Living & Preaching The Res.

From the Editor-in-Chief
Living and Preaching the Resurrection

Keith Russell
ll of us who preach know that sermons have a life of their own. We sit down with a definite plan for the theme and direction of our sermon, knowing precisely what we want our congregations to take away from it. Then an evolution takes place and the sermon we actually preach may well be something entirely different. Perhaps an idea in the readings resonated with us because of a crisis in the congregation or a celebration in our family. Or maybe, just maybe, we let the Holy Spirit have its way with the week's sermon. But the message is transformed further, of course, when we give it voice in one specific sanctuary on one unique Sunday. Once we preach it, the sermon takes root differently in each person who hears it. We find out later, often much later, that our sermon was actually a dozen or a hundred or a thousand different sermons depending on how many people were listening that day. In many ways, producing each issue of The Living Pulpit parallels the way we all go about preparing our weekly sermons. The chosen theme sets the boundaries for the issue in much the same way that the weekly lectionary shapes the sermon. The first step in crafting our sermons is to figure out what we most ardently want to include and what we must exclude due to limitations of length and time. In much the same way, we assign articles to our contributors in the hope of including specific experiences and points of view while we agonize over the treasures we simply can't fit it. And then for both the weekly sermon and the quarterly preaching magazine, the magic happens. Like all of our most inspired sermons, this issue on the theme of resurrection has taken on a
life of its own. As we edited the manuscripts, we found that every contributor regardless of gender, denomination, race, age, or amount of pastoral experience, drew a strong connection between the resurrection as the foundation for Christian belief and the resurrection as the foundation for Christian behavior. Our normal organization of articles as either primarily biblical or pastoral seemed somewhat arbitrary in an issue where so many contributors straddled this distinction. In this issue Brian Pierce writes about how Oscar Romero's faith in the resurrection touched the lives of millions of people as he publicly challenged the mightiest political and economic powers in Latin America. A few pages later Amy Bentley Lamborn writes about how faith in the resurrection gave hope and comfort to a single individual living out her days in hospice care. Every one of our lectionary commentators as well as William Sappenfield, Ken Lyle, J. Alfred Smith, and Ella Pearson Mitchell call us to reflect seriously on how our lives and the lives of our congregations reflect the foundational Christian belief in the resurrection. In public and in private, in worship and in the workplace, our lives and actions are shaped by Christ's resurrection. Here at The Living Pulpit, we know that our lives and our preaching have been enriched and humbled by what our authors have had to say and we are excited to share their thoughts with you, our readers. We hold our breath, however, knowing that like a good sermon preached to a packed sanctuary, we really have not published a single issue of The Living Pulpit on the resurrection. Rather, we know that we have actually produced as many thousand different issues as we have readers.
April-June 2005/The Living Pulpit 1
Living Pulpit
Dedicated to the Art of the Sermon
Living and Preaching the Resurrection A Message from Keith A. Russell 1
.The
Biblical Reflections on Resurrection

Finding Sustenance in the Midst of Disappointment Geffrey B. Kelly Geoffrey Kelly highlights some of the themes running through Karl Rahner's theology of resurrection. Love Strong Enough to Defeat Death William J. Sappenfield William Sappenfield reminds us that if we truly have a living faith in the resurrection, that faith must manifest itself in the way we live each day. Understandings of the Resurrection J. Alfred Smith, Sr. Scholar, preacher, and activist, J. Alfred Smith, sorts through differing views of the resurrection to find a common call to committed Christian mission. 10 8 5
Theological and Pastoral Reflections on Resurrection

Preaching the Resurrection to Experience the Risen Christ Kenneth R. Lyle, Jr. Ken Lyle encourages us to preach boldly if we expect our congregations to truly experience the resurrection. Romero, Resistance, and Resurrection Brian J. Pierce, O.P. Using Archbishop Oscar Romero's own words, Brian Pierce highlights Romero's unwavering faith in the power of the resurrection to inspire people to work for social justice here and now. Humble Before the Power of God Ella Pearson Mitchell Ella Pearson Mitchell shows how the power of the resurrection transcends the apparent conflicts between belief and unbelief, logic and faith.
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April-June 2005
Resurrection
I Know That My Redeemer Lives Amy Bentley Lamborn Within a hospice, Amy Bentley Lamborn observes that by renewing our faith in the the resurrection, we can find a bulwark against fear, anger, and hopelessness. 17
Reflections on the April, May, and June Lectionary

Promise and Foretaste Marvin A. McMickle Reflections on the Lectionary Readings for April 2005 Preaching on Power Keith A. Russell Reflections on the Lectionary Readings for May 2005 Preaching Discipleship in Early Summer Ronald J. Allen Reflections on the Lectionary Readings for June 2005 Lectionary Guide for Resurrection Marian Ronan 23
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31
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The Preaching Life

Book Review: Voicing the Vision by Linda Clader Douglas S. Stivison 42
Book Review: Preaching the Gospels without Blaming the Jews by Ronald J Allen and Clark M. Williamson 44 Douglas S. Stivison Quotations on Resurrection Ginger Grab 46
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DEDICATED TO THE ART OF THE SERMON
Editorial Board Keith A. Russell, Editor-in-Chief Douglas S. Stivison, Executive Editor Akintunde E. Akinade Walter J. Burghardt, SJ. William J. Carl III Fred B. Craddock C. Welton Gaddy Ginger Grab, Contributing Editor Dale T. Irvin Henry H. Mitchell Samuel Pagan George F. Regas Bonnie A. Rosborough Jude Siciliano, O.P. William C. Simpson, Jr. Thomas L. Stiers David Kwang-sun Suh Felicia Thomas Harold Dean Trulear John W Wimberly, Jr. Paul Zahl Advisory Board Wallace Alston Carol L. Anderson Craig B. Anderson Eugene C. Bay Francis J. Buckley, SJ. Frederick Buecnner Richard D. Burke John B. Coburn Harvey Cox Joan Delaplane, O.P. James Fenhagen James Forbes
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Finding Sustenance in the Midst of Disappointment

Geffrey B. Kelly
A look at Karl Rahner's theology of resurrection

n an interview with Albert Raffelt at Freiburg University in 1974, Karl Rahner expressed his dismay at some of the popular speculations concerning the after-life, most of which had become lost in lofty ecclesiastical abstraction or sunk in the mud of materialistic and whimsical thinking. What does it mean, for example, he asks, for a church in its dogmatic language to declare that God is "enthroned above" or that, at his resurrection, Jesus ascended above the heavens where he "sits" in glory at "God's right hand"? In like manner, there are those believers, Rahner says, who wonder "whether in heaven people still eat or what kind of hairstyle they have,... or whether, as Origen is supposed to have thought, they are all transformed into round balls as the form in which extended bodies achieve their fulfillment." Rahner went on in that interview to point out the silliness of so many imaginative depictions of one's post-resurrection "heaven" as a "salad" of clouds, harps, alleluias, "fluttering souls," and boredom despite being sated with the corporeal delights of endless banqueting. In contrast, Rahner insists that resurrection has nothing to do with importing one's material comforts into the clouds of heavenly existence. It has everything to do, however, with the manner in which Jesus Christ lived, preached, and died in communion with his Father God in the Holy Spirit of their interactive love. His was not a return to the body temporal, but the sign of God's ultimate vindication of all that Jesus had exemplified and preached. Resurrection for Jesus Christ, as it is likewise for those who live ever faithful to the Spirit of God embodied in their daily existence, is the same dynamic in which God exercises power over life and death and brings God's people to their beatific destiny in the glory prepared for those who love God. Paul is not off the mark in his claim that "to those who love God, who are called according to God's plan,
everything that happens fits into a pattern for good," to which Paul adds that not even death "has any power to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!" (Rom 8:28, 39). Rahner notes that, in Jesus Christ's earthly presence as God's enfleshed Word, we can find revealed not only the manner of God's providential care for all God's children but also what it means for people to grow in their humanity as they strive to become more Christlike.
Resurrection Validates Mission

Throughout his life, the presence of his FatherGod's Spirit was forever emblazoned in Jesus' human consciousness. His words of forgiveness of sinners, his compassionate outreach to the poor, his healing of spiritual and physical ills were the acts of God's loving care, now made more palpable and attractive in the incarnated goodness of Jesus Christ. Jesus was not, as some triumphalist Christians like to boast, a know-it-all, walking encyclopedia who dazzled friend and enemy alike with his words of wisdom and superhuman wonders. Rahner envisions, instead, a Jesus who inspired his loyal disciples to become paradoxically what the Holy Spirit of his Father God would bring about within them: blessings to the poor, apostles of peace and justice, prophetic critics of heartless societies, and fearless followers of a crucified Lord who in the final moments of his earthly existence entrusted his spirit to the Father in an act of total resignation. Everything that characterized the personality of Jesus Christ now became the personal mission of those who would proclaim their allegiance to the Holy Mystery of God now become compellingly manifest in that privileged moment of time. Unfolding before their very eyes, they could see and experience Jesus' warmhearted human-divine love and know something of what life everlasting would be like. Rahner writes that,
though shattered by the agony of Jesus' death, but emboldened by his resurrection appearances, these early believers in Jesus now saw unlocked the mysteries of death and salvation. With St. Paul they could even
The one joyful word and life thatfillsall spheres of my soul.

taunt death (1 Cor 15:55-56) and, like Paul they could confess that, if they died preaching Jesus, it would only mean the unending joy of living more intimately in the resurrection presence of their saving Lord (Phil 1:21).
Resurrection and the Oppressed

Indeed, Rahner saw in this experience of Jesus' resurrection and in the long line of Christian martyrs how God had validated Jesus' own ministry in the moment when death was transcended by Jesus' reception into glory. When asked about the problems facing those struggling in an apparent losing battle against systemic injustice in Latin America, Rahner stated his admiration for liberation theologians and those involved in movements to liberate the poor from oppression. These heroic followers of Jesus Christ, he said, turn to their crucified savior for inspiration and sustenance in the midst of disappointment and defeat in their defense of those victimized by the cruel tactics of rich oligarchs supported by death squads. Rahner sees in their turning toward the suffering Christ their "conviction that this fate of death, of ruin, is fulfilled by a final promise, that it [their conviction] enjoys a final victory, where one believes in what is called Christian resurrection." He goes on to say that "someone who has only had the experience of the absurdity of death, of the cross, of senselessness, and of nothing else could never imagine that all this is only the beginning, and shall be overcome through a victory by life and glory." (Interview with Karl-Heinz Weger and Hildegard Lning for Radio SDR in Stuttgart, 1979). In his praise of an impoverished people's hope in resurrection, despite the pangs of failure and frustra6 The Living Pulpit/ April-June 2005
tion in attempting to right the wrongs of societal injustice, Rahner is only echoing what he himself has detected in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Rahner eschews all theories of God's absolute impassibility and of Jesus' earthly yet divine omniscience. For him, Jesus Christ's incarnation pushes the divine self-con\y \fX\)& sciousness into a sub-conscious awareness of his unique union I with his Father-God and their ll@ Holy Spirit binding him intimately to them in their Trinitarian outreach to his people. The intimations of his divinity burst forth in the words that have burned their way into the hearts of his followers through the centuries with Spirit-filled faith, astounding energy, and death-defying courage. For Jesus himself, according to Rahner, his impending death was also the most drastic test of his trust in the unending care of his Father and the enduring power of the words that had emanated from his ministry. Though sensing the horrors of his fate, he still yearned for deliverance. His death was, indeed, a "dark night of his soul," but it was also that ultimate human experience of his Father-God and of his own identity as God's unique son. What those who had gathered about the cross saw as a brutal death was, in his Father's arms, resurrection and Jesus' fullest ecstatic experience of his own communion with the Father. In that instant in which Jesus handed over his body and soul in death, the in-rushing Spirit filled him with the glory that had been his from the foundation of the world (Jn 17:24). This moment of death-resurrection is what Christians claim to share through their baptism and through those special moments of life patterned after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, so revelatory of the divine presence and lifelong care that extends beyond our lifetime (see Rahner's essay, "Dogmatic Reflections on the Knowledge and Self-Awareness of Christ").
Rahner's Prayer
Rahner concedes that, without a doubt, people continue to die in a sad manner and, often, in seeming absurdity. Yet this separation from one's corporeal lifetime and apparent "emptiness is filled to the brim" by God. God is the one, Rahner declares, who breaks through the sadness and absurdity of death with the promise of life, and in Jesus Christ, the manifest fulfill-
ment ofthat promise in a human life transfigured from death into life eternal. The kind of confidence engendered in Rahner by Jesus' experience of resurrection is seen in the prayer that he wrote not long before his own death: Then you will say the last word, the only word that abides and that one never forgets. Then, when all is silent in death and I have learned and suffered my last Then will begin the great silence in which you alone resound, you who are word from eternity to eternity Then all human words will be dumb. Being and knowing, knowing and experiencing will be all the same: "I will know as I am known," will understand what you have always said to me, namely yourself No human word, no image and no concept will ever stand between me and you; you yourself will be the one joyful word of love and life that fills all the spheres of my soul (See Kelly, Karl Rahner: Theologian of the Graced Search for Meaning, 30-31).
About the Author Dr. Geffrey B. Kelly is chair of the Department | of Religion and professor of systematic theology | at La Salle University in Philadelphia. He has j written and lectured extensively on Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Karl Rahner, as well as on Christian Spirituality and Latin American liberation theology. Some of his recent books include Liberating Faith: Bonhoeffer's Message for Today and Karl Rahner: Theologian of the Graced Search for Meaning. He also is editor of Fortress Press's critical edition and new translation of Bonhoeffer's study of Christian Community, Life Together and co-editor of Bonhoeffer's spiritual classic, Discipleship (formerly The Cost of Discipleship) in the same series. Dr. Kelly holds the Licentiate and doctoral degrees in Sacred Theology (STD) from Louvain University in Belgium. His forthcoming book, Is There a God in Health Care?: Towards a New Spirituality of Medicine, will be published by The Haworth Press in Fall, 2005.
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Love Strong Enough
to Defeat Death
William J. Sappenfield
esus died for our sins. That is such a well-known article of faith that it can be stated, repeated without mistakes, and believed - even by people who l't believe Jesus is the incarnation of God. The fact that Jesus died is inarguable; his death is accepted by the faithful who worship among clouds of incense and by those who proclaim it in unintelligible expressions of
The lives Jesus came to inspire will be lived outside the tomb lives of service, generosity, study, and joy.
ecstasy. "Jesus died" is also the subject of earnest conversations among non-Christians who bemoan the waste of time that is devoted to a violent, but otherwise unexceptional, execution so long ago. The "for our sins" part ofthat abbreviated creed also has diverse interpretations. Christians wonder if God needed to punish anybody. They question if Jesus was giving an example of perfect obedience in the face of injustice. Meanwhile, skeptics accept that there is sin in the world and it was certainly in evidence when Jesus died. One doesn't have to believe that Jesus is God to believe that. Dying hardly establishes that Jesus is divine. Death is the one thing that everybody shares. When people line up on Ash Wednesday to be reminded that they are
going to die - the ashes are marked on everybody's heads and the words, "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return" are repeated to all. The lines can be pretty long, too, because we want a relationship with God to comfort us in a sinful world. We are happy for Jesus to join us in the Ash Wednesday procession that reminds us we are all the same. Christians are often satisfied with an undemanding, companionable Jesus. He gives affirmation, fellowship, and consolation to lives that we live but cannot control. Jesus joins himself to these lives that will end in death, even though it means that he will die, too. If that were enough, the cross would be sufficient. A timid world could repose in the shelter of the tomb and be grateful for the company of Jesus. We could end the story on Good Friday. Jesus died for our sins. Jesus' death proclaims that he is one of us as we are. His resurrection changes us. Any account of Christianity that does not need the resurrection is inadequate. Jesus is not satisfied to come and die with us. He will defeat death, walk out of the tomb, and drag us out with him. The resurrection is demanding. The world that is waiting on the other side of the stone needs the attention of a living Church. The lives Jesus came to inspire will be lived outside the tomb - lives of service, generosity, study, and joy. The resurrection is love strong enough to defeat death; it is love strong enough to impel the work of Christ. A good life is more than just a "get out of the tomb free" card. A good life is what we can live because we are out of the tomb.
The Living Pulpit/April-June 2005
Ministry that is empowered by Jesus joining us in death is a ministry bound by our own capabilities, our own imaginations, and our own stamina. That is still only welcoming God into our lives. These lives are limited to our power and our vision, and will end with our deaths. Ministry that is empowered by Jesus' resurrection takes us beyond ourselves. Our abilities may be enough to offer some passing community improvements, but they are, by nature, temporal. They will not welcome the
Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is beyond the boundaries of our lives, our capabilities, our perceptions, and our energies. God may appreciate our hospitality, but he created these lives we are living and he has better things for them to do than entertain him in our tombs. Jesus died for our sins, and we may praise God for the comfort that brings. But Jesus rose for our ministry and he calls us to serve his Kingdom in the power of the resurrection.
About the Author The Rev. Dr. William J. Sappenfield is the pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and has had several parishes since he was ordained 22 years ago in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). He holds an M.Div. from Trinity Lutheran Seminary Columbus, Ohio, and a D.Min. from the Graduate Theological Foundation of Indiana. Dr. Sappenfield has been active in the ecumenical ministry of the ECLA since its organization in 1987. He is a frequent contributor to this magazine, most recently appearing in our issue on Water. He welcomes your comments at plcpastor@sbcglobal.net.
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Understandings of the Resurrection

J. Alfred Smith, Sr.
uch discussion has taken place on the topic of the resurrection. Scholars debate what really happened. Others debate what the resurrection means. Still others say that the resurrection means little or nothing unless it really happened. However, the question that Paul asked Agrippa continues to stimulate our understandings of the resurrection. That question raised in Acts 26:8 is: "Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?" However, there are two central resurrection affirmations that are heard from Christian pulpits. There is the claim that Jesus was bodily raised from the dead
In thefinalanalysis, I believe that we walk by faith in God who raised Jesus from the dead.
Consequences, there are four models for understanding the resurrection of Jesus Christ traditional, liberal, evangelical, and liberation. The traditional approach is championed by Carl F. H. Henry and Wolfhart Pannenburg as the leading exponents. The liberal approach has been most clearly influenced by the historical period of the Enlightment. The leading exponents of this position are Rudolf Bultmann, who speaks of the presence of Christ in the kerygma and John Knox who speaks of the presence of Christ in the living memory of the church. Other liberal scholars focus on the pre-Easter Jesus or the historical Christ. David Friedrich Strauss avers Jesus did not really rise from the dead. Heinrich Eberhard Gottlob Paulus says Jesus was not really dead. Rudolf Pesch states that the resurrection is a symbol for the eschatological significance of Jesus and David Griffin is a process theologian who says that the resurrection is an option for Christian faith. The evangelical approach brings together the divine and historical aspects of the and the claim that Christians will be raised from the resurrection. Leaders of the evangelical school are Karl dead. The resurrection of Jesus happened at a particular time and place in contrast with the general resurrec- Barth, Wolter Kunneth, and Edward Schillebeeckx. While rejecting the denial of modern science that a tion which is to occur at an undisclosed time and place. physical resurrection is even possible, the evangeliThe resurrection of Jesus prevented Jesus from bodily calswith variations in their approachesall emphadecay from all but its earliest stages. By contrast, most size that faith is the proper mode to know and to Christians understood resurrection to take place after respond to the living Christ. bodily decay. The uniqueness of the resurrection of Jesus is in its significance of redemption. However, The liberation approach to the resurrection has some Christian scholars would question these tradibeen supported by Jrgen Moltmann with his tional beliefs on the grounds that history is a closed sysTheology of Hope and Johan Baptist with his Political tem of cause and effect that not even God can interTheology. We also find Latin American theologians rupt. Hence, according to Professor Thorwald such as Gustavo Gutirrez and Jon Sobrino in the liberLorenzen, who authored Resurrection and Discipleship: ation camp. American leaders of the liberation Interpretive Models, Biblical Reflections, and Theological approach are Rosemary Radford Ruether and James
Cone. This approach challenges the church to behave like resurrected people in terms of the discipleship, ethics, mission, and outreach of the church. The resurrection calls for the commitment of persons who have been resurrected with Jesus Christ to work in the world for economic and ecological justice and to bring Christian ethics to bear in the continuing struggle for justice and peace. Faith is not related primarily to propositional theological truths and historical facts; rather it is engaged in the daily practice of living as resurrected people in pursuit of ethical reflection and justice oriented living. The resurrection of Christ is real only as it addresses racism, sexism, ageism, colonialism, and nationalism. The liberation approach to the resurrection argues that the resurrection is God's protest against those who practice the injustice of crucifixion, and it is evidence that truth will ultimately triumph over evil. Different interpretations of the meaning of the resurrection should not confuse those who preach because there is a situational nature about theological statements. This situational reality manifests itself within the traditions of the Bible itself. Read John 20:26-20 where Thomas is invited to touch the body of the risen Christ. Then read John 20:17 where Jesus instructs Mary not to hold onto him because he has not yet ascended to his father. Notice the variations and emphases of the synoptic gospel writers who describe the post-resurrection experiences of disciples with Jesus. Paul's writings in 1 Corinthians 15:35-50 present a different perspective of the resurrection body than what is presented by the synoptic gospel writers. These contrasting viewpoints by no means invalidate the testimony of Scripture. They may present different details or information, but at the same time they witness to the reality of the resurrection, as each author speaks from the particularity of his specific social location. In the final analysis, I believe that we walk by faith in God who raised Jesus from the dead. This God leads the disciples into a radical conversion where they experienced forgiveness, courage, power, and a new relationship of love and loyalty to Jesus Christ whom they previously had denied. I recognize this new community of believers, and I have decided to embrace this Easter faith accepting Jesus' words to Thomas, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe" (John 20:29). In his book Resurrection: Interpreting the Easter Gospel, Rowan Williams reminds us of the responsibil-
ities of our faith. He says, "The believing community manifests the risen Christ: it does not simply talk about him, or even celebrate him. It is the place where he is shown." Carl Braaten summed up this discourse in his essay "The Reality of the Resurrection" included in the book Nicene Christianity. He wrote, "If we don't believe in the reality of the risen Lord, there is no compelling commission and no mission. We are off the hook." May the believing community renew afresh its call to continue the mission of the living Christ here in the world.
About the Author The Rev. Dr. J. Alfred Smith, Sr., is Senior Pastor of Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, California, and Professor of Preaching and Church Ministries at American Baptist Seminary of the West in Berkeley, California. He has been named to Ebony Magazine's "100 Most Influential Black Americans/' Dr. Smith is the author of 16 books, the most recent being On the Jericho Road: A Memoir of Racial Justice, Social Action and Prophetic Ministry. Among Dr. Smith's other publications are Giving to a Giving God, Basic Bible Sermons, and Lamentations in the City. Dr. Smith is a past president of the Progressive National Baptist Convention and of American Baptist Churches of the West. He has also served on the executive board of the National Council of Churches.
11
Preaching the Resurrection to Experience the Risen Christ

Kenneth R. Lyle, Jr.
n a seminary class many years ago, a wise professor said, "Never speak about the resurrection without speaking about the crucifixion." While I've long since forgotten the professor's name, the significance of these words continues to inform my own understanding about the nature of discipleship, ministry, and the proclamation of the Gospel. To speak about the resurrection without speaking about the crucifixion suggests that you can get to the victory without experiencing the sacrifice. Resurrection without crucifixion focuses on the glory apart from the suffering. Resurrection alone is but half of the good news. And so our preaching about the resurrection must encompass and embrace the suffering and death of Jesus.
Preaching the resurrection requires us to focus on the experience of the resurrection.

But surely the opposite assertion must also be true: "Never speak about the crucifixion without speaking about the resurrection." To speak of crucifixion without speaking about the resurrection empties the Gospel of its power. Crucifixion without resurrection removes hope from the equation. Crucifixion is but half of the good news. The proclamation of the Gospel requires the presentation of both the profound suffering of Jesus and the marvelous truth of his resurrection. Certainly the church has understood this from the beginning, for the Christian must experience the darkness of Good
Friday before bursting forth into the light of Easter morning. Our experience of the risen Christ encompasses suffering and vindication, sacrifice and hope, weakness and power, and our preaching of the resurrection must be grounded on the grim truth of the crucifixion. The apostle Paul and the early church understood this connection between Jesus' death and resurrection and its importance for preaching. In Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, Paul recounts for the church the proclamation that he received and that he had handed on to them: Christ died...Christ was buried...Christ was raised...Christ appeared (1 Cor 15:3-9). In this marvelous interplay of the active and passive voice, Paul articulates the content of his preaching. The grim reality of the suffering and death of Jesus leads us to the glorious hope of resurrection life. Our preaching about the resurrection must follow this pattern as we present both the challenge and hope of the Gospel message. (These points are expanded in David E. Garland's excellent commentary on 1 Corinthians that appears in the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) The question remains, however, what does it mean to preach the resurrection? One response would be that when we preach the resurrection, we should proclaim the resurrection as event. That is, proclaim the historical reality of Jesus' resurrection. Here I am not talking about the approach that seeks to establish enough evidence to "prove" the resurrection. Sermons of this sort may interest those with a particular forensic interest in the event of resurrection, but they do little to bring us closer to the risen Christ. Rather, as did Paul, our
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preaching should begin with the assertion that Jesus really died, was buried, was raised, and appeared to his followers. Paul makes no attempt to deal with the proof of Jesus' resurrection, but instead he asserts it as the foundation of his proclamation. Likewise, the gospel writers do not grapple with the difficulties of explaining the resurrection. To be sure, the Gospels give much attention to the events leading up to the death of Jesus, they attest to the burial of Jesus, and certainly, the Gospels focus on the many appearances of Jesus to his followers. Conspicuously absent, however, are the perhaps expected accounts of the miraculous raising of Jesus from the dead. We read about empty tombs, and stones rolled away, and earthquakes, and angels which help us know that the resurrection has occurred, but there is no description of the actual moment of resurrection. From the beginning, attempts to garner enough evidence of the fact of the resurrection have been met with a challenge to know and experience the risen Christ in a deeper and more profound sense. In John's Gospel, when Thomas resolves not to believe the testimony of the other disciples, "unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side" (Jn 20:25) the result is an encounter with the risen Christ. Jesus' response to Thomas, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe" (Jn 20:29), suggests that our experience of the risen Christ depends not on physical evidence or sermons that focus on proving the resurrection, but rather on the faithful proclamation of the reality of Jesus' resurrection. Hearers of the gospel message, in any century, grasp the truth of the resurrection claims not because of physical proof or eloquent logic, but because of the power of the claim made by those who believe. Preaching the event of resurrection rests on the foundation of the reality of resurrection, and this foundation is derived from the preacher's own experience of the risen Christ. Another approach to preaching the resurrection focuses on our expectation of the resurrection. That is, the proclamation of our hope for resurrection. Here, I am not speaking primarily about sermons presented at funerals and memorial services. It seems to me that those kinds of sermons, which are important and necessary, are designed to provide comfort to those who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Certainly there is great comfort in the assurance that those for whom we grieve have entered into resurrection life. But our hope
for resurrection life should not just focus on the hereafter, but on the power of resurrection life here and now. Our hope for resurrection is a part of how we experience the risen Christ. Because of the resurrection, we can proclaim the way of discipleship set out by Jesus. Knowing that Jesus has gone before us and broken through the barrier of death, we can proclaim eternal life, but also abundant life (Jn 10:10). Our initial motivation to enter the Christian walk may be our hope of eternal life, but the mature proclamation of the Gospel understands our hope for resurrection as motivation for living a life dedicated to the purposes of God. Because of the resurrection, we know that death has been defeated and we have hope that the other ravages of this world will be conquered. Because of the resurrection we can pray for and work for the time when God's will is "on Earth as it is in heaven." The apostle Paul understood this motivational aspect of our hope for the resurrection. When he writes, "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead" (Phil 3), Paul is not just look-
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ing forward to eternity in heaven, rather, he is reflecting on the necessity of becoming more like Jesus right now. Paul understands that he has not yet arrived at or in any way reached the goal, but because of the hope of resurrection Paul can assert confidently, "Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal, for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus." For Baptists, or at least for this Baptist, the interplay between our hope for resurrection and the motivation to resurrection life is demonstrated most clearly not in the spoken word, but in the proclamation of the Gospel inherent in the rite of baptism. In this act of proclamation the new Christian demonstrates a willingness to follow the way set out by Jesus. When the words are spoken, "Buried with him through baptism into death . .. raised to walk in newness of life," we do not proclaim that we are raised to wait around for the hereafter. We do not proclaim that we are finished with the journey. We do not proclaim that there is nothing left for us to do. Rather, in baptism we proclaim that what has happened to Jesus will happen to us. We are raised to walk, right here, right now, in newness of life. Ultimately, preaching the resurrection requires us to focus on the experience of the resurrection. That is, the proclamation of the risen Christ who is present with us here and now. In his book A Risen Christ in Eastertime: Essays on the Gospel Narratives of the Resurrection, Father Raymond Brown has said, "The gift of the Spirit is one of the church-founding aspects of the resurrection." By the resurrection, Jesus gave to his followers his spirit, which continues to speak to us through the reading of Scripture, through the process of prayer, and most certainly in the proclamation of the good news. As a Christian my experience of the risen Christ depends upon the resurrection. As a Christian, my experience of God depends upon my experience with the risen Christ. Without an experience of the risen Christ, as a Christian, there is no experience of the living God. In his marvelous book A Scandalous Providence, Frank Tupper recounts some of the ordeal he experienced as his beloved wife Betty was dying of cancer. Tupper tells the story of a conversation with one of his colleagues. The conversation recorded by Tupper's friend dealt with the disease and the debilitating results of the cure, the hopelessness of the present situation, and the resurrection. The account continued, "Tupper said that many contemporary theologians had abandoned the hope of resurrection, noting: T h a t disturbs
me greatly.'" Tupper stated, "I would not believe in God if I did not believe in Jesus." Tupper goes on to explain that for him, without the story of Jesus, "God simply would not matter." Preaching the resurrection reminds us that God matters. The glorious hope of resurrection when grounded in the requirement of suffering and death reveals to us the God who enters into the fray, the God who shows us the way through, the God who calls us to follow the way not set by us but set by Jesus. Our preaching should ground our experience of the risen Christ in the historical event of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Our preaching should present our expectation of resurrection life that is both eternal and abundant, anticipated and realized. Our preaching of the resurrection is how we experience the risen Christ here and now.
About the Author The Rev. Dr. Kenneth R. Lyle, Jr., is Professor of New Testament and Greek at the Logsdon Seminary, the Logsdon School of Theology at Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas. He holds an M.Div. and a Ph.D. from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. His previous position was at Bluefield College in Bluefield, West Virginia, as professor of Bible and Greek and Campus Minster. Ken has been pastor at churches in West Virginia, Virginia, and Texas, and currently serves as interim Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Roscoe, Texas. This spring, as a result of a partnership between Nigerian and Texas Baptists, Ken will travel to Nigeria to teach at the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary in Ogbomosho. Dr. Lyle is the author of Ethical Admonition in the Epistle of Jude, published by Peter Lang.
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The Living Pulpit/ April-June 2005
Romero, Resistan Resurrection

Brian J. Pierce, O.P.
n March 24 of this year the church celebrated the commemoration of Jesus' last supper with his disciples. On the very same day this year, Christians in Latin America and throughout the world also remembered and celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of the paschal death and resurrection of Archbishop Oscar A. Romero of El Salvador. For those of us who are preachers, Romero continues to be, in many ways, one of our greatest modern mentors. He was a preacher par excellence, one who knew himself to be called by God - in a particular place and time in history - to announce the good news of Jesus Christ. His profound sense of call not only fortified his prophetic ministry, but also served as the basis of his deep humility. As he said in a homily not long after being named Archbishop of San Salvador, "I do not think I am that important. I believe that this message, which is only a humble echo of God's Word, enters your hearts, not because it is mine, but because it comes from God" (29 Oct. 1978). Monseor Romero, of course, was aware that his preaching was seen as anything but "humble" by certain sectors of Salvadoran society. His courageous unmasking of lies and his speaking of the truth were denounced almost daily by the wealthy and the powerful - even by some of his own brother bishops. He knew well the
dangers that such a ministry entailed. In his 1979 New Year's day homily, he said, "I was told this week that I should be careful, that something was being plotted against my life. I trust in the Lord, and I know that the ways of Providence protect one who tries to serve him." Romero's deep "trust in the Lord," however, had little to do with being concerned with his own personal security or with some hope that God would somehow spare him from a violent death. Instead, Romero's trust was in the eternal, transforming power of God's Word. In the end, for Romero, God's Word would prove to be faithful. For that to happen, though, Christians must allow the Word to become enfleshed in their very lives, accepting whatever risks a share in the incarnation might mean. "Every priest, religious, or lay perPhoto Wheater/Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers
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Romero,
"who wants to announce Christ's Gospel in truth must suffer persecution. The witness of life is necessary. Here I make an appeal that all your lives and mine be in truth a silent preaching. Thus is the Gospel lived . . . " (16 July 1978). The death and resurrection of Christ was Monseor Romero's daily bread, his sustenance, his hope. Just two weeks before his death, the archbishop
April-June 2005/The Living Pulpit > 15
gave an interview to the Mexican daily newspaper, Excelsior. In this interview he gave an eloquent summary of his understanding of a Christian's participation in the paschal mystery of Christ: J have frequently been threatened with death. I must say that, as a Christian, I do not believe in death but in resurrection. If they kill me, I shall rise in the Salvadoran people. I am not boasting; I say it with the greatest humility. As a pastor I am bound by divine command to give my life for those whom I love, and that includes all Salvadorans, even those who are going to kill me. If they manage to carry out their threats, I shall be offering my blood for the redemption and resurrection of El Salvador. (Sobrino, pp.99-100) At first his words do ring with an almost haughty, messianic tone - almost as if he saw himself as another Christ - rising in the hearts of his disciples. Nothing could be further from the truth. There was no pride in Romero's encounter with death. He understood his participation in the death and resurrection of Christ in a way similar to how many mystics understand love from the inside out, from lived experience. The French saint, Thrse of Lisieux, frustrated at one point in her short life with the reality that she would never be
paschal Christ became one with him - body, soul, and spirit. "A bishop will die," he commented in the Excelsior interview, "but the church of God - the people - will never die." He was certain that Christ rises through his Word in the hearts of his faithful people. In a way similar to St. Paul, we can almost hear Romero say, "I live, yet no longer do I live but Christ lives in me . . . and he dies in me . . . and he rises in me - and in the Salvadoran people." Exactly one month before his violent assassination, Archbishop Romero again preached on the resurrection as a living reality within Salvadoran society. The risen Christ is a "model for history" he said, continuing: Towards the resurrection all histories must march.... The risen Christ belongs now to present history, and he is the source of human liberty and dignity. That is why we prepare for Easter by observing Lent, so that from our Salvadoran condition, living our Salvadoran Lent, we Salvadorans may enjoy the new life of the risen Christ... Christ has risen here in El Salvador for us, so that with the power of the Spirit we can pursue our own nature, our own history, our own freedom, our own dignity as the Salvadoran people" (24 Feb. 1980) For Monseor Romero, the resurrection is real, happening in us here and now - today. What is so very pertinent to us as preachers, and in many ways unique in Romero, is that he was profoundly aware - convinced that it was precisely through the humble medium of his preaching that the risen Christ was manifesting himself in contemporary Salvadoran society. More than once the enemies of truth attempted to bomb and destroy the YSAX radio station of the Archdiocese during Romero's short term as archbishop. After one such attempt, Romero commented, "If some day they take the radio station away from us, if they close down our newspaper, if they don't let us speak, if they kill all the priests and the bishop too, and you are left, a people without priests, each one of you must be God's microphone, each one of you must be a messenger, a prophet" (8 July
If they kill me, I shall rise in the Salvadoran people.

ordained a priest or go to a foreign land as a missionary, said in a moment of mystical frustration, "Then I shall become love." For Thrse, becoming love was not an intellectual affirmation; it was a call. She was able to transcend all boundaries and limitations by allowing God to become love in her. Romero, I believe, did the same. Like Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Jr., and others, Romero moved beyond simply consenting intellectually to his belief in the resurrection of Christ; he became the paschal mystery. He so fully poured out his own life that the
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1979). He had a profound sense that the preached Word was a paschal Word - a Word that would rise from the dead and live in the hearts and struggles of his people. For Oscar Romero, the very Word of God that took on human flesh in the person of Jesus of Nazareth was eternal. God's voice weaves itself through history, and through the universe as a whole - rooted not in time and space, but in the eternity of God. Romero was aware that one of the ways that God's Word becomes flesh in history is through the words of those who preach the truth. God's Word, hidden within the limited words of the prophet, is not subject to death. It sounds forth for all ages from the Cross of Christ, as well as from the crucified Body of Christ, the Church. One need only to visit his tomb, talk to those who listened to his weekly homilies, or participate in the annual procession in his memory, to know that Monseor Romero has indeed risen in the Salvadoran people. "My voice will disappear," said Romero, conscious of the fact that he himself was simply a humble instrument of God, "but my word, which is Christ, will
remain in the hearts of those who have chosen to receive it" (17 Dec 1978). The Word remains; it will never die. (Editor's Note: The sources for the quotes in this article are James R. Brockman, SJ., The Church Is All of You and The Violence of Love (Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus); Jon Sobrino, Archbishop Romero: Memories and Reflections (Orbis Books); Monseor Romero: El Pueblo Es Profeta (Equipo de Educacin MAZ, San Salvador.)
About the Author

Brian J Pierce, 0, is a Dominican friar of the Southern Province of St. Martin de Porres in the U.S. He has worked many years in Central America and as an itinerant preacher in the United States and in Latin America. He now lives in Lima, Peru, ministering as Promoter for the Dominican Family in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Humble Before the Power of God

Ella Pearson Mitchell
A reflection on belief, unbelief, and the resurrection
he modern Christian is most vulnerable to disbelief around the issue of eternal life, starting with the resurrection. Our scientific minds find it all but impossible to conceive of phenomena outside of the limits of the three-dimensional world of ourThe modern Christian is most vulnerable to disbelief around the issue of eternal life, starting with the resurrection. Our scientific minds find it all but impossible to conceive of phenomena outside of the limits of the three-dimensional world of our experience. Resurrection is like a fourth dimension, which I once heard defined as the dimension by which you remove a yolk from an egg without breaking the shell.
of seed its own body.. .If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. (1 Cor 15:35-38, 40a) For me, Paul had established a metaphor for resurrection of the body. He had shown that God raises living and recognizable entities out of dead remains. Over 35 years later, my fascination with this metaphor was enhanced as I taught kindergarten children. As part of a lesson about nature, we planted tiny grass seeds. For my part, I was also reveling in the evidence Paul had seen. I was saying in my heart, "Paul was right! The mass of the plant emerging from that seed is far beyond the mass from which it came. God did indeed demonstrate the power to give it a body." Paul's metaphor was quite illuminating for me, and it served subtly as a kind of scientific proof. But this was precisely what Paul did not have in mind. The spiritual body of which he spoke had no parallel chemical kinship with a seed-type source. His metaphor pointed far beyond this world. For him the credibility of the resurrection was about our Lord as real presence, completely transcending all previously known experience. This presence passed through an unopened door and finally ascended in manners utterly beyond our frame of reference in this three-dimensional world. PauVs metaphor is not about bodies as such; it is about the power of God. And Paul's issue is not explanation but the very opposite of explanation. It is about faith, which ceases to be faith when it is explained. When resurrection and eternal life are seen as being as unthinkable as the fourth dimension, then God has us just where we need to be. It is the point where we have to surrender reason
If we could prove God's power in a lab, it wouldn't be the ultimate that it is.
The Apostle Paul must have encountered this same sort of disbelief when he wrote his classic piece on the resurrection, the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians. As a self-styled high school scientist, I was most impressed with his word about a seed: But some will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come? You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body which is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as God has chosen, and to each kind
Editor's Note: This article has inspired countless sermons since it appeared in our 1998 Easter issue. We are pleased to share this timeless gem of pastoral and Scriptural insights from a great preacher.
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and take the leap of faith. The very fact that Paul writes as he does must not be read to suggest that our employment of reason is wrong. In fact, Paul loves to think quite logically. In this passage, he is busy reasoning the whole while. But his careful reasoning is designed to carry us to the limit of our own reasoning powers, so that we are ready to launch out on faith. Our willingness to take the leap of faith is the aced test of Christian belief. It is the relent less revealer of our unwillingness, if it be so, to admit that there is something out there which we will never grasp and understand fully, this side of our eternal home. Our full acceptance and enjoyment of the Easter message hinges on our unwillingness to face this human limit unashamedly. We do it with no apologies to that part of the intellectual world which still believes that if we can't fully understand it, it doesn't exist. There are many other phenomena by which we all live, and which we don not understand either. We Christians are a people of intelligent faith, which always must make sense. But its coherence is not the same as its visual validation or physical proof. If we could prove God's power in a lab, it wouldn't be the ulti mate that it is. It doesn't take much humility to affirm this. Meanwhile, the whole meaning of our selves as eternal souls with recognizable personhood hinges on the power of God as expressed in the resurrection and in the eternal life which follows. If observing a seed's death and new life can help us stay humble enough to bow in awe before the power of God to keep us for all eternity, Paul's metaphor has served us well.
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I Know That My Redeemer Lives

Amy Bentley Lamborn
rs. Jamison (not her real name) had been in hospice care for three years when I first met her. She was 82, African American, born in South Carolina, widowed, now living with her oldest son in the Bronx, New York. The diagnosis on her medical chart, was Failure to thrive. The chaplain warned me that she could be hateful to her visitors and caregivers. "She often refuses to talk for weeks at a time. She periodically stops eating and drinking. And if that's the state she's in when you go see her, she's likely to seem pretty mean. She may be silent, but it's the kind that will cut you like a knife. It will feel like she hates you." I was curious about what may have precipitated Mrs. Jamison's bouts of withdrawal from the world and her refusal of life-giving nourishment. "When did her husband die?" I asked. "About three-and-a-half years ago," the chaplain replied. "They married when they were both sixteen. The son says there were always deeply in love. There's nothing wrong with her physically. It's just seems that she doesn't want to go on living without him." Failure to thrive. Mrs. Jamison's diagnosis intrigued me. It is a term usually associated with infants who fail to gain weight and enjoy normal growth and development. Sometimes physical factors contribute to such developmental delays. But often the failure to thrive represents what the pediatrician and child psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott described as a failure of environmental provision. Babies who are not handled and held sufficientlyor who are mishandled through abusecan lose the will to go on being. In health, the "good-enough mother" (or mother-figure) provides a "holding environment" in which the infant can be loved into the fullness of being. Theologically, the failure to thrive is a crisis of hope. It seems that nothing can be done to compel the environment to become adequate. Those who "fail to thrive" have, at some level, given up on hope itself. But there was something about Mrs. Jamison's story that made me wonder if she had really lost her capacity for hope. It was the hate that began to capture my imaginationthe aggression, the "acting out," the quality of meanness exhibited precisely during her episodes of withdrawal and apparent resignation.
Winnicott's theory continued to inform my thinking about Mrs. Jamison's case. According to Winnicott, hatred is a sign of hope, even the kind of hatred and aggression displayed by the anti-social personality. Hatred becomes a kind of communication, attempting to force the environment to reinstate the "something good" that has been lost. Could Mrs. Jamison's anger and aggression, so difficult for those who sought to care for her, be a way of communicating hope? Could it be a kind of SOS intended to rouse the compassion of someone who would receive her message? Was her "meanness" an attempt to recover the "something good" once present in her life, now lost to her? Was her periodic refusal of food and drink a signal for the love she really craved? Thinking in this way about Mrs. Jamison's case prompted more general reflections on hatred and hopeparticularly Christian hope. Hope is a virtue, of course, one of "the three things that abide" according to St. Paul (1 Cor 13). We are to be ready at all times to "give reason for the hope that is within us." That reason is none other than the fundamental formula of our faith: Jesus Christcrucified, died, and risen. And all the weight of that short proclamation falls on the last word. Risen. Without the fact of resurrection we would have no basis for our hope. But what do we make of our moments of hatred? What is its place in our proclamation of hope and resurrection? How seldom we allow our aggression, our anger, our restlessness, our envy, and so on to find their way into the sphere of our relatedness with God. We tend to think that prayer is all about serenity and peace. We want to bring the best of ourselves to God. There is little room for negative emotion, for an argumentative tone, for taking God to task when it seems that the environment God has provided for us has failed us in some crucial way. As for our parishionersand others entrusted to our pastoral carehow challenging it is to remain engaged with them when their anger is turned on us in ways that seem unfair and undeserved. We would much rather deal with the nice folks, those responsive to our ministries and appreciative of what we offer them. "Refrain from rage; leave anger alone." It is easy for
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us to act as if this phrase from Psalm 37 were Scripture's sole teaching about our responsibility toward our own anger. We forget the possibility that our anger may have a holy source and a holy function. What about Moses getting fed up with God in the wilderness and taking God to task for the provision of sustenance for the people of Israel? What of Job's demand that God answer his complaint and offer a compassionate response to his overwhelming suffering? What of the Syro-Phoenician woman's persistence that Jesus respond to her request for help, despite her being a Gentile? In every case, it is the hatred of the way things are that generates the energy necessary to sustain the hope. And that hope is always for God to provide whatever is missing in the current situation to bring about the fullness of life. The book of Job is a drama of aggression, rage, hatred, and, ultimately, faith and renewal. Just when his hope is lost, just when he is ready to curse God, just when we diagnose him with a definite "failure to thrive," it is then that Job's faith shines brightly. Job's is a hard-won faith, formed in unspeakable pain and suffering, and his affirmation is the grammar for resurrection hope: For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth; And after my skin has been thus destroyed, Then in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. (Job 19:25-27) I know that my Redeemer lives. . . . We might not have guessed that Job was capable of such an utterance. Job feels abandoned by everyonefamily, friends . . . even God. As he sits in dust and ashes he questions and complains. He is angry and embittered. But his capacity for hope remains and, indeed, is given new depth and dimension, for it incorporates the anger and aggression and rage that comes when the "good-enough environment" ceases to be "good-enough." If the resurrection is to mean anything to us here and now, not just in some distant "sweet by-and-by," we must attend to the totality of our human experience, including the aggressive, dark, negative parts. New life happens in the trenches, where tombs and death are all the places and circumstances we have written off as hopeless. As those who would proclaim resurrection, we must first be those who witness and experience resurrection. We must go to the grave, sit with the anger and hatred, listen to the questions and complaints, and
there be curious and imaginative. Could there be a subtext of hope behind all the aggression and rage? Is there an attempt to compel the environment to provide that which is missing for the fullness of life? Though we never talked specifically about the biblical character of Job, I am sure that Mrs. Jamison knew the story. Scripture reading had been an important part of her life, and, even with her failing eyesight, her extensive knowledge of Bible stories and memory of particular Scripture verses sustained her spirit. She was having a good day when I last visited her. Indeed, I have not yet witnessed her having a seemingly despairing moment. And I cannot be certain of what it is that makes one day "good" for her and another day "bad." I simply know that on this day she was eating and talking, reminiscing, cherishing her memories of life and love shared. It was a day for memory and hope when just days before everyone around her saw only her failure to thrive. At the end of our visit, Ms. Jamison spoke her own grammar of resurrection, onelike Job'sthat was true to her own in-the-flesh life experience. After we prayed together the Lord's Prayer she said, "You know, I've bought my ticket to heaven, and I'm just wait'n on the train to come and take me there so I can be with the Lord and all those who love me." And with that she threw back her head and laughed.
A b o u t the Author The Rev. Amy Bentley Lamborn has worked in parish ministry and hospital chaplaincy since being ordained an Episcopal priest in 1997. She holds an M.Div. from the University of the South School of Theology in Sewanee, Tennessee, and is currently working on a Ph.D. in Psychiatry and Religion at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. She is training as a pastoral psychotherapist and providing pastoral care to hospice patients in the inner city.
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Promise and Foretaste

Marvin A. McMickle
Reflections on the Lectionary Readings for April 2005
he resurrection is clearly the defining event not only in the life of Jesus but also in the continuing life of the Christian community. The mes-
The same God who raised Jesus from the dead will be with us when we feel overwhelmed by the dangers we face, the burdens we bear, or the fears about the future that sometimes rob us of our hope.
sage of Easter is not simply one concerning what God did for and through Jesus three days after the cruelty and horror of the crucifixion. The resurrection is both a promise and a foretaste of what God can and will do for the faithful when they find themselves having to confront persecution, despair or doubts about the one in whom they have put their trust. The same God who raised Jesus from the dead will be with us when we feel
overwhelmed by the dangers we face, the burdens we bear or the fears concerning the future that sometimes rob us of our hope. The resurrection is not only the sign of the power of God in the presence of evil; it is also the punctuation mark that affirms the truth of the message that Jesus came to declare. The cross must be viewed as the place where the world rejected both the message of Jesus as well as the messenger himself. The cross is an emphatic NO! to the message of the Gospel. Those who conspired for and rejoiced in the death of Jesus surely turned away from Calvary at the end of that dreadful day thinking that they had accomplished the mission of silencing the message of salvation by grace and forgiveness of sins for all who confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. If the cross said NO! to the message of the Gospel, the resurrection was God's resounding YES! Yes, Jesus is risen. Yes, Christ is Lord. Yes, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. Yes, our faith is secure and our hope in Christ is not in vain.
Second Sunday of Easter, April 3, 2005

Acts 2:14a, 22-32 Peter addresses the Jewish Pilgrims who have gathered in Jerusalem from throughout the world to celebrate the festival of Pentecost. He challenges them to
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believe that the resurrection of Jesus, an event that must have been under discussion throughout the city, was God's affirmation of the message of Jesus as well as God's endorsement of the claim that the Messianic promises dating back to the days of David have now been fulfilled in Christ. Psalm 16 God will not abandon the faithful when their lives are in danger or turn away from them when the flames of hell seem to be on the verge of consuming them. It is in moments such as those, moments of the most intense danger and despair that worshippers must pray and believe that those who put their trust in God will be redeemed from danger or sustained through it. 1 Peter 1:3-9 The resurrection carries great meaning for the early Christians who were undergoing intense persecution for their faith. First of all, the faith for which they are suffering is a message that is worth the cost they are being forced to pay. Second, the same God who delivered Jesus from the grave will deliver them from the trials they are suffering "for a short time." Third, like gold that is refined by exposure to fire and flame, their faith and witness will be that much stronger as a result of the ordeal through which they are passing and from which they will be delivered. John 20:19-31 Wherever Thomas was during the first appearance by Jesus, can Christians today really fault him for wanting to have the claim of the resurrection verified by his own eyes? Who among us today would have believed the words that Thomas heard: "We have seen the Lord"? And yet, that is precisely what we are left with as those, like Paul, who are "born out of due season." We cannot wait for our faith to be confirmed by seeing or touching the wounds in his body. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.
of Nazareth is Lord and the resurrection is the ultimate affirmation of that fact. The acceptable response to the Gospel is repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and that message of grace and God's acceptance extends to any and all who put their faith in Christ. At a time when many Christians seem to be working hard
We who preach to the flock of God might well ask ourselves

whether we
approach our work as shepherds or as wage earners.

to exclude people from the kingdom of God, we might discover that a message of a sovereign God whose love extends to the farthest reaches of creation might result in three thousand souls being saved today. Psalm 116:1-4,12-19 At no point in life is our character as believers more in view than when we are in the face of danger, and it is at that same point that the character of God comes most clearly into view. Whom do we call upon when dangers arise that threaten our lives, our loved ones, our hope and our future? "Father, I stretch my hands to thee, no other help I know." As a sign of thanksgiving I must tell others what God has done for me. I will sing praises to the Lord who has delivered my soul. 1 Peter 1:17-23 Our lives have been redeemed from sin and from the afflictions of the world by the blood of Christ; the unblemished Lamb of God who was killed by men but raised back to life by God. Now that we know the truth that Christ came to teach by word and deed, we should reflect that truth in our own lives by displaying genuine love for one another. That is the sign that we have truly been born again.
Third Sunday of Easter, April 10, 2005

Acts 2:14a, 36-41 Peter declared to the crowd in Jerusalem that Jesus
Luke 24:13-31 The two men who were walking from Jerusalem back to their home in Emmaus did not laiow they were walking with Jesus at that very moment, and it was not until he broke the bread with them over dinner that they discovered that Christ had been raised from the
need. That is the assurance of those who know that God will provide for them no matter what the need may bein green pastures, in the presence of their enemies, and even in the valley of the shadow of death. There is a point in life when the care we need is greater than any other person can provide. It is at that point that I am comforted in knowing that my shepherd knows my needs. 1 Peter 2:19-25 Whatever pain or suffering we may experience as a result of our attempts to remain faithful to God should be endured with the same courage and determination that was shown by Christ when he suffered and died for us. His suffering on the cross served to accomplish our redemption, and our suffering can also prove to be of value in God's work of salvation. Not every moment of personal testing is a matter of suffering for the cause of Christ. Sometimes the problems we face are the result of things we needlessly bring upon ourselves. However, when we are called upon to suffer "for righteousness' sake" we should attempt to do so with the awareness that we are worldng together with God for a worthy end. John 10:1-10 Jesus came into the world so we could discover the true meaning of life, not "the good life" but abundant life. Those who came before him offered a message defined by duties and obligations, but he brought a message of grace and mercy. We are encouraged to enter into his love and listen to his voice. If we do, he will never abandon us or lead us into any danger. His love for us is based on his deep commitment to us, a commitment of one who owns a flock as opposed to one who is more interested in his paycheck than he is in the flock itself. Once again, the Lord is our shepherd! We who preach to the flock of God might well ask ourselves whether we approach our work as shepherds or as wage earners. The answer to that question will greatly inform the quality of our work.
The resurrection is both a promise and a foretaste of what God can and will do for the faithful when they find themselves having to conont persecution, despair, or doubts.
dead. We accept the resurrection today because we have known for two thousand years how the story of Calvary ended. For the men on the road to Emmaus that message was harder to hear and more difficult to understand. We should not preach about the resurrection too glibly; it is a great and humbling mystery.
Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 17, 2005

Acts 2:42-47 Those in Jerusalem who were converted by the preaching of Peter became part of a community of shared faith and shared resources. Their spiritual devoutness and their care and concern for one another won the admiration of a city that had not long ago seen their leader put to death. One of the distinguishing marks of the Christian community should be our willingness to share our resources with our brothers and sisters in need. Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd and I have everything I
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Acts 7: 55-60
Stephen was stoned to death as a result of his courageous defense of the message of Jesus, declaring that Christ was the fulfillment of the salvation history that God had begun with Abraham. As he was being stoned he was comforted by the sight of Jesus standing at the right hand of God in glory. The Lord who had been killed and raised back to life was waiting to receive him into the kingdom of God. The resurrection is not only what God did for Jesus after Calvary; it is also what God has promised to all of us who are able to remain faithful even unto death. Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 "Into thy hands I commit my spirit." These words spoken by Jesus from the cross were taken from this psalm of assurance. When we put our trust in God we will never be put to shame. God will deliver us from the hands of those who seek to hurt or kill us, or God will sustain us as we pass through those difficult moments. Such faith allows people to face an uncertain future with an uncommon courage. There are obvious moments in life when this assurance can make a difference for the believer. We are wise to say, "Into thy hands I commit my spirit" whether we are facing the dire circumstances of our personal lives or feeling overwhelmed by the horrendous events in the world around us, such as tsunamis, ethnic cleansing, or the ravages of war. He who has already conquered death and the grave is able to sustain us as we confront those same two inevitable realities ourselves. 1 Peter 2:2-10 Christ has made us into a chosen generation and a royal priesthood. We are the continuation of the work of redemption that God began with Old Testament Israel. Not everybody who hears the Gospel will receive it and be joined to this community. However, there will be many who will hear and rejoice over the message that called them from darkness to light. No matter how far along we are in our spiritual journey, we should always desire that spiritual food that will allow us to continue to grow in Christ. John 14:1-4 Do not let your hearts be troubled. This is one of the great themes of the Gospel; God has already made provision for the things we are still worrying about. Jesus has prepared a place for those who believe in him so that even death cannot separate us from our savior.
There is no greater freedom than being free of the fear of death or what may follow it. Where he is there we will be also. Whether it was on the Sea of Galilee, in the upper room in the days after the crucifixion, or at many other times in their walk with Jesus, the disciples had to be consoled with the words "don't be afraid" and "don't be troubled." God is with us (Emmanuel) is not just a message for the Christmas season. Rather, as a result of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, it has become an eternal promise as well. Both in this life and in the life to come we should always remember that God is with us.
A b o u t the Author The Rev. Dr. Marvin A. McMickle is pastor of A n t i o c h Baptist Church in Cleveland, O h i o . He is also professor of homiletics and chairperson of the Christian ministries department at Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, O h i o , where he has been on the full-time faculty since 1996. Dr. M c M i c k l e is a highly visible and vocal social activist on a w i d e variety of issues. The author of numerous articles, sermons, and editorials, he is also the author of six books i n c l u d ing: From Pulpit to Politics: Reflections on the Separation of Church and State; Preaching to the Black Middle Class: Words of Challenge, Words of Hope; Living Water for Thirsty Souls: Unleashing the Power of Exegetical Preaching; and An Encyclopedia of African American Religious Heritage. Dr. M c M i c k l e serves on the board of advisors of The Living Pulpit as w e l l as The African American Pulpit.
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Preaching on Power
Keith A. Russell
Reflections on the Lectionary Readings in May 2005

reachers face a different challenge in the month of May from that of other cycles of the lectionary. During this period there is no "narrative unity" that gives shape or direction to sermon preparation. One is not dealing with a series of texts from one of the Gospels, as one will in the month of June, which then gives an outline or guide to sermonic development. Instead, the preacher is faced with finding and communicating what is essentially a "theological theme" which gives unity to a variety of disparate readings. The organizing theological theme of this month is power. A key question that faced the early Christian communities after Jesus' death and resurrection was, What is next? What can be expected now that the reality of death and resurrection has occurred? How will the promises of resurrection be experienced and embodied in the early Christian communities? Will the early church be left alone to fend for itself? How will these early communities find the strength and courage to do what Jesus said and to face the opposition of both
resurrection of Jesus. In summary, the Sixth Sunday after Easter projects the coming of an "advocate" who will protect and empower the disciples. Ascension Sunday is presented as a prelude to power. Pentecost is the experience of power. Trinity Sunday is a presentation on the God who is power as Creator, Son, and Holy Spirit, and Proper 4 (9) links the gift of this power to the demands of obedience and faithfulness. With this summary in mind, I will look more closely at the readings of each Sunday. My primary focus will be on the gospel lessons with secondary attention given to the other readings.
Sixth Sunday after Easter, May 1, 2005

1 Peter 3:13-22, Acts 17:22-31, John 14:15-21 The reading from John's Gospel focuses on the community of believers' relationship to Jesus after the experience of resurrection. The section read for this Sunday is taken from a longer passage (14:1-31) that assures the believers that they will have special power and will be able to do the works of Jesus. In John 14:1521 the community is promised that if they love Jesus and keep his commandments, Jesus will ask the Father to give them an advocate who will protect them. In John's Gospel the experience of resurrection necessitates the reception of power. Hence, the coming of the advocate/Holy Spirit is promised to the early church. The Sixth Sunday after Easter is an echo of Pentecost, which will be celebrated and explored two weeks later. It is suggested in this reading that what the believers will receive is a "special revelation" that the world will not receive. Being on the inside gives the believers' special access to this power. The gospel reading is surrounded by two other readings. 1 Peter 3:13-22 promises the community that God will protect those who do good, who are righteous.
Does the resurrection produce practical results for the believers?

Judaic and Hellenistic opponents? Will the early believers be empowered in some special way? Will God empower this new messianic sect? Does the resurrection produce practical results for the believers? In some ways theologically, the reality of resurrection requires the experience of power (empowerment) or this new movement will simply disappear. The readings for the month of May explore how God will empower the church after the life, death, and
Acts 17:22-31 is Paul's address to the Athenians about the God of Jesus who is the fulfillment of their notions of divinity. In the midst of this promise of power, there is a reading about how to explain the power. One might ask why there is an "apology" alongside the promise? Perhaps apology and promise seem to go together because this message is being delivered to a conversionist sect. How does today's preacher interpret the promise of power to the contemporary Christian community? With the increase of discord and discouragement in the Christian community in so many denominational settings, how does one talk about power in a way that makes sense and is not reduced to personalistic piety? The need for power in contemporary communities of faith seems clear, but how do we talk about it in a way that invites and that does not condemn? Can we talk about power without reducing the reality to some creedal uniformity?
temporary church? Ascension as a prelude to power in the early church is a prelude to what in the 21st-century church? Perhaps this event is an opportunity for the preacher to reflect on what kind of power we need and what kind of power is to be hoped for. Put another way, what are the "needs" of faith communities now? How do we talk about our own brand of discouragement or sense of "disempowerment"? Do we have an eschatological sense of power as coming or as already present?
The Day of Pentecost, May 15, 2005

Numbers 11:24-30, Acts 2:1-21, John 20:19-23 The primary account of Pentecost is found in Acts. The reading for this Sunday, Acts 2:1-21, is taken from the whole depiction in 2:1-49. The preacher will want to read the entire account even if one is limiting the message to only a portion of the passage. The Pentecost story shares Luke's view of how empowerment was experienced in the early church after Jesus' resurrection and ascension. The theme of unity and common understanding is at the center of the experience. In response men and woman came to accept Jesus as the Messiah. Diversity was not a reason for division or discord but an occasion for unity and acceptance. Reference is made at length to Joel 2:28-32 which predicts an outpouring of the spirit. The story in Numbers recounts Moses' encounter
Ascension Sunday, May 8, 2005

Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:44-53 The gospel lesson is the Lucan account of the ascension of Jesus into the heavens. The disciples are told that as a result of the resurrection, they are to communicate repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. They are counseled, however, to stay in the city "until they have been clothed with power from on high." The story of the ascension is the prelude to the empowerment of the disciples. Acts 1:1-11, the second Lucan account of the ascension, adds the angelic witness to explain to the disciples what has happened. The disciples are promised that "they will be baptized by the Holy Spirit not many days from now." The disciples are to stay in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit comes, and then they will be witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. The Ephesians reading focuses on God's power to make Jesus the head of the church and to empower the disciples. In his ascending into heaven, Jesus has all power in both the church and the world. How does the preacher talk about ascension? What are the theological meanings of this event for the con-
Pentecost reminds us that diversity was not a reason for division or discord but an occasion for unity and acceptance.
with God, who comes in a cloud and instructs Moses. During this experience the Spirit rested on Moses. Is this meant to be a precursor of the Acts account? The John passage provides an interesting challenge in that it relates the coming of the Holy Spirit to the disciples in a different way from that told in Acts. Here Jesus gives the disciples the Holy Spirit after the resurApril-June 2005A"he Living Pulpit 27
rection but before his glorification. He even checks back in a week to see how the disciples are doing with their new gift. In both cases, the gift of the Spirit is given. However, perhaps even in the early church, there was room for different experiences of the same reality. How do we preach Pentecost now? Surely, the
The reality of resurrection requires the experience of power or this new movement will simply disappear.
promise of power coming is still a comfort, but how do we interpret this reality in the life of our churches? When we recount the story in Acts, what are we implying or promising to the hearer? Do we believe that such power is possible today? What would the experience of Pentecost look like in the 21st-century church? How do we imagine new power and energy coming to our congregations? How can our current diversity and disunity be challenged by the story of Pentecost?
Trinity Sunday, May 22, 2005

Genesis 1:1-2, 4a, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Matthew 28:16-20 It makes good sense theologically to observe the Trinity immediately after having just celebrated Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost. The focus on the prior weeks has been on the connection between Jesus and the Holy Spirit. God has been given credit for the reality and relationship of both, but now the church seeks to explain how God is present in three persons. Trinity Sunday gives the opportunity to explore the several dimensions of God's power. The readings for this week are, at best, a Trinitarian allusion rather than a full-blown development of the doctrine of the Trinity. The early Christian communities of the first and second centuries dealt with all three realities, Creator, Redeemer, and Holy Spirit, but not in the systematic theological doctrine that was developed
in the fourth century. Since the fourth century, however, orthodox Christian theology has promoted a Trinitarian view of God. The Genesis reading deals with the Spirit's role in creation. 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 is an ending benediction that has Trinitarian overtones in that the writer asks that the reader receive "the grace of Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit." The Matthew text is the Great Commission given to the early Christian communities in Antioch, where they are commanded to "make believers, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." What is the function of the doctrine of the Trinity for 21stcentury believers and communities? One can see the difficulties that arise when one aspect of the Godhead is preferred over another. An overdependence on the Holy Spirit alone can reduce faith to feeling. An overdependence on Jesus can lead to an otherworldly apocalyptic vision quite separate from creation and empowerment. Likewise, God alone reduces the room for both messianic fulfillment and spiritual empowerment. It has been the wisdom of the church that to talk about God and God's power, however imperfect our understanding and apprehensions are, is richer and fuller when we use Trinitarian categories. The preacher has the responsibility to help believers grow and develop in their ability to think theologically so that they can better understand the world and church of which they are a part. Trinity Sunday is a challenging opportunity for clearly theological preaching.
Proper 4 (9), May 29, 2005

Genesis 6:9-22, 7:24, 8:14-19, Romans 1:16-17, 3:22b-28 (19-31), Matthew 7:21-29 If my assertion that a theological theme holds the lectionary readings of May together makes any sense, this week adds yet another dimension to the experience of empowerment. All these readings link obedience and faith to the experience of power. Power from God is given but requires both faith and obedience on the part of the faith community. Matthew 7:21-29 asserts that power from God depends on obedience, that is, doing
28
the will of Jesus' father. A wise community is likened to one who builds a house upon a rock and not to one who builds a house upon the sand. Admittance to the Kingdom of Heaven requires faithful obedience. The selected verses in Romans focus on faith as the key to salvation and righteousness. We are saved by faith and justified by faith, which then produces righteous behavior. The faith community is saved by faith but expected to live righteously as a sign of its salvation. The Genesis text is a portion of the flood story (6:5-8:22) and is also focused on obedience. God saves Noah and creation because Noah obeys God's request. God's power (empowerment) is to those who both believe and obey.
theme in Christian churches in the 21st century. How do we get power? What is it like? Are we currently abusing the power promised at both the resurrection and Pentecost? Does this season call us to a new repentance or to a different practice? How do we build and encourage empowered Christian communities? Lectionary readings in May provide some interesting opportunity for preachers. Power to the preacher!
About the Author

The Rev. Dr. Keith A. Russell is an American Baptist teacher and preacher who currently serves as President and Professor of Pastoral Theology at American Baptist Seminary of the West, Berkeley, CA. He is the author of In Search of the Church: New Testament Images for Tomorrow's Congregations, published in the Alban Institute "Once and Future Church Series." Several of the points raised in this article about congregational empowerment are explored in the book. Dr. Russell is also the Editor-in-Chief of The Living Pulpit
The Challenge of Preaching in May

The challenge for preaching in May is to craft a series of sermons that take power and empowerment seriously. This is an exciting opportunity to stay on topic for five Sundays while letting different events, Pentecost, Ascension, and Trinity, shape the presentation and conversation. These ancient celebrations provide fresh opportunity for theological inquiry regarding an important
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Preaching Discipleship in Early Summer

Ronald J. Allen
Reflections on the Lectionary Readings for June 2005

une offers a rich opportunity to develop sermons that show the tremendous relevancy of the gospel themes to the specific contextual issues facing our congregations at this time of year. The readings from the Gospel of Matthew focus on discipleship while the month of June brings with it both the positive as well as the negative issues of early summer. The main theme of the gospel of Matthew is the coming of the realm of God (Mt 4:12-17). The Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5 to 7) reveals essential qualities of the realm of God as well discipleship. Beginning with Proper 4, the gospel readings presuppose that this material is fresh in the minds of the listeners. We actually have to compensate for the fact that while the lectionary readings in January and February progressed sequentially from Matthew 4 through Matthew 7, the continuity has been interrupted Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. Now that we are returning to Matthew, the preacher needs to help the June congregation to reconnect with the story line of the first Gospel by summarizing the earlier material. This can be done in several different ways including adding a "teaching moment" to the reading of the Bible lesson in worship, including brief summaries of earlier parts of Matthew in sermons or, by including a written explanation in the worship bulletin or on the PowerPoint screen.
Dynamics in Early Summer

I think of June as the first of the sustained warm monthsshirt sleeves, roses blooming, lush vegetation, fireflies, swimming in the late afternoon, and handcranked ice cream. June often feels full of life. Yet, tornadoes and floods sometimes disrupt and destroy. Preachers can help disciples give thanks to God for the wonders of the natural world, while also helping disciples reflect on how God is related to natural disaster,
and how to respond to persons whose worlds have been decimated by natural disaster. For people who do not have air conditioning, June can be the beginning of a long, hot summer. For the poor and ethnic groups cramped into ghettos, summer heat can intensify feelings of repression and increase the chances of social uprising. Preachers can help congregations explore how the realm of God offers a vision of restructuring our worlds so that all people can live in dignity, freedom, economic opportunity, genuine community, and physical comfort. Such social worlds would decrease the likelihood of summer violence that sometimes boils over in response to social oppression. Along this line, a preacher might want to mention "Juneteenth." This term refers to June 19, 1865 when the slaves in Texas first heard the news of emancipation from slavery. Since then, Juneteenth has become the first known celebration of the end of slavery (see www.juneteenth.com/history.htm for a fascinating background on this celebration). Juneteenth provides an ideal opportunity to ask, "How can disciples witness today to the injustices remaining from our legacy of slavery? How can we witness today across ethnic lines?" Many children, young people, and teachers are finishing the school year and anticipating those first heady days of summer freedom. Yet, there are also students who are anxious about final exams, and a few who commit suicide. Moreover, the western academic system, easily allows people to drift into attitudes of works righteousness and of social hierarchy based on grades. A preacher might help disciples regard evaluation in education not as an end in itself, but more as a way of identifying strengths on which to build and areas that need further attention. Preachers can also help the congregation name opportunities for discipleship that come with summer schedule changes.
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Many parents, particularly those who are outside the home all day, experience heightened concern over summertime child care and safety. Who will be responsible for the kids? What will the kids do? Can the congregation help them channel their energy in ways that nurture them in discipleship? How can parents be faithful disciples in relationship to children when they're in the office every day from 9 to 5? For many businesses and congregations, June 30 is the end of the fiscal year. As a result, many owners, managers, employees, and congregations are anxious about the financial results. Some people will be exuberant. Pastors can help such congregants consider how to use resources to witness to the realm of God with its desire for all people to live in security and abundance. In many communities across the nation, people are worried that their jobs will be moved to Mexico or India or some country they cannot find on the map and whose name they can neither pronounce nor spell. What does the realm of God invite in the way of a world economy that will provide fairly and abundantly for all? How can people who have been, or fear being, displaced organize to effect national economic and trade policies that are more just, fair, and secure? Many people think of June as a time of romance and weddings. A preacher might think along with the congregation about how the realm of God shapes our views of romantic attraction and marriage. How can a marriage enflesh qualities of the realm? How can the single life express the realm of God? How do romantic relationships among persons of the same gender relate to the divine reign? None of these issues are easy or simple, yet they are very much on the congregation's mind, particularly at this time of year. The war in Iraq will be on the hearts of many people and needs to be acknowledged in sermons and at other points in the service. A preacher needs to use pastoral wisdom. On the one hand, a minister does not want to dwell on the war every week and weary people of it. On the other hand, my impression is that few preachers reflect on the war in systematic and sustained
ways. Most preachers only sideswipe the topic of the war. A congregation may be ready for a full bodied consideration of the question of how a disciple can interpret and respond to the war.
Preaching Lectio Continua through Genesis

This article presumes a sermonic focus on the gospel lections. However, the set of readings from Genesis for June provide occasions to preach through some of the community-shaping ancestral stories. Given the illiteracy of many congregations towards the
A preacher might help the congregation consider how to preach, teach, and heal during the weeks of early summer.
First Testament, this focus could be welcome. The First Testament, as well as the Gospel, concern themes that lend themselves to sermons that link biblical concepts to the everyday events of the congregation at this time of year.
Proper 5 (10), (June 5, 2005)

Matthew 9:9-13 Jesus calls Matthew to be a disciple, and then eats with tax collectors and sinners. The tax collectors were Jewish people who sat in booths along the roads and gouged travelers, including their fellow Jews, with heavy tolls. They were particularly despised for the double offense of funding the hated Roman oppression while impoverishing their neighbors. Writers in antiquity often used the term "sinners" (hamartoloi) for people who flagrantly disobeyed God and who engaged in behaviors that destroyed covenantal community. A preacher might raise the questions, "Who functions in our world like tax collectors and sinners? Who is gouging people today, leaving them economically deprived and contributing to social uncertainty?" A preacher
might name forces and people that contribute to economic uncertainty, losses of jobs, and leaving people sweltering in the summer heat with few prospects for a better life. Jesus' eating with the tax collectors and sinners is a dramatic demonstration of the inclusivity of the realm of God. Scholars point out that eating together in antiquity implied a level of mutuality greater than that assumed in the typical meal today. Not only that, but many interpreters think that Jesus' meals with such folk have the quality of anticipating the eschatological ban-
The ministry of Jesus is a paradigm for the ministry of the congregation.

quetthe great celebration that God planned after the apocalypse (the cosmic interruption when God would end the present evil age and finally and fully manifest the realm of God). To follow Jesus, Matthew presumably left the tax collecting business and repented (Mt 4:17). In Judaism, repentance typically included maldng restitution to those one had wronged. Matthew thus (likely) not only turns away from a socially destructive behavior but attempts to engage in the realm-like action of replenishing the sources of others so they could enjoy blessing. To become a disciple is to become a force for the restoration of the social world. As a preacher I always find it harder to point to circumstances where renewal is taking place as represented by the Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners than to name problems and villains such as the tax collectors and sinners. However, one of the callings of the preacher is to identify places in our world where such renewal is taking place. Where, in the neighborhood and in large social worlds, can the congregation see and participate in meals with tax collectors and sinners, i.e. doing things to help create a better world order? We infer from 9:13b that Jesus' meal with the larger group of tax collectors and sinners also contained an
invitation for the tax collectors and sinners to become disciples. The writer's underlying point would be clear to the Matthean congregation: in following the command of the risen Jesus to "go . . . and make disciples of all nations" (Mt 28:19), they are to invite tax collectors and sinners to repent and to become agents of the movement towards the realm of God. Very likely, the congregation to which the first Gospel was addressed was a group of people who practiced a form of Pharisaic Judaism but who had come to believe that through Jesus Christ, God was completing the apocalyptic transformation of the world. We surmise that the Matthean congregation was in conflict with other synagogues who did not regard the ministry of Jesus Christ as God's initiative. The first Gospel thus probably does not describe the historical Pharisees. Rather, it draws the literary figures of the Pharisees in polemic to encourage the congregation to turn away from their leadership and embrace the congregation's interpretation of Jesus and the community mission. The idea that the Pharisees were narrow, rigid, and legalistic is a later Christian caricature. The words attributed Jesus in 9:12-13 are a theological rationale for the invitation to the tax collectors, sinners, and (implicitly) gentiles to turn away from their destructive behavior and, through the Jesus movement, to turn towards the realm of God. In 9:12, the gospel writer uses a proverb declaring that the physician goes to those who are sick. Preachers need to handle 9:13a (a citation from Hosea 6:6) carefully. In Judaism, at its best, sacrifice and other aspects of worship were supposed to be liturgical representations of the whole life of the community. The act of sacrifice represented, among many other things, the community's commitment to the covenantal life, which included compassion for the poor and the outcast. The Hebrew of Hosea 6:6 reads, "For I desire steadfast love (hesed) and not sacrifice." In the time of Hosea, many in the community practiced sacrifice but then turned away from demonstrating steadfast, covenantal love in community. Instead, they exploited others, especially the poor. The Septuagint often translates the famous hesed (steadfast love) with "mercy"
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(eleos). Hosea does not think that sacrifice is, by nature, an empty ceremony, but rather laments disconnection between what sacrifice should represent and the actual behavior of the people. By citing Hosea 6:6, Matthew implicitly urges the congregation to live up to the best of their own tradition. Indeed the mission of Jesus (and the congregation) to tax collectors, sinners, and gentiles is an expression mercy or steadfast love. Furthermore, Matthew probably wrote between 80 and 90 CE, at least a decade after the destruction of the temple when it was no longer possible to practice sacrifice. This raised the question of how it was possible to continue to be faithfully Jewish. Matthew assured the community that the practice of steadfast love towards tax collectors and sinners carries out the same function in Jewish life as sacrifice.
Proper 6 (11), (June 12, 2005)

Matthew 9:35-10:8 Many scholars think that Matthew 9:35 is a summary of the three main ways that Jesus witnesses to the transformation prior to the resurrection: proclaiming the good news of the coming of the realm (preaching), teaching (explaining the character and implications of the realm and how to respond) and demonstrating the proleptic presence of the realm through healing (curing every disease and sickness). The ministry of Jesus is a paradigm for the ministry of the congregation. A preacher, then, might help the congregation consider how to preach, teach, and heal during the weeks of early summer. What is the good news, for instance, for people facing final exams and grades? What in the Gospel would discourage students and others from taking their own lives? The Matthean Jesus has compassion on the crowds because they are like sheep without a shepherd. Compassion is part of the core of Jewish identity, and the apocalypticists expected the realm of God to be one of compassion. The word "compassion" in Greek, as in English, means to feel the suffering of another and to respond accordingly. The description of the crowd as "like sheep without a shepherd" evokes passages such as Ezekiel 34:1-10 and Jeremiah 23:1-6 that depict leaders as false shepherds when they lead the people astray, and into situations when they will suffer needlessly. The implication is that leaders who do not interpret the ministry of Jesus as part of the apocalyptic transformation of the world compound the difficulties and suffering of the crowd. On analogy with leaders of the ene-
mies of Israel who are described as shepherds (e.g. Jer 6:3; 12:10), we may surmise that the Roman occupiers and their surrogates are among those who leave the people as sheep without a true shepherd. Many Jewish writers depicted the realm of God as a "harvest." Matthew 9:37-38, indicates that witnesses are needed to alert people beyond the congregation to the imminence of the final manifestation of the realm. Jesus appoints the twelve as such laborers. Jesus gives them the power to heal which meant that they, like Jesus, could perform actions that demonstrate the immediacy of the coming of the realm (10:1). Christians sometimes puzzle over Jesus' instructions in 10:5 to "go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans." The apocalyptic theologians believed that God had a plan for moving history from the present age to the apocalyptic future. According to Matthew, God did not intend the pre-resurrection ministry of Jesus to go the gentiles, but, instead, to help Israel recognize the turning point of the ages. Only after the resurrection did God intend the mission to the gentiles. This point of view would answer questions in Matthew's post-resurrection community regarding why Jesus' earthly ministry was largely focused upon Jewish people. In 10:5-8, Jesus commissions the disciples to engage in the same kind of ministry including preaching, teaching, and healing that Jesus himself has carried out. For Matthew, the disciples in the narrative are models for the life of the Matthean congregation. Hence, Jesus' authorization to the twelve and to the wider circle of disciples is also an authorization for Matthew's congregation.
Proper 7 (12), (June 19, 2005)

Matthew 10:24-39 Today's lesson provides pastoral-theological encouragement to the listeners to persevere in discipleship even in the face of opposition. Matthew 10:24-25 states in propositional form what the author has said earlier (10:5b-23) through the use of thematic parallels between the life of Jesus and those of the disciples: the disciple follows in the way of the leader. Just as the teacher interprets the realm of God and works signs that demonstrate its presence so the disciples will do likewise. Just as the teacher will suffer as persons outside the community persecute, so will the disciples. Nevertheless, the disciples need not fear what persecution will bring (10:26-33). Verse 26 refers to the
revelations that will take place at the apocalypse and at the great judgment that will occur soon thereafter. The faithfulness of the witness of the disciples will become evident, as will the unfaithfulness of those who resisted the divine realm. Consequently, the post-resurrection congregation is to proclaim boldly from the housetops, even among the gentiles, the news of the coming of the realm that was whispered to them in their relative quiet of companionship with the pre-resurrection Jesus. According to 10:28-31, the disciples need not be anxious about the difficulties they will face because God controls all things. Not only is the God of the apocalypse powerful enough to condemn to hell the unfaithful who persecute the disciples (28) but this same God knows every sparrow and every hair on every head of the faithful. This affirmation can be especially meaningful to people who are in tough situations. Verses 32-33 tie together the behavior of the disciples in the present and Jesus' activity at the great judgment following the apocalypse. Those who steadfastly witness to the coming of the divine realm through Jesus, even when confronted by opposition, will find that, upon Jesus' acluiowledgement, God welcomes them into the final manifestation of the divine realm. Jesus will deny those who are not faithful in discipleship and they will be destroyed in hell (10:28). Mathew 10:34-37 calls for careful consideration by the preacher. For the Matthean Jesus not only sounds harsh but appears to undermine some qualities of familial relationship that are central to Jewish tradition. I believe the author of the Gospel shaped this passage from a post-resurrection perspective to use the figure of Jesus to explain why traditional family relationships during the time of Matthew sometimes came apart when some members of a household identified with the Jesus movement and its expectation of the imminent apocalypse, but other family members did not. Some such families broke apart. We do not know whether family members with non-Jesus theological interpretations of the apocalypse pushed out those who embraced the Jesus movement or whether those who believed that God was at work through Jesus developed attitudes of superiority and walked away from their more conventional household members. In any event, in 10:34-36 Matthew puts into the mouth of Jesus a prophecy that interprets the breakdowns of relationship in community and allows the members of the Matthean congregation to endure the rupture of one of the most important ties in ancient culturefamily bonds.
Matthew 10:38-39 indicates that the suffering of the disciples is a share in the suffering of Jesus on the cross. For Matthew, the cross and other forms of suffering inflicted by enemies of the realm of God indicate that the present age of history is, indeed, in its waning moments and that the apocalypse is near. Disciples who persevere in faithful witness will suffer as Jesus did (38) but they will also "find their life." This means that their life and their activities here and now will be driven by the sense of being a part of the movement towards God's renewal of the world. Finding their life also carries the promise that after the apocalypse they will live forever in the final and full manifestation of the divine rule. This part of the passage is intensely realistic while being ultimately hopeful. Yes, disciples will certainly experience difficulty witnessing to the divine realm. However, they have the promise of a new world beyond these transient difficulties. This is the Sunday closest to Juneteenth. A preacher could recall all peopleAfrican Americans and all otherswho spoke out against slavery before the Civil War and who suffered as a consequence of these acts of faithful witness. Many slaves engaged in the prophetic gesture of escape, but were punished when captured. Emancipation, however, did come, though it has proven to be only one small step towards realm-shaped relationships among people of different ethnicities. People of all races have paid and continue to paya price for faithfully standing for civil rights and ethnic reconciliation, in America, in South Africa, in Latin America, and in countless other situations. What can the congregation today to help dismantle racism and move towards a reconciliatory community?
Proper 8 (13), (June 26, 2005)

Matthew 10:40-42 This passage is the capstone of the teaching discourse that stretches from 10:5-42. It is based on the ancient notion that the representative of a higher authority not only operates with the power of that authority, but also functions as the presence of that authority. A disciple not only acts in place of the leader but the presence of the disciple functions much like the presence of the leader. This motif is behind 10:40. In the ancient world, to welcome another person is to practice hospitality. The person doing the welcoming provides food, shelter, safety, and companionshipall of which establish a bond with the person being welcomed. Those who wel-
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come the disciples not only welcome the disciples, but they also welcome Jesus, who sent the disciples, and God, who sent Jesus. The emphasis is less upon welcoming the persons qua persons of the disciples, Jesus, and God and more on welcoming them as agents or authorizers of the divine realm. To welcome the disciple is implicitly to welcome the coming of the divine realm, whose primary agent and teacher is Jesus and whose sender and realizer is God. In verse 41, the "prophets" and "righteous" have specific associations for the Matthean community. The prophets were people in the early congregation who received messages from the risen Jesus and voiced these messages to the congregation. The specific function of "the righteous" is less clear. Perhaps they were traveling missionaries. At any rate, the term "righteous" indicates the heart of their functionthey announce that God is acting through Jesus Christ to make all things right. For both the prophet and the righteous person, the reward or wage includes a welcome in the present (though perhaps persecution from time to time), and a place in the post-apocalypse realm of God. Giving a cup of cold water to a traveler was a basic act of hospitality in the ancient Near East (10:42). In this case, it signifies not only providing for a sojourner but welcoming the realm of God as manifest by its agents. While preachers often think the "little ones" are people in society who are marginalized, downtrodden, and otherwise abused, in Matthew the phrase almost certainly refers to disciples. In Zechariah 13:7 we see the same expression occurs for people who are faithful. The point is that those outside the Matthean congregation who welcome the disciples and their witness to the realm will receive "their reward." They, too, will receive the sense of life (10:38) including persecution and final welcome from God into the new age. The preacher, of course, needs to be careful in developing the sermon. It would be the height of arrogance and self-service to judge people outside the congregation on the basis of the degree to which they welcome the congregation. Furthermore, the life and witness of a congregation is sometimes diametrically opposite to that of the realm of God. Rather than passing judgment on other people for their acceptance or rejection of the gospel message, the congregation is better served by a sermon that explores the degree to which the congregation itself is truly faithful and thoroughgoing in its witness to the divine realm. Indeed, the preacher might reverse an aspect of the text. Since God is omnipresent, witnesses to the divine realm need
not be confined to the congregation or even the wider church. When and how might the congregation be blessed by welcoming those from outside the congregation? When and how might the congregation recognize those persons or groups from within the congregation who embody the values of the realm of God? If natural disaster strikes in June, the preacher can invite the congregation to manifest the presence of Jesus to the victims by offering a cup of cool waterby providing for basic needs. Relief workers sometimes literally hand out cups of cool water to victims struggling to clean up their homes under a relentless sun. The motif of coolness also comes into play when thinking about people who live without air conditioning. How can the congregation take immediate steps to provide relief for people who bake from day to day? Longer term, what can we do to help change economic and social conditions that leave them at the mercy of the summer sum
About the author The Rev. Dr. Ronald J. Allen is ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and is the Nettie Sweeney and Hugh Th. Miller Professor of Preaching and New Testament at Christian Theological Seminary. He is the author of thirty books. He and Clark Williamson have recently published a commentary on the gospel lections titled Preaching the Gospels without Blaming the Jews: A Lectionary Commentary (Westminster John Knox Press, 2004), which is reviewed on page 43 of this issue. He is a frequent contributor to this and many other journals. From 1977 to 1982 he and his spouse, the Reverend Linda McKieman-Allen, were copastors of First Christian Church, Grand Island, Nebraska.
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Lectionary Guide for Resurrection

Marian Ronan
Year A: April 3 to June 26, 2005
s Marvin A. McMickle notes, "The message of Easter is not simply one concerning what God did for and through Jesus three days after the cruelty and horror of the crucifixion. The resurrection is both a promise and a foretaste of what God can and will do for the faithful when they find themselves having to confront persecution, despair, or doubts about the one in whom they have put their trust" (p. 22). The readings for this lectionary quarter express this reality repeatedly. In particular, as Keith Russell explains, the reality of the resurrection resounds in the empowerment of the early church. The descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the church's gradual comprehension of the reality of the Trinity in the succeeding centuriesall extended the experience of the living Christ in the power of the resurrection and are celebrated by the church in the readings for April, May, and June. This Lectionary Guide cross-references the prescribed Sunday texts with articles in this issue of The Living Pulpit The recommended liturgical color is indicated following the name of each Sunday. Then follow summaries of the lectionary selections. (FC) indicates the readings recommended in many Free Church denominations, while (REL) indicates the longest form of the readings in the Roman Catholic, Episcopal, and Lutheran version of the lectionary. If there are substantial variations mandated by any of these three churches, they are indicated by (R), (E), or (L) respectively. The absence of a symbol before a reading indicates that the various bodies agree, more or less, on the selection.
example of the resurrection dynamic whereby all things work together for good (Kelly, p. 5). 1 Peter 1:3-9. Blessed be God by whose mercy we are born anew through the resurrection. The new birth of resurrection sometimes involves hope expressed as anger or even rage (Lamborn, p. 20; Pierce, p. 15). It is through Jesus' resurrection, not his death alone, that we are born to new life (Sappenfield, p. 8). John 20:19-31. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit upon the disciples and shows Thomas his wounds. Despite Thomas's concern with physical proof, the real challenge of the resurrection is to come to know the living Christ (Lyle, p. 12).
Third Sunday of Easter (White) Aprili 0,2005

Acts 2:14a, 36-47. Those who heard Peter's words repented and were baptized, and the Jj>rd added to their number every day. The growth of the church was but one example of the resurrection dynamic whereby all things work together for good (Kelly, p. 5). or (R) Acts 2:14a, 22-33. Peter tells them that they crucified Jesus, but that God has raised him up. 1 Peter 1:17-23. Having been ransomed by the precious blood of Christ, you are born anew of imperishable things. Luke 24:13-35. After the two disciples recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread, they announced to the eleven, "He has risen!" The essential part of the Emmaus story is less Jesus' physical appearance than the experience the disciples had of him: their hearts burned within them (Lyle, p. 12).
Second Sunday of Easter (White) April 3, 2005

Acts 2:14a, 22-32. Peter tells them that they crucified Jesus, but that God has raised him up.
Fourth Sunday of Easter (White) Aprili 7, 2005
or (R) Acts 2: 42^17. Those who were baptized Acts 2:42-47. They devoted themselves to the aposdevoted themselves to the Apostles3 teaching, and the Lordtles' teaching and held all things in common, and their added to their number. The growth of the church is an numbers increased daily. The growth of the church is an
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rejection and death to build the people of El Salvador example of the resurrection dynamic whereby all things into a spiritual house (Pierce, p. 15). work together for good (Kelly, p. 5). John 14:1-14. Jesus tells them that he is the way, the or (R) Acts 2:14a, 36-41. When Peter proclaimed that God had made Jesus Lord and King, those who heardtruth, and the life, but Thomas and Philip go on asking him preaching were baptized. foolish questions. or (EL) Acts 6:1-9, 7:2a, 51-60. The twelve laid For further commentary on the April lectionary hands on seven others to serve the community, of whom one, Stephen, was stoned by some members of the syna- readings, see also McMickle, pp. 22-25. gogue. Archbishop Oscar Romero, like Stephen, suffered persecution so as to announce Christ's Gospel (Pierce, Sixth Sunday of Easter (White) p. 15). May 1, 2005 1 Peter 2:19-25. Suffer as Christ suffered for you, not Acts 17:22-31. Paul tells the Athenians that God has reviling your enemies, but trusting God's justice. The appointed a man to judge the world in righteousness, the martyred Archbishop Romero suffered and trusted in very man he raised from the dead. Jesus' resurrection valGod's justice (Pierce, p. 15). idates his message and ministry (Kelly, p. 6). John 10:1-10. Through Jesus, the door of the sheepor (R) Acts 8:5-8,14-17'. After Philip evangelized the fold, comes abundant new life. Samaritans, Peter and John laid hands on them and they received the Spirit 1 Peter 3:8-22. Do not return evil with evil, for Fifth Sunday of Easter (White) Christ died to save the unrighteous, just as baptism now April 24, 2005 saves you, through the resurrection. Sometimes rage and (FC) Acts 7:55-60. As Stephen is stoned, he sees Jesus anger are not evil but a manifestation of hope in the at God's right hand and forgives his persecutors. The sig- resurrection (Lamborn, p. 20). (RL) John 14:15-21. Ifyou keep my commandments, nificance of the resurrection is in the impact on us of I will not leave you desolate, for I am in my father, and the life of the crucified Jesus (Lyle, p. 14). Christian you in me, and I in you. Obedience to Jesus' words ministry means more than a companionable relationmelds his followers into a unique, resurrection oneness ship with Jesus; it means going beyond human limitawith the Father and the Spirit (Kelly, p. 6). In a foretaste tion to resurrection (Sappenfield, p. 8). The Trinitarian of Pentecost, Jesus promises the community that if they commissioning of the disciples offers an insight into obey his commandments, they will have access to the the multiple dimensions of God's power received by the power of the Holy Spirit (Russell, p. 26). disciples after the resurrection (Russell, p. 28). or (E) John 15:1-8.1 am the true vine. If you abide or (R) Acts 6:1-7. The twelve chose seven others to in me and I in you, my Father is glorified. serve the community, among them, Stephen and Philip. or (EL) Acts 17:1-15. Paul and Silas are driven from town to town for proclaiming in the synagogues that Jesus is the Christ. After the resurrection, everything that had Ascension of the Lord (White/Gold) characterized Jesus now characterized the mission of May 5, 2005 his followers (Kelly, p. 5). Archbishop Oscar Romero, (REL) Acts 1:1-11. After charging the disciples to like Paul and Silas, suffered persecution for announcing wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit, Jesus is lifted up. Christ's Gospel (Pierce, p. 15). The gift of the Holy Spirit is one of the foundational aspects of the resurrection (Lyle, p. 13). Ascension is a 1 Peter 2:2-10. Come to that living stone, rejected by prelude to power in the early church (Russell, p. 26). the builders, and be living stones built into a spiritual (REL) Ephesians 1:15-23. Paul prays that the house. Christ's resurrection after rejection results in his Ephesians may know the greatness of God's power accomfollowers becoming like him (Lyle, p. 13). In itself, that plished when Christ was raised from the dead. Jesus suffered human rejection is not enough; it is his Sometimes the power of the resurrection is foreshadresurrection as a "living stone"and oursthat owed in human loss, disappointment, and anger changes everything (Sappenfield, p. 8). Archbishop (Lamborn, p. 20). Knowing the greatness of God's Oscar Romero, like Jesus, the living stone, suffered
(RE) Acts 2:1-21. As the tongues offiredescended and the disciples began speaking in tongues, Jews from every nation heard the mighty worh of God in their own language. or (L) Joel 2:28-29. God will pour out God's spirit on Seventh Sunday of Easter (White) allflesh,and the young will prophesy, and the old dream May 8, 2005 dreams. The gift of God's Spirit is a primary effect of Acts 1:8-14. After Jesus was taken up into heaven, the the resurrection (Lyle, p. 14). This passage conveys eleven devoted themselves to prayer, along with Mary, the Luke's version of how empowerment was experienced after the Ascension (Russell, p. 26). mother of Jesus, and the other women. or Numbers 11:24-30. Then the Lord took some of (L) 1 Peter 4:12-19, 5:6-11. Do not suffer as a murderer, but as a Christian, and under that name glorify the spirit that was on Moses and put it on the seventy eldGod. Christians sometimes confuse anger with murder, ers; and they prophesied. The descent of the spirit upon Moses during his encounter with God bears striking but anger can be a sign of suppressed hope and potensimilarities to Pentecost (Russell, p. 26). tial resurrection (Lamborn, p. 20). John 17:1-1 la. I glorified you, now glorify me, and 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13. Now there are varieties of as I have given your word to those you gave me, Holy gifts, but the same Spirit, for by one Spirit we were all Father, keep them in your name. baptized into one body and made to drink of one Spirit. The gift of God's Spirit is a foundational effect of the resurrection (Lyle, p. 14). or (L) Acts 2:1-21. As the tongues offiredescended Ascension Sunday (White/Gold) and the disciples began speaking in tongues, Jews from May 8, 2005 every nation heard the mighty works of God in their own Acts 1:1-11. After charging them to wait for the language. The gift of God's Spirit fires the disciples to Spirit in Jerusalem, Jesus is lifted up. Ascension is a prel- preach the power of the resurrection to all (Kelly, p. 5). ude to power in the early church (Russell, p. 26). (REL) John 20:19-23. Jesus came to them and said, Ephesians 1:15-23. Paul prays that the Ephesians "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send may know the greatness of God's power accomplished you. Receive the Holy Spirit" The gift of God's Spirit is a when Christ was raised from the dead. Sometimes the foundational aspect of resurrection (Lyle, p. 14). power of the resurrection is foreshadowed in human or John 7:37-39. Jesus cried out, "Let anyone who is loss, disappointment, and anger (Lamborn, p. 20). thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me Knowing the greatness of God's power is precisely livdrink." ing the abundant life of the resurrection (Lyle, p. 13). The greatness of the power of Christ's resurrection goes Trinity Sunday (White) far beyond a companionable relationship with Jesus May 22, 2005 (Sappenfield, p. 8). The resurrection, as the transcendence of death, validates God's power in the life and Genesis l:l-2:4a. God created the heavens and the ministry of Jesus (Kelly, p. 5). God is able to make Jesus earth in six days and on the seventh day he rested.
power is precisely living the abundant life of the resurrection (Lyle, p. 13). The greatness of the power of Christ's resurrection goes far beyond a companionable relationship with Jesus (Sappenfield, p. 8). Luke 24:44-53 After Jesus explained to them that the Christ had had to suffer and rise from the dead, he was carried up to heaven. Ascension is a prelude to power in the early church (Russell, p. 26). or (R) Matthew 28:16-20. Jesus commissions the eleven to make disciples of all nations, and promises to be with them always. "Making disciples of all" means teaching others to live now in the life of the resurrected Jesus (Lyle, p. 13). The Trinitarian commissioning of the disciples offers an insight into the multiple dimensions of God's power (Russell, p. 27).
the head of the church and empower the disciples (Russell, p. 26). Luke 24:44-53. After Jesus explained to them that the Christ had had to suffer and rise from the dead, he was carried up to heaven. In ascending, Jesus receives all power in both the church and the world (Russell, p. 26). After his suffering and death, Monseor Oscar Romero was resurrected in the Salvadoran people (Pierce, p. 16).
Day of Pentecost/ Pentecost Sunday (Red) May 15, 2005
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or (R) Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9. On Mt. Sinai, the Lord proclaimed himself merciful and gracious, and Moses begged him to forgive Israel's iniquities. 2 Corinthians 13:11-14. Paul bids farewell to the Corinthians and wishes them the grace, love, and communion of the Trinity. Matthew 28:16-20. Jesus commissions the eleven to make disciples of all nations and promises to be with them always. "Making disciples of all" means teaching others to live now in the experience of the resurrected Jesus (Lyle, p. 13). The Trinitarian commissioning of the disciples offers an insight into the many dimensions of God's power received by the disciples after the resurrection (Russell, p. 27). or (R) John 3:16-18. God so loved the world that he sent his son, that through that son the world might be saved.
sinned, all are justified by faith apart from the law. or (REL) Romans 3:21-28, 27-31. Since all have sinned, all are justified by God's grace apart from the works of the law. Matthew 7:21-29. Only those who do the will of my Father shall enter the kingdom; those who hear my words and do them are like a house built upon rock. Power from God depends on obedience, that is, doing the will of Jesus' father (Russell, p. 27).
Third Sunday after Pentecost/ Proper 5 / Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)
June 5, 2005
Genesis 12:1-9. The Lord called Abram and Sarai from their country to afar land, and promised to make of them a great nation. or (REL) Hosea 5:15-6:6. The Lord withdraws until the people seek his face, for the Lord desires steadfast love, Corpus Christi (Red) not sacrifice. May 26, 2005 Romans 4:13-25. God's promise to Abraham came (R) Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 14-16. The Lord fed you through faith, not the law, and was reckoned to him as manna in the desert to teach you that you do not live by righteousness on behalf of those who believe in Jesus resbread alone but by everything that proceeds from the urrected. mouth of God. Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26. The Pharisees criticized (R) Corinthians 10:16-17. Are not the cup and the Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners, but Jesus bread participation in the body and blood of Christ? tells them that these are precisely the people he has come Because there is one bread, we who are many are one to call. Jesus' eating with tax collectors and sinners body. demonstrates the radical inclusivity of the realm of (R) John 6:51-58. When some of the Jews dispute God and anticipates the eschatological banquet; pracJesus' ability to give hisfleshfor the world, he responds ticing steadfast love toward sinners replaces sacrifice in that those who eat his body and blood will live forever. the post-70 CE. life of the church (Allen, pp. 30-32).
Second Sunday after Pentecost/Proper 4/Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green) May 29, 2005
Genesis 6:9-22; 7:24; 8:14-19. God punished the corruption of the earth with a mighty flood but, in the Genesis 18:1-15 (21:1-7). As the mysterious visitors covenant with Noah, saved a remnant of people and ani- foretold, Sarah and Abraham had a son in their old age, mals. and they named him Isaac. or (REL) Deuteronomy 11:18-21, 26-28, 32. Take or (REL) Exodus 19:2-8a. Seeing all that the Lord my words into every part of your life, and be careful to had done for them in bringing them out of land of Egypt, obey all the commandments I set before you today. God's the people of Israel agreed to keep the covenant. injunction to the Israelites to take his words into "every Romans 5:1-11. If, while we were sinners, we were part" of their life foreshadows the power of preaching reconciled by Christ's death, how much more, now that to transmit Christ's resurrection into the hearts of we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Never Christians (Lyle, p. 13). preach the crucifixin without the resurrection, and Romans 1:16-17; 3:22b-31. The gospel is the power vice-versa (Lyle, p. 12). Identifying with Christ's human of God for salvation revealed through faith. Since all have
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost/Proper 6 / Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green) June 12, 2005
death is not sufficient; for a life-giving ministry, we must labor in the power of his resurrection (Sappenfield, p. 8). Matthew 9:35-10:23. Jesus had compassion for the crowds, who were like usheep without a shepherd,1 so he sent the twelve out to preach to them. Through his disciples, Jesus' words bring the power of his resurrection to his people throughout the centuries (Kelly, p. 6). Jesus' compassionate ministry to the crowdpreaching, teaching, healinganticipates the coming of God's realm; his commission to the disciples to continue this ministry is also an authorization of the Matthean congregation to do so (Allen, pp. 33-34).
Genesis 21:8-21. With God's encouragement, Abraham sends Hagar and their son away, into the desert, hut God saves them, and the hoy becomes a great hunter. or (REL) Jeremiah 20:7-13. Many deride Jeremiah for proclaiming the word of the Lord, but the Lord delivers the needy from evildoers. Romans 6: lb11. We are baptized into Christ's death, but if we die with Christ, we will also live with him, because once he is raised, death has no further dominion over him. Never preach the crucifixion without the resurrection, and vice-versa (Lyle, p. 12). Christ's resurrection is the defeat of the dominion of death (Sappenfield, p. 8). or (REL) Romans 5:12-19. Just as the trespass of one led to sin and death for all, the righteousness of one led to acquittal and life for all. Matthew 10:24-39. If they malign me, how much will they malign you, but fear them not, but proclaim the truth from the housetops, for God loves every hair on your head. Those who lose their life for my sake will find it. Today's lesson provides encouragement to persevere in discipleship in the face of opposition; disciples will suffer, but they are part of a movement toward the realm of God (Allen, pp. 33-34).
demonstrates that he fears God. or (L) Jeremiah 28:5-9. May the Lord bring back the exiles; we will know that a prophet is truly from the Lord when his prophecy of peace comes to pass. or (R) 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16a. In gratitude to a woman for her kindness to him, Elisha tells her that she will soon have a son. or (E) Isaiah 2:10-17. In that day, human haughtiness shall be humbled, and the Lord will be exalted. (REL) Romans 6:1b11. We are baptized into Christ's death, but if we die with him, we will also live with him, because once he is raised, death has no dominion over him. Christ's death cannot be separated from his resurrection (Lyle, p. 12). Christ's resurrection is the defeat of the dominion of death (Sappenfield, p. 8). The moment of Christ's death-resurrection is what Christians share in their baptism (Kelly, p. 6). (FC) Romans 6:12-23. You were once slaves of sin, but, having become obedient to the teaching with which you were entrusted, you are now slaves of righteousness. (REL) Matthew 10:34-42. Suffering is demanded of the followers of Jesus, even the loss of family members, but those who give the little ones even a cup of water in his name shall not lose their reward. The figure of Jesus explains the ruptures that discipleship can effect in families. Welcoming the disciples means welcoming God's realm, and meriting life, persecution, and God's welcome in the coming age (Allen, pp. 34-35). or Matthew 10:40-42. Whoever welcomes you welcomes me; whoever gives my disciples even a cup of water in my name shall not lose their reward. Welcoming the disciples means welcoming God's realm; those who do so will receive life, persecution, and God's welcome in the new age (Allen, pp. 34-35).
About the Author Dr. Marian Ronan is Assistant Professor of Contemporary Theology and Religion at the American Baptist Seminary of the West in Berkeley, CA.
Genesis 22:1-14. Abraham prepares to sacrifice Isaac, but the Lord stays his hand, because his obedience
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Living & Preaching The Res.

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From the Editor-in-Chief

Living and Preaching the Resurrection

April-June 2005/The Living Pulpit 1

Biblical Reflections on Resurrection

Theological and Pastoral Reflections on Resurrection

Reflections on the April, May, and June Lectionary

The Preaching Life

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The Living Pulpit/April-June 2 0 0 5

Finding Sustenance in the Midst of Disappointment

A look at Karl Rahner's theology of resurrection

Resurrection Validates Mission

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The one joyful word and life thatfillsall spheres of my soul.

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Preaching the Resurrection to Experience the Risen Christ

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Humble Before the Power of God

A reflection on belief, unbelief, and the resurrection

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We who preach to the flock of God might well ask ourselves

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April-June 2005/The Living Pulpit 23

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Reflections on the Lectionary Readings in May 2005

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