Category Archives: lectionary reflection

Brought to you by:

I wish I could give you the details. I’m a little hazy on them myself. I can tell you that today was brought on entirely by prayer. It wasn’t the words, God knows, nor the miniscule, mustard-seed faith that wrote … Continue reading

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Year C Proper 20: Thick as thieves

An extract from tomorrow’s sermon: A man was incarcerated in a high security prison on the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of England. Whilst there, he had fallen under the wings of one of the most notorious criminal … Continue reading

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Year C Proper 19: God’s unrelenting love

Does anyone think that the scribes and the Pharisees might be just a little bit jealous? For the past few weeks of story, Jesus has been at their house, eating at their tables, messing with their seating arrangements and telling … Continue reading

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Lost in the department store

Frantic, fleeting moments in the old department store, for each passing second a hundred possibilities; few of them good. Disembodied voices broadcast fear across the floors: “Have you seen this child? Wearing a blue coat with a hood.” Elevators, escalators, … Continue reading

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Psalm 14 (53)

Psalm 53 is included in today’s Daily Office readings. It is almost exactly the same as Psalm 14, which is included in this Sunday’s Revised Common Lectionary, except for the penultimate verse(s). The text of Psalm 14 is included below, … Continue reading

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Tomorrow’s gospel

“No one starts a war, Jesus says, without first calculating the chances of winning. Otherwise, they may get drawn into open-ended, unending conflict, with no clear way out, sending life chasing after death as though they hate the lives of … Continue reading

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Tomorrow’s sermon: extract

“In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus goes into a synagogue, to take part in the prayer of his community. He is faithful in his observance, and he is obedient to his tradition. He sees a woman in need of healing, and … Continue reading

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Tomorrow’s sermon: Fire

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Assumption

She spent a lot of time running away from reality. When she was young, she ran to the hill country. She sang revolutionary songs that she couldn’t hope to realize. She ran to Egypt, where the fires burn and courage … Continue reading

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Year C Proper 12: What is the world coming to?

What is the world coming to? How many times have we had to ask ourselves that question over the past few months, the past few years? When I told people abroad on vacation where I came from, they had heard … Continue reading

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