called to proclaim Christ. He did it for three years before going to Jerusalem to meet with the elders of the church. He did it even when it meant disagreeing
God's plan revealed: the Trinity. John 16:12-15 2007-05-29 16:08:00 Jesus' had something to say; and his friends were keen to listen. They wanted to learn from their teacher and to be close to him.
John 16:12 "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now." Much of what Jesus said went way beyond his hearers imaginations. No human could have understood what he was saying; until after the resurrection. When Jesus spoke to them before Read more:Trinity
One Man's Opinion 2007-05-23 00:20:00 In the search for courageous discussion that both challenge us to look at hard realities and invites further discussion I encourage people to listen and look at a fantastic presentation by Robert Newman called A Brief History of Oil. Newman's a comic but he's wrestling with some of the deepest questions that our culture and all of us as participants in the global economy need to face.
Economics Read more:One Man
When God Keeps a Promiese Pentecost C John 14:8-27 Acts 2:1-21 2007-05-21 10:24:00 There's a real difference between making a promise and delivering on that promise. In Acts 2 God carried through on his promise. He told his friends, before he died, “If you love me, you will keepf my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,g to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it Read more:When God
Praying with Jesus in John 17:20-26 Easter 7C 2007-05-14 11:34:00 Jesus' prayer in John 17 stands out revealing some of his relationship with God the Father and some of his hopes and dreams for those who would follow him. We in the church try to live out his teachings and follow his example. Prayer was a key part of Jesus' life. He went away from his friends to pray, he taught them to pray, he prayed deep into the night before his death. Prayer was as much Read more:Easter
, Jesus
Following God's Lead to Macedonia Acts 16:9-15 2007-05-07 17:39:00 In Acts 16:6-15 we see one of the heroes of the New Testament at moment of decision. The Apostle Paul was on a mission. He was taking a message of hope to the world. He was proclaiming new life in Jesus to everyone he encountered. Some loved what they heard and others burned with rage. He would know many troubles because of this message; but the troubles from chains to shipwrecks to Read more:Following
, Macedonia
What happened in LA's MacCarthur Park May 1? 2007-05-03 21:39:00 One thing about our age of information and disinformation is the chance that we have to review stories from many different perspectives only hours and days after they happen. One question that that needs to be answered after some serious debate is, what happened in MacArthur Park on May 1, 2007?
I live in a small town in the middle west. There are many peace officers who are members of my
Loving like Jesus John 13:31-35 Easter 5c 2007-05-01 10:38:00 Keep your eyes on Jesus
if you want to learn how he wants you to love. Reading the Gospel for this week there's a new addition to an old commandment. Jesus is calling us to do something that was part of the law long before Jesus, when he says in John 13:34, “I give you a new command; that you love one another.” This command isn't new. But what he says next to give us a model for how to Read more:Easter
, Loving
No post today 2007-04-30 21:53:00 Good Evening,
For the past 3 months I've posted something every Monday to get myself thinking about the text. Friday's have been my day off for 7.5 years as a pastor. But tonight I have no thoughts to share. I took my beloved to the Dr. today. She had one of those stupid accidents that is just to freak to try and explain and the antibiotics should help keep down the scarring. I think
Powerful Shepherd John 10:22-30 Easter 4C 2007-04-23 17:31:00 Jesus stands out in the Gospel of John as a bold teacher who attracted crowds filled with those who believed what they heard and those who hated him for saying it. Look at how carefully the anger is detailed in John 10:31 as some in the were ready to take up stones against him. They tried to arrest him after he finished teaching but he slipped through their grasp in John 10:39.
Jesus greatest Read more:Easter
, Shepherd
Great perspectives 2007-04-17 22:20:00 There's been some awful news this week from around the world and here in the US. Sometimes its good to remember that humor and joy still exist for many in the world and that God is still in the business of creating and recreating. The hard part is to get enough fresh perspective to see that something new might be happening.
Once in a while something pops up that reminds me how powerful getting Read more:Great
Reconciliation and Resurrection John 21:1-19 Easter 3C 2007-04-16 16:56:00 We function in a world with rules and expectations. Death and taxes, we hear (repeatedly in mid-April), are unavoidable. There's fatalism in this kind of world view. It limits us only to things as they are and not as they could be. Such earthbound eyes see hurting people and see no possibility of hope. A person mired in sickness or addiction would be expected to stay in the muck in a world Read more:Easter
, Reconciliation
, Resurrection
Don't beat up on Thomas John 20:19-31 Easter 2C 2007-04-09 14:10:00 For as long as there's been a church there's been a struggle with Thomas
. Some bad mouth him as 'doubting Thomas'. Other's indentify with him in their own doubts and faith. Still others type caste him as the first modern man, the one who demanded proof for everything he heard.
A few years back Cuba Gooding Jr. and Tom Cruise brought the phrase, "show me the money." to life on screen and we Read more:Easter
Easter and Evangelism Luke 24:1-12 Easter 1C 2007-04-02 17:10:00 We have the best story in the world to tell. It's a story about life, and love, and God's triumph over sin, death, and the devil. It's a great story that has been handed down to us as gift. And my hope is that we don't hoard this gift; rather my hope is that we find new and unexpected ways to share this gift with the people around us. The story of Jesus dying and rising has been told Read more:Easter
, Evangelism
Trout Season is Coming Just 15 days 2007-03-29 21:54:00 Pastorally I've just finished a long week. I haven't had a full day off in a couple weeks and the hardest part was the second funeral of the week for a wonderful guy who just last month was one of our crew leaders working at Camp Victor in Mississippi. He died of meningitis way before any of us ever thought he'd leave this world.
God's timing and our timing aren't the same. The hard part Read more:Season
, Trout
Jesus' Passion for Our Sake Luke 22:14-23:56 2007-03-26 17:12:00 Reading the Passion
on Palm Sunday Preachers are called to be witnesses in season and out of season to the power of God to transform. That's what good preaching is supposed to do. Sometimes our words don't compare to the words in scripture and Palm Sunday, commonly renamed Passion Sunday, is just one such day. So instead of preaching after the readings a sermon may be best as a preface to Read more:Jesus
Accepting Mary's Extravagance in John 12:1-11 2007-03-19 12:42:00 Mary's gesture towards Jesus stands out. Her affection is the kind reserved for someone you dearly love. The nard that she pours on his feet filled the air. Her love was clear for all to see at the table. Judas Iscariot named his outrage. It was extravagant; besides, the money could have been used for the poor. But Jesus didn't stop her. No he accepted the gift and her. Why Mary
Jesus parables in Luke 15:11-32 2007-03-12 14:29:00 Looking at the usual name given for this parable its easy to start wondering if what we call this story from doesn't give away our perspective on the story. First up its important that we view Jesus
' parables not just as a stories about someone else but as a story that God can use, through the Spirit, to reshape and renew us. Jesus' parables are about all humanity; but In Luke 15:10 we learn
Numbers, Denominations, Proof, and Faith 2007-03-11 16:24:00 Two things caught my eyes scanning the news this Sunday afternoon.
First is the 2007 annual report of the National Council of Churches announcing how many members different denominations have on their respective rolls this year. The numbers make the papers; but they are old news for most people in the church. Denominations
are rising and falling. So what's new about that. The same ones are Read more:Faith
, Numbers
, Proof
Brother Benedict, you are always welcome. 2007-07-16 11:40:00 Last week I posted a particularly strong response to the Pope Benedict
's definition of churches.
The presiding Bishop of my particular denomination, the ELCA, Mark Hanson, wrote a far more measured and rational response to Pope Benedict's statement. But one thing I felt was lacking. A simple invitation to all our brothers and sisters to come to the table.
Today I'd like to take as stab at Read more:always
, Brother
Brother Benedict: What are you trying to say? 2007-07-13 23:52:00 There's a sad thing about the state of the post-modern church: it's all the divisions. In recent days the Pope simply restated his view, and what he believes is his church's view, of these divisions. Sadly what our errant Brother
in Christ, Benedict
, restated is a view that many hope will just disappeared. The current pope, our Brother, reminds us, sadly, that the divisions haven't ended and
Just sit in the glory: Collosians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42 2007-07-16 17:10:00 The Apostle Paul, in a letter to the church in Collosae, wrote boldly about his relationship with God and our relationship with God. Paul said that up until meeting Jesus we are God's enemies (Collosians 1:21). Honestly, even after meeting Jesus, we still kick and scream fighting against God, but that's beside the point. In Jesus we meet God who transcends our fighting so that He can do Read more:glory
Something worth laughing about... 2007-07-19 10:04:00 Just in case you need a little something to laugh about today I've come across two great items worth watching that will get your attention for certain.
First up: an old favorite: Homer takes on the Apocalypse crowd wonderfully getting to the question of God's absence in our lives.
Second is a great show from Canada. No US Network has had the courage to license it yet for domestic consumption.
Prayer and a relationship with God Luke 11:1-12 2007-07-23 16:18:00 Jesus prayed, it happened over and over in the Gospels, most especially in the Gospel of Luke. We can read in Luke of his prayer from the 40 days in the wilderness at the beginning of his ministry all the way up to his death. It was obvious that communication with the Father mattered for Jesus and that his friends saw how much prayer mattered and wanted to learn how to pray like Jesus.
Luke Read more:Prayer
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