Tag Archives: suffering

Pentecost 21B: Disarm with Subservience

The readings for the 21st Sunday after Pentecost are: Old Testament       Isaiah 53:4–12 Psalm                    Psalm 91:9–16 New Testament      Hebrews 5:1–10 Gospel                   Mark 10:35–45 Years ago I heard a young woman describe a tense encounter she had … Continue reading

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Trinity B: The Stormy Glory of Embracing Diversity

The readings for this Sunday are: Old Testament      Isaiah 6:1–8 Psalm                    Psalm 29 New Testament     Romans 8:12–17 Gospel                   John 3:1–17 We have heard about George Floyd’s death for a year now, and about the explosion of … Continue reading

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Palm/Passion Sunday B: Meaning Shines Out From Steadfastness

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

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Easter 6A: What if God did send the virus?

The Psalm for Easter 6 A is Psalm 66. It includes this: 10For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. 11You brought us into the net; you laid burdens on our backs; 12you … Continue reading

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Pentecost 6: Jesus’ Victorious Poverty

These three lessons take us in different directions as we pray they may converge.   Because I am a wimp who has certainly been spared the suffering of life that deserves that name, I have experienced the pain of rehab … Continue reading

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Wounded Wise

This week’s “Dear Abby” column in our local paper started out with a letter from a 25-year-old woman lamenting the absence of a healthy role model in her life. Her father had abandoned the family years earlier, and her mother couldn’t … Continue reading

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Post-Sheep-Handling Thoughts on Olympian Spirit

The great 19th century Danish-Lutheran philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, wrote scathingly of a certain bishop who was called a “faithful witness of the truth” at his funeral. Kierkegaard thought that faithful witnesses, or, what he would also call “knights of faith,” … Continue reading

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He Touched the Pain: God and Suffering

Iris DeMent’s song, “He Reached Down,” expresses the way God relates to our suffering and the way we relate to God in faith. Continue reading

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