On the sea

Revised Common Lectionary for June 24, 2012

I preached on Sunday.

That said, lots of effort went into 

inwardly digesting 

the 

lectionary readings 

for two weeks

simultaneously. 

So forgive me for not posting anything sooner.

While I was preparing to preach

I was looking for some music that connected with the emotions of the texts. 

I came across this video.

 

 "Fear not! You've got friends."

Now, if you haven't read the passage from the Gospel of Mark, read it now.

Jesus was frequently reminding the disciples to have faith which usually conveyed a meaning of trust in God.

The psalm for this week speaks about the difference between those who trust and maintain reverence for God, and those who follow their own ways. Yes, the psalmist calls them "wicked"  and ungodly.

The LORD will be a refuge for the oppressed, *
a refuge in time of trouble.

Those who know your Name will put their trust in you, *
for you never forsake those who seek you, O LORD.

Sing praise to the LORD who dwells in Zion; *
proclaim to the peoples the things he has done.

The Avenger of blood will remember them; *
he will not forget the cry of the afflicted.

Have pity on me, O LORD; *
see the misery I suffer from those who hate me,
O you who lift me up from the gate of death;

So that I may tell of all your praises
and rejoice in your salvation *
in the gates of the city of Zion.

The ungodly have fallen into the pit they dug, *
and in the snare they set is their own foot caught.

The LORD is known by his acts of justice; *
the wicked are trapped in the works of their own hands.

The wicked shall be given over to the grave, *
and also all the peoples that forget God.

For the needy shall not always be forgotten, *
and the hope of the poor shall not perish for ever.

Rise up, O LORD, let not the ungodly have the upper hand; *
let them be judged before you.

Put fear upon them, O LORD; *
let the ungodly know they are but mortal. 

Psalm 9:9-20

And while I was preparing last week this song came to mind.

 

 The disciples were annoyed at Jesus for sleeping while the storm rose up around them.
Jesus was annoyed at their failure to grasp the significance of the power which had already been imparted to them. But, to be fair to you, if you are new at reading the Bible let me explain. To follow the stories of any of the Gospels so that you keep them in their context, you really must read the entire Gospel from beginning to end. The gospel was originally composed for use in a public setting, as a dramatic biography for the people. The Revised Common Lectionary serializes the Scriptures which makes it manageable to read through the Bible over a three year period.

Anyway, Jesus was in the back of the boat resting, and trusting in the skill of the fishermen he invited to follow them. And I think "Why would a carpenter need to keep an eye on the work of fishermen while on the sea? Who would be better trained to handle the work? In the end, Jesus knows how to tap into the power of God, where the disciples have not yet grasped the significance of their own commissioning. They wouldn't until after Jesus was crucified, buried, and risen.

We are more fortunate than the first disciples only because we have the advantage of knowing the end of the story. They had to live the experience to its end without that.

When I was watching Pete Seeger play, I was struck by the sense that most of the people listening displayed very little emotion. It was not until the end of the video that I realized they were always staring at his back. They lacked an ability to make eye to eye connection. As we travel along, on the sea of life, need to connect with others face to face to be what God has created us to be, bearers of the image of God. I suppose, because Jesus was at the back of the boat, and the other men would have faced the  bow of the boat as they made their way across the lake, it was just natural for them to fall victim to their own fears. When I look someone in the eye, I am reminded of the presence of God dwelling in others. It becomes a sacred space of connection.

As you go through the week, think about the people that particularly convey a peaceful presence.
Are you feeling anxious?
How might you resolve that anxiety by leaning more heavily into a spiritual practice within a community instead of doing it alone?

May you be blessed, 

May you be at peace, 

May you be filled with hope and compassion

You can find all the Scripture passages in the Revised Common Lectionary at the link below.

Revised Common Lectionary for June 24, 2012

Weeds

"Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come."

He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade."

With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples." Mark 4:26-34

Living in Southern California almost my entire life, and hearing the passage from the Gospel of Mark in last Sundays' assigned lectionary creates a ready image. The landscapes of our state often have vast patches of mustard. While there is a quaint bidding that says "may all your weeds be wildflowers" I have yet to encounter someone that delights in the presence of mustard growing in their own gardens. Perhaps it seems better than dandelions in the lawn, but not much.


This may be an apocryphal story, but I recall reading in a book about the Missions of California that Fr. Junipero Serra and the other Fransican friars would scatter mustard seed along their route from one completed mission, on to the next location, as a way of creating their own yellow road. I laugh at that thought today because I see the incredible ability of the seed to go in all directions. I wonder, how did they really follow that trail after the third or fourth season, with the wind scattering the seed to the four corners.

If the image now has you scratching your head and wondering how in the world Jesus would have meant the disciples to act within this kind of kingdom, it should. Using parables for teaching in that time was typical. In Jesus' case, its' use allowed the teacher to separate out those who were touched by the Wisdom of God from the average ben Judah, who thought in strictly literal terms. The added bonus was that it created a protection against the authorities picking up any scent of a trail of subversive behavior. While Jesus never took advantage of his ability to motivate his followers toward direct conflict in arms, Jesus was all about challenging his listeners to engage in self examination. In response to his understanding of God's authority over him, Jesus was trying to teach his followers about the enduring and ever increasing presence of Gods' Kingdom.

God, everywhere, and the Kingdom of God ever expanding!

This was revolutionary thinking for the age; truly a revelation about the nature of God and the relationship between humanity and the Creator of all things.


As I think about the nature of Mustard, and the mustard seed there are several points to hold in mind. The mustard plant itself, although Jesus describes it as becoming "like a tree", is in actuality just a simple annual. with a very short life span. It sprouts, puts out flowers, is germinated and quickly forms seed. The plant itself dies; its' "fruit" is never seen by the plant, nor are the future generations ever known to other generations. Jesus never used the image of a tree for the kingdom of God. While a tree puts down strong roots and has the ability to see the next generation at least begin the transformation from seed to tree with fruit, the mustard plant operates blindly, repeating endlessly a cycle, but never the same mustard plant, just yet one more new generation. It does so not knowing what will come after its' passing into the earth.
This is a solid spiritual truth. Except for the fact that we have longer spans of life, still we have no way of knowing the length of our days, nor with absolute certainty what lies beyond our final breathe. The spiritual life of a religious person requires the ability to follow a path through life that is often filled with mystery, and uncertainty; there often feels like some incompleteness for those who are programmed to measure quantifiable results. Such a path rubs against the dominant paradigm of the present age. We want fast, and certain results, no error, no mystery; only quantifiable results.

Our well developed abilities to intellectualize and investigate using scientific methods bumps heads with the spiritual path.  Yet, in this present period of great economic uncertainty and global change, in this VUCA world, we all would experience greater serenity if we would abandon attempts to measure and quantify results in the short term, and appreciate the prospect of a much longer and fully retrospective view. 

Since parables point to allegories, the mustard represents the disciples being an ever expanding citizenry of the kingdom of God.


When my children were growing up they always seemed to get a kick out of quoting lines from movies, shows, and commercials. With a very proper stiff upper lip British accent they could be heard "Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?" at the oddest times.

They didn't even like the mustard, but they enjoyed hearing their own voices rattle the imaginary marbles in their mouths as they mimicked the gentleman in top hat and morning coat.

Next time you and I are trying to measure our productivity in the Kingdom of God, perhaps we should try to muster up the image of Jesus saying to us  "Pardon me, pass the Grey Poupon!"

Community and purpose

Revised Common Lectionary June 17, 2012

There are a lot of great places to go with the lectionary readings this week.  If you go to the Hebrew scriptures you can catch up on Saul, the "people's king" and God's displeasure which leads to a plan to replace Saul..it's a good story to spend time on, no dispute from me.

But, since the theme of community was where we ended last,

I
think
this 

is

 the 

compelling 

place 

to 

rest in reflection:

"We are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord-- for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.
Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!" (2 Corinthians 5:6-17)

There is no way anyone can miss the lack of singularity in this message that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth. He with others...to a group.

The letter establishes a new way of thinking about living, and a new understanding that the human body is actually inhibiting the spirit/soul from being completely united with God...BUT, that while in the body, there is purpose to being.

I am absolutely certain that every last person has a purpose, for which God has equipped them to fulfill.I am not certain that God went about preordaining that purpose for each and every last person at the very beginning of our lives or as some say "from the foundations of creation." My doubt of such meticulously laid plans is grounded in my firm belief that God is not a puppeteer, manipulating humanity individually and corporately. It is further grounded in my experience. My life, has been so filled with places and events, people and opportunities which I am quite sure God would not have mapped out my intersection with at the foundations of the world. But I have been equally certain that Triune God has been working within the encounters.

In fact, from the time I've spent reading scripture, I am firmly convinced  that part and parcel of being made in the image of God is the innate ability to think and freely choose from a vast array of options. Often the options have all been of equal value...like when weighed in prayer. A word of direction felt on several occasions of discernment has been repeated "Go or stay,  but study peace."

Being "in Christ" has brought me deeper and deeper into community which includes marking auspicious occasions as well as somber realities of parting ways through the passing from life in the body to eternal life. I've experienced the sense of never having been separated from a dear friend in spite of a great distance created by too many miles between our residences and too seldom having the opportunity to be in the same room. When I read Paul's letters, like this one to the "people called out", aka "the church" in Corinth I sense that what I've known is similar to what Paul desires to express to the recipients of his letter.

The places to begin to wrestle with this passage then is a basic question of life:


What is your purpose?


Now, going deeper, how did you discover that purpose?


Was it discerned within a community, or your own independent decision?


Are you living it out faithfully or have you  dropped the ball?

Paul's purpose, along with his partner(s) was always to point the way to God through the testimony of Christ, died, resurrected, and receiving all into himself. Christ Jesus is the new point of view, the new reality, and in Christ all are being made into something entirely different from the human existence.

May you find yourself more deeply rooted into a community of faith, and experience the joys of being focused on those who are outside, not upon your own self.

Obstructionists

About those obstructionists...

We’ve all heard the saying that mans’ ways are not the same as Gods’ way.

 Growing up in the Episcopal Church I learned a song that seemed to encapsulate the idea.

God moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform:

He plants his footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines, with never failing skill,

He treasures up his bright designs and works his sovereign will. 

(The Hymnal 1982, 677)

I believe that mystery is what draws people into relationship with God.

Something felt, either as present or absent, draws people to find and name this experience and in that searching, we discover God has been the source of the experience. 

Samuel had it, but apparently, the people lacked it. 

Until this is discovered personally there are countless numbers of ways to divert our attention from the one true source. This was the case when the descendents of Abraham told Samuel to demand of God a king.

To those of us who connect within the realm of God, perceiving the movement of the Holy Spirit beckoning to explore innovate and manifest the kingdom of God in the present age, obstructionists are what we have to learn to deal with. 

One of the ways we typically deal with the experience of obstructionists in our lives, is simply to withdraw from them. We go it alone for awhile; retreating into solitude, or independent lone ranger mode. 

Some retreat is healthy, even necessary. But that does not seem to fit the pattern of the Kingdom of God. 

What comfort then, can we find, in the face of obstacles to a particular mission?

Perhaps the only comfort we can take from the experience is that we follow in a long line of disciples who have dealt with the same experience. And, the pattern was first established in Jesus’ own life. 

During his incarnation, Jesus managed to put up with every manner of obstruction, resistance and ignorance, yet still remained faithful to the very end of his life to the relationship of love for neighbor and God.

The Gospel story for the week sets the pattern for faithful discipleship.

In the face of ridicule, doubt and attempts to “rescue” him from his “insanity” Jesus remained steadfast and determined. He identified a new source of social cohesion, the community of those who persisted in loyalty to God.

 

To those of us who connect within the realm of God, perceiving the movement of the Holy Spirit beckoning to explore innovate and manifest the kingdom of God in the present age, obstructionists are what we have to learn to deal with.

  

In the grand scheme of things Jesus was not calling people into a pattern of living isolated and independent lives. Jesus was calling people into a new community, larger than family tribe or empire. Jesus was calling people back into the wholeness of living always aware that God was present, presence and sustenance.

The problem for followers of Jesus’ way today is that we are always reminded of a national identity that exists within a global economy. Neither of these cheerfully submit to the idea of a spiritual realm of one human community. Independence and liberty, freedom to seek after ones own self interest are the preeminent story line for many nations but especially for Americans. Being a follower of Jesus Christ is not simply a path to personal salvation. It is a path to a new community. Bringing that community into the fullness of being is the challenge which obstructionists seem impervious to help achieve. 

Our task is to seek out places where the community of God is unfolding, draw strength and offer strength to each other and persist faithfully in bringing forth the just and loving reign of God where all are welcome, loved, respected, and allowed to develop into the fullness of Christ.

God, rejected

Readings for Sunday June 10, 2012

Reading the passage from the book of Samuel we learn about one of the times of transition, a time when the people who had been delivered by God from captivity into a new land, wanted a new way to be governed.  These difficult people were always telling God that God’s way wasn’t sufficient for them. Every generation offered a repetition of the same line, just with slightly different twists. Here they are now, wanting to be “just like all the other people.”

As a judge Samuel did everything within his power to resist this trend, but in the end God gives Samuel the go ahead to their request. There was only one condition that God placed upon Samuel...

“Now then, listen to their voice; only-- you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them."

SO here’s the big question that comes  up out of the text for me: sorry if I personalize to include you. How often do we go around rejecting God’s way?

Or….

How often do you feel that someone else is mucking up the path that you feel absolutely certain is God’s way?

Obstructionists, for one reason or another to whom the Spirit of God is impenetrable, even when they mouth loyalty to God seem plentiful in every age.

How does the scripture offer an insight into the nature of God?

I’m going to leave you with that thought.

More tomorrow.

Spirit Witness

The other day, I was coming home from a meeting, and decided to stop at a store along the way.

I rarely go to this particular store. But there I was, making my way back to my car, after making my purchases, when someone called me by name.

I was hardly paying attention to my surroundings, really quite lost in my own thoughts but when I looked up, I saw a woman standing in front of me.

She said my name again, and while I was searching my memory trying to retrieve her name, because I recognized her face, she commented,

“oh, you don’t remember me, ?”......

And just as she was about to say her name, I spoke it too!

The woman had been my neighbor, living just down the block from me. Of course I remembered her and was amazed to see her again. We lost track of her and her family when they moved away, but she was a kind and gentle person, someone to treasure. 

As she began to tell me a bit of her current story to catch me up I sensed that for some reason, my only reason for being at that store on that particular day, was not for the purpose of making the small purchase I held in my hand. I was there because this woman very much needed someone who knew her and cared about her. She needed someone who would ask what was happening to her, and someone to reach out to her in a tangible way.

Now, many people would just chalk that occurrence up to “Small world!” and then be about their day. But I look at an occurrence of this nature differently.

In my experience, I had been the one the wind of the Spirit of God had blown to be placed on her path. I only know this from my past experiences. I had started my morning by opening myself up to God, inviting opportunity to be present with whosoever was in need of someone to bring God’s presence into their midst. When I start my day with that level of openness to being present to whomsoever, I am rarely disappointed with the experience. I walk away with a feeling of having entered into holy space and time  Too bad I’m not so receptive every day.

I think this is participation in the divine dance with the Godhead. The orthodox church speaks of the Trinity as the perichoresis, and likens it to something of a swirling dance. Perhaps imagining the image of the Sufi dervishes will bring to mind an image of the spiritual connection... invisible but connected.

In Paul’s letter to the Roman’s he writes about the “Spirit bearing witness with our spirit” and that is the best description from scripture that I can give to how I “know” that experience to have been true.

"So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh-- for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!" it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ-- if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him." Romans 8:12-17 New Revised Standard Version Bible

I often find, as I am reading through the texts that there are so many rich ideas, I can hardly decide which of the ideas I will settle on for Sunday mornings’ sermon. If we were sitting across the table from each other we could read through the passage, and lift the ideas and images that speak to each of us individually and work through them, sharing how the God’s Spirit is speaking to each us individually.

As I pointed out in my last post, the Revised Common Lectionary Scriptures chosen for this week are intended to stress a Christian Doctrine; the doctrine of the Trinity, God as Triune in nature. This idea is so complex; as a child being told that God was “three in one” an easy thing to accept. Yet as we mature, this becomes a sticking point for many people. This passage from the letter Paul wrote to the Church in Rome refers to those three persons, but offers no explanation. God as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, requires at least a dash of faith to work through for most people. Naturally, most non-Christians, whether Jews, or any other people group, assumed these to be discretely different entities, each one self contained, not an indwelling unity of being. Jews thought Christians where Tri-theistic, therefore, violating the first of the commandments handed down to Moses from the Mount.

The Celts, whose territory at the time of the early Christian Church actually stretched well into the region we know as Turkey, had a variety of symbols to express the divinity. Among them is the triquetra. The beauty of the Triquetra is how it conveys an interwoven, unbroken nature of God.St. Patrick is credited with having used the shamrock as a teaching device for early Celtic Christians. It's simplicity is it's usefulness, in the connection of each section being unbroken. 

In practice, I think Christians don’t adequately grasp the idea of the co-equal and co-eternal nature of God in three persons. I work my way through the concept by resisting a lot of imagery offered up by others in the name of trying to describe God as three persons. On the other hand I also have sought symbols that can adequately describe this multifaceted nature of God. I appreciate the way prayers contained in the Book of Common Prayer consistently conclude with an affirmation of the unity of the three persons. “in the name of Jesus who lives and reigns with you and the holy spirit, eternally one God.” AMEN … so complete that no one can confuse the nature of God as multiple entities.

Trinity

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory."

This week is called Trinity Sunday in all the churches that follow the liturgical calendar of the Christian year. All the readings have a common thread of attempting to point out something about the nature of God, as a Triune God. But, as we read through the texts none of them actually use the word Trinity, or “three persons”. Each of them have a common element; each offer some glimpse into the nature of God as being “multi-faceted” or plural. That creates a conundrum for Christians, one of the three Abrahamic faiths, all of which share the commandment to honor only One God, thus calling ourselves monotheists (worshipers of only one God).

Well, quite frankly, that makes the purpose of any sermon to be to attempt to explain the how God can be, simultaneously One in Three and Three in One. That being the case, preaching on Trinity Sunday often runs the risk of speaking more heresy than orthodoxy through the use of many less than acceptable analogies to explain how it can be. One of the better ones that is used is the example of water, as a liquid, gas, and solid. Okay, that works pretty well with children, because we can see steam, water in a glass, and ice cubes.

Now, the most explicit Hebrew text that actually names the Lord as “three” is the passage in the book of Genesis where three men come to visit Abraham, “angels unawares”, which is the basis for the Icon at the top.

Want more on what it means to be a faithful Trinitarian monotheist? Frankly, tonight I really don’t want to go there. Instead, I want to offer you a few pictures to go with the text and play around with how these passages all offer some inspiration for my life.

A section of the passage from Isaiah is used in the Lord’s Day (Sunday Morning) worship in the Episcopal Church.  When it is set to music it is considered a rehearsal for being in heaven, at least for some people. Whether it is sung or spoken this passage is well embedded in the hearts of Catholics of both Anglican and Roman stripes.

But the next couple of verses, Isaiah’s conversation which is a confession followed by a response to God’s call, is a particularly important passage for myself, and many others. United Methodists like to use a song, based on this text as a song of commitment to the work God is calling each of us to engage in. 

This week, as I read the text I started focusing on the description of God filling the heaven and earth. 

Here is the entire passage

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;

the whole earth is full of his glory."

The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!"
Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: "Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out." Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I; send me!"  Isaiah 6:1-8

How is it that anyone can have live coals placed on one’s mouth and not report pain or having cried out in pain? Instead, Isaiah simply hears a summons to be sent, to go for “us” (aha, a subtle hint to God’s “multipleness”)

And then, there is the complete filling of all the space; the temple with hem, the house with smoke.
Well anything is imaginable when one is in a dream state, a state of meditation or contemplation, or simply experiencing a dream/vision.

But there is a clue to each of us, to slow down and allow ourselves to experience the presence of God, a holy presence that surrounds us.

Sit and watch a setting sun, and see how the light and dark take turns in filling the space above you. In the pitch dark, here is God, filling the space with God's overflowing, uncontainable presence.


And in the cover of dark, with God’s presence guiding him, Nicodemus went to visit Jesus to learn from the teacher. Now step from that place of awareness and sit on the rooftop with Jesus and Nicodemus

 Jesus takes Nicodemus up into the womb of God, in the embrace of the night sky, to teach of the spiritual things.

When do you discover the presence of holiness?

Is it in the bright of day, among crowds of people, or in the cool of the night, under the stars, at the river’s edge or the shoreline? 

 Are you ever frozen in your tracks, sensing that God is filling the skies with the hem of his robe, as the sun sets?

Welcome! You have just entered what the Celts refer to as the liminal space, a time when God’s presence is felt more tangibly than any other, when the world of Spirit and Matter create a holy passageway for the seeking heart.

Take time this week to experience these places when God’s presence can be received as a loving embrace, tender like a mother’s love for her child, or a grandmother for her grandchild. Does the cry of joyous remembrance arise, Abuelita, or Abba? Then you are coming near to the message that Paul was attempting to express to the readers of his letter to the Romans.


A couple semi-random thoughts to tuck away....

Using symbols express God's triune presence and activity is just as challenging for Christians as finding verbal ways to convey the concept of God as Trinity. While the use of the cross, is most customary, among christians to self-identify themselves as Christians, thus refering to the instrument of death employed in the crucifixion of Jesus, and the subsequent salviific work, there are other symbols to use. The Celtic Christians used the triquetra as a symbol of God, Father (creator); Son (logos), Holy Spirit . This is a personal favorite triquetra symbol.  for God, Creator (Father); Logos (Son); and Holy Spirit.

While I was studying the readings I wondered how much you would actually know about the Revised Common Lectionary readings (RCL).  RCL always contain four readings. Two from the Hebrew Bible, one is always from the Book of Psalms, one Gospel lesson and one other Christian writing.

The readings for this week can be found here: Lectionary