Common Lectionary

Isaiah 64:1-9 Have you ever had a conversation with someone only to realize how distant that person was from God. It is a humbling and saddening experience. I wonder sometimes if that is how God sees us. "We are all like an unclean thing. And all our righteousness is like...

Romans 13:8-14 The old adage says, "If your output exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall." Stress is the leading cause of health problems. And stress about making, managing, using and abusing money abounds. Money problems are frequently cited as...

Joshua 3:1-17 Transitional moments come with growing up: the changes from childhood to adolescence, adolescence to adulthood. At other times these transitions are artificial. The ages of 16, 40, and 65 have significant implications. Transitional moments can be forced upon people - divorce, relocation, early...

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 In many respects an elevator filled with people is a microcosm of our world today: a large, impersonal institution where anonymity, isolation, and independence are the uniform of the day. It shows us that people can be surrounded by other people in a crowded setting, and not experience...

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 An experienced hiker will set trail markers to insure his or safe return from the wilderness. Often these markers are stones stacked as a visible directional reference. The apostle Paul had as his trail marker in the Christian life three words, his favorite...

Philippians 4:1-9 Dean Niferatos reports that it was a routine morning on the Number 22 CTA bus in Chicago. Office workers, restless punkers, and affluent shoppers filled the seats and crowded the aisles. At the Clark and Webster stop, two men and a woman climbed in. The driver, a seasoned veteran, immediately...

Philippians 3:4b-14 When you have it all, it's hard to give it up. I recently went to an estate auction where everything had to be sold, not because of death, but because of divorce. Two million dollars plus was the bottom line. The owner rode his prize show horse in the ring while the bidders nodded their...

Exodus 17:1-7 Life is a journey where we will discover the sufficiency of God when we learn to trust Him. However, we would be naive to believe that our faith will go untested on the journey. God's people and God's leaders both have lessons to learn on the journey which cannot be fully understood except...

Philippians 1: 20-30 A famous evangelist once said that there was a topic he could address on any occasion with any group without fear of contradiction - the universal nature of death. Perhaps babies should come with a warning label, "birth will be hazardous to your life." There is a one to one correspondence between...

Romans 14:1-12 As a student at a small non-denominational Bible college I recall a rather animated debate between two classmates on the issue of a Christian shopping at a grocery store that sold beer. One colleague argued that to frequent such an establishment was an implicit endorsement of the sale and consumption of...