Monthly Archives: April 2017
Lenten Readings: Day 40
In the Abyss (Holy Saturday) The Saturday between Good Friday and Easter, the Sunday of the Resurrection, is always a little bit odd for faithful Christians. The intensity of Lent and Holy Week gives way to, well, normalcy. Maybe you … Continue reading
Lenten Readings: Day 39
Exiles (Good Friday) Good Friday is a day during which most Christians hear the Passion according to John. In many liturgies they also hear Psalm 22 and Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (the fourth Servant Song), and both played a major part in … Continue reading
Lenten Readings: Day 38
Eucharistic Participation and Judgement (Maundy Thursday) We have arrived at the Triduum, the great three days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. Today’s second reading from the Daily Office Lectionary consists of two extracts from Paul’s First Letter to … Continue reading
Lenten Readings: Day 37
Rejoice! Today’s second reading from the Daily Office Lectionary is the last from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians for awhile. The reading ends at verse thirteen, but I’ve tacked on the remaining verses. The purpose of the letter becomes evident … Continue reading
Lenten Readings: Day 36
Bodies in Transformation (Tuesday in Holy Week) Following on yesterday’s second reading from the Daily Office Lectionary, Paul continues in the Letter to the Philippians to encourage his readers/hearers to press on towards the resurrection. Phil 3.15–21 Let those of … Continue reading
Lenten Readings: Day 35
Confidence in Flesh and Spirit (Monday in Holy Week) Paul’s Letter to the Philippians was probably written before his Letter to the Romans, but reading it after Romans is quite striking. In today’s second reading from the Daily Office Lectionary … Continue reading
Lenten Reflections: Day 34
All Israel Will Be Saved Today’s second reading from the Daily Office Lectionary is, in my opinion, the main point in the long Letter of Paul to the Romans, and it concludes the discussion that started in Romans 1.16. Both … Continue reading
Lenten Readings: Day 33
Grafting the Olive Tree In today’s second reading from the Daily Office Lectionary Paul is building to the climax of his Letter to the Romans, in which he addresses the Gentile Christians about their pride versus Jews and Jewish Christians. … Continue reading
Lenten Readings: Day 32
Inclusion Has God rejected the Jews? For much of the past twenty centuries most Christians have answered, “Yes.” Most Christians believed that they had a new covenant through Christ withh God, and that this replaced the old covenants. The Church … Continue reading
Lenten Readings: Day 31
To the Ends of the World The very first time I flew out to Vancouver was in 1986, when I attended a Divinity Students Conference at the old Vancouver Divinity School. After flying across mainland Canada for five hours Vancouver … Continue reading
The Island Parson 