Lessons: 1 Kings 19:4-8 Psalm 34:1-8 Ephesians 4:25-5:2 John 6:35, 41-51 l three Synoptic Gospels – so, in Matthew, Mark, and Luke – Jesus tells us that he is bread. We repeat his words, we pray them together, when we celebrate the Eucharist on Sunday morning. Jesus holds out the bread and he says toContinueContinue reading “Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Tag Archives: The Rev. Martin Elfert
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Ezekiel 2:1-5 Psalm 123 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 Mark 6:1-13 Mr. Rogers is all over the news these days, all over social media these days. A big part of the catalyst for that is the new documentary about him, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? It’s a film that I cannot wait to see. I’mContinueContinue reading “Seventh Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Wisdom of Solomon 1:13-15; 2:23-24 Psalm 30 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 Mark 5:21-43 Today, Mark gives us a story about holy interruption. Or maybe I should pluralise that: Today, Mark gives us a story about holy interruptions. I count no fewer than six interruptions. Maybe there are more. With each interruption, I am goingContinueContinue reading “Sixth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Ezekiel 17:22-24 Psalm 92:1-4,11-14 2 Corinthians 5:6-10,[11-13],14-17 Mark 4:26-34 One of the gifts of this past week at the College for Congregational Development was spending part of an afternoon with the Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry. (Those of us who went on the pilgrimage to the Holy Land will remember that weContinueContinue reading “Fourth Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Third Sunday after Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Genesis 3:8-15 Psalm 130 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 Mark 3:20-35
The Day of Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Ezekiel 37:1-14 Acts 2:1-21 John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15 Psalm 104:25-35, 37 What do the leaders of an oppressive system, an oppressive state, do in order to maintain control of those who suffer under their rule? The first – and probably the most obvious answer to that question – is that the state will employ violence.ContinueContinue reading “The Day of Pentecost by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Seventh Sunday of Easter by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 1 John 5:9-13 John 17:6-19 Psalm 1 The Lutheran pastor, Nadia Bolz-Weber, says that when she welcomes newcomers to the parish at which she serves, she always shares with them the same message: I want to guarantee you one thing, she tells the newcomers. I want to guarantee you that thisContinueContinue reading “Seventh Sunday of Easter by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Fifth Sunday of Easter by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Acts 8:26-40 1 John 4:7-21 John 15:1-8 Psalm 22:24-30 This morning we hear a conversion story. A story about one of those experiences in which we have a God sighting and we come away changed – or, at least, we come away invited to change. This particular conversion story takes place in theContinueContinue reading “Fifth Sunday of Easter by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Third Sunday of Easter by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Acts 3:12-19 1 John 3:1-7 Luke 24:36b-48 Psalm 4 Jesus himself stood among the disciples and said to them: Peace be with you. They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them: Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? LookContinueContinue reading “Third Sunday of Easter by The Rev. Martin Elfert”
Easter Sunday by The Rev. Martin Elfert
Lessons: Acts 10:34-43 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Mark 16:1-8 Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 He said to them: You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He is not here. The novelist Salman Rushdie says that, in the storytelling tradition with which he grew up in India, the storyteller begins herContinueContinue reading “Easter Sunday by The Rev. Martin Elfert”