Holy Textures

Welcome to Holy Textures, Year A, Season of Lent and Holy Week

   

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 of Lent and Holy Week - 2023

The 40 days of Lent actually do NOT include the Sundays. So the Sundays are referred to as being "in" Lent. For example, "Lent 2," means, "The second Sunday in Lent."

This means the Sundays are always a mini-celebration of the resurrection - even in Lent. So, while we are preparing ourselves for the walk to Jerusalem and all that will happen during Holy Week, there is no need to pretend that we don't know about, and are not already celebrating, Jesus' resurrection.

A close reading of the Holy Week texts and background information leaves me even more amazed at the courage of Jesus to voluntarily face the torture and humiliation of Roman execution on a cross, in order to remain faithful to God's calling - God's purpose - "this cup" - for him: To proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

I wonder what courage is called for today to continue to proclaim that a different future-present is already at hand and will be fulfilled in our hearing of this Good News?

As usual with the Season of Lent, we get to spend time with the Gospel of John.

I like to think of John as like a good day at the spa: Soaking in the swirling eddies and quiet back pools of his repetitive, non-sequitur, images and stories.

John wants us to really GET the life that is Jesus.

What could be more refreshing than that?

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."

 

Lent and Easter Resources:

Lent: The Restraint That Frees
is a brief introduction to the three classic spiritual practices of Lent: Almsgiving, Fasting, and Prayer interpreted for our day and age. A link is provided for a PDF three-column pamphlet. Click here for a link to Lent: The Restraint That Frees.

Alternative Lent Lectionary
The Last Week
I re-construct the lections for Lent to use each of the 6 Sundays to take us through the last week of Jesus' final days in Jerusalem. This change is largely the result of long dissatisfaction with the lectionary's "salvation history" approach that gives the long view (which is a good thing to know), at the expense of the immediate context (which is a bad thing not to know).

What You Need to Know Before Preaching Your Next Easter Sermon
The Reality of the Resurrection
Jesus’ resurrection was not unexpected. The surprise was that he was resurrected so quickly. On the third day! What could this mean?

Israelite Burial Customs
This doesn't sound very sexy, but unless you know this historical information, you will not understand why Jesus was placed in a tomb not a grave; and why resurrection is "in the flesh" and not just spiritual.

You Don't Really Need to Know This Before Preaching Your Next Easter Sermon
My Annual Rant about the Resurrection and Science
I majored in mathematics and physics at university, and so I'm extra sensitive when my arts educated colleagues get all wimpy about the reality of the resurrection.

Lectionary Gospel Texts:

 

The restraint that frees

Ash Wednesday
February 22, 2023
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21  
"Lent: The restraint that frees. Three practices to refresh our relationship with God: Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting."

 

IF you are the Son of God ...

Lent 1
February 26, 2023
Matthew 4:1-11  
"The first test is in that first little word Satan uses: IF. "If you are the Son of God ..." Because the unstated possibility behind the word, "IF," is, "And maybe you're not really." It takes us out of our hearts and into our heads. It breaks the bond of confident trust. This test is repeated when Jesus is crucified and the scornful crowds mock Jesus: "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." (Matthew 27:40)"

 

He came to Jesus by night

Lent 2
March 5, 2023
John 3:1-17, Alternate Reading A
"Being born anew / from above is a huge transformation, since it means quite literally starting over with a new 'family of origin.' ... (It) relocates our identity and resets possibilities for our character and life choices / opportunities."

 

Transfiguration. Sieger Koder. 1925-2015

Matthew 17:1-9, Alternate Reading B
"I wonder how much in our heart of hearts, we are still cheering for Jesus as the triumphant Victor, and still longing for a Messiah, when God has already given us all that God has to give: the Beloved?"

 

Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again

Lent 3
March 12, 2023
John 4:5-42
"A good title for a sermon this week would be, "The Other Good Samaritan." The unnamed woman who grows from a shunned outsider to an evangelist."

 

A man born blind

Lent 4
March 19, 2023
John 9:1-41
"Jeremiah 5:21 would be a good text to introduce this story: 'Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but do not see, who have ears, but do not hear.' Jesus can cure the blind. Getting us to see past our own self-interest - to see the glory of God in the lowest and the least - now THAT would be a real miracle."

 

Lazarus come out

Lent 5
March 26, 2023
John 11:1-45
"This story about Lazarus shares much in common with that of the Samaritan woman at the well. With the Samaritan woman the issue was seeing Jesus as the source of living water as compared to ordinary water. Here the issue is to see Jesus as the source of living life as compared to ordinary life."

 

Holy Week

 

They threw branches on the road

Lent 6
April 2, 2023
Liturgy of the Palms:
Matthew 21:1-11
"Now Jerusalem is not a large city. And what the authors of the Bible take for granted and fail to mention is that while Jesus is parading in on a donkey through one of the back gates, on the other side of the city Pilate is parading in on a war horse accompanied by a squadron or two of battle-hardened Roman soldiers. Do you think anyone at Pilate's parade heard about Jesus' parade? Heard what the crowd had shouted? Let's see what unfolds in the week ahead." 

 

They nailed him to a cross

Liturgy of the Passion:
Matthew 26:14 -- 27:66, Alternate Reading A.
Matthew 27:11-54, Alternate Reading B.
"The Jesus who died on Good Friday was still dead on Easter Sunday. But the embodied passion of Jesus that did not hesitate in the face of humiliating, torturous death did not die on Good Friday, and was seen to be actually, factually, really alive on Easter Sunday."

 

Mary anointed his feet

Holy Monday
April 3, 2023
John 12:1-11
"Lazarus' presence with Jesus fills the room with the unfinished sentence: Just as Lazarus, the one whom Jesus loves, has been raised from the dead by Jesus, so will Jesus, the one whom God loves, be ... . Just how this sentence will be finished is exactly the fear - and the hope - that is in everyone's hearts."

 

We wish to see Jesus

Holy Tuesday
April 4, 2023
John 12:20-36
"The hour has come. Our souls are troubled. Can they also remain loyal?"

 

The one to whom I give the bread dipped in this dish

Holy Wednesday
April 5, 2023
John 13:21-32
"But that they don't understand when Jesus gives the dipped crust of bread to Judas and then says, 'Do quickly what you are going to do,' simply reveals that unlike Jesus they are not able to 'read the signs.'"

 

He began to wash the disciples feet

Holy Maundy Thursday
April 6, 2023
John 13:1-17, 31b-35    
"Fortunately, this passage actually has TWO new commandments: 1) Love one another as I have loved you. And, 2) Forgive one another as I have forgiven you. Christ-like-love is the goal. Forgiveness is the salve that heals brokenness and makes love possible once again."

 

Jesus is lifted up

Good Friday
April 7, 2023
John 18:1 -- 19:42    
"To outsiders, a battered and broken Jesus could no longer hold his head up and died in humiliation and defeat. But to those who believe into him, a true Son of God has completed his great work, and with a royal nod (and maybe a mischievous wink?) has passed on his Spirit so that we too might have life - the life that was in Jesus."

 

They made the tomb secure by sealing the stone

Holy Saturday
April 8, 2023
Matthew 27:57-66, Alternate Reading A.
"And just in case we might think that later events were a hoax, Matthew relates that the Jerusalem authorities take steps to guard the tomb."

 

Joseph and Nicodemus laid Jesus there in the tomb

John 19:38-42, Alternate Reading B.
"The crucial piece of background information is the belief that the flesh contained a person's evil deeds. And the year-long rotting of the flesh was a purging of these deeds, leaving the bones (which contained the personality of the person) ready to receive the new body fashioned by God at the resurrection. But the resurrection of Jesus on the third day will interrupt this process before it starts."

 

And here are the key liturgical dates for 2023.

2023 Liturgical Dates

Welcome to Holy Textures, Year A, Season of Lent and Holy Week

   

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.

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 of Lent and Holy Week - 2023

The 40 days of Lent actually do NOT include the Sundays. So the Sundays are referred to as being "in" Lent. For example, "Lent 2," means, "The second Sunday in Lent."

This means the Sundays are always a mini-celebration of the resurrection - even in Lent. So, while we are preparing ourselves for the walk to Jerusalem and all that will happen during Holy Week, there is no need to pretend that we don't know about, and are not already celebrating, Jesus' resurrection.

A close reading of the Holy Week texts and background information leaves me even more amazed at the courage of Jesus to voluntarily face the torture and humiliation of Roman execution on a cross, in order to remain faithful to God's calling - God's purpose - "this cup" - for him: To proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

I wonder what courage is called for today to continue to proclaim that a different future-present is already at hand and will be fulfilled in our hearing of this Good News?

As usual with the Season of Lent, we get to spend time with the Gospel of John.

I like to think of John as like a good day at the spa: Soaking in the swirling eddies and quiet back pools of his repetitive, non-sequitur, images and stories.

John wants us to really GET the life that is Jesus.

What could be more refreshing than that?

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."

 

Lent and Easter Resources:

Lent: The Restraint That Frees
is a brief introduction to the three classic spiritual practices of Lent: Almsgiving, Fasting, and Prayer interpreted for our day and age. A link is provided for a PDF three-column pamphlet. Click here for a link to Lent: The Restraint That Frees.

Alternative Lent Lectionary
The Last Week
I re-construct the lections for Lent to use each of the 6 Sundays to take us through the last week of Jesus' final days in Jerusalem. This change is largely the result of long dissatisfaction with the lectionary's "salvation history" approach that gives the long view (which is a good thing to know), at the expense of the immediate context (which is a bad thing not to know).

What You Need to Know Before Preaching Your Next Easter Sermon
The Reality of the Resurrection
Jesus’ resurrection was not unexpected. The surprise was that he was resurrected so quickly. On the third day! What could this mean?

Israelite Burial Customs
This doesn't sound very sexy, but unless you know this historical information, you will not understand why Jesus was placed in a tomb not a grave; and why resurrection is "in the flesh" and not just spiritual.

You Don't Really Need to Know This Before Preaching Your Next Easter Sermon
My Annual Rant about the Resurrection and Science
I majored in mathematics and physics at university, and so I'm extra sensitive when my arts educated colleagues get all wimpy about the reality of the resurrection.

Lectionary Gospel Texts:

 

The restraint that frees

Ash Wednesday
February 22, 2023
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21  
"Lent: The restraint that frees. Three practices to refresh our relationship with God: Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting."

 

IF you are the Son of God ...

Lent 1
February 26, 2023
Matthew 4:1-11  
"The first test is in that first little word Satan uses: IF. "If you are the Son of God ..." Because the unstated possibility behind the word, "IF," is, "And maybe you're not really." It takes us out of our hearts and into our heads. It breaks the bond of confident trust. This test is repeated when Jesus is crucified and the scornful crowds mock Jesus: "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross." (Matthew 27:40)"

 

He came to Jesus by night

Lent 2
March 5, 2023
John 3:1-17, Alternate Reading A
"Being born anew / from above is a huge transformation, since it means quite literally starting over with a new 'family of origin.' ... (It) relocates our identity and resets possibilities for our character and life choices / opportunities."

 

Transfiguration. Sieger Koder. 1925-2015

Matthew 17:1-9, Alternate Reading B
"I wonder how much in our heart of hearts, we are still cheering for Jesus as the triumphant Victor, and still longing for a Messiah, when God has already given us all that God has to give: the Beloved?"

 

Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again

Lent 3
March 12, 2023
John 4:5-42
"A good title for a sermon this week would be, "The Other Good Samaritan." The unnamed woman who grows from a shunned outsider to an evangelist."

 

A man born blind

Lent 4
March 19, 2023
John 9:1-41
"Jeremiah 5:21 would be a good text to introduce this story: 'Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes, but do not see, who have ears, but do not hear.' Jesus can cure the blind. Getting us to see past our own self-interest - to see the glory of God in the lowest and the least - now THAT would be a real miracle."

 

Lazarus come out

Lent 5
March 26, 2023
John 11:1-45
"This story about Lazarus shares much in common with that of the Samaritan woman at the well. With the Samaritan woman the issue was seeing Jesus as the source of living water as compared to ordinary water. Here the issue is to see Jesus as the source of living life as compared to ordinary life."

 

Holy Week

 

They threw branches on the road

Lent 6
April 2, 2023
Liturgy of the Palms:
Matthew 21:1-11
"Now Jerusalem is not a large city. And what the authors of the Bible take for granted and fail to mention is that while Jesus is parading in on a donkey through one of the back gates, on the other side of the city Pilate is parading in on a war horse accompanied by a squadron or two of battle-hardened Roman soldiers. Do you think anyone at Pilate's parade heard about Jesus' parade? Heard what the crowd had shouted? Let's see what unfolds in the week ahead." 

 

They nailed him to a cross

Liturgy of the Passion:
Matthew 26:14 -- 27:66, Alternate Reading A.
Matthew 27:11-54, Alternate Reading B.
"The Jesus who died on Good Friday was still dead on Easter Sunday. But the embodied passion of Jesus that did not hesitate in the face of humiliating, torturous death did not die on Good Friday, and was seen to be actually, factually, really alive on Easter Sunday."

 

Mary anointed his feet

Holy Monday
April 3, 2023
John 12:1-11
"Lazarus' presence with Jesus fills the room with the unfinished sentence: Just as Lazarus, the one whom Jesus loves, has been raised from the dead by Jesus, so will Jesus, the one whom God loves, be ... . Just how this sentence will be finished is exactly the fear - and the hope - that is in everyone's hearts."

 

We wish to see Jesus

Holy Tuesday
April 4, 2023
John 12:20-36
"The hour has come. Our souls are troubled. Can they also remain loyal?"

 

The one to whom I give the bread dipped in this dish

Holy Wednesday
April 5, 2023
John 13:21-32
"But that they don't understand when Jesus gives the dipped crust of bread to Judas and then says, 'Do quickly what you are going to do,' simply reveals that unlike Jesus they are not able to 'read the signs.'"

 

He began to wash the disciples feet

Holy Maundy Thursday
April 6, 2023
John 13:1-17, 31b-35    
"Fortunately, this passage actually has TWO new commandments: 1) Love one another as I have loved you. And, 2) Forgive one another as I have forgiven you. Christ-like-love is the goal. Forgiveness is the salve that heals brokenness and makes love possible once again."

 

Jesus is lifted up

Good Friday
April 7, 2023
John 18:1 -- 19:42    
"To outsiders, a battered and broken Jesus could no longer hold his head up and died in humiliation and defeat. But to those who believe into him, a true Son of God has completed his great work, and with a royal nod (and maybe a mischievous wink?) has passed on his Spirit so that we too might have life - the life that was in Jesus."

 

They made the tomb secure by sealing the stone

Holy Saturday
April 8, 2023
Matthew 27:57-66, Alternate Reading A.
"And just in case we might think that later events were a hoax, Matthew relates that the Jerusalem authorities take steps to guard the tomb."

 

Joseph and Nicodemus laid Jesus there in the tomb

John 19:38-42, Alternate Reading B.
"The crucial piece of background information is the belief that the flesh contained a person's evil deeds. And the year-long rotting of the flesh was a purging of these deeds, leaving the bones (which contained the personality of the person) ready to receive the new body fashioned by God at the resurrection. But the resurrection of Jesus on the third day will interrupt this process before it starts."

 

And here are the key liturgical dates for 2023.

2023 Liturgical Dates

Welcome to Holy Textures, Year A, Season of Epiphany

   

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 - Season of Epiphany - 2023

I'm never sure when to send out this Holy Textures update preparing for Epiphany. The malls are already playing Christmas carols. And worship planners are busy with all the preparations for Advent and the celebrations of Christmas Eve and Day. Who has time or energy to give any thought to Epiphany! That is so next year.

But the gift of time is that it is so steady, so reliable. It neither rushes nor procrastinates. And. Like all epiphanies, January 6 will arrive whether we are ready or not. My prayer is that Holy Textures will help you find whatever space and place you need to continue to let the light of The Holy One's grace, peace, and love find a home in your heart. Blessings to you and those you love.

This year, the Season of Epiphany is 7 Sundays, which makes it almost as long as it can be. This is two pieces of good news for working preachers.

The first is that we can get our breath before launching into the intense work of Lent, Holy Week, and Easter.

The second is that we get a chance to do a sermon series and/or Bible study on the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew, Chapters 5, 6, and 7. Matthew's collection of these teachings of Jesus provide an excellent map of the Christian life: the attitudes, values, and behaviours we should cultivate.

But covering all of the Sermon on the Mount, means adjusting the Epiphany readings so that 6 of the 7 Sundays in Epiphany are used for the Sermon on the Mount, and that would mean opting out of using either the Baptism reading at the start, or the Transfiguration reading at the end. Or. Not using all 6 of the Sermon on the Mount readings. Here's one option: 

January 6 (or Sunday, January 1, replacing Christmas 1), Epiphany Day, Matthew 2:1-12
January 8, Epiphany 1, Baptism of the Lord, Matthew 3:13-17, OR the first Sermon on the Mount text below,
January 8, Epiphany 1, Matthew 5:1-12
January 15, Epiphany 2, Matthew 5:13-20
January 22, Epiphany 3, Matthew 5:21-37
January 29, Epiphany 4, Matthew 5:38-48
February 5, Epiphany 5, Matthew 6:24-34
February 12, Epiphany 6, Matthew 7: 21-29
February 19, Transfiguration Sunday, Matthew 17:1-9

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."

 

Here are the readings as assigned by the Lectionary:

 

We have observed his star at its rising

Epiphany of the Lord
January 6  or  May be used on the First Sunday of January
Matthew 2:1-12.   
"That this comet is understood to be a sign of the birth of a “child who has been born King of the Jews” is particularly frightening to Herod since HE is King of the Jews and this unknown child is a threat to him and his heirs."

 

Suddenly the heavens were opened to him

Baptism of the Lord
January 8, 2023
Matthew 3:13-17.  
"Fulfilling of righteousness requires letting go of our personal sense of what is right and proper in order to let it be God's will that is fulfilled. For Jesus, as at the end, so too at the beginning: a deep and profound aligning of his heart and will with the will and Spirit of God."

 

Come and see

Epiphany 2
January 15, 2023
John 1:29-42.  
"This text has two questions and an invitation that are at the heart of the Gospel of John: What are you looking for? Where are you staying? Come and see."

 

Come and follow

Epiphany 3
January 22, 2023
Matthew 4:12-23.  
"The command / invitation to Peter, Andrew, James and John is: Come, follow me. And not: I wonder if you would consider the possibility of tagging along if you have the time and it's not too inconvenient?"

 

Blessed are those who ...

Epiphany 4
January 29, 2023
Matthew 5:1-12.  
"The poor, the hungry, and the sorrowing will never confuse these things as being their salvation. And THAT is the blessing. They KNOW their need of God."

 

A city on a hill

Epiphany 5
February 5, 2023
Matthew 5:13-20.  
"Don't think that my teachings replace or reduce the law and the prophets. And don't think you can skip the details. Details count. But something more than the details is also needed. You must align your whole self with what God desires - that is what those in Heaven are like."

 

Reconciliation, by Josefina de Vasconcellos, St. Michael's Cathedral, Coventry, UK

Epiphany 6
February 12, 2023
Matthew 5:21-37.  
"Why not take Jesus at his word? Take your offering home this week, and carry it to remind you to take safe, practical steps toward reconciliation and peace wherever there is brokenness in your life."

 

Do not violently resist

Epiphany 7
February 19, 2023
Matthew 5:38-48.  
"Matthew 5:38-41 has a tragic history of poor translations and even worse interpretations. This passage is NOT recommending becoming a doormat; nor does it tolerate domestic violence. The translation, “Do not resist an evildoer,” fails to convey the full meaning of the underlying Greek. It would be better translated as: Do not VIOLENTLY resist an evildoer. Thus the teaching is primarily about non-violence. It is not about acquiescing to evil. Jesus then goes on to offer three quick examples of how to non-violently resist an evildoer."

 

Consider the lilies

Epiphany 8
Not used this year.
Matthew 6:24-34.  
"Having our intentions aligned with God's desires plus trusting God frees us from being anxious / worried / fearful about what will happen next; allows us to let go of expectations."

 

A house built on sand

Epiphany 9
Not used this year
Matthew 7:21-29.  
"It is not enough for us to hear these words of Jesus; to study them; to be inspired by them; to have hopes / aspirations / dreams based on them. We must ACT on them; practice them; live them in our everyday lives."

 

Transfiguration. Sieger Koder, 1925-2015

Transfiguration Sunday
February 19, 2023
Matthew 17:1-9.  
"I wonder how much in our heart of hearts, we are still cheering for Jesus as the triumphant Victor, and still longing for a Messiah, when God has already given us all that God has to give: the Beloved?"

 

 

And here are the key calendar dates for 2020.

Key Liturgical Dates 2023

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.

A Prayer about Prayer

This prayer helps me prepare for Sunday's prayers. Perhaps it will also speak to you.

--------------------

 

www.holytextures.com

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."

 

 

Gracious Love,
in whom we live and move and have our being,

Teach us how to pray as you would have us pray:
bring to mind what you would have us remember, and
give us the words to pray for what is needed.

Help us to feel your presence which is always with us.

Help us to trust that the words we use to offer our gratitudes and concerns are adequate,
and help us to trust that if we have no words,
and can only offer groans, or silence, or smiles
that your Spirit lifts these to you in all of their fulness.

Help us to trust that we feel called to pray, so that
we can tell you what is in our hearts and minds; and,
help us to trust that you also call us to pray so that
your Spirit moving within us
helps us to see as you see; to love as you love;
giving us the words to say what needs to be made real for the good of all.

Help us to trust that we are not the only one offering the prayers that are needed this day.
Help us to feel the presence of others in this room and across this land
who are also praying. Lifting up gratitudes; lifting up concerns.
Help us to feel our connection as part of the whole – so much larger than each of us alone.

Help us to trust that even before we began to pray,
you are already fully present seeking to make real
the responses that are needed to all the prayers we offer.

Grant us this day that our prayers are worthy of your goodness and your generosity.
That we have prayed big enough; that no one and nothing has been left out.

Grant us this day whatever we need to be able to live the lives that are the responses to our prayers.

Gracious one, we are grateful to you that we are not the first ones, nor the only ones, praying today.
We come before you as inheritors of a long tradition.
Over so many centuries, in so many languages, in so many ways,
people gather in community to pray.
In particular, we here today recall how many times, and in how many places,
people have gathered and shared with one voice
the prayer that Jesus teaches his followers to say …

Our Brother’s Prayer

Holy One, Holy Three
In whom we are one,

Fill our world with your wonder.

May the loving right-relations that you eternally are,
Be how we are here on earth.

May all living beings receive from their labour
All that is needed for the wellbeing of all.

Forgive us the harm our ideas and actions do,
As we receive healing from those wounded by
our stories, our laws, and our commerce.

Save us from trials that overwhelm,
And let us not be tricked into believing lies.

For the power and the glory of the kin_ship of all living things
Abide in you, now and for ever.

May it be so.

Welcome to Holy Textures, Year A, Season of Pentecost, September to November

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.

Year A - Season after Pentecost - 2020 - September to November

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.

   

If another sins against you

Pentecost 14
September 6, 2020
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."

   

Forgive until it works

Pentecost 15
September 13, 2020
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."

   

The Kin_dom of Heaven is like

Pentecost 16
September 20, 2020
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."  

   

Deeds not words reveal your integrity

Pentecost 17
September 27, 2020
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."

   

Imagine our beautiful earth as God's vineyard

Pentecost 18
October 4, 2020
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?"

   

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Thanksgiving Sunday (Canada)
October 11, 2020
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."

   

Honouring God's invitation

Pentecost 19
October 11, 2020
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."

   

Show me the coin for paying the tax

Pentecost 20
October 18, 2020
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."

   

Love God AND neighbour

Pentecost 21
October 25, 2020
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."

   

Do not do as they do

Pentecost 22
November 1, 2020
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!"

   

Blessed are ...

All Saints
November 1, 2020
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."

   

Give me oil in my lamp to keep me burning

Pentecost 23
November 8, 2020
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."

   

Refuse to exploit the poor

Pentecost 24
November 15, 2020
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."

   

For I was thirsty and you ...?

Pentecost 25
Reign of Christ  or  Christ the King
November 22, 2020
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?"

   

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

Thanksgiving Day (USA)
Thursday, November 26, 2020
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."

   

Here are the key liturgical dates for 2020:

Key Liturgical dates for 2020

   

And here are the key liturgical dates for 2021:

Key liturgical dates for 2021

   

Welcome to Holy Textures, Year A, Season of Pentecost up to the End of August

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.

Year A - Season after Pentecost - 2020 - Up to the End of August

Note that in Pentecost, the Sundays are numbered as "after" Pentecost Sunday. So the first Sunday after Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, is Pentecost 1.

This year, Easter was almost as late as it can possibly be. And so Pentecost and Trinity Sundays come just as we in the Northern Hemisphere enter the summer season. And enter into continuing uncertainty as to how the COVID-19 infection will impact our ways of being gathered communities. The chaotic upending of life as we knew it is not new to the Biblical story. No one expected Jesus' resurrection. And just like the first disciples, we too must now ask one one another, "What shall we do now?" And like them, perhaps we too will glean some comfort and some guidance by remembering what Jesus said and did while he lived amongst us.

Having left off reading through Matthew three months ago, we pick up at the end of Chapter 9. What has happened since we last were listening to Jesus at the Sermon on the Mount back in Chapter 7?

Quite a bit actually. Jesus has been demonstrating that he can walk the talk, and he has been teaching about the costs of following in his footsteps:

• Jesus cleanses a leper (8:1-4)
• Jesus heals a Centurion's servant (8:5-13)
• Jesus heals many at Peter's house (8:14-17)
• Jesus teaches the Son of Man has no where to lay his head (8:18-22)
• Jesus stills a storm (8:23-27)
• Jesus heals two Gadarene men possessed by demons (8:28--9:1)
• Jesus heals a paralytic (9:2-8)
• Jesus calls Matthew, a tax collector, to follow him (9:9-13)
• Jesus teaches about new wine (9:14-17)
• Jesus heals a woman and restores a girl to life (9:18-26)
• Jesus heals two blind men (9:27-31)
• Jesus heals a mute person (9:32-34)

And so we re-join Jesus as his words and deeds are spreading his reputation far and wide - and therefore, also attracting the attention of - and opposition from - the authorities in Jerusalem.

And remember, "the authorities in Jerusalem," the priests, scribes, and Pharisees, are elites who are collaborating with the Roman occupation, and who are therefore also dependent on pleasing their masters for their survival. Jesus' reputation is attracting crowds and raising the authorities' fears about social unrest.

And for those who like to plan in advance, a heads up that Christmas Eve is on a Thursday this year. 

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit

Pentecost Sunday
May 31, 2020
Acts 2:1-21  
"We might all hear the same words - each in our own language - but we will not all hear and understand exactly the same meaning. The problem with life, and faith, and following Jesus is always: What does this mean?"

   

Jesus came and stood among them

John 20:19-23, Alternate Reading 1
"To be a spirit-filled community of peace requires that we learn and practice and experience the reality and art of repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation." 

   

Let anyone who is thirsty come to me

John 7:37-39, Alternate Reading 2
"In John, 'thirst' has the double meaning of literal thirst for real water and physical life; and 'spiritual' thirst for a real relationship with God and eternal life. Thus, those who come to Jesus and trust him will have floods of life flowing out of them." 

   

Holy One. Holy Three.

Trinity Sunday
June 7, 2020
Matthew 28:16-20 
"These 5 short verses touch on several crucial themes: 1) The authority of Jesus. 2) The purposes of the church: go, make disciples, baptize, teach, obey, remember. 3) The presence of Jesus-now-resurrected. A congregation that is centred on these will not go far wrong. And might even get a fair bit right."

   

Consider the lilies

Pentecost NN
Not used this year
(Used if the Sunday following Trinity Sunday is between May 24 to 28 inclusive.)
Matthew 6:24-34
"Having our intentions aligned with God's desires plus trusting God frees us from being anxious / worried / fearful about what will happen next; allows us to let go of expectations."

   

A house built on sand

Pentecost NN
Not used this year
(Used if the Sunday following Trinity Sunday is between May 29 to June 4 inclusive.)
Matthew 7:21-29
""It is not enough for us to hear these words of Jesus; to study them; to be inspired by them; to have hopes / aspirations / dreams based on them. We must ACT on them; practice them; live them in our everyday lives."

   

Take heart, daughter

Pentecost NN
Not used this year
(Used if the Sunday following Trinity Sunday is between June 5 to June 11 inclusive.)
Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
""If you stop and really think about it, the most difficult 'miracle' in today's text is not the raising of the girl from death, nor the healing of the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. The most difficult healing was including the despised tax collector Matthew back into community. Don't believe it? Try thinking of a person your community despises and invite them to church with you."

   

The Harvest is plentiful

Pentecost 2
June 14, 2020
Matthew 9:35--10:8,(9-23)  
"Jesus then instructs his disciples on how to live as itinerants, what to expect, and how to handle difficulties. These teachings were important because his followers would only have known village life - relying on family and kin for sustenance - and would be totally unfamiliar with the social realities of being an outsider."

   

Take up your cross

Pentecost 3
June 21, 2020
Matthew 10:24-39  
"We all know how to lose our life so that it is lost. The trick is to figure out how to lose one's life so that it will be found. And the key to that mystery is to lose our life for Jesus' sake. For Jesus' purpose, aim, or end."

   

A cup of cold water to these little ones

Pentecost 4
June 28, 2020
Matthew 10:40-42  
"Welcoming "in the name of" means welcoming in the honour of; in the reputation of. It means welcoming in a way that is true to the integrity and character and goals of the one being welcomed. In a way that is truly worthy of the one being welcomed."

   

My yoke is easy

Pentecost 5
July 5, 2020
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30  
"A good way to open today's worship service might be to ask: Are there any here today who have never been weary? Never had to carry a heavy heart burden? Okay, you're free to go."

   

A sower went out

Pentecost 6
July 12, 2020
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 
"You and I might not waste our efforts on the down trodden, the thorny, and the hardened, but God does."  

   

Wheat and weeds together sown

Pentecost 7
July 19, 2020
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 
"This is a parable about the FIELD - about the collective experience. At the end, the weeds ARE separated and burned. At the end, what is pleasing to God is taken in to God's care and keeping. But remember, think of yourself as the FIELD. At the harvest, the weeds in you are removed, and the wheat in you is gathered in."

   

Finding one pearl of great value

Pentecost 8
July 26, 2020
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 
"Even those who are accustomed to finding and trading fine things might still encounter a life-changing experience. Even those involved in the church all their lives might still be transformed in ways beyond their imagining."

   

We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish

Pentecost 9
August 2, 2020
Matthew 14:13-21 
"This lesson invites us to remember our own wildernesses, our own places of chaos, when our own insufficiencies may have been blessed, broken, and given away. And yet it was precisely in risking that impossible insufficiency that there was enough. Indeed, more than enough."

   

Jesus immediately reached out his hand

Pentecost 10
August 9, 2020
Matthew 14:22-33 
"Walking on the sea is not an idle, capricious, magic trick. After spending time alone in prayer, Jesus has stepped out onto the back of a chaotic and dangerous spirit to go and be with his friends."

   

Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table

Pentecost 11
August 16, 2020
Matthew 15:(10-20), 21-28 
"But this incident is a beautiful illustration of the teaching Jesus has just made. Outwardly, this woman has nothing about her that is "clean." But she has two things in her heart that make her right with God: her unwavering, nagging, persistent care for her daughter; and, her unwavering, nagging, persistent trust that Jesus can cure her daughter. And these two things cause Jesus to undergo a change of heart himself."

   

Who do you say I am

Pentecost 12
August 23, 2020
Matthew 16:13-20 
"It is very problematic that the Lectionary separates Verses 13-20 from Verses 21-23, the first of three occasions of Jesus showing his disciples that he must go up to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and on the third day be raised. If we want the transformational bonding with Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God, we also can't avoid bonding with Jesus the Crucified One."

   

Any who would be my followers must ...

Pentecost 13
August 30, 2020
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."

   

If another sins against you

Pentecost 14
September 6, 2020
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."

   

And here are key liturgical dates for 2020.

Key dates for 2020

Welcome to Holy Textures, Year A, Season of Easter

   

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 A - Season of Easter - 2020

This year, Easter will arrive in the midst of the experience of a global pandemic and all of its consequences. One of the strengths of living within an ancient practice is being able to draw on the experiences and learned-from-experience wisdoms of those who have gone before. We are not the first generation to live with the stress and anxiety of a deadly present and unimaginable future. Nor are we the first generation to discover that our "faith" was actually based on taken-for-granted assumptions that we were unaware of - because those assumptions just happened every day - never needed to be thought about.

Whatever your context may be, I pray that Holy Textures will guide you in responding to these times with insights / wisdoms / faith that is adequate for these days.

I have been blessed with time to give a close reading to the Holy Week biblical texts and background information about life at the time of Jesus. I come away even more amazed at the courage of Jesus to voluntarily face the torture and humiliation of Roman execution on a cross, in order to remain faith to God's calling - God's purpose - for him: To proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Whatever else Easter may mean, it surely is a sign that God has vindicated the words and deeds of Jesus. We can trust him and what he stood for. And give our own lives for his vision.

As usual with the Season of Easter, we get to spend time with the Gospel of John.

I like to think of John as like a good day at the spa: Soaking in the swirling eddies and quiet back pools of his repetitive, non-sequitur, images and stories.

John wants us to really GET the life that is Jesus. May it be so.

   

See the place where he lay

Easter Vigil
April 11/12, 2020
Matthew 28:1-10 
"To deny the physicality of the resurrection is to deny that God vindicated the words and deeds of Jesus which are embodied in his flesh."

   

But Mary Stayed weeping outside the empty tomb

Easter Day
April 12, 2020
John 20:1-18, Alternate Reading 1 
"As the Word descended from the Father and became flesh at the start of John's Gospel, Mary is experiencing the reverse process - of the flesh becoming Word."

   

See the place where he lay

Matthew 28:1-10, Alternate Reading 2 
"To deny the physicality of the resurrection is to deny that God vindicated the words and deeds of Jesus which are embodied in his flesh."

   

Jesus himself came near and went with them

Easter Evening
April 12, 2020
Luke 24:13-49  
"The details reported in Luke make it very clear that it was the same Jesus who was crucified who is now resurrected. And they are not seeing a ghost. However, Jesus-who-died-on-the-cross-and-is-now-resurrected has not come back simply to take up his old job. He now says: Over to you."

   

Reach out your hand and put it in my side

Easter 2
April 19, 2020
John 20:19-31 
"John doesn't care what we see with our eyeballs. He wants us to SEE with our inner eye who Jesus really is. That is why he has written these signs for us. That in SEEing, we might believe; and in believing, we might have the life that is in Jesus."  

   

He took bread

Easter 3
April 26, 2020 
Luke 24:13-35 
"In this lesson - and in the Last Supper - breaking bread is an act of companionship and solidarity; of loyalty and friendship; of mutuality and sharing. Jesus-now-resurrected still appears to people in mystical visions. These are unique, individual experiences. But all of us can still recognize Jesus-now-resurrected in quite ordinary, everyday ways. Anyone here got some bread? Let's give thanks, break it, share it, and see what happens."

   

I am the gate

Easter 4
May 3, 2020
John 10:1-10 
"Many voices call our name. Can we be like the good sheep in this lesson and recognize and respond to the voice of Jesus calling our name?"

   

And you know the way

Easter 5
May 10, 2020 
John 14:1-14 
"If we substitute the "me" with who Jesus says "me" is - the "I am" that he begins with - we get: No one comes to the Father, except through the way, the truth, and the life."

   

God will give you another Advocate

Easter 6
May 17, 2020 
John 14:15-21 
"The underlying Greek word which is translated into English as 'truth' is alethea. In Greek, an initial letter 'a' is like our English 'un.' Lethe is the river in Greek mythology that the dead drank from in Hades in order to forget their past. And so 'a-lethea' - truth - has the sense of: waking up; remembering; overcoming oblivion and stupor; being alive and vital; not being deceived by false ideas or desires or scams; SEEING what is as it actually is."

   

Lifting his hands, he blessed them

Ascension Day
May 21, 2020 
Luke 24:44-53 
"And as if to emphasize that this blessing of his disciples has not been finished - is still on-going - Luke tells us that: While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. (Luke 24:51) Might it not be that even in heaven Jesus-now-resurrected is still blessing his disciples?"

   

May they be one as we are one

Easter 7
May 24, 2020 
John 17:1-11 
"The blessing Jesus prays for is: That we may be one as Jesus and God are one. That is, the quality of companionship between Jesus and God is the measure of our companionship with each other. Shortening the quotation to: That all may be one; misquotes the verse as it omits the defining quality of the oneness to which we are called."

   

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit

Pentecost Sunday
May 31, 2020
Acts 2:1-21  
"We might all hear the same words - each in our own language - but we will not all hear and understand exactly the same meaning. The problem with life, and faith, and following Jesus is always: What does this mean?"

   

Jesus came and stood among them

John 20:19-23, Alternate Reading 1
"To be a spirit-filled community of peace requires that we learn and practice and experience the reality and art of repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation." 

   

Let anyone who is thirsty come to me

John 7:37-39, Alternate Reading 2
"In John, 'thirst' has the double meaning of literal thirst for real water and physical life; and 'spiritual' thirst for a real relationship with God and eternal life. Thus, those who come to Jesus and trust him will have floods of life flowing out of them." 

   

And here are key liturgical dates for 2020.

Key dates for 2020

Welcome to Holy Textures, Year A, Season of Epiphany

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.

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.

Year A - Season of Epiphany - 2020

This year, the Season of Epiphany is 7 Sundays, which makes it almost as long as it can be. This is two pieces of good news for working preachers.

The first is that we can get our breath before launching into the intense work of Lent, Holy Week, and Easter.

The second is that we get a chance to do a sermon series and/or Bible study on the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew, Chapters 5, 6, and 7. Matthew's collection of these teachings of Jesus provide an excellent map of the Christian life: the attitudes, values, and behaviours we should cultivate.

But covering all of the Sermon on the Mount, means adjusting the Epiphany readings so that 6 of the 7 Sundays in Epiphany are used for the Sermon on the Mount, and that would mean opting out of using either the Baptism reading at the start, or the Transfiguration reading at the end. Or. Not using all 6 of the Sermon on the Mount readings. Here's one option: 

January 12, Epiphany 1, Baptism of the Lord, Matthew 3:13-17, OR the first Sermon on the Mount text below,
January 12, Epiphany 1, Matthew 5:1-12
January 19, Epiphany 2, Matthew 5:13-20
January 26, Epiphany 3, Matthew 5:21-37
February 2, Epiphany 4, Matthew 5:38-48
February 9, Epiphany 5, Matthew 6:24-34
February 16, Epiphany 6, Matthew 7: 21-29
February 23, Transfiguration Sunday, Matthew 17:1-9

Here are the readings as assigned by the Lectionary:

 

We have observed his star at its rising

Epiphany of the Lord
January 6  or  May be used on the First Sunday of January
Matthew 2:1-12.   
"That this comet is understood to be a sign of the birth of a “child who has been born King of the Jews” is particularly frightening to Herod since HE is King of the Jews and this unknown child is a threat to him and his heirs."

 

Suddenly the heavens were opened to him

Baptism of the Lord
January 12, 2020
Matthew 3:13-17.  
"Fulfilling of righteousness requires letting go of our personal sense of what is right and proper in order to let it be God's will that is fulfilled. For Jesus, as at the end, so too at the beginning: a deep and profound aligning of his heart and will with the will and Spirit of God."

 

Come and see

Epiphany 2
January 19, 2020
John 1:29-42.  
"This text has two questions and an invitation that are at the heart of the Gospel of John: What are you looking for? Where are you staying? Come and see."

 

Come and follow

Epiphany 3
January 26, 2020
Matthew 4:12-23.  
"The command / invitation to Peter, Andrew, James and John is: Come, follow me. And not: I wonder if you would consider the possibility of tagging along if you have the time and it's not too inconvenient?"

 

Blessed are those who ...

Epiphany 4
February 2, 2020
Matthew 5:1-12.  
"The poor, the hungry, and the sorrowing will never confuse these things as being their salvation. And THAT is the blessing. They KNOW their need of God."

 

A city on a hill

Epiphany 5
February 9, 2020
Matthew 5:13-20.  
"Don't think that my teachings replace or reduce the law and the prophets. And don't think you can skip the details. Details count. But something more than the details is also needed. You must align your whole self with what God desires - that is what those in Heaven are like."

 

Reconciliation, by Josefina de Vasconcellos, St. Michael's Cathedral, Coventry, UK

Epiphany 6
February 16, 2020
Matthew 5:21-37.  
"Why not take Jesus at his word? Take your offering home this week, and carry it to remind you to take safe, practical steps toward reconciliation and peace wherever there is brokenness in your life."

 

Do not violently resist

Epiphany 7
Not used this year.
Matthew 5:38-48.  
"Matthew 5:38-41 has a tragic history of poor translations and even worse interpretations. This passage is NOT recommending becoming a doormat; nor does it tolerate domestic violence. The translation, “Do not resist an evildoer,” fails to convey the full meaning of the underlying Greek. It would be better translated as: Do not VIOLENTLY resist an evildoer. Thus the teaching is primarily about non-violence. It is not about acquiescing to evil. Jesus then goes on to offer three quick examples of how to non-violently resist an evildoer."

 

Consider the lilies

Epiphany 8
Not used this year.
Matthew 6:24-34.  
"Having our intentions aligned with God's desires plus trusting God frees us from being anxious / worried / fearful about what will happen next; allows us to let go of expectations."

 

A house built on sand

Epiphany 9
Not used this year
Matthew 7:21-29.  
"It is not enough for us to hear these words of Jesus; to study them; to be inspired by them; to have hopes / aspirations / dreams based on them. We must ACT on them; practice them; live them in our everyday lives."

 

Transfiguration. Sieger Koder, 1925-2015

Transfiguration Sunday
February 23, 2020
Matthew 17:1-9.  
"I wonder how much in our heart of hearts, we are still cheering for Jesus as the triumphant Victor, and still longing for a Messiah, when God has already given us all that God has to give: the Beloved?"

 

 

And here are the key calendar dates for 2020.

Liturgical Dates for 2020

Reading John in Lent and Easter

www.holytextures.com

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."

 

 

I recently had a wonderful time auditing a two week intensive on John. It was great to be part of such an excellent class of fellow students and teacher. Here are my personal top take-aways:

1. When John refers to "the Jews" (as he does over and over again), ask yourself:
      Is John referring to the 8,000,000 people living throughout the Roman Empire who identified as belonging to the people of Israel?
Or to put it another way:
      Is John wanting us to include as one of "the Jews" Lazarus - whom the text says Jesus loved; and Mary - who anointed him before his arrest? 

And when John actually includes "Jews" in the story, who are they? (Answer: about 90% of the time they are Judean elites who were collaborating with the Roman Empire as local rulers.) (The Greek text uses the word for Judean, i.e. people from the geographic region called Judah - which historically was in the process of becoming the generic word Romans used to refer to the entire people of Israel. English translators have continued this practice even though it is often debatable as to whether this is the correct meaning.)

2. The pascal lamb that is sacrificed on Passover is NOT a sin offering. Identifying Jesus as a sin offering is not Johannine. Jesus' death (at most) is an offering for protection, community formation, and escape from bondage. John is placing Jesus in the Mosaic Exodus tradition - not a priestly ritual blood-sacrifice tradition. John presents Jesus as a Messiah in the Mosaic tradition, not the Davidic. ("Jesus died for our sins" may be valid, but it is not in John. Nor in me. And don't get fooled by John the Baptist saying, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Just about everyone who says anything about Jesus in John have got it wrong. John the Baptist is no exception.)

3. Jesus was laid in a tomb (not buried) in expectation that he would be resurrected. But expected to be resurrected on the last day, not on the third day. And so, Jesus' resurrection is not "Love is stronger than death." Easter sermons need to think about: What does it mean that this resurrection happened ON THE THIRD DAY?

4. The crucifixion is a SIGN that points to the glory of God. How does it do that? Passion Sunday and Good Friday sermons probably would not go far wrong if you spent the whole time using the dialog between Jesus and Pilate to reflect on their two very different understandings of: a) Kingship, b) power, and c) truth. God's glory is not about being glorious. 

5. When John reports that Jesus "gave up his spirit" (John 20:30), he is wanting us to remember that Jesus has previously promised that he will send the Spirit to be with us. John wants us to understand that Jesus has already given us his Spirit. There is no "Second Coming" to look for. Jesus has returned in the Spirit incarnated in / through his disciples. If I were to be starting over again, I would be spending my ministry wondering how the Holy Spirit is a real presence in this congregation?

And just to add the usual mea culpa: Harry Maier, our teacher, is NOT responsible for any errors, omissions, additions, or stupidities in the above. They are all exclusively my own. But I am thankful for his lively, scholarly, humane, and joyful teaching of this amazing Gospel.