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Category Archives: Lection Reflections
Gluttony — We Don’t Talk About It, But We Still Do It
(A Lection Reflection on I Corinthians 6:12) It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a sermon, or a sermon series, on The Seven Deadly Sins. Perhaps the list and the concept are seen by some as “too Catholic.” Perhaps … Continue reading
Seeing Others As Zeros (Luke 18:9)
Years ago, there was a certain band-director who was known for building a winning program, no matter what it took. One tactic he used was to take coat hangers and shape them into a circle, with the hangar part made … Continue reading
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Tagged lection, Lectionary, Luke, Pharisee, self-righteous
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Stop Being So Damn Needy!
(a Lection Reflection on Luke 14) There’s a great scene in Stephen King’s memoir On Writing where he describes an incident between himself and his wife Tabitha, who is also an accomplished author in her own right. They were taking … Continue reading
Are We Part of the Oppression?
OK, let’s cut to the chase. This week’s lections have two readings that present an easy-peasy contrast: Isaiah 58 and Luke 13. The Isaiah passage addresses religious people who act out the stage play of their religion (holding fasts), but … Continue reading
Can We Get a Grown-Up View of Faith?
(A Lection Reflection on Hebrews 11) Years ago, I read a book that immediately went onto my “key books” bookshelf: Good to Great by Jim Collins. The author and his team of researchers looked at pairs of companies in the … Continue reading
Are You Wealthy Toward God?
(a Lection Reflection on Luke 12: 13-21) There’s an old joke about sermon writing that references “three points and a poem.” If you’re working on a sermon, I don’t have a poem for you — although there are some on … Continue reading
Amos 8, the Headlines, the System, and Us
(A Lection Reflection on Amos 8, Psalm 15, and Psalm 52) Have you read this week’s lections yet? No? OK, then — here is the link to the online lectionary provided by the Vanderbilt Divinity Library. Be sure to read … Continue reading
Are You That Guy?
I love reading spy thrillers. I like following all the plots and characters, I like the suspense, I like the twists and turns of the story. And, I like a good hero. Why? Because I imagine myself as the hero. … Continue reading
Is Your Pride Godly?
(A Lection Reflection on Luke 10 and Galatians 6) If you were to plan a sermon on pride in most churches, the thought bubbles above the listeners would look like this: “Pride. Root of the seven deadly sins. God hates … Continue reading
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Tagged Galatians, lection, Lectionary, Luke, Paul, pride
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“A Little Lower than God” — Really?
There is a Bible study group that meets in a coffee shop I frequent. They sit at a long table near an easy chair where I like to relax, drink my coffee, and read the morning paper or write. From … Continue reading