Common Lectionary

Romans 12:9-21 We live in a rapidly changing world. Technology changes by the minute. Children learn today in the 6th grade what was not taught until high school just a generation ago. But technology and education are not the only things which have changed. The world's view of ethics has changed...

Matthew 16:13-20 In today's world we are constantly faced with the peril of identity theft. We are cautioned about how quickly our personal information can be stolen and someone else can take on our identity, running up thousands of dollars in fraud. Our identity is important to us. Who we are can quickly be...

Matthew 15:10-28 Do you remember when you were a child at Christmas? I remember one year I wanted a bike. I did not let up on my Dad. All I could think or talk about was that bike. And I was so excited when I got it. But it would not be until much later in life when I would understand what it meant to ask...

Matthew 14:22-33 Mary Irwin, wife of former astronaut Jim Irwin, produced a book entitled Seeing the Invisible. Her words challenge people to live a life of faith with Christ, affirming the possibility of a continual awareness of the Lord's presence. The Lord is...

Matthew 14:13-21 Danny Bush entitles a chapter in his book Invitation to the Feast, "Dinner on the Grounds." One of my earliest memories is a "dinner on the grounds" at an associational meeting some 45 years ago. That Tuesday afternoon there were four wagons parked beside that small country church, each...

Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 Remember the line from the movie, Jerry McGuire? "Show me the money!" Some have used it in stewardship campaigns. How about another line that can be utilized in a kingdom campaign? "Show me the kingdom!" In essence that is what the crowds wanted Jesus to do. His disciples...

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Walking in the hot summer sun, we were enjoying a wilderness hike near a saltwater marsh in south Louisiana. Suddenly my son Jonathan was crying out, "It moved! It moved!" I looked up and he was dancing in circles about 15 yards ahead of us. Running to his aid, I arrived to see a...

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 On July 20, 2004 Jason Clauss and his brother went surfing on a beautiful summer day off the coast of Long Island, New York. At the end of several hours of fun, Jason returned to shore and had removed his wetsuit when he heard cries for help offshore. Two brothers had been pulled...

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 Children shouldn't have been throwing the ball in the church's fellowship hall downstairs, but they were . . . and the inevitable happened: striking the wall by accident, the boys left a small, indented "crater." One of the older men came in the next morning with his tools, calling out to me as...

Genesis 22:1-14 Most people will do anything for their children. For example, many adults put forth a tremendous effort for Vacation Bible School, youth mission trips, and Sunday school. Twenty years ago, I never imagined how many Beanie Babies or paint ball supplies I would purchase. Who could have...