Lectionary Guide for January, February, and March 2008

Year A: January 6–March 30, 2008

The busyness of the Christmas season is over and we prepare to settle into some slower–paced days of reflection as we enter the first quarter of 2008.  One look at the calendar, however, quickly reveals the absurdity of that notion for this particular year.  As Tirabassi reminds us, there has only been one year (1913) since 1875 in which Easter came so early!  Although the time between Epiphany and Easter is compact, the lectionary readings provide us a richness of topics with which to carry us thoughtfully through.

The authors of this quarter’s articles offer us a wide array of approaches to the lectionary readings and to our thematic emphasis.  As you spend time with this issue you will be reminded, and encouraged to remind others, of the multivalent nature of the concept of The Poor.  From Monshau’s and Dorgan’s reminders that it entails far more than economics, to the provocative essays of Gathje, Hendricks, Reines, Flesher, and Johnson, we are faced with the reality that the world of poverty and dispossession in which Jesus ministered is mirrored in our own places of ministry. As we move with our congregations from Epiphany to post-Easter we are given a mandate by this issue to address the pervasive and paralyzing manifestations of poverty in all its many forms.

This lectionary guide not only outlines the lectionary readings for the quarter but also references relevant articles within this edition of The Living Pulpit. The basic readings are from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL).  If the Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, or United Methodist readings differ significantly they are indicated by (R), (E), (L), and (UM), respectively.  When these major bodies agree, there is no symbol given.  The brief annotations after each passage offer a quick reference to the contents of the passage.

• (RCL)  Isa 60:1–6, a passage of hope regarding God’s renewal and restoration of Israel (Mosser)
• (RCL) Ps 72:1–7; 10–14, coronation psalm
• (RCL) Eph 3:1–12, the writer of this letter declares the mystery of God’s calling of the Gentiles as fellow heirs in the promise of the Gospel
• (RCL) Mt 2:1–12, guided by a star in the east, the magi find and pay homage to Jesus and his mother.

• (RCL) Isa 42:1–9, one of the servant poems of Second Isaiah; servant could be Israel or Isaiah (Mosser)
• (RCL) Ps 29, a psalm of praise
• or (E) Ps 89:1–29, psalmist recalls the covenant made with David
• (RCL) Acts 10:34–43, Peter’s sermon after the conversion of Cornelius
• (RCL) Mt 3:13–17, Jesus is baptized by John in the Jordan (Mosser)

• (RCL) Isa 49:1–7, in this second servant poem, Isaiah tells of his call to be a light to the nations (Mosser)
• (RCL) Ps 40:1–11, the psalmist declares trust in God
• (RCL) 1 Cor 1:1–9, the thanksgiving portion of this letter
• (RCL) Jn 1:29–42, John declares Jesus “Lamb of God” and the first disciples are called.

• (RCL)  Isa 9:1–4, “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” (Mosser)
• or (E) Amos 3:1–8, the prophet reminds the hearers of the great responsibility that accompanies election
• (RCL) Ps 27: 1, 4–9, the Lord is the light of salvation (Dorgan)
• (RCL) 1 Cor 1:10–18, Paul admonishes the Corinthians against the divisions that have arisen among them
• (RCL) Mt 4:12–23, the evangelist quotes from Isaiah 9 (above) tells the story of the call of the first disciples

• (RCL) Mic 6:1–8, “do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God…”
• or (R) Zeph 2:3; 3:12–13, a remnant of Israel will be a humble people seeking refuge in the Lord
• (RCL) Ps 15, a liturgical psalm for entering into worship
• or (R) Ps 146: 6–10, a psalm of praise
• or (E) Ps 37:1–18, a wisdom psalm speaking of trust in the Lord to vindicate the people
• (RCL) 1 Cor 1:18–31, Paul speaks to the Corinthians about the foolishness of the cross and the wisdom of God
• (RCL) Mt 5:1–12, the beatitudes (Monshau, Pierce)

• (RCL) Joel 2:1–2, 12–17, the prophet calls on the people to repent, or Isa 58:1–12, Isaiah admonishes the people’s rebellious ways and calls for repentance
• or (R, UM) Joel 2: 12–18, see above.
• (RCL) Ps 51:1–17, a psalm of repentance
• or (E) Ps 103, a psalm of thanksgiving and praise
• (RCL) 2 Cor 5:20b–6:10, Paul calls on the Corinthians to be reconciled to God
• (RCL) Mt 6:1–6, 16–21, in this portion of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus warns against shallow acts of piety

• (RCL) Gen 2:15–17; 3:1–7, Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit and are banished from the garden (Russell)
• (RCL) Ps 32, the psalmist rejoices in trust in the Lord,
• or (R, E) Ps 51, the psalmist cries out for deliverance (“Create in me a clean heart, O God”)
• (RCL) Rom 5:12–19, Paul describes how humanity is separated from God through Adam and reconciled to God through Christ (Russell)
• (RCL) Mt 4:1–11, the Matthean version of the temptation narrative (Russell)

• (RCL) Gen 12:1–4a, God calls Abram and promises a blessing (Russell)
• (RCL) Ps 121, “I lift up my eyes to the hills…”
• or (R,E) Ps 33: 12–22, the psalmist urges the listener to put hope in the Lord
• (RCL) Rom 4:1–5, 13–17, Paul argues that Abraham was saved by faith not works
• or (R) 2 Tim 1:8–10, the recipient of this letter is exhorted to live and work by faith not fear
• (RCL) Jn 3:1–17, the story of Jesus and Nicodemus (Russell), or Mt 17:1–9, the transfiguration of Jesus
• or (R) Mt 17:1–9, see above,
• or (E, L, UM), Jn 3:1–17, see above.

• (RCL) Ex 17:1–7, Moses strikes the rock at Horeb and the grumbling children of Israel are allowed to drink (Russell)
• (RCL) Ps 95, a psalm of praise recalling the story told in Exodus 17 (above)
• (RCL) Rom 5:1–11, Paul continues the discussion of being justified by grace and the joy that such realization brings
• (RCL) Jn 4:5–42, the narrative of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (Russell)

• (RCL)  1 Sam 16:1–13, the anointing of David, the shepherd, by Saul (Tirabassi)
• (RCL) Ps 23, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…”
• (RCL) Eph 5:8–14, the letter writer urges the recipients to live in the light of Christ
• (RCL) Jn 9:1–41, the narrative of the man born blind (Tirabassi)

• (RCL) Ez 37:1–14, the valley of the bones (Tirabassi)
• (RCL) Ps 130, a psalm of hope in the Lord
• (RCL) Rom 8:6–11, Paul speaks of life available to those in whom the Spirit dwells
• or (E) Rom 6:16–23, Paul reminds the readers that they have been set free from the bonds of sin
• (RCL) Jn 11:1–45, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead (Tirabassi)

• (RCL) Ps 118:1–2, 19–29, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it”
• or (R) Ps 24 or 47
• (RCL) Mt 21:1–11, the entry into Jerusalem (Tirabassi)

• (RCL) Ex 12:1–4, (5–10), 11–14, instructions for the celebration of Passover
• (RCL) Ps 116:1–2, 12–19, a psalm of praise and thanksgiving
• or (E) Ps 78:14–20, 23–25, the psalmist recalls the might acts of God during the Exodus
• (RCL) 1 Cor 11:23–26, Paul relates the institution of the Lord ’s Supper
• (RCL) Jn 13:1–17, 31b–35, As Jesus prepares to share the final meal with his disciples, he begins by washing their feet (Tirabassi)

• (RCL) Isa 52:13–53:12 (Tirabassi)
• (RCL) Ps 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
• or (R) Ps 31, a psalm for deliverance from one’s enemies
• (RCL) Heb 10:16–25, the author quotes Jeremiah 31 in which God declares that a new covenant will be made with the people, and the law will be written on their hearts, or Heb 4:14–16; 5:7–9,  Jesus is described as the great high priest,
• or (R) Heb 4:14–16; 5:7–9, see above
• or (E, UM) Heb 10:16–25, see above
• (RCL) Jn 18:1–19:42, from the betrayal in the garden to the crucifixion and burial.

• (RCL) Acts 10:34–43 (see Jan. 13 above) or Jer 31:1–6, through the prophet God promises to be faithful to Israel
• (RCL) Ps 118:1–2, 14–24, see Mar 16 above
• (RCL) Col 3:1–4, admonition to set one’s mind on things from above not on the earthly things or Acts 10:34–43, see above
• (RCL) Jn 20:1–18, resurrection story (Tirabassi) or Mt 28:1–10, resurrection story
• or (R) Jn 20:1–9, see above.

• (RCL) Acts 2:14a, 22–32, Peter’s sermon at Pentecost
• or (R) Acts 2:42–47, see above
• or (E) Acts 2:14a, 22–42 (see above) or Gen 8:6–16; 9:8–16, the story of Noah and the ark and the Noahic covenant
• (RCL) Ps 16, the psalmist expresses confidence in the counsel of God
• or (R, E) Ps 118, a psalm of thanksgiving for deliverance from one’s enemies
• (RCL) 1 Pet 1:3–9, the author speaks of an imperishable inheritance kept in heaven for those who believe
• (RCL) Jn 20:19–31, the resurrected Jesus appears to the disciples and a doubting Thomas