A Good Portal

The word portal doesn’t generally have very good connotations.  In most sci-fi movies portals being opened create all sorts of problems and generally cost people their lives.  On a much lesser scale, the college athletics “transfer portal” has become a thorn in the side of sports fans and the programs they support.

Despite the above, we here at Timberville Church of the Brethren opened a portal recently.  While in the grand scheme of things, I think our new online giving

Readings For April 6, 2025

We move to the 5th Sunday in Lent, perhaps you could say the last regular Sunday in Lent.

With that in mind, let’s see what the lectionary has for us:

Isaiah is hitting a bit differently this morning, specifically verse 19.  The NRSV translation on the website I use to view the lectionary texts is grabbing my collar and asking the question quite pointedly.   Last week Paul spoke of being a new creation and this week we h

Readings For March 30, 2025

We seem to be moving through Lent very quickly.  Makes me wonder if the days moving towards Jerusalem, the betrayal, the suffering and then crucifixion came quickly for Jesus or whether these days dragged on.

The typical four reading fare from the lectionary this week:

It’s not often we find ourselves in the book of Joshua.  I remember an Old Testament class I took where this book intrigued me, and I almost did a

Readings for March 23, 2025

It’s a Monday, so here I am looking at the readings for the coming week.  Take a look along with me to see what we have for the Third Sunday in Lent.

The Old Testament lesson is one many of us have heard many times, the story of the burning bush.  It’s interesting that I quoted part of this passage a couple weeks ago in my sermon, so for me this is a reading I have looked at very recently.  A couple first blush thin

Readings for March 16, 2025

After taking a week off, let’s get back to the regular schedule and take a look at the recommended readings for this coming Sunday.  The lectionary serves up the standard four readings for the Second Sunday in Lent and here they are:

The familiar story in Genesis hit me differently this morning for some reason.  Yes, there’s still a wonderful covenant and promise made to Abraham by God, but something else push

Blessed to be a Blessing

It was during my Old Testament class that I first heard the phrase, “blessed to be a blessing.”  The teacher was describing a new relationship between God and his chosen people.  Being blessed is nice, but there is a calling that comes along with it to bless others.   We should “pass it on” as the old camp song says.

With the above being said, I am often blessed to be a blessing here at the church. I am the point person when we have gift cards to hand out for those who ne

Readings For March 2, 2025

This will be the last Sunday after Epiphany.  The last Sunday before we move into the Lenten season is also the “Transfiguration.”   We’re going to do a strange dance in the lectionary these next couple weeks when it comes to the Gospel, moving three chapters ahead in Luke this week and then going all the way back to chapter four next week before zooming ahead to chapter 13 the following week.   I trust there’s a reason and a message in all that.

Here’s what we have for t

Readings For February 23, 2025

We have made it to the second to last Sunday in the Epiphany season, the penultimate week of Epiphany I guess you could say.  We remain in a predictable lectionary pattern with an Epistle in 1st Corinthians and a Gospel lesson from Luke.  We mix in a Psalm as always and a reading from Genesis.  I’ll be curious to see how they all fit together.

Here are the readings:

God’s plans supersede those o

Readings For February 16, 2025

We push closer to Lent, but still hold on to the remnants of Epiphany, reminding us that Christmas was not as long ago as it seems.

The lectionary returns to Jeremiah and continues on with readings from Luke and 1st Corinthians.

In the Old Testament lesson, it’s always tough to read this section of Jeremiah and not think about politics and other cult of personality.  How often do we think we’ll be delivered from one

Readings for February 9, 2025

Can you believe we have pushed into the second week of February already?  Back to the typical fare out of the lectionary site I use and the lectionary itself.

For the second week in a row, we get the story of a prophet being called.  We had Jeremiah last week and this week we get the classic Scripture where Isaiah says, “Here I am.”  Would have been nice if the pastor hadn’t already had the congregation sing, “H

Readings for February 2, 2025

Some behind the curtain stuff to start the week.  The traditional “Revised Common Lectionary” differs from the Episcopal version I typically use this week.  Nine times out of ten they are the same, but on occasion, we get what we have this week which are four completely different readings. I’ll go with the RCL and let our Episcopal friends do their own thing.

With that being said, here’s what we have today:

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Psalm 71:1-6

1 Corinthians 13

Luke 4:21-30

This secti

Readings for January 26, 2025

It is now coming up on the Third Sunday after the Epiphany

Here’s what the lectionary serves up:

The OT reading from Nehemiah paints a wonderful picture for us.  It is a time of Spiritual and faith renewal as the Israelites are slowly rebuilding their lives and fully accounting for their ancestry and genealogy.   They are literally trying to get their houses in order and in the midst of it, they stop to ho

Readings for January 5, 2025

We’re doing things just a bit differently this week.  Yes, I am still going from the lectionary, but not the Scripture’s recommended for Sunday, January 5th, but instead the readings for Monday, January 6th.

Each year you have the choice to go with the second Sunday after Christmas or to celebrate Epiphany.   My wife noted that I used the word Epiphany in the sermon on Sunday and perhaps I use that word without everyone knowing what it means.  I think we all know the dicti

Readings for December 22, 2024

The final Sunday of Advent brings us a peculiar happening in the lectionary, the same Scripture twice.

Here’s what the lectionary serves up:

Two doses of the Magnificat if we’d like to go that route, but more than that, it is beginning to feel like Christmas in the Scriptures.

The Old Testament lesson from the prophet Micah foretells of our Lord and Savior.  We get a first glimpse of our Christmas s

Readings for December 15, 2024

Third Sunday in Advent.   Sorry to have skipped last week, but let’s get back to it this morning.  An oddity for three of the four weeks of Advent is that there is no Psalm.   We instead get to hear from two OT prophets and then the typical Epistle and Gospel lessons.

You’re not supposed to put much stock in the little headlines your Bible puts above sections of Scripture, but I certainly like the sentiment as I