[RCL]: Exodus 3:1-15; Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c; Romans 12:9-21; Matthew 16:21-28 Peter says it can’t happen: Jesus can’t be allowed to die.  Mind you, this challenge to Jesus follows right after the passage we heard together last week, in which Peter totally gets the question right when Jesus asks him, “Who do you say that…

[RCL]: Genesis 45:1-15; Psalm 133; Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32; Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28 The story of Joseph is such a beautiful one. Perhaps you know the story from the musical, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” There’s something about putting bible stories to music that helps them stick in our heads and our hearts a different…

[RCL]: Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 17:1-7, 16; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:13-21 Once upon a time, a blind man and a man with an unresponsive hand approached a great healer begging to be healed. They had received in a dream a vision that this healer could help them if he followed specific instructions. So, after some coaxing,…

[RCL]: Genesis 29:15-28; Psalm 105:1-11, 45b, Romans 8:26-39, Matthew 13:31-33,44-52 Today’s reading from the Epistle to the Romans includes some of the most familiar and comforting words from Paul the Apostle, messenger, teacher and preacher: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor…

[RCL] Genesis 28:10-19a; Psalm 139:1-11, 22-23 or Wisdom 12:13, 16-19 or Isaiah 44:6-8; Psalm 86:11-17; Romans 8:12-25; Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43. Of the parables Jesus tells, the one about the weeds growing among the wheat can be especially troubling. In many readers’ opinion, what we would prefer to have happen, at least initially, is what the farm…

[RCL]: Genesis 25:19-34; Psalm 119:105-112; Romans 8:1-11; Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. Today’s reading from the letter to the Romans can be confusing. There are two ways that we can confuse ourselves about today’s reading from Paul’s…

[RCL] Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67; Psalm 45:11-18 or Song of Solomon 2:8-13; Romans 7:15-25a; Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 This weekend marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in the United States. Two hundred and fifty years. That is a remarkable milestone for a nation! Whatever country we inhabit, whatever our political convictions, it is…