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, faith inspiring explanations of the meaning of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John for your sermon, homily, bible study, or reflection.
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 any one; ever.
Year A - Season after Pentecost, September to November - 2023
When we Christians pray, "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," we are praying for an end to the violent injustice that elites use in the name of "government" to enrich themselves. And instead for life on earth to be like it is in heaven: just and joyful.
And when we Christians listen, learn, and follow Jesus we prepare for the tumult that our prayer is asking for; and practice for living together as joyful and just communities here on earth - just as it already in heaven. This is the promise that Jesus makes to us as we walk with him these remaining Sundays to his upside down "enthronement" on a cross.
Doesn't the whole wide earth long for rulers who understand that the highest and best life is one given for the good of all?
Welcome to Holy Textures as we journey together on the way to the Reign of Christ.
And for those who like to get ready early ... A heads up that December 24 is both Avent 4 and Christmas Eve this year.
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."
Pentecost 14
September 3, 2023
Matthew 16:21-28
"Peter rebukes Jesus. Jesus rebukes Peter. Calls Peter - or at least Peter's rebuke - Satan. That is, Tempter, Snake in the Garden, Introducer of Hesitation, Mixer of Motivations, Flaunter of Red Herrings, Side-Tracker of Mission, Setter of One's Mind on Human Things. Well, fear of pain and death will do that to most people, and Peter was no exception."
Pentecost 15
September 10, 2023
Matthew 18:15-20
"Real churches have - or should have - real conflicts. The only real harm that will come to a church community is to refuse to deal with conflicts. Conflicts do not kill churches. Refusing to deal with conflict kills churches."
Pentecost 16
September 17, 2023
Matthew 18:21-35
"Jesus is calling us to give up calculating offenses and forgivenesses; and instead to have a forgiving heart; a forgiven heart; a heart for forgiveness. This is a shift of ATTITUDE. But it is not an "anything goes" attitude. Forgiveness actually stands FOR some things; and therefore, does NOT stand for everything."
Pentecost 17
September 24, 2023
Matthew 20:1-16
"Where 2 or 3 are gathered together - in families, friends, or church - the challenge is always: How will we deal with envy when God is generous in a way that is not equal for all."
Pentecost 18
October 1, 2023
Matthew 21:23-32
"It is we who are sitting in church who SAY (and sing and pray) many things. But this text puts the focus on what we actually DO. Just exactly what is it that we do after we leave church on Sunday? Ouch."
Pentecost 19
October 8, 2023
Matthew 21:33-46
"Who, ACTUALLY, is producing the fruit of the Kingdom? It could be the religious leaders. Nay. It SHOULD be the religious leaders. But are they? Are we?"
Thanksgiving Sunday (Canada)
October 8, 2023
Luke 17:11-19
"The 9 who do not return are the ones who do what is expected of a leper who has been cured. But they do what is expected because they CAN do what is expected - they are Galileans, they can go and see a priest. The Samaritan cannot."
Pentecost 20
October 15, 2023
Matthew 22:1-14
"How is this a parable teaching about what the Kingdom of Heaven is like? What sort of behaviours and attitudes does it call for now? At a minimum it means: expect to have to hang out with non-elites - good and bad all together; take seriously the honour of the invitation and do it right."
Pentecost 21
October 22, 2023
Matthew 22:15-22
"How can a Jew be faithful and observant and also stay alive under Roman rule? Yikes. But it is precisely this position of being caught in a bind of irreconcilable, conflicting obligations and duties that make real life so interesting. The desire to make the tension go away, to solve it, is the enemy of true faithfulness."
Pentecost 22
October 29, 2023
Matthew 22:34-46
"The "love" that is being called for is not emotion; it is not "liking," "getting along with," "desiring," or "feeling warm about." The "love" Jesus is talking about here is trust, loyalty, enduring devotion, being attached to. You may actually hate your neighbour, but you will still love them in the Biblical sense if you continue to act for their well-being."
Pentecost 23
November 5, 2023
Matthew 23:1-12
"Unfortunately, the scribes and Pharisees - like us - were the ones who studied the Bible, who prayed regularly, and who earnestly sought to live in accordance with Biblical teachings. That is, they are who we are now. Are we like them? Yikes!"
All Saints
November 1, 2023
Matthew 5:1-12
"Those we honour as saints have never been ALL good, ALL the time. But thankfully, those who followed Jesus, at some time, have had some inkling of hearing these words and practicing them. Their lives inspire us to do the same."
Pentecost 24
November 12, 2023
Matthew 25:1-13
"This is a story about honouring the bridegroom who has gone away to fetch his bride by being prepared for his return - at the time of his own choosing, whenever that might be."
Pentecost 25
November 19, 2023
Matthew 25:14-30
"This a Wisdom parable teaching us about the perils and difficulties of the ways of the world until the Kingdom comes. It warns us to continue to expect the rich to steal from the poor; and for the followers of Jesus to expect to be punished by the rich for behaving honourably - burying the ill-gotten wealth and refusing to use it to take even more from the poor."
Pentecost 26
Reign of Christ or Christ the King
November 26, 2023
Matthew 25:31-46
"The judgement is NOT based on doing the right things to/for Jesus. Of course we would do all those things if we knew it was Jesus. (Wouldn't we?) But unfortunately, the judgement is based on just doing the right things for the dispossessed. This is not rocket science; it only requires common sense and human decency. And we all have that don't we?"
Thanksgiving Day (USA)
Thursday, November 23, 2023
Luke 17:11-19
"The 9 who do not return are the ones who do what is expected of a leper who has been cured. But they do what is expected because they CAN do what is expected - they are Galileans, they can go and see a priest. The Samaritan cannot."
And here are key liturgical dates for 2023.
