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Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A Ephesians 2:1-10 Rising to new life, forgiven by God's love, we seek out a life that reflects this grace. There are no actions that we can do to deserve this life we live now and in eternity. What could we do to earn such love? It is only by the grace of Christ that we inherit this life. So, how can we respond in light of this gift from God? We can now live in that love each day of our lives. Gratitude fills our days. We look for opportunities to lift the lives of those who are suffering. We seek out ways to express Christ's love through our words and actions. "But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." Paul is describing that part of the metamorphosis where we are changed. We are transformed because we have been loved. And are loved, so we go and love. Last week the Schick family decided to do just that. Bill, Jennifer, Jessica, Tommy, Alison, and Joey Schick got in their car and went to bless people. They stood at a safe distance and held up a sign that said, "We Miss You." They did not have to do this. They did not do it to earn God's love. They chose to do this because Christ loves them, and now they are doing what they can to love others. Share the ways you are changed because God loves you. "We are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." Peace, Dean 
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Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
As we near Easter, the Lectionary texts focus even more on life that comes from death. The readings are pointing us toward the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are preparing to journey with Jesus to death, into the tomb, and onto eternal life. Psalm 143 A Prayer of Deliverance What must it feel like to be pursued by someone or something that intends to bring harm? A foe, a virus... How long can you outrun the charge of one who seeks ill will? For the enemy has pursued me, crushing my life to the ground, making me sit in darkness like those long dead. Psalm 143 is a prayer for deliverance from this feeling of death. Time is of the essence. Death seems imminent. Save me, O Lord. 1 Kings 17:17-24 Elijah Revives the Widow's Son Elijah is a guest in a widow's home. Her child tragically dies. Death upon death. Grief upon grief. Elijah seeks to restore this life. After praying and through a series of actions, "the life of the child came into him again." Acts 20:7-12 Paul's Farewell Visit to Troas On the evening before leaving this Greek community, Paul is teaching deep into the night in an upstairs room. One child, sitting near the window, falls asleep, falls from the window, and dies. Paul rushes to him, holds him in his arms, and assures the crowd that the child will live. Paul returns upstairs to eat and teach for the rest of the night until dawn. The child is found to be alive and well in the morning. We will be getting into the theology of life from death in the coming weeks. But what of the physical ability to care for the dying? What does it take to restore life to those who are gravely ill? The world prays for the entire medical community in these hours. They are risking their lives to save the lives of others. Medical professionals do this not only because of their training but most notably because of their calling. They have taken an oath to care for others. The Hippocratic Oath is one of the oldest oaths dating back some 2,500 years. Pray for those who take this oath as their guide each day. There are heroes among us, often able to bring life from death. The Modern Hippocratic Oath I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:
I invite you to post below and share the name or a picture of someone who has cared for people who are sick. Give God thanks for medical professionals and all that they do. Peace, Dean Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A There is a room in my house. I call it the nook. Sometimes I call it the cranny. It's a small room with a large window that looks out over the garden. The view through the window gets more expressive, the longer you look. Five minutes turn to ten before there is a slight flicker of movement. It's the twitch of an ear, and suddenly you notice a rabbit that has been listening to the world the whole time. Last week Will and I saw a skunk. It was as big as a dog and making its way over to the Tanis house. We ran upstairs and watched it through the window waddle and hunt for grubs. It hadn't a care in the world. Sometimes when you know that God has given you certain defenses, you can worry less. I used my best ASL and tried to sign to Will everything I knew about skunks. Will looked at me, went into the bathroom, and put on more deodorant. My day begins in the nook (or the cranny). I watch the sunrise. The sky slowly turns all kinds of beautiful colors. The branches of the trees scrape the clouds. The birds are busy. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning. The garden seems barren. I planted raspberries and blackberries and strawberries last spring. The vines lay dormant. The leaves are dead. I wonder if they failed to survive the winter. I wouldn't even know how to revive them if I could. I sit and look out the window at a garden that seems hopelessly bare. And then, prophesies such as Ezekiel come to mind. Visions of flowers are springing forth, and branches are coming into blossom. The dormant soil is tilled and sown. God brings life back again. In due time. The vines will produce fruit for my neighbors and me and the rabbits. Looking out the window to the garden, I can envision it alive again. Tomatoes the size of your fist. Flowers tended by bees and butterflies. Strawberries sweet. God hasn't stopped working. This nook, or cranny, has been transformed into a sanctuary. In our time apart, we are broadcasting worship online. We are in our separate places coordinating videos among the musicians and worship leaders. The prayer is that it will all become worshipful. There are challenges too numerous to name, but it is meaningful. Each week I try to do something special for you to discover. I will give you a hint: March 22, I wore a different color Wesley Park shirt for each video segment. I wonder if you can guess my little gifts to you in the weeks ahead? This room with the big window that looks out onto the garden has some additional pieces. Now there is a camera on a tripod hooked up to a microphone on a stand. There is a small table with a second camera. There are shop lights to flood the room if it's too cloudy out to light naturally. There is an altar with the Christ candles and the cross from the church. There is a candle from Thistle Farms that shines as a prayer of hope for women who are seeking shelter from a dangerous world. There are blankets to wrap up into. There are computer monitors to read from. There are power cords and audio cables. More importantly, in this little room where we gather to worship, there is joy. Jesus opens up our minds to understand the scriptures. He invites us to repent. He offers us forgiveness. He reminds us that we are witnesses of his love and grace in the world. He gives us work to do in his name and on his behalf. He stretches out his hands and blesses us, our neighborhood, all people, and the whole world. This little room and all the rooms like it are where we give God our thanks. These small sanctuaries become places of profound praise, great joy, and authentic worship. Let us gather together in worship in the morning with joy and thanksgiving. Peace, Dean  Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A (I apologize for any delay in getting this reflection out. Worship preparation is fun but complicated. I hope you will be able to tune in Sunday at 10 am. The taped service, with beautiful music and special helpers will broadcast live so that you can chat with one another as you worship.) I wish that we did not have this coronavirus threat and our time of social isolation. But, if we are going to have it I am glad that it is happening in the season of Lent. These days call us to reflect upon our mortality, to confess our sins, to be forgiven, and to journey with Christ in the wilderness. The scripture readings for today talk about our iniquities and our sins. They also paint a picture of God's redemption of the world with the formation of the kingdom of heaven. Suffering is no longer theoretical. People are suffering from the coronavirus. Perhaps we pay the closest attention when it is a relation or a celebrity. When Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson announced they had the coronavirus, it was shocking. It brought it close and made it real. Then, NBA players were getting sick. This week, Prince Charles found out he has the coronavirus as well as many members of congress, police officers, firefighters, doctors, nurses, caregivers, etc.. Three days ago, Jackson Browne announced that he, too, has the coronavirus. Jackson Browne was one of my brother's favorite artists. Because I adore my brother, he became one of my favorite artists, too. He wrote his song "These Days" when he was 16 years old. I imagine Matthew Prado walking around town carrying his guitar on his back, strumming along to the thoughts in his head. I picture Matt letting notes form and change and grow into something that has never existed before. It's incredible to me. This line Jackson Browne wrote when he was just a kid always hit so close to my heart. "Don't confront me with my failures; I had not forgotten them." I think I tend to categorize sin as my failures. But maybe there is so much more to ponder. Lent is our season to consider how we live and what we do and how we grow. These days, maybe we can receive the forgiveness that Christ can offer and then walk by his side. Maybe throw a guitar over our shoulder. Maybe dream, and play, and know that we are loved. Here we are, where we need to be these days. We are in the midst of Lent. Allow God to set you free and be loved. Peace, Dean Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
Psalm 130 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning. O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem. It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities. I wonder, was Psalm 130 written 2,500 years ago? Or, might it have been this week? As we watch the ICU's fill up to overflowing and the nurses, doctors, physician assistants, and staff work through the night with makeshift gear, and hourly reports of new people with the virus, doesn't Psalm 130 feel current? Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Today, let us cry out to the Lord from the depths of our hearts. Let us pray for those who are suffering and for those called to care for them. A Nurse's Prayer Dear Lord, Help me to be the best nurse that I can be. Bless me with the words to impart knowledge with gentility, patience, and a kind bedside manner. Give me the vision to see those who are struggling with their illness and the ability to help them understand it. Show me how to provide expert care while making my patients comfortable. Let me be a source of strength for my patients and their families. Let me be a constant help to the providers and the others with whom I work. Lord, fill me with the energy to open each day with a smile regardless of how tired I am. May I be a true sign of Your love for every person under my care. -Author unknown Do you want to do a project? Click here to learn how to sew a close-fitted fabric face mask. Peace, Dean Lectionary for the Fifth Sunday in Lent Year A
Ezekiel 37:1-14 The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, "Mortal, can these bones live?" I answered, "O Lord GOD, you know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD." So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. Then he said to me, "Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act," says the LORD. This prophecy from Ezekiel was one of my favorite camp songs. The head bone's connected to the neck bone. The neck bone's connected to the shoulder bone. The shoulder bone's connected to the arm bone. The arm bone's connected to the hand bone. Dem bones gonna rise again. I didn't really know or care that the hand is made up of 27 individual bones, and it's obvious why I didn't become an orthopedic surgeon. What I liked about this song is that it was rebuilding something. Scattered dry bones were coming together again, rattling back into place, finding some semblance of order. Then, these Halloween-like skeletons received breath. What once was dead was now alive. There was hope from despair. Perhaps things seem gloomy or even despairing today as we live in the midst of a pandemic. Maybe all we can see is a valley of dry bones. Prophesy to the bones. Do what you can to fill today with life. A friend sent this to a friend who sent it to me and now I send it to you. Prophesy to the bones: History will remember when the world stopped And the flights stayed on the ground. And the cars parked in the street. And the trains didn't run. History will remember when the schools closed And the children stayed indoors And the medical staff walked towards the fire And they didn't run. History will remember when the people sang On their balconies, in isolation But so very much together In courage and song. History will remember when the people fought For their old and their weak Protected the vulnerable By doing nothing at all. History will remember when the virus left And the houses opened And the people came out And hugged and kissed And started again Kinder than before. (Donna Ashworth) Be safe. Be hope. Let's stay home and connected in love and prayer. Peace, Dean Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
The readings for today have a similar thread: compassion. The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow. Psalm 146:8-9 I will appoint Peace as your overseer and Righteousness as your taskmaster. Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. Isaiah 16:17b-18 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, crying loudly, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you.” And their eyes were opened. Matthew 9:27-30a What stories are you discovering about people being compassionate during times of great struggle? Where are you noticing people lifting one another up, comforting strangers, helping others see more clearly? Call someone up and tell them a story of where you are witnessing compassion in the world. Peace, Dean Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
Psalm 146 Yesterday we met for worship online again. Yes, I look forward to the day we can gather in the sanctuary once more. I miss you! I believe that collectively we long for a time to worship. As of this writing, 283 people tuned in to our worship service yesterday to sing, "Praise the Lord, O my soul!" This internet number doesn't include the desire to worship by those who do not have internet who started their day with the Upper Room devotional and prayer. It doesn't include those who were working at stores, in hospitals, or driving ambulances who pray without ceasing as they interact with people in need. Psalm 146 can be a reminder of our love of and our need for worship and praise. I imagine there are many reasons people love to worship. But perhaps these verses from Psalm 146 begin to get at the essence: Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. What do you love about worship? How has worship strengthened you during this time apart? Isaiah 59:9-19 In the center of Isaiah 59 that grieves injustice and laments transgressions, there is a phrase that might catch our eye these days. "We all growl like bears." Watch what happens when there is one last package of toilet paper at the store. When four people come together to claim it for themselves, you will get the sense that bears are growling. We growl like bears when we are tired and frustrated. We growl like bears when we are afraid. Isaiah writes that God understands. God takes up the cause of the suffering and becomes the champion for the oppressed. What has made you impatient, upset, angry, or scared these days? Have you noticed yourself growling? How might you put that feeling in prayer? Acts 9:1-20 It seems we have been focusing on transformation lately. God is changing us in this season of Lent. God is transforming us in the face of the challenges of the day. God has done it before. Look at the life of Saul. He once fought with all his might against the gospel. Then, God changed his heart and his name. God transformed Saul into Paul right before our eyes. And with his new wings, he took flight with his faith in Jesus Christ. What are the ways you have experienced God changing your life? Can you imagine what God might still have in store for you? Peace, Dean |
REv. Dean N. PrentissI am blessed to be the Pastor at Wesley Park UMC. Find Daily Lectionary Readings Here. Archives
February 2021
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