Bread for the Preacher

Embracing God's Expansive Love

Tue, 28 May 2013 00:00:00 -0500

June’s lectionary readings are filled with stories that recount powerful and miraculous acts. Often, however, a significant aspect of the story is the radical nature of who was included in the miracles: not just the starving widow, but also a man possessed by demons and a despised foreigner. While our own beneficence tends to have limits, God’s doesn’t. On Capitol Hill, we see efforts to limit access to programs to the “deserving” poor, reduce funding for services available to those who struggle with their own demons, and narrowly define who is worthy of living in our country. Some members of Congress use scripture to bolster their arguments for restricting eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps). Join us in praying for a miracle that moves our nation closer to embracing God’s gracious and expansive love for all people.

Finding Our Place

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0500

May's liturgical observances locate Jesus in heaven, the Spirit among us, and both within the community of the Trinity. By month’s end, all are in place to continue the divine drama of God’s saving work among us. As preachers, our challenge is to help our listeners discover their own place in that drama. The month begins with the reminder from Revelation that the destination of our story is a place for "the healing of the nations." May your preaching be an invitation to that place.

As I Have Loved You

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Sometimes simple songs capture deep truth. The April lectionary readings give us ample opportunity to explore meaning of the resurrection and the ways that the first believers responded to it. By the fifth Sunday of Easter, though, the Gospel lesson takes us back to the Maundy Thursday mandate that frames it all: “Just as I have loved you, you should love one another” (John 13:34).

God Will Make a Way

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0600

As our Lenten preaching follows Jesus' journey to Jerusalem and eventually the cross, Isaiah reminds us of the God who makes a way where there is no way (Isaiah 43). Faith in that God makes this journey bearable. This "make a way" God turns the journey to the cross into a resurrection journey.

Defend the Cause of the Poor

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0600

What happened to ordinary time? Moving from Epiphany to Ash Wednesday in five weeks leaves us just two February Sundays before we begin following Jesus on his journey toward the cross. The texts for these Sundays offer rich opportunities to explore themes of compassion and justice. And they help frame decisions being made in the nation’s capital during the current fiscal debates: Will there be good or bad news for the poor? What is our responsibility to the "aliens" among us?

Let Us Pray

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0600

New beginnings are always an occasion for hope — especially to those of us who trust that God is at work in them. Politically speaking, the first year of a new presidential term is always the best opportunity for bold initiatives. There is a short window, before mid-term election politics encroach, to enact creative solutions to hunger, poverty, and immigration. So let us pray for our president, for the Congress, and for the nation.

Our Advent Longing

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Advent touches us in that place where we long for "the crooked to be made straight." And that longing is only heightened by the shallowness and self-centeredness that commences with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. At some point, we realize that John's invitation to "come and repent" is more life giving than Walmart’s invitation to "come and shop."

Widows, Orphans, and Holiday Sentimentality

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0500

James reminds us that pure religion has to do with caring for widows and orphans in their distress. The lectionary readings for November give us an opportunity to explore that theme more deeply—just as the coming holiday season will engage our members in caring for those "less fortunate."

Preaching in an Election Month

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The October calendar is crammed with special observances focusing on justice issues. Bread for the World Sunday is October 21, and many of our friends and partners have their own special "Days" clustered around World Food Day, October 16. They are all expressions of the yearning that God's abundance might be more broadly shared in a hungry world.

Jesus' Way

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 00:00:00 -0500

In the month of September, the lectionary reminds us of core values and behaviors for followers of Jesus: pursuing God's will, integrating our inner and outer lives, refusing to show partiality based on money, and supporting other disciples. At the same time, the church program year begins again, schools start, and an election season demands attention.