narrative lectionary

  • Prayers for Freedom

    This Sunday the Narrative Lectionary leads us into the words of Psalm 146 as we continue to focus on the Psalms offered by Working Preacher. There is another reading to pair this one in Luke 7:18-23 but I haven’t used these pairings for the past five weeks.… Continue reading

    Prayers for Freedom
  • Praying Toward Liberation

    This Sunday the Narrative Lectionary leads us into the words of Psalm 40:1-10 as we continue to focus on the Psalms offered by Working Preacher. There is another reading to pair this one in Luke 17:11-19 but it seems I can’t get excited about these alternate readings… Continue reading

    Praying Toward Liberation
  • An Altar in Prayer

    The Narrative Lectionary leads us to pray over the words of Psalm 27 on June 21, 2015. It happens that it’s Father’s Day but this is not a liturgical holiday. I got a lot of flack for this two months ago when I said… Continue reading

    An Altar in Prayer
  • Up to Our Necks

    This Sunday seems like a huge departure from last Sunday. We find ourselves in Psalm 69:1-16 as we continue to focus on the Psalms offered by Working Preacher. The Narrative Lectionary offers the the option to pair this reading with Matthew 7:7-11 but I’m skipping it… again.… Continue reading

    Up to Our Necks
  • Praising God from Sunrise to Sunset

    For June 7, 2015 the Narrative Lectionary leads us to consider the inspiration of Psalm 113. There is the option to pair this reading with Luke 15:8-10 but I’m skipping over that again this week. It’s summer and so I want to use prayer… Continue reading

    Praising God from Sunrise to Sunset
  • Prayers for Growing with God

    Pentecost was last Sunday. Because the Narrative Lectionary offers four-cycles of readings from the Sunday after Labor Day to the Sunday of Pentecost, we find ourselves in liminal space. We are neither here nor there. It is summer. We are in-between what was and what… Continue reading

    Prayers for Growing with God
  • Prayers for Pentecost Winds

    It’s Pentecost! For this special day, in which we celebrate the arrival of the Holy Spirit, the Narrative Lectionary has not one — but two readings — including Acts 2:1-4 and Romans 8:18-38. What a day! These two passages came together in a… Continue reading

    Prayers for Pentecost Winds
  • Struggling with Our Sins in Prayer

    The Narrative Lectionary on May 17, 2015 is Romans 6:1-14 where it boldly claims, “So you must consider yourself dead to sin and alive in God and Jesus Christ.” My first instinct is to start singing along with Bon Jovi but it really has… Continue reading

    Struggling with Our Sins in Prayer
  • Prayers for the Presence of Hope

    The Narrative Lectionary on May 10, 2015 is Romans 5:1-11. Of this passage, Karl Barth claims in his great work The Epistle to the Romans: Love is what endures of our endurance, which is proved in our probation; it is the hope in our… Continue reading

    Prayers for the Presence of Hope
  • Faith and Belief Right Now

    The Narrative Lectionary on May 3, 2015 is Romans 1:1-17. The first Sunday in May was the particular Sunday that my home church always celebrated the Confirmation of its youngest members. J.R. Daniel Kirk comments that the thesis of this letter in verses… Continue reading

    Faith and Belief Right Now