Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Health, Fitness and Religion
Adventurous Lectionary – God on the Move – Second Sunday of Lent – March 5, 2023

Adventurous Lectionary – God on the Move – Second Sunday of Lent – March 5, 2023

Last updated on: February 26, 2023 at 1:02 pm by Bruce Epperly

0 Comments

Adventurous Lectionary – God on the Move – Second Sunday of Lent – March 5, 2023 2023-02-26T13:02:38-05:00 Bruce Epperly

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Adventurous Lectionary – The Second Sunday in Lent – March 5, 2023

Genesis 12:1-4a (4b-9); Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5; 13-17; John 3:1-17

In every season of the Christian year and every season of life, and beyond Christianity, God’s call is universal and ubiquitous. God is still moving and speaking, and faithfulness to God invites us to be on the move, too! God is alive and wants us to come fully alive, revealing God’s glory in daily life.

THE CALL TO ADVENTURE. The story of Abraham’s call celebrates forward movement. Despite the brevity of the text (12:1-4a) and the absence of Sarah as an equal protagonist, the passage points to forward looking spirituality. With Abraham Joshua Heschel, we can feel Abraham’s and our legs praying as we consider this passage. Brief though it is, the passage invites the preacher and congregation to ask,

“Where do we need to move forward beyond our current – even positive – past? What adventures await us if we explore new ways of mission and worship? Where will our spiritual walk take us?” Changes in attitudes and changes in latitudes are connected, as singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffet avers. Movements of the Spirit can be just as challenging as geographical peregrinations. In both cases, we must leave the familiar and adapt to a new landscape – or seascape – of possibilities. Divine movement builds on the past but lures us toward untraveled futures, personally and institutionally. In the post-Covid world, churches must move or stagnate. They must explore new ways of ministry and outreach. Given your congregation’s current situation, numerical, financial, contextual, demographic, theological, where does your congregation need to change?

PROTECTION ON THE JOURNEY. The Psalmist provides a word of assurance to pilgrims. God is with us, and will protect us. Of course, we know that there is no guarantee that our journeys will succeed or arrive at their appointed destination. Still, we can move forward with trust that God will guide us on the way. Still, in times of challenge, we ask from where will our help come? Where will our congregation find the resources to move forward? Where is God in the pilgrimage.

FAITH AS TRUST AND RESPONSE. The reading from Romans also highlights Abraham’s journey. God takes the initiative in our adventures. We travel forth, not to earn God’s love, but to faithfully respond to the love we have already received. Our pilgrimages involve a dynamic call and response, in which God calls, we respond, and our response leads to new manifestations of divine creativity. Faith involves trusting that God will make a way where we perceive no way and that possibilities can emerge where we see only dead ends for ourselves, our congregations, or our nation. Abraham’s and Sarah’s faith was not blind, nor should ours. Abraham and Sarah trusted God, but, I suspect, they also inventoried their “stock” (their cattle and sheep, in this case!)

BORN ANEW IN A GOD-LOVED WORLD. The encounter of Nicodemus and John has so many twists and turns, it’s difficult to find one clear path through the text. The perceptive preacher can focus on being born anew, becoming a new creation, as Abraham, Sarah, and Lot were called to be. He or she can also describe the free-wheeling movements of the Spirit, unbound and unconfined by human creed and ritual. All these can be encompassed by God’s overarching love for the world.
The aged spiritual leader needs to be born anew. He needs to be energized by the Spirit to transform his past, and embrace God’s future. The Spirit is not at our disposal. It blows where it wills, and blows beyond our doctrines, ecclesiastical structures, and concepts of revival. The Spirit takes us beyond the known roads and even beyond Christianity. We must be willing to change course and explore new possibilities to be faithful to the Spirit’s work. (For more on the Holy Spirit, see Bruce Epperly, RESTLESS SPIRIT: THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM A PROCESS PERSPECTIVE, Energion, 2022 – Restless Spirit: The Holy Spirit from a Process Perspective (Topical Line Drives): Epperly, Bruce G: 9781631998249: Amazon.com: Books)

The words of John 3:16 are more than a slogan to be placarded at sports events; they describe the divine intentionality and universality. God loves the world. God loves bodies, our bodies, regardless of sexuality, gender, race and ethnicity, diversity of flora and fauna, and diversity of humankind. God wants to save everyone. No room for anthropocentrism or double predestination in this passage. Salvation touches all creation, embracing our cells as well as our souls. There are no limits, outsides, or impediments to the ubiquitous and graceful providence of God.
God’s love is on the move and it invites us to construct larger and larger circles of love, moving from our individual salvation to saving the world.
+++
Bruce Epperly is a pastor, professor, spiritual guide, and author of over seventy books, including THE ELEPHANT IS RUNNING: PROCESS AND OPEN AND RELATIONAL THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS PLURALISM; PROPHETIC HEALING: HOWARD THURMAN’S VISION OF CONTEMPLATIVE ACTIVISM; MYSTIC’S IN ACTION: TWELVE SAINTS FOR TODAY; WALKING WITH SAINT FRANCIS: FROM PRIVILEGE TO ACTIVISM; MESSY INCARNATION: MEDITATIONS ON PROCESS CHRISTOLOGY, FROM COSMOS TO CRADLE: MEDITATIONS ON THE INCARNATION, and THE PROPHET AMOS SPEAKS TO AMERICA. His most recent book is TAKING A WALK WITH WHITEHEAD: MEDITATIONS WITH PROCESS-RELATIONAL THEOLOGY. He can be reached at [email protected]

Health, Fitness and Religion

Religious Events

The Adventurous Lectionary

God's love

incarnation

lectionary commentary

Lent

pilgrimage

Previous Post

February 20, 2023

Beauty Amid the Ashes: An Ash Wednesday Meditation

Next Post

March 7, 2023 Adventurous Lectionary - Third Sunday in Lent - March 12, 2023

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"https://www.antalyaescortsi... siz siz olun gelin"

antalyaescortsizin.com

Caesar or Jesus: A Palm Sunday ..."

"https://www.antalyaescortsi... harikalar diyarı"

antalyaescortsizin.com

Palm Sunday’s Tragic Beauty – March ..."

"Power of love is far more beautiful and effective than the love of power. "The ..."

Dr.Cajetan Coelho

Palm Sunday’s Tragic Beauty – March ..."

"Ash Wednesday, 2026The 40 Days and Three Tests of Jesus in the DesertThe joy these ..."

Joris Heise

The First Sunday in Lent – ..."

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book Reviews The Adventurous Lectionary Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 December 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz