Holy Textures

Welcome to Holy Textures, Year A, Seasons of Advent and Christmas

   

Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Biblical texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary.

My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and faith-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation.

By entering your email and clicking "Subscribe," you can receive all new posts by email. You will only receive new posts, nothing else - no spam, nada, zip. Your information will not be shared or sold in any way to anyone; ever.

Year A - Seasons of Advent and Christmas - 2022

Below you will find links for the various Lectionary readings for Advent and Christmas, but I have stopped using the Lectionary during Advent (and Lent as well). Why?

It seems to me that in this day and age you can never tell the story of the first Christmas (or Easter) early enough or often enough.

It is far better to begin with the story we are trying to tell - Christmas - and then provide the historical context along the way.

Starting with the historical / theological / history of salvation has the unintentional effect of making the story we are wanting to tell seem like nothing more than a foretold, logical conclusion - a prepared script for actors on a stage - and not the flesh and blood seizing - or passing up - actual in-the-moment opportunities for God's will to be on earth as it is in heaven. Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, the Shepherds, and the Magi become cardboard cutouts instead of real people who made real - and very difficult - choices.

In my humble opinion, the Lectionary guts the power of the Christmas story because it fails to lift up the crucial necessity of the particular.

It sets the Christmas story within an historical arc of centuries of time, and robs the particularity of Mary's faith filled response, "let it be with me according to your word." (Luke 1:38, NRSV)

In that moment, Mary is NOT "fulfilling what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet." (Matthew 1:22) Nor is she the beneficiary of 2,000 years of hindsight and reflection. She is an uneducated, poor, young girl. She may not even have heard of the passages we are reading from the prophets. And what she agrees to do would cost her - and her family's - social reputation forever. They would become forever the subject of malicious gossip - and forever always suspected and sidelined by their neighbours. Don't we, even today, still doubt / question / hesitate to believe Mary's telling of how she became pregnant? Don't we still, even today, gloss over the shaming Mary and Joseph would have had to live with?

As our own time becomes more like Mary's - filled with uncertainties and impossible-to-know-for-certain-the-long-term-consequences-of-present-day-choices - we need Mary and Joseph to help us learn how to trust taking actions for the wellbeing of all life.

And so I have stopped using the Lectionary.

I tell the Christmas story early and often. And I start singing Christmas carols in church as soon as the malls start playing them to accompany the Christmas sale announcements.

I vary my choices somewhat from year to year, but roughly here are the lessons I use, along with a link to an Adobe PDF document for Advent Candle Lighting based on that day's text. (The document is formatted to be a half-page insert 5.5 by 8.5 inches.)

Advent 1: Mary and Joseph, Luke 1:26-38 and Matthew 1:18-25. Advent 1 Candle Lighting

Advent 2: Mary and Elizabeth, Luke 1:39-45 and 46-56 (2 separate readings with verbal background about Elizabeth, Zechariah and their son John) Advent 2 Candle Lighting

Advent 3: The Shepherds, Luke 2:8-20.  Advent 3 Candle Lighting

Advent 4: The Magi, Matthew 2:1-12. Advent 4 Candle Lighting

And yes, we do re-read these passages on Christmas Eve in their Lectionary appointed hour.

And of course, reading the prophets alongside the above - or even as a focus for one Sunday - also enriches, deepens, and speaks to the longing-yet-to-be-fully-fulfilled which abides in our hearts as it did in Mary.

End of rant.

Below are the Lectionary Gospel readings.

And a heads up that Christmas Day, December 25, is a Sunday this year.

David Ewart
Permission is granted for non-profit use of these materials.
Acknowledgement in oral presentations is not required.
Otherwise, please acknowledge source as, "David Ewart, www.holytextures.com."

 

Year A - Seasons of Advent & Christmas - 2022

 

The cycle of seasons

Advent 1
November 27, 2022
Matthew 24:36-44.  
"This is what Advent is. In anticipation of Jesus arriving, we practice now how we expect to live then."

 

You brood of vipers

Advent 2
December 4, 2022
Matthew 3:1-12.  
"This text continues the Advent theme of preparing for the arrival of Jesus. And uses the preaching of John the Baptist to press home that preparation requires internal cleansing and not just straightening up around the house."

 

Good news is brought to the poor

Advent 3
December 11, 2022 
Matthew 11:2-11.  
"Jesus honourably does NOT answer the question directly. Instead, he tells the followers of John to go back and report what they themselves have seen and heard. In other words, make up your own mind; you decide who I am."

 

An angel appeared in a dream

Advent 4
December 18, 2022
Matthew 1:18-25.  
"Joseph was indeed righteous. But more importantly, he was merciful, faithful, and courageous."

 

Note: Any of the following lessons may be used on Christmas Eve / Day.

I am bringing you good news of great joy for all people

Christmas Eve, December 24, or Christmas Day, December 25
Proper   I: Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)  
Proper  II: Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20  
Proper III: John 1:1-14  

 

Herod killed all the boys under 2 years of age

First Sunday After Christmas Day
January 1, 2023
Matthew 2:13-23. 
"Matthew wants us to trust that ... God can and does protect, guide, warn, and keep alive from generation to generation the alternative "Jesus" vision of what is really real: God is love and love is the only response that will ultimately end violence."
May be replaced by the readings for Epiphany. See note below.

 

Lord, when was it we saw you ...

New Year's Day - January 1
Matthew 25:31-46
"What I love about this parable is that BOTH those judged to be honourable AND those judged to be dishonourable have exactly the same response: Lord, when was it we saw you hungry ...?."

 

In the beginning

Second Sunday After Christmas Day
Not used this year.
John 1:(1-9), 10-18.
"Just as in Genesis the Word was God's original self-revelation as Creator of all; in the Gospel of John, the Son is the revelation of God's heart as Lover of all."
May be replaced by readings for Epiphany. See note below.

 

Note: The Season of Epiphany begins on January 6, The Day of Epiphany of the Lord.

If January 6 is a weekday, Epiphany may be celebrated on the first Sunday in January and replace the readings for Sundays following Christmas Day.

 

And here are the key calendar dates for 2023.

Welcome to Holy Teaxtures, Year C, Seasons of Advent and Christmas

Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Gospel texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary.

My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and thought-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation.

This year, Christmas Eve is on Monday, so it'll be a busy few days for Advent 4, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Be prepared! (Don't you love it when the Gospel proclamation has a direct application to those who proclaim the Gospel?)

Blessings to all those who prepare and host gatherings where worship encounters anew the presence of the Holy One / Holy Three.

Year C - Seasons of Advent & Christmas - 2018

Alternate Advent
   
Click Christmas Story in Advent for 4 Advent lessons and Candle Lighting suggestions that tell the stories of Mary and Joseph, Mary and Elizabeth, the Shepherds, and the Magi. 
I have stopped using the Lectionary during Advent. Why?
It seems to me that in this day and age you can never tell the story of the first Christmas early enough or often enough.
It is far better to begin with the story we are trying to tell - Christmas - and then provide the historical context along the way. Starting with the historical / theological / history of salvation has the unintentional effect of making the story we are wanting to tell seem like nothing more than a foretold, logical conclusion - a prepared script for actors on a stage - and not the flesh and blood seizing - or passing up - actual in-the-moment opportunities for God's will to be on earth as it is in heaven. Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and the Magi become cardboard cut-outs instead of real people who made real - and very difficult - choices.
In my humble opinion, the Lectionary guts the power of the Christmas story because it fails to lift up the crucial necessity of the particular. It sets the Christmas story within an historical arc of centuries of time, and robs the particularity of Mary's faith-filled response, "let it be with me according to your word." (Luke 1:38, NRSV) In that moment, Mary is NOT "fulfilling what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet," (Matthew 1:22); nor is she the beneficiary of 2,000 years of hindsight and reflection. She is an uneducated, poor, young girl. She may not even have heard of the passages we are reading from the prophets. And what she agrees to do would cost her - and her family's - social reputation forever. They would become forever the subject of malicious gossip - and forever always suspected and sidelined by their neighbours. Even today, don't we wonder about what really happened? Don't we doubt the facts of Mary's story?
And so I have stopped using the Lectionary.

Lectionary Advent

Stay awake!

Advent 1
December 2, 2018
Luke 21:25-36.   
"If God's will were to be imposed on earth, at God's sole initiative, and over-riding the earth's built-in processes for change, then we would see that what is needed is not a few minor tweaks here and there; cataclysmic over-turnings are needed. Fainting-from-fear changes are needed."

Make the road smooth and straight

Advent 2
December 9, 2018
Luke 3:1-6.  
"And so again we are reminded that the desire of our flesh to see the salvation of God is to desire something that is a far cry from our present lived reality."

   

Even now the axe is lying at the root of the tree

Advent 3
December 16, 2018
Luke 3:7-18.  
"Indeed by going further with his image of the axe cutting at the ROOTS of the tree - as compared with cutting at the trunk of the tree - John is deepening the meaning of repentance to be RE-ROOTING."

The child in my womb leapt for joy

Advent 4
December 23, 2018
Luke 1:39-45, (46-55).  
"Does anything leap for joy within us? Can we feel the stirring of new life? Of age old hopes? Of the impossible longing to become possible?"

Note: Any of the following lessons may be used on Christmas Eve / Day.

I am bringing you good news of great joy for all people

Christmas Eve, December 24,  or Christmas Day, December 25
Proper   I: Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)   
Proper  II: Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20    
Proper III: John 1:1-14   

   

All who heard him were amazed

First Sunday After Christmas Day
December 30, 2018
Luke 2:41-52. 
"The return to Jerusalem by Jesus' parents ... would be risky as they would no longer be with the larger group. It would also be shameful as it would make public that Jesus had not been obedient to them"

Lord, when was it we saw you ...

New Year's Day - January 1
Matthew 25:31-46
"What I love about this parable is that BOTH those judged to be honourable AND those judged to be dishonourable have exactly the same response: Lord, when was it we saw you hungry ...?."

In the beginning

Second Sunday After Christmas Day
Not used this year
John 1:(1-9), 10-18.
"Just as in Genesis the Word was God's original self-revelation as Creator of all; in the Gospel of John, the Son is the revelation of God's heart as Lover of all."

May be replaced by readings for Epiphany. See note below.

Note: The Season of Epiphany begins on January 6, the Day of Epiphany of the Lord.

If January 6 is a weekday, Epiphany may be celebrated on the first Sunday in January and replace the readings for Sundays following Christmas Day.

Holy Textures is Switching to FeedBlitz Email Service

Hi Everyone,

Not sure that this is best time of year to add another detail to your lives. But here goes.

I have been making small tweaks and updates to Holy Textures, and will now prepare a new reminder for the start of each new season: Advent-Christmas, Epiphany, Lent-Holy-Week, Easter, and Pentecost. That'll be 5 emails a year with links for each of the Sundays in the season.

I am also switching from FeedBurner to FeedBlitz to provide my email list service. You will soon receive an email from FeedBlitz informing you of this change. You don't need to take any further actions to continue to receive email from Holy Textures. If you want to unsubscribe - now or anytime later - just click on the link provided.

I pray this email finds you well, and able to receive for yourselves all the blessings and gifts of faith, inspiration and heart-filling worship that you are preparing for others.

Blessings,
David Ewart

Welcome to Holy Textures, Year B, Seasons of Advent and Christmas

Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Biblical texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary.

My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and thought-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation.

Year B - Seasons of Advent & Christmas - 2017

Advent 1
December 3, 2017
Mark 13:24-37.   
"The lesson for Advent is still: Stay awake. Be alert. Live in expectation. Live now as you will when the Son of Man does return."

Advent 2
December 10, 2017
Mark 1:1-8.  
"Unlike us, John the Baptizer is a wild and woolly character. But like us, he lives to point people to one who is greater than himself. John is the first Christian in the sense that he is the first who gives witness to Jesus."

Advent 3
December 17, 2017
John 1:6-8, 19-28.  
"This Advent season is a time for us to wake up and see the light. It is time for us to do what is our work: to prepare the soil of our souls, so that the seed of God’s word can take root in us and put down deep and strong roots."

Advent 4
December 24, 2017
Luke 1:26-38.  
"As the story of Jesus' life is bookended with a special embedding of the spiritual and the material (spiritual conception at birth; spiritual body at resurrection), so too, just within each bookend, as the first and last books on the shelf, are stories of total shame, violation and degradation (pregnancy outside of wedlock; naked execution on a cross)."

Note: Any of the following lessons may be used on Christmas Eve / Day.

Christmas Eve, December 24, or Christmas Day, December 25
Proper   I: Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)   
Proper  II: Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20    
Proper III: John 1:1-14   

First Sunday After Christmas Day
May be replaced by readings for Epiphany. See note below.
December 31, 2017
Luke 2:22-40. 
"By the time we have finished reading Chapters 1 and 2 of Luke, we should realize that the stage has been set for a powerful confrontation between two kingdoms. The Pax Romana of Caesar - the way of peace through force of arms; and the peace of Christ - the way of peace through justice."

New Year's Day - January 1
Matthew 25:31-46
"What I love about this parable is that BOTH those judged to be honourable AND those judged to be dishonourable have exactly the same response: Lord, when was it we saw you hungry ...?."

Second Sunday After Christmas Day
Sunday Between January 2 and January 5 Inclusive
May be replaced by readings for Epiphany. See note below.
Not used in 2018
John 1:(1-9), 10-18.  

Note: The Season of Epiphany begins on January 6, the Day of Epiphany of the Lord.

If January 6 is a weekday, Epiphany may be celebrated on the first Sunday in January and replace the readings for Sundays following Christmas Day.

Welcome to Holy Textures

Year C - Seasons of Advent & Christmas - 2015

Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Gospel texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary.

My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and thought-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation.

Please click on the heading of any post or "Continue reading" to see the full post.

This year, there is a bit of a breather between Advent 4 and Christmas Eve. Just enough time to: (A) Do last minute personal shopping; and/or (B) Spend some needed time with family and friends; and/or (C) Catch your breath and remember why you're doing all this insanely busy work; and/or (D) All of the above.

Year C - Seasons of Advent & Christmas - 2015

Alternate Advent
4 Sundays
Christmas Story in Advent
"I have stopped using the Lectionary during Advent. Why? It seems to me that in this day and age you can never tell the story of the first Christmas (or Easter) early enough or often enough."

Advent 1
November 29, 2015
Luke 21:25-36.   
"If God's will were to be imposed on earth, at God's sole initiative, and over-riding the earth's built-in processes for change, then we would see that what is needed is not a few minor tweaks here and there; cataclysmic over-turnings are needed. Fainting-from-fear changes are needed."

Advent 2
December 6, 2015
Luke 3:1-6.  
"And so again we are reminded that the desire of our flesh to see the salvation of God is to desire something that is a far cry from our present lived reality."

Advent 3
December 13, 2015
Luke 3:7-18.  
"Indeed by going further with his image of the axe cutting at the ROOTS of the tree - as compared with cutting at the trunk of the tree - John is deepening the meaning of repentance to be RE-ROOTING."

Advent 4
December 20, 2015
Luke 1:39-45, (46-55).  
"Does anything leap for joy within us? Can we feel the stirring of new life? Of age old hopes? Of the impossible longing to become possible?"

Note: Any of the following lessons may be used on Christmas Eve / Day.

Christmas Eve, December 24,  or Christmas Day, December 25
Proper   I: Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)   
Proper  II: Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20    
Proper III: John 1:1-14   

First Sunday After Christmas Day
December 27, 2015
Luke 2:41-52. 
"The return to Jerusalem by Jesus' parents ... would be risky as they would no longer be with the larger group. It would also be shameful as it would make public that Jesus had not been obedient to them"

New Year's Day - January 1
Matthew 25:31-46
"What I love about this parable is that BOTH those judged to be honourable AND those judged to be dishonourable have exactly the same response: Lord, when was it we saw you hungry ...?."

Second Sunday After Christmas Day
January 3, 2016
John 1:(1-9), 10-18.
"Just as in Genesis the Word was God's original self-revelation as Creator of all; in the Gospel of John, the Son is the revelation of God's heart as Lover of all."

May be replaced by readings for Epiphany. See note below.

Note: The Season of Epiphany begins on January 6, the Day of Epiphany of the Lord.

If January 6 is a weekday, Epiphany may be celebrated on the first Sunday in January and replace the readings for Sundays following Christmas Day.

Welcome to Holy Textures

Holy Textures is a spot for my musings on the various Biblical texts that come our way through the Revised Common Lectionary.

My goal is to provide timely, short, easy to use and thought-provoking background commentary for your sermon or bible study preparation.

Please click on the heading of any post or "Continue reading" to see the full post.

By entering your email and clicking "Subscribe," you can receive a reminder at the start of each new Season. You will only receive new posts, nothing else - no spam, nada, zip.

Year B - Seasons of Advent & Christmas - 2014

Advent 1
November 30, 2014
Mark 13:24-37.   
"The lesson for Advent is still: Stay awake. Be alert. Live in expectation. Live now as you will when the Son of Man does return."

Advent 2
December 7, 2014
Mark 1:1-8.  
"Unlike us, John the Baptizer is a wild and woolly character. But like us, he lives to point people to one who is greater than himself. John is the first Christian in the sense that he is the first who gives witness to Jesus."

Advent 3
December 14, 2014
John 1:6-8, 19-28.  
"This Advent season is a time for us to wake up and see the light. It is time for us to do what is our work: to prepare the soil of our souls, so that the seed of God’s word can take root in us and put down deep and strong roots."

Advent 4
December 21, 2014
Luke 1:26-38.  
"As the story of Jesus' life is bookended with a special embedding of the spiritual and the material (spiritual conception at birth; spiritual body at resurrection), so too, just within each bookend, as the first and last books on the shelf, are stories of total shame, violation and degradation (pregnancy outside of wedlock; naked execution on a cross)."

Note: Any of the following lessons may be used on Christmas Eve / Day.

Christmas Eve, December 24,  or Christmas Day, December 25
Proper   I: Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)   
Proper  II: Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20    
Proper III: John 1:1-14   

First Sunday After Christmas Day
December 28, 2014
Luke 2:22-40. 
"By the time we have finished reading Chapters 1 and 2 of Luke, we should realize that the stage has been set for a powerful confrontation between two kingdoms. The Pax Romana of Caesar - the way of peace through force of arms; and the peace of Christ - the way of peace through justice."

New Year's Day - January 1
Matthew 25:31-46
"What I love about this parable is that BOTH those judged to be honourable AND those judged to be dishonourable have exactly the same response: Lord, when was it we saw you hungry ...?."

Second Sunday After Christmas Day
Sunday Between January 2 and January 5 Inclusive
May be replaced by readings for Epiphany. See note below.
January 4, 2015
John 1:(1-9), 10-18.  

Note: The Season of Epiphany begins on January 6, the Day of Epiphany of the Lord.

If January 6 is a weekday, Epiphany may be celebrated on the first Sunday in January and replace the readings for Sundays following Christmas Day.

John 1:(1-9), 10-18 - Updated

Just as in Genesis the Word was God's original self-revelation as Creator of all; in the Gospel of John, the Son is the revelation of God's heart as Lover of all.

Click here to read the updated Holy Textures explanation of John 1:(1-9), 10-18.

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com,
Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Permission is granted for non-profit use of these materials.
Acknowledgement in oral presentations is not required.
Otherwise, please acknowledge source as, "David Ewart, www.holytextures.com."

 

Luke 2:1-20 or Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20 or Luke 2:1-14, (15-20) - Updated

Nonetheless, it is to these unlikely and unworthy shepherds that the first news of the birth of Jesus is given, and not to the Kings, Caesars, and Governors mentioned at the beginning of this passage.

Click here to read the updated Holy Textures explanation of Luke 2:1-20 or Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20 or Luke 2:1-14, (15-20).

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com,
Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Permission is granted for non-profit use of these materials.
Acknowledgement in oral presentations is not required.
Otherwise, please acknowledge source as, "David Ewart, www.holytextures.com."

 

Matthew 2:13-23 - Updated

Matthew wants us to trust that ... God can and does protect, guide, warn, and keep alive from generation to generation the alternative "Jesus" vision of what is really real: God is love and love is the only response that will ultimately end violence.

Click here for the updated Holy Textures explanation of Matthew 2:13-23.

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com,
Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Permission is granted for non-profit use of these materials.
Acknowledgement in oral presentations is not required.
Otherwise, please acknowledge source as, "David Ewart, www.holytextures.com."

 

John 1:1-14 - Updated

The quality of the relationship that John is wanting us to have with Jesus is all-or-nothing.

Click here to read the updated Holy Textures explanation of on John 1:1-14.

David Ewart,
www.holytextures.com,
Short, easy to use, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.

Permission is granted for non-profit use of these materials.
Acknowledgement in oral presentations is not required.
Otherwise, please acknowledge source as, "David Ewart, www.holytextures.com."