Saints Everywhere: On Brandon Vogt’s “Saints and Social Justice”

saints

2014-06-30T14:46:46-04:00

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 – July 6, 2014 – Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Last updated on: June 30, 2014 at 2:46 pm By Bruce Epperly

Lectionary Reflections for July 6, 2014 Romans 7:15-25a Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 “Come to me all who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” These authoritative words from Jesus serve as God’s response to Paul’s, and our own, inner turmoil and ethical angst. Jesus speaks out of his unique relationship with God to provide us with wisdom and guidance as we seek to follow God’s path in our lives. The Apostle Paul’s words could be... Read more

2014-06-25T12:20:09-04:00

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: June 29, 2014

Last updated on: June 25, 2014 at 12:20 pm By Bruce Epperly

Lectionary Reflecions for the Third Sunday after Pentecost June 29, 2014 Genesis 22:1-14 Psalm 13 Jeremiah 28:5-9 Romans 6:12-23 Matthew 10:40-42 This week’s stories are all challenging. We need to take exception to the story of Abraham and Isaac to be faithful to the God of grace. Following Christ is ultimately about a life-giving lifestyle, not violence or fear. To be honest, I am unsure what to do with the passage related to Abraham and Isaac. Though we can see... Read more

lectionary

2014-06-20T17:30:40-04:00

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.

Relativity and Revelation: Responding to Samaa Habib’s “Face to Face with Jesus”

Last updated on: June 20, 2014 at 5:30 pm By Bruce Epperly

Samaa Habib’s Face to Face with Jesus: A Former Muslim’s Journey to Heaven and Encounter with the God of Love is a fascinating spiritual autobiography, describing one person’s encounter with the holy. It is a highly personal book with universal ramifications. It is highly particularistic and sectarian, yet it also has an unexpected globalism. Like a growing number of spiritual autobiographies, Habib’s text describes a “near death experience” in which she encounters the divine. In this case, she sees the... Read more

2014-06-16T12:53:53-04:00

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 for June 22, 2014

Last updated on: June 16, 2014 at 12:53 pm By Bruce Epperly

Lectionary Reflections for the Second Sunday After Pentecost – June 22, 2014 Genesis 21:8-21 Psalm 81:1-10, 16-17 Romans 6:1b-11 Matthew 10:24-39 God is faithful and invites us to look beyond our own resources and self-interest to a larger vision of life. When trouble surrounds us, we are not alone; God is with us. These affirmations burst forth from today’s lectionary readings. The Old Testament reading tells of the rescue of Hagar and Ishmael. Banished to the wilderness by Sarah and... Read more

bible study

lectionary

2014-06-10T12:05:56-04:00

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 – Trinity Sunday – June 15, 2014

Last updated on: June 10, 2014 at 12:05 pm By Bruce Epperly

Lectionary Reflections for Trinity Sunday June 15, 2014 Genesis 1:1-2:4a Psalm 8 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 Matthew 28:16-20 With summer on the horizon, the scriptures celebrate creation and our place in it. It’s not about us. We have a unique mission but it is part of a larger holy adventure of divine wisdom and creativity. We share in God’s creativity with all creation, and have the vocation of becoming imaginative and healthy creators ourselves. Many churches will celebrate the reality of... Read more

Bible

bible study

Trinity Sunday

2014-06-03T15:54:58-04:00

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: Pentecost Sunday, June 8, 2014

Last updated on: June 3, 2014 at 3:54 pm By Bruce Epperly

Lectionary Reflections on Pentecost Sunday June 8, 2014 John 20:19-23 Acts 2:1-12 The back to back celebrations of Ascension and Pentecost surely give us something to think about. Incomprehensible to “moderns,” there is a chance that postmodern pluralists might get the wild message of clouds, wind, and fire. But, it won’t be easy, especially if we demand to have worship and church as usual. First, we are confronted by the vision of a three story universe and Jesus ascending into... Read more

2014-06-02T16:44:55-04:00

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.

What’s a Church to Do? A Response to Naomi Shaefer Riley’s “Got Religion?”

Last updated on: June 2, 2014 at 4:44 pm By Bruce Epperly

As the pastor of a mid-sized congregation, South Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, on Cape Cod, I am as perplexed as most of my colleagues about how to reach out to twenty and thirty-year-olds in our community. With the exception of the children of long-time members or persons planning to get married at our church, members of the millennial generation seldom darken our doors. A recent article in a local magazine described the apparently successful outreach to millennials of... Read more

Book Reviews

2014-06-02T15:10:06-04:00

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.

Slow Church and the Transformation of Time

Last updated on: June 2, 2014 at 3:10 pm By Bruce Epperly

A Response to Slow Church: Cultivating Community in the Patient Way of Jesus, by Christopher Smith and John Pattison In a recent conversation, a young adult noted, “I’m not interested in going to the big church down the road, with its band and big screen. It’s just like the mall. When I go to church, I want a few minutes of calm and peace. All week I’m texting and on line. I spend most of my day in front of a... Read more

slow church

2014-05-27T12:55:12-04:00

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 — June 1, 2014

Last updated on: May 27, 2014 at 12:55 pm By Bruce Epperly

Lectionary Reflections for June 1, 2014 Acts 1:6-14 I Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 John 17:1-11 Today’s readings are about height and depth. Jesus is no longer on the earth. He has ascended. But, this is no cause to abandon our planet. It is an opportunity to take our place as Jesus’ companions in creative transformation. God is in us and with us, and is luring us forward toward new adventures in faithful discipleship. You will receive power from the Holy Spirit!... Read more

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Jesus

revised common lectionary