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Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 17—July 26, 2020
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Genesis 29:15-28 | Psalm 105:1-11, 45b | Romans 8:26–39 | Matthew 13:31–33, 44–52
Summary: In today’s Gospel parable, Jesus offers several parables about the kingdom of God. Each offers a different metaphor of the kingdom as rare, or worth giving up everything for, or a time of separating the good from the bad. The disciples say they understand what Jesus means, but I’m not sure I do. What if the kingdom of God is blooming now around us? What new metaphors will unfold as it grows around us?
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 16—July 19, 2020
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Genesis 28:10-19a | Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24 | Romans 8:12–25 | Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43
Summary: In today’s Gospel parable, the slaves want to know what to do with the weeds growing up among the wheat. In our lives, it’s often hard to tell good folks from the bad, and it’s not our job. In our story from Genesis, when we look at all the context, all the actors seem to be in the wrong, but God comes to Jacob in a dream and promises to be with him. God in Jesus calls us to live as good seed, to love without limit, to rish as if grace is real, and give for the sake of Christ.
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 15—July 12, 2020
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Genesis 25:19-34 | Psalm 119:105-112 | Romans 8:1–11 | Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23
Summary: Today’s Gospel, the parable of the sower, is very familiar, but it comes across as deceptively easy because the lectionary leaves out the middle section where Jesus explains that he speaks in parables to hide the true meaning from those who have turned from the truth. This parable is all about the soil. In Genesis God forms humans out of the earth. It’s not about us being good or bad soil; God has already taken care of that in grace. What is remarkable is that God keeps on saving humanity. We see that in the story of Isaac’s twin sons in Genesis. Esau, the first born, gives away his birthright for a bowl of stew. He is not good soil and despises his birthright. How do we value our birthright as children of God? We are soil ready to be nourished and to tend to the wholeness of creation, caring the the most vulnerable. May we be good soil for a world in need.
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 14—July 5, 2020
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67 | Psalm 45:10-17 | Romans 7:15–25a | Matthew 11:16–19, 25–30
Summary: In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites all who are heavy laden to come to him and find rest. We need to to learn to be loved and to love, so perhaps the first burden we can leave with Jesus is that of loving ourselves. In our series of lessons from Genesis, it has taken a long time for Abraham to learn that he has enough for his line to continue, and in today’s lesson he finds a wife for his son Isaac. We learn to love and be loved, we learn to make room in our hearts for others, we take on the yoke of Jesus, and we are free to love God and our neighbor. That is enough.
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 13—June 28, 2020
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Genesis 22:1-14 | Psalm 13 | Romans 6:12-23 | Matthew 10:40-42
Summary: Today’s reading from Genesis goes with last week’s reading about Hagar and Ishmael. Abraham is tested by God and begins to sacrifice his longed-for heir Isaac, but at the last minute, the angel provides a ram for the sacrifice. It is a terrible story, a shocking story, about Abraham’s unquestioning faith. In our Gospel, Jesus asks the disciples to give up everything to go out and preach the Gospel. The children of Abraham are people sent forth, and as Christians we are sent out into the world to bring God’s peace, love, and joy.
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 12—June 21, 2020
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Genesis 21:8-21 | Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17 | Romans 6:1b–11 | Matthew 10:24–39
Summary: In our Gospel, Jesus prepares to send the disciples out and, after describing all that may happen to them, concludes by telling them to have no fear. This message is important for them and for us now. Fear leads us to do all kinds of things. In our first lesson from Genesis, fear leads Abraham and Sarah to send Hagar and Ishmael into the desert to die, but God is not afraid and saves them. We have seen a lot of fear of both the future and the past in recent years, and we see how often we operate out of fear. Fear lies at the center of racism, it keeps us from loving our neighbor, and it can keep us from loving God. So Jesus tells us to have no fear. Fear is not our home base; God is our home; love is our home. God gather us and stirs us up so that we live in love, not insisting on our own way but making room for others.
Time after Pentecost • Lectionary 11—June 14, 2020
Preacher: Pastor Jeff Lilley
Lessons: Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7) | Psalm 116:1, 10–17 | Romans 5:1-8 | Matthew 9:35—10:8 (9–23)
Summary: In our reading from Genesis, Abraham welcomes three strangers, and his hospitality sets up the promise for Abraham and Sarah to be the parents of a nation. They do not know that their hospitality will lead to a blessing, but hospitality is ingrained in them. Hospitality can be uncomfortable, but that’s part of the point. As we read in Romans: while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We are all invited to God’s feast, but we must lay aside our own preferences and comfort to provide hospitality to all others at that feast.
Holy Trinity—June 7, 2020
Preacher: Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton
Lessons: Genesis 1:1—2:4a | Psalm 8 | 2 Corinthians 13:11–13 | Matthew 28:16–20
Summary: Much has changed since last Trinity Sunday—covid-19, the killings of George Floyd ad others known to us or know only to God. We learn about the Trinity from the very beginning of scripture in our first lesson from Genesis. We see that God is in relationship, looking outward in love, and we are baptized into relationship—all created in God’s image, not colorblind but color-amazed. And as the baptized, we work for an end to the violence of racism and for the active peace of God.