Let me be simple and lowly, humble
before human authority, yet also
free as your servant, under
your protection, since
I know in your plan
the last shall
be first.

Lectionary Readings
Psalms 116; 147:12-20; 26; 130
Zephaniah 3:1-13
1 Peter 2:11-25
Matthew 20:1-16

Selected Verses
Psalm 116:6-7
The LORD protects the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest,
for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.

Zephaniah 3:12
For I will leave in the midst of you
a people humble and lowly.
They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD.

1 Peter 2:13-17
For the Lord’s sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

Matthew 20:16
So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” NRSV

You asked the rich man to see himself as
an exile like you, no lasting home here.
You told him to travel light and trust

in the promise of safety given by
the one before whom creation
quakes and mountains melt
into a pool of nothing.

He stumbled off,
held by his
things.

Lectionary Readings:
Psalms 12; 146; 36; 7
Nahum 1:1-13
1 Peter 1:13-25
Matthew 19:13-22

Selected Verses:
Psalm 12:5-6
“Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan,
I will now rise up,” says the LORD;
“I will place them in the safety for which they long.”
The promises of the LORD are promises that are pure,
silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
purified seven times.

Nahum 1:5
The mountains quake before him,
and the hills melt;
the earth heaves before him,
the world and all who live in it.

1 Peter 1:17
If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile.

Matthew 19:21-22
Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions. (NRSV)

When we act stupidly,
so cut up on the inside,
you still hold us by the hand.
You care passionately about us.
If we saw your true glory,
we’d fall down dead,
so it’s good you hide yourself.
Show each of us what to do in life,
that we may truly call ourselves
your sisters and brothers.

Lectionary Readings
Psalms 62; 145; 73; 9;
Zechariah 1:7-17;
Revelation 1:4-20;
Matthew 12:43-50

Selected Verses
Psalm 73:21-23
When my heart was bitter,
when I was all cut up inside,
I was stupid and ignorant.
I acted like nothing but an animal toward you.
But I was still always with you!
You held my strong hand!

Zechariah 1:14
The messenger speaking with me
called out,
“This is what
the LORD of heavenly forces says:
I care passionately
about Jerusalem and Zion.

Revelation 1:16-18
His appearance [the risen Jesus] was like the sun shining with all its power. When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. But he put his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m the first and the last, and the living one.

Matthew 12:50
[Jesus says:] Whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven is my brother, sister, and mother. CEB

Baptized now by poverty,
their money goes into a bag
with holes.
Their unpaid bills lie on the kitchen table,
strip them naked.
They fight to keep alive financially,
look back to restful days
when they lacked nothing.

Lectionary Readings
Psalms 108; 150; 66; 23
Haggai 1:1-2:9
Acts 18:24-19:7
Luke 10:25-37

Selected Verses
Psalm 23:1-3
The LORD is my shepherd.
I lack nothing.
He lets me rest in grassy meadows;
he leads me to restful waters;
he keeps me alive.

Haggai 1:9
You have sown much,
but it has brought little.
You eat, but there’s not enough
to satisfy…
There is clothing, but not enough
to keep warm.
Anyone earning wages puts those wages into a bag with holes.

Acts 19:5
After they [disciples of John the Baptist] listened to Paul, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Luke 10:30
Jesus replied [in the Parable of the Good Samaritan], “A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He encountered thieves, who stripped him naked, beat him up, and left him near death. (CEB)

If you will have to explain every
careless word you say,
it is best not to speak
at all.
Obedience means to be
quiet on the outside
(while doing useful things),
and on the inside to praise God with
joyful abandon.
Be obedient, mouth, shut yourself.
Do not be slack in this matter.
Be attentive, heart, expand yourself in praise.
Then you will be full.

Lectionary Readings
Psalms 122; 149; 100; 63
Ezra 4:7, 11-24
Philemon 1-25
Matthew 12:33-42

Selected Verses
Psalm 63:3, 5
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you…
My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips.

Ezra 4:22
Moreover, take care not to be slack in this matter; why should damage grow to the hurt of the king?”

Philemon 21
Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

Matthew 12:35
The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure. I tell you, on the day of judgement you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter.  (NRSV)

Enemies taunt me–
fear, anger, grief–
but if I offer myself on an altar day
and night,
if I stay awake and
do all things in love,
then enemies will melt away,
ashamed of themselves.
Jesus will scatter them.

Lectionary Readings
Psalms 88; 148; 6; 20
Ezra 3:1-13
1 Corinthians 16:10-24
Matthew 12:22-32

Selected Verses
Psalm 6:10
All my enemies will be ashamed
and completely terrified;
they will be defeated
and ashamed instantly.

Ezra 3:3
They set up the altar on its foundations… and they offered entirely burned offerings upon it to the LORD, both the morning and the evening offerings.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Stay awake, stand firm in your faith, be brave, be strong. Everything should be done in love.

Matthew 12:30
Whoever isn’t with me [Jesus] is against me, and whoever doesn’t gather with me scatters. (CEB)

We are guests in your house.  
Ground is floor,
sky is ceiling,
trees are furniture.  
We spread out hands,
spend time with you.  
Visit us with your love.
Tell us you delight in us. 

Lectionary Readings
Psalms 143; 147:12-20; 81; 116
Ezra 1:1-11
1 Corinthians 16:1-9
Matthew 12:15-21

Selected Verses
Psalm 143:6
I spread out my hands to you;
I thirst for you like a parched land.

Ezra 1:5
Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.

1 Corinthians 16:7
For I do not want to see you now and make only a passing visit; I hope to spend some time with you, if the Lord permits.

Matthew 12:18
Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.  (NIV)

Groaning for bread of life,
burdened by sin,
dishonor,
we come to your mountain,
Jesus, rise
stage by stage
till the summit comes in view.
We see your surpassing worth.
A light of glory shines there, where
hearts fill with praise and joy.

Lectionary Readings
Psalms 54; 146; 28; 99
Lamentations 1:1-12
1 Corinthians 15:41-50
Matthew 11:25-30

Selected Verses
Psalm 99:9
Extol the LORD our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for the LORD our God is holy.

Lamentations 1:11
All her people groan
as they search for bread;
they trade their treasures for food
to revive their strength.
Look, O Lord, and see
how worthless I have become.

1 Corinthians 15:42-43
So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power.

Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  (NRSV)

I will lie down in a bed of fire
one day,
my judgment day.
Flesh will burn up,
bones turn to ash.
Calloused hands will put my ash in soil,
like seed in a hole,
write another name on a bronze wall,
make an end of me.
(Or so it will seem.)
But I do not fear that day,
for God plans more for me,
has a new shape in mind for me
one day
when all things become new.

Lectionary Readings
Psalms 57; 145; 85; 47
Jeremiah 44:1-14
1 Corinthians 15:30-41
Matthew 11:16-24

Selected Verses
Psalm 57:4
I lie down among lions
that greedily devour human prey;
their teeth are spears and arrows,
their tongues sharp swords.

Jeremiah 44:6
So my wrath and my anger were poured out and kindled in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they became a waste and a desolation, as they still are today.

1 Corinthians 15:36-38
[Paul speaks of the resurrection:] What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.

Matthew 11:21-22
[Jesus says:] Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, on the day of judgement it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. (NRSV)

Stay where you are.
Do not move to a new home, or
dream of one
in the past.
God lives where you live now.
Be faithful to the Lord in the place
where you are, and
grain will rise
up from the earth to feed you.

Lectionary Readings
Psalms 67; 150; 46; 93
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-14
Acts 16:6-15
Luke 10:1-12,17-20

Selected Verses
Psalm 67:6
The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, has blessed us.

Jeremiah 29:5
[To the exiles in Babylon:] Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce.

Acts 16:15
When she [Lydia] and her household were baptized [by Paul], she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us.

Luke 10:7
[To the disciples sent out to preach:] Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. (NRSV)

Grapes grow in the ruins
of the great city.
The poor tend the vines.
Their trust in God is a royal robe;
the earth they sit on
a throne.
They crush the grapes
to make the wine of new life.

Lectionary Readings
Psalms 56; 149; 118; 111
Jeremiah 52:1-34
1 Corinthians 15:12-29
Matthew 11:7-15

Selected Verses
Psalm 56:3-4
Whenever I’m afraid,
I put my trust in you—
in God, whose word I praise.
I trust in God; I won’t be afraid.
What can mere flesh do to me?

Jeremiah 52:13, 16
[Nebuzaradan] burned down the LORD ’s temple, the royal palace, all the houses of Jerusalem, and all the important buildings… But Nebuzaradan commander of the guard left some of the poor to tend the vineyards and till the land.

1 Corinthians 15:22
In the same way that everyone dies in Adam, so also everyone will be given life in Christ.

Matthew 11:7-8
Jesus spoke to the crowds about John: “What did you go out to the wilderness to see? A stalk blowing in the wind? What did you go out to see? A man dressed up in refined clothes? Look, those who wear refined clothes are in royal palaces.  (CEB)

Give us a new word,
a message to teach, raise, save, cleanse
and make us well.
We love old words on the page;
we chew on them like bits of bread in the mouth.
Our ears need new words too, rising
up from the depths of life
as it is lived.

Lectionary Readings
Psalms 130; 148; 32; 139
Jeremiah 38:14-28
Reading 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Matthew 11:1-6

Selected Verses
Psalm 32:8
I will instruct you and teach you
about the direction you should go.

Jeremiah 38:20
Jeremiah replied, “If you obey the LORD , whose message I bring. You will survive, and all will go well for you.”

1 Corinthians 15:2
You are being saved through it if you hold on to the message I preached to you, unless somehow you believed it for nothing.

Matthew 11:5
Those who were blind are able to see. Those who were crippled are walking. People with skin diseases are cleansed. Those who were deaf now hear. Those who were dead are raised up. The poor have good news proclaimed to them. (CEB)

If I may speak privately, God,
I want to ask you something.
You offer abundance:
a river of pure joy flows on by,
a stream clear as glass.
Why then do we end up in a muddy cistern,
a deep hole with no water?
Is it because we do not receive what you offer?
To receive is too simple for us;
there is no docket or committee needed.
It needs only to sit quietly and wait.

Lectionary Readings
Psalms 36; 147:12-20; 80; 27
Jeremiah 38:1-13
1 Corinthians 14:26-40
Matthew 10:34-42

Selected Verses
Psalm 36:7-8
Your faithful love is priceless, God!
Humanity finds refuge
in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the bounty
of your house;
you let them drink
from your river of pure joy.

Jeremiah 38:6
So they seized Jeremiah, threw him into the cistern of the royal prince Malchiah, within the prison quarters, and lowered him down by ropes. Now there wasn’t any water in the cistern, only mud, and Jeremiah began to sink into the mud.

1 Corinthians 14:28
However, if there is no interpreter, then they should keep quiet in the meeting. They should speak privately to themselves and to God.

Matthew 10:40
Those who receive you are also receiving me, and those who receive me are receiving the one who sent me. (CEB)

You give me trees and rain,
bread for my mouth,
a scroll to read,
a wise wife to love.
I am blessed.
Then why am I a man of little love?
Why do tears of gratitude not
fall down my face?
You have set me on a throne,
rich in royalty,
but most days I do not see it.

Lectionary Readings
Psalm 19; 150; 81; 113
Jeremiah 36:1-10
Acts 14:8-18
Luke 7:36-50

Selected Verses
Psalm 113:7-8
[God] raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.

Jeremiah 36:8
And Baruch son of Neriah did all that the prophet Jeremiah ordered him about reading from the scroll the words of the LORD in the Lord’s house.

Acts 14:16
In past generations he allowed all the nations to follow their own ways; yet he has not left himself without a witness in doing good — giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.”

Luke 7:47
Therefore, I tell you, her sins [the woman who washed Jesus' feet with her tears], which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little. (NRSV)

Hungry for a harvest of love,
a few workers bend their backs
in a fertile field,
under a clear sky.
You who make plants grow in the dirt,
put breath in their lungs,
strength in their limbs,
and hire more hands to help them.

Lectionary Readings
Psalm 104; 149; 138; 98
Jeremiah 35:1-19
1 Corinthians 12:27–13:3
Matthew 9:35–10:4

Selected Verses
Psalm 104:30
When you let loose your breath,
they are created,
and you make the surface of the ground
brand-new again.

Jeremiah 35:15
Each of you, turn from your evil ways and reform your actions; don’t worship or serve other gods. Then you may live in the fertile land I gave to you and your ancestors.

1 Corinthians 13:2
If… I don’t have love, I’m nothing.

Matthew 9:37-38
Then he said to his disciples, “The size of the harvest is bigger than you can imagine, but there are few workers. Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers for his harvest.”  (CEB)