Leanne Shawler, Artist

Isaiah 56:1,6-8 Psalm 67 Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28 White supremacy has no place on this earth. Anti-semitism has no place on this earth. Nazism has no place on this earth. For the Bible tells us so--especially in this week's lectionary passages, which are so perfect for a response to the burst pustule that is the shame of this country. We cannot let shame win. We have let it win in this country -- and in my country of birth (Australia) -- for far too long. I knew, early on, that I didn't want to be racist, bigoted or a misogynist, but I lacked the bravery to speak out against it and for that I am deeply sorry. In recent anti-immigrant conversations, I shone a light on the inherent racism of it, telling people that I am an immigrant, I have been through the system, but is it okay that I am an immigrant because I'm a safe white lady? Can someone be racist and not at the exact same time? I wonder now at how many times I un...

1 Kings 19:9-18 Psalm 85:8-13 Romans 10:5-15 Matthew 14:22-33 It has been a bit of a week, to put it mildly, with two so-called world leaders engaging in a nuclear-themed pissing contest and with unashamed racists marching in the streets and driving through peaceful counter-protesters.   While reading through the lectionary choices for today, my eyes settled on the following words, and in a form of lectio divina, kept returning to them again and again.   from Psalm 85:10:   Mercy and truth have met together; * righteousness and peace have kissed each other. and Romans 10:8 (also Deuteronomy 30:14):   “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart”   But the way to these words was not easy. At the end of the first reading into today’s lectionary section, Elijah is told by God that 7,000 faithful Israelites will be spared, but the rest destroyed.   It’s the kind of comment by God that would give an End-Timer a har...

Exodus 34:29-35 2 Peter 1:13-21 Luke 9:28-36 Psalm 99 or 99:5-9 In last week's reading, the kingdom of heaven was hidden: a mustard seed invisible in a field, a speck of yeast, a buried pearl. This week, the kingdom of heaven is in plain sight: and it's too much for mere mortals.   In our Exodus reading, the Israelites and Moses' own brother run away at the sight of his radiant face after he comes down the mountain from his chat with God. They are only able to look upon Moses' bare face for short periods of time when he shares with them messages from God. The rest of the time, Moses is veiled, his face concealed, hidden, for it is too much for the people to live with. "It" being the reflection of God's glory, or, as I like to think of it, overwhelming divine love. In Luke's gospel, Peter, John and James witness Jesus' face change and his clothes become dazzling white. Radiant. That and the descending cloud of God and God...

Genesis 28:10-19a Psalm 139: 1-11, 22-23 Romans 8:12-25 Matthew 13:24-30,36-43 Earlier this week, I was complaining how impenetrable this week's lectionary readings are. At first glance, Genesis is a bridging passage between two important stories (and doesn't tell the whole story of Jacob's encounter with God); who can tell what the hell Paul is talking about except that we're hoping for something we can't see because if we could see it wouldn't be hope -- which is more indicative perhaps of either Paul not being imaginative enough or drunk or a deeper wisdom (hmmm....); and the   parable in the Gospel is all about judgement and casting into flames all the evil doers of this world ... or is it? In last Sunday's Grantchester , Sidney Chambers is asked why God can't simply answer a question and he says "but then it wouldn't be faith". He ends up having a crisis of faith himself.  So what ARE we waiting for? What is this ...

It has been a while since I blogged the lectionary. When I decided this past week that it was the time to get back to it, I discovered that I'd started doing this in Year A in 2014. And we're back in Year A again. Today's lectionary readings: Genesis 25:19-34 Psalm 119:105-112 Romans 8:1-11 Matthew 13:1-9,18-23 This could be subtitled, "Wherein I get caught up in Paul but thankfully remember what it's all about. (Hint: God's love.) In Judaism, there is no original sin. God created humanity in God's likeness, with free will, and so as Rabbinic Judaism describes it, humans have yetzer ha-tov , the good inclination, and yetzer ha-ra, the evil inclination, the latter being "a drive toward pleasure, property or security, which left unlimited, can lead to evil" (per myjewishlearning.com) However, this is not all that humanity is made of, so this is not a simplistic dualism. There is also the mind, the heart (equivalent to the gu...

(just so there's a picture) Gospel this Sunday:   Matthew 25:14-30 Diana Butler Bass posted yesterday on Facebook that she has been preaching on these Matthean parables as she visits churches and speaks at conferences and that that has really transformed her understanding of them. And after I asked her if she would consider releasing those sermons, I thought: "wait a minute, haven't I been doing the same thing?" I went back and looked at my posts on these "the kingdom is like" parables. I found I didn't like a single one of them, that they didn't fit my theology, that I had to dig deeper. I identify with the third slave who buried the money he's been given. I don't like the whole judgeyness. Again. And I've realized that what I've had to dig deeper past is my theology, that I am so quick to believe that God is Judgemental and Mean, even though I profess to believe in a God of love. Remnants of a theology t...

(BTW, the Pin God First challenge is still on track.) The gospel for this Sunday is  Matthew 25:1-13 . This parable is of the foolish and wise bridesmaids seems to preach an exclusion that I don't care for (aka doesn't fit my theology). What to do then? How to reconcile the ending of unprepared foolish bridesmaids being left outside, strangers to the kingdom of heaven? Commentators (I read a bunch this week) pontificated on the audience that the author of Matthew was writing for, apparently struggling not only to distinguish themselves from what was becoming rabbinic Judaism, but from those who truly waited for Christ's coming and those who said they did, but didn't mean it and recanted when persecution came their way. Fine. But this theory is why the historical Jesus Seminar says this isn't really a Jesus saying. And while that may be true, that seems like an excuse. Sorry. This isn't the first time in the Bible that there has bee...

This morning I lit candles, having added some to my home altar space, quietly chanting in my mind and settled down to the day's lectio divina, which took about 15 minutes.  On the 2nd, the Scripture selection was 1 Thessalonians 1:4 and the phrase that resonated was "please God". Not to gain favor with God, but as a response to God. Yesterday, it was Matthew 5:11, a verse from the Beatitudes, which I'd heard as part of Sunday's readings for All Saints. The phrase that resonated "Blessed are you". Explored that as gratitude and then got sidetracked by thoughts of work. (Just in case you thought this was easy for me.) Lectio completed, I set a timer and pulled out Feasting on the Word and the Jewish Annotated New Testament , thinking to write a belated "blogging the lectionary" post. Maybe tomorrow. I've asked for some Hebrew assistance, so I'll get back to you on that. Maybe. The effect of pinning God first t...

This Sunday's lectionary readings are: Isaiah 25:1-9 Psalm 23 Philippians 4:1-9 Matthew 22:1-14 The gospel is another parable about the kingdom of heaven, which Jesus is sharing in the temple. It's the wedding feast for the king's son. Invitations go out and are ignored, or excuses are made, or the messengers are even killed. The king does some killing right back, and invites anyone his slaves can find in the streets, those who wouldn't normally get invitations, to the wedding feast instead. Then this poor guy shows up, without a wedding robe and is cast into the outermost darkness as a result. And I'm thinking, geeze, God, have a heart. It's not like he had time to go buy something to wear. I really dislike this gospel, not just because it seems so damn unfair, but because it has resulted in some pretty huge atrocities against Jews. Christians do love to take things out of context. It's very judgemental, and seems to be focused on who gets in ...

Last time I wrote about the lectionary it was for last Sunday’s gospel and the gospel from about three Sundays before that. Blogging about the lectionary is really struggling with what the Gospels are really saying, especially when I find it hard to understand or implement.  So when I read today’s Gospel   (Matthew 18:21-35) and Jesus saying we must forgive “seventy times seven” and then his hyperbolic parable about a debt that's impossible to incur let alone repay, perhaps to represent an unforgivable sin? … I struggled with what seemed to me to be an impossible ask laid out in this part of the gospel: to forgive unconditionally — even though that’s more or less what I pray for each time I say The Lord’s Prayer. It's what Christians are supposed to do. Today’s sermon by Rev. Daniel Pearson helped immensely in this — and I was particularly struck by a story that he told about a friend who referred to Desmond Tutu talking about forgiveness from the heart and ...

Who do you say I am? (Matthew 16:15) That's from the lectionary  of three weeks ago that I never got around to writing about. This might end up a bit of a series, personal reflections on these questions. I invite you to join me in them. (Take your time with them. I have.) Who do I say Jesus is? (And the corollary is: and do my actions reflect that?) What does the Cross mean to me?  Why the Church? Who do I say Jesus is? And is it different from who I say God  is? (Inasmuch as I know who God is anyway...) I say Jesus is Beloved and Lover. What I mean is that Jesus as the Son of the living God, is the embodiment of God's unconditional love ( chesed - loving kindness). He loves us, he listens to us, he comforts us. I was going to say more than this, share my history of how my view of Jesus has changed over the years: from this divine guy who pats the heads of children but is distant, to the brief period where I claimed him as mortal prophet on...

I wasn’t going to blog the lectionary this week. I declared to my husband last night that it was too hard and I couldn’t find a handle on it. We talked about the events in Ferguson and the first line came. The story is found in this week's gospel, Matthew: 15:21-28 . I am NOT the Canaanite woman although I roar with approbation when she made Jesus see her humanity. I am NOT the Canaanite woman with my skin the color of privilege. I do not comprehend  the depth of her pain. In the face of it, I do not know what I can do. I am NOT the Canaanite woman who broke centuries of animosity between two nations between two genders between two faiths who broke ALL the rules to save her daughter. I am NOT the Canaanite woman but I am Jesus (in this story), and I am sorry I ignored you and I am sorry your pain wasn’t as important as mine and I want you to know I am with you now, ask and you shall receive. You are not alone.

This Sunday's gospel reading (Matthew 14:22-33) is the familiar story of Jesus walking on the water and Peter jumping out of the boat to join him, getting freaked out and Jesus rescues him. Since I started to blog the lectionary, I've been reading a lot of commentaries and they almost all focus on Peter (in one way or another) or even the disciples in the boat, but not Jesus. The miracle of walking on water seems to be off limits. Is it because the divinity shines too bright? My bible study group recently finished a Mark study written by Marcus Borg . His focus was how Jesus illustrates the Way and how He calls us to follow in that Way. It's probably a huge mistake to take the theme of one Gospel and apply it to another, but why not? somewhere between Carpenteria and Ventura If we are called to follow the Way and use Jesus' actions and words as examples, what does this passage tell us? What does Jesus say and do here? First, that solitary pr...

During this season there are two "tracks" for the lectionary. One journeys through Genesis and the stories of the matriarchs and patriarchs, the other delves into the writings of the prophets. My church is on track one, Feasting On The Word is using track two. Today, I'm following the latter because it's Isaiah 55:1-5. "Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters..." It's my favorite hymn in the Catholic hymnal, especially now that I've figured out the descant. It speaks of God consoling those whose basic needs of water and bread, sustenance, is not being met.  Especially, but not only, the defenseless. Even those of us who spend money "on what does not satisfy" need food, water to survive. And we need God to survive, if we would but only listen. Listening means sitting with, engaging with, being in relationship with. It's an intimate relationship, not at all like the voice over that calls: "Attention shop...

And I feel fine. (Lyric by R.E.M.) Apologies. This is going to be one of those blogposts that put earworms in your head. Sunday's gospel reading is  Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 .  On first reading, this parable and its interpretation bothered me. Not least because of its hellfire, end of times, apocalyptic feel.  I also had my rabbi (my boss) in my head saying: "That's anti-Semitic." Whereupon I cringe in horror and try to explain that that's not how we Christians read it now. Anyway, so what to do with this troublesome passage? I read copious commentaries ( Feasting on the Word , an ancient  Interpreter's Commentary  and a circa 1960s Wesleyan commentary on the KJV translation) to no avail.  I was about to give up on the idea (after all, I am on retreat) when staring out at the Santa Barbara hills, I decided to look at my beliefs to see if they could be reconciled to this story.  I believe that with the resurrection of Christ, the kingdom of heaven is her...

[The chances of my writing for this Sunday's lectionary are kind of slim to none. I have way too much going on this week.   This post is for the lectionary on June 22nd.] Jeremiah 20:7-13 Psalm 69: 8-20 Romans 6:1b-11 Matthew 10:24-39 The lectionary readings from a couple of weeks ago kind of broke my heart at the time. First, a quick summary: Jeremiah complains to God about how folks think he is a false prophet and he worries about that too but God compels him to prophesy about the destruction of the city that he loves, the temple that he loves, the people that he loves. There's no avoiding it: it's a fire in his bones. The psalm is on a similar bent. In Romans, Paul talks about being born anew through baptism and that we must live our life to God. Our lives have changed; the water of baptism have put a fire in our bones. The gospel is about how having that fire in your bones for Jesus could mean turmoil in your family, even in your c...

Romans 7:15-25a Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 It’s so easy to run to the end of today’s Gospel: ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.   For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ But first Jesus has some pretty damning things to say about “this generation”, which one could argue he could say today and about those who claim to follow Him as opposed to those who criticized both He and John in the original context of this Scripture. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon'; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” (Matthew 11:18-19) Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. I am reminded of how polarized our world has become: you...

I wrote the beginning of the following earlier this week, but today during Chris' sermon, I realized it was really a half-finished thought, and worse, may have left one with the impression that I had all the answers and I "get" God. I don't. This is what I wrote last week: I was going to write of my knowing of the Trinity from childhood until now, a sort of spiritual autobiography from my view of a God who protected yet Who I foremost saw as judge, a Jesus who was a human prophet, a Holy Spirit that was a bit too woo-woo for me -- to this wonderful threefold Divine blessing in my life.  Instead, I shall write advice as how to achieve a deeper knowing: Be challenged. Talk it out with one you love. Question, seek answers. Pray, even when you don't see the point. Be open to possibilities. Be vulnerable with God. Uncover how your story and God's intertwine. Be still. And not necessarily in that order. And I should have added: "Repeat. Often."...