Category Archives: Reflections on Sunday Readings

Easter 4B: Good Shepherd Sunday and Earth Day

Posted on April 20, 2021 by John

The Gospel reading for this Sunday is part of John chapter 10–Jesus discourse on himself as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18). Wendell Berry distinguishes between farmers who are married to the land and others who rape the land. I see … Continue reading →

Posted in Church and Social Movements, Featured, John's Posts, Pandemic Blog, Reflections on Sunday Readings, Sheep, Social Political Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Easter 3 B: Ambiguity and the Sense and Sensibility of Faith

Posted on April 12, 2021 by John

The Readings for the Third Sunday of Easter are: First Reading         Acts 3:12–19 Psalm                    Psalm 4 New Testament     1 John 3:1–7 Gospel                   Luke 24:36b–48 Ambiguity drives us to distraction. We want black and white answers to … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Faith, Featured, John's Posts, Pandemic Blog, Reflections on Sunday Readings | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Easter 2 B: Resurrection Oneness

Posted on April 7, 2021 by John

Readings for the Second Sunday of Easter are First Reading         Acts 4:32–35 Psalm                    Psalm 133 New Testament     1 John 1:1–2:2 Gospel                   John 20:19–31 Throughout all my years of ministry if I had a choice of things … Continue reading →

Posted in Church, Featured, John's Posts, Pandemic Blog, Reflections on Sunday Readings, Social Political Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Easter B: Resurrection Questions

Posted on March 31, 2021 by John

The readings for Easter Year B, The Resurrection of Our Lord First Reading         Acts 10:34–43 or Isaiah 25:6–9 Psalm                    Psalm 118:1–2, 14–24 New Testament     1 Corinthians 15:1–11 or Acts 10:34–43 Gospel                   John 20:1–18 or Mark 16:1–8 … Continue reading →

Posted in Featured, John's Posts, Pandemic Blog, Prayer, Reflections on Sunday Readings, Social Political Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Palm/Passion Sunday B: Meaning Shines Out From Steadfastness

Posted on March 24, 2021 by John

The readings for the Liturgy of the Passion: Old Testament      Isaiah 50:4–9a Psalm                    Psalm 31:9–16 New Testament     Philippians 2:5–11 Gospel                   Mark 14:1–15:47 or Mark 15:1–39 (40–47) Friedrich Nietzsche was a harsh critic of religious belief; but … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Featured, Free Range Philosophy, John's Posts, Pandemic Blog, Reflections on Sunday Readings | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lent 4 B: Poisonous Prevention

Posted on March 11, 2021 by John

These are the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Lent Old Testament      Numbers 21:4–9 Psalm                    Psalm 107:1–3, 17–22 New Testament     Ephesians 2:1–10 Gospel                   John 3:14–21 The Old Testament and Gospel readings both refer to famous cases … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith, Featured, John's Posts, Pandemic Blog, Reflections on Sunday Readings, Social Political Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lent 3 B: Use Science, Don’t “Trust” It

Posted on March 2, 2021 by John

The Readings for the Third Sunday in Lent: Old Testament       Exodus 20:1–17 Psalm                    Psalm 19 New Testament      1 Corinthians 1:18–25 Gospel                   John 2:13–22 Because our last President made such a mess of our nation’s pandemic response … Continue reading →

Posted in Church and Social Movements, Featured, John's Posts, Pandemic Blog, Reflections on Sunday Readings, Social Political Issues | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lent 2 B: God as Companion in Our Dying

Posted on February 23, 2021 by John

Our Readings for this Second Sunday in Lent are: Old Testament      Genesis 17:1–7, 15–16 Psalm                    Psalm 22:23–31 New Testament     Romans 4:13–25 Gospel                   Mark 8:31–38 In Genesis we hear about how God covenants with people and so … Continue reading →

Posted in Featured, John's Posts, Pandemic Blog, Reflections on Sunday Readings | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Lent 1 B: The Noah Covenant and the Pandemic

Posted on February 16, 2021 by John

This Sunday’s readings: Old Testament      Genesis 9:8–17 Psalm                    Psalm 25:1–10 New Testament     1 Peter 3:18–22 Gospel                   Mark 1:9–15 Last Sunday was Transfiguration, and we thought of that word of our time: “unprecedented.” The fire, the windstorm, … Continue reading →

Posted in Church and Social Movements, Faith, Featured, John's Posts, Pandemic Blog, Reflections on Sunday Readings, Social Political Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Transfiguration B: Listen through Unprecedented

Posted on February 9, 2021 by John

Today on one more day of an unprecedented stretch of super cold temperatures, we look out on unprecedentedly huge drifts of snow, in the midst of a pandemic that has infected and killed unprecedented numbers of people worldwide, and listen … Continue reading →

Posted in Featured, John's Posts, Pandemic Blog, Reflections on Sunday Readings, Social Political Issues | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment