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The Romans 12 covenant has begun to make its way from house to house and person to person. Whenever it might arrive at your house, think about what it says and sign it if you want to enter into that covenant with others. Take a selfie as a reminder and send a copy of the photo to me! I would love to see it!
There is no organized plan for how it gets mailed around. Just look at the signatures and send it to someone who hasn't signed yet. You can add a little note if you would like and maybe call them to check if they received it and if they have sent it along to someone else. I hope it goes and goes and goes to as many people as we can send it to. In the meantime, if you would like to see what the covenant says and sign it online, go here to our website. You can add your name in the comments. Let us outdo one another in showing honor today. Peace, Dean
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Let Romans 12:9-21 be our guide. Please sign this covenant anywhere along the margins or the back of this page, then send it to someone else to sign and send along. Keep sending it until everyone who wants can add their signature. Take a “selfie” after you sign and keep it as a reminder of how we seek to treat others. Send your selfie to the church at [email protected] to help us know where the covenant has traveled.
Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
Exodus 2:23-24 I meet with a clergy covenant group every Tuesday via Zoom. Together, we are studying the book How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. It is easy to not think about racism. It feels good to say I treat everybody the same. I feel better about myself when I say at least I am not like those really racist people. But denying there is a problem and excusing my actions and inactions are not helping. Times like these call us to wade into uncomfortable places and have difficult conversations. The Israelites groaned and cried out for help. They were suffering injustice and oppression. They were seeking freedom and change. God heard their groaning and remembered their covenant. In the last few days, many have called out to God for change. The Detroit Lions, the Milwaukee Bucks, Doc Rivers, Robert Horry, the NBA, Jacob Blake's sister, The United Methodist Church... All of us have an opportunity to make the change that is needed. Perhaps it begins by remembering the covenant that God made with God’s people. And by remembering our covenant with Christ and one another in our baptisms. Then we can work to dismantle racism within us, among us, and around us. As we pray for steps we can make to address the pain, violence, and unrest in our country, let us also be in prayer for those who are suffering the effects of the hurricane that made landfall this morning. We have lots to pray for today. May God be our strength and guide. Peace, Dean Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
Matthew 26:6-13 The first sentence, verses 6 and 7, are remarkable. Jesus is eating a meal at the home of Simon the Leper. We can assume that Jesus was in the home and at the table of one who suffered from a skin condition that made him ritually unclean. His leprosy restricted his access to the temple or the synagogue. Leviticus 14 lays out the complicated process for one who has been cleansed from leprosy to be able to rejoin the community. And yet Jesus was at his table, eating his food, gathered with his disciples and others. Sometimes we can take strides ahead more by the things that we do than the words that we say. I do not know the details or the full story of Simon the Leper. But I can suspect that Jesus lifted the stigma of leprosy by his presence. Others might have been less fearful knowing that Jesus was not afraid. By choosing to eat at Simon's house, Jesus was changing the focus from the label given to Simon, to Simon himself. Can you think of times you have helped overcome the perception others have of someone simply by being a friend? The second part of this first sentence describes a woman present with an alabaster jar of costly perfume. Sometimes we miss how connected Jesus was to women. Mary must have taught him valuable lessons about the exceptional worth and abilities of women. In a patriarchal society, the elevated role of women in the story of Jesus is remarkable. This woman brings a beautiful jar of costly perfume to this dinner party. She pours the perfume over Jesus' head as he reclines at the table. Take a moment to imagine what is happening. Do you think the woman was nervous? What do you think she said as she offered Jesus this gift? Imagine how Jesus closed his eyes as the perfume ran over his hair, face, neck, and robe. Imagine how the perfume filled the room with a beautiful and powerful fragrance. Do you think the woman regretted pouring out this expensive gift? Sometimes faith makes us do things that others think to be foolish. What does it feel like when you give a gift to the church? Imagine the gift you give to be as beautiful and powerful as the gifts in this gospel's first sentence. The gift of life and dignity. The gift that blesses. The gift that is extraordinary and surprising, beautiful and loving. The gift that is not wasted but continues to bless even today. One sentence tells us so much about Jesus. Thanks be to God. Peace, Dean Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A Romans 11:33-36 is a doxology - a liturgical praise of God. "For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." I'll let Chuck from Chuck Knows Church say a bit more about the Doxology. And, I'll let the group Selah (remember that word from yesterday's reflection on the Psalm?) sing the Doxology in a way that will give you shivers. Oh, the sound of music in a sanctuary is so holy and eternal. How can you praise God in word and song today? Peace, Dean Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
I love the Psalms. I love thinking about people singing the Psalms in worship throughout the centuries. Sometimes a song gets to a deeper emotional place than anything else. We do not know the tunes of the Psalms. Another mystery are some of the superscriptions and directions. Words like "Selah", "miktam" from Psalm 56, or directions like "to the tune of the doe of the morning" from Psalm 22 are interesting, yet unknown in their exact meaning. Psalm 8 from today's reading simply says, "For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of David." No one really knows what "gittith" is referring to. I give our music team so much credit. Sometimes they speak in a language I do not understand. Here is an exchange as they prepare for worship music for an upcoming Sunday: I'm starting the organ track now and will have my two vocal tracks (one is just the ad libs and doubling my high part at the end.) Adrianne, in that last "To the One" at 57-58, can you take the bottom part, which I think doubles Dave an octave up? So we'll have doubles of each part. The places to double the unison "Lift your hands, lift your heart, to the one" line are at: m. 24-26, on the repeat at m.24 with a jump to coda at 36-37, then twice in a row at m.52-56. Beautiful things take coordination and planning. Musical notation helps singers and musicians follow the music together, like a map so they can find their way. For many of us this language of musical direction is full of mystery. Take a look at this video that helps to describe the musical notations found in music today. (You can stop at the 2:31 mark.) I don't think it matters much that they are not speaking English. :) Sing a song today! Sing a Psalm today, with whatever tune you find in your heart. Maybe you will discover what gittith really sounds like! Peace, Dean Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
Pericope (per-rick-oh-pee) is a word that describes a sentence or portion of scripture. Sometimes you can get all you need to reflect on God through a pericope. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself." You could sit with that for a while. The context and references would be helpful, but that pericope gives you much to think about. I have asked you to engage in a text over the last three days. To pull a phrase or sentence out of the story of Joseph and his brothers would miss the fuller context. Much of the Bible is made up of narrative stories that are best understood when taken as a whole. What do you think you gleaned from reading Genesis 43-49 in its entirety? There is tension and drama. As we read we wonder what Joseph will choose to do. He was wronged by his brother. Now that he is in a seat of power will he exact his revenge? Can you feel the emotions of a father? The jealousy of the brothers? The distinct differences of the Egyptian way of life? The guiding principles of Joseph's faith? When Joseph finally revealed who he was to his brothers, could you hear the weeping echoing and feel the embraces? One who was lost was now found. One who had died was now alive. The sons of Israel would become the twelve tribes. This story of losing and finding would continue through the generations, just as it continues in our story today. When we take time to read the whole story, we can witness the way God is at work pulling us closer when we have faded apart. Maybe there is someone you would like to call and talk with about these readings from Genesis. And maybe this story will give you insights into your life and God's presence as we continue to live God's story. Peace, Dean Daily Lectionary Readings for Year A
Please continue reading the story of Joseph and his brothers in Genesis. We will reflect more on that story tomorrow. For many, today marks the beginning of a new school year. Mixed in with the excitement of learning, discovery, social engagements, and good work is the worry around COVID-19. Please pray for students, faculty, staff, administrators, families, and communities as they navigate these unchartered waters. Whether in the school building or at home, may each student be blessed in their education. Pray Psalm 130. A Back-to-School Litany Read Luke 2:41-52 One: As we begin this new school year, we give thanks that God has given us the ability to learn many things in many ways. All: We learn in school, but we also learn in church, in our family, in our homes, online, in our community, and in the world. All: Learning is a gift from God. One: The Bible tells us that Jesus learned and studied, just as we do. All: And Jesus grew in wisdom. One: We ask God's blessing on this new school year, that it may be a time when we appreciate and fully use God's gift of learning. We ask God to guide us to learn safely and to protect all who are vulnerable from the Covid-19 virus. All: We ask God to bless our schools and teachers. One: We ask God to bless our classmates and friends. All: We ask God to bless our principals, counselors, and librarians. One: We ask God to bless those who prepare our lunches, those who drive us to school, and those who keep our schools clean and safe. All: We give thanks to God for books and computers and all the things that help us learn. One: We give thanks to God for the gift of learning! Prayer: Loving God, sometimes a new school year seems exciting or scary or both. Sometimes school is great, and sometimes it is hard. But we know that whether we are excited or scared, you are with us. We know that whether school is great or hard, you are with us. We thank you for always being with us. Watch over everyone who is part of the school. Help them to wear a mask, stay socially distant from one another, wash their hands, and look out for one another. Their work makes the world better. Please, protect them all. Help us to remember to show our thanks for your gift of learning by doing our best every day. Amen. |
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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