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Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, September 27, 2020

Please see Using Lection Connection.

Full lections can be read here.

Based on the Readings as Set

First Reading (Exodus 17:1-7)

The Israelites test the Lord by quarrelling with Moses because they find no water at Rephidim. Again, the Lord miraculously provides for them, this time having Moses strike a rock to get water. A very frustrated Moses calls the place “Testing” and “Quarrelling”.

Psalm (78:1-4, 12-16)

The Psalmist calls Israel to celebrate and pass on to their own children the cautionary tale of the Lord’s repeated provisions for their ancestors during the Exodus.

Second Reading (Philippians 2:1-13)

Paul urges his readers to adopt “the mind of Christ”, who did not exploit his equality with God but took on human form, humbling himself to death on a cross. Therefore, the same God who works in us raised him Lord of all, with every knee to bow before him.

Gospel (Matthew 21:23-32)

Jesus silences Jewish leaders questioning his authority with a counter question about the authority of John the Baptist. He then shows them that true obedience is not just lip service, but actually doing God’s will, just like the notorious sinners who believed John.

CONNECTION SUGGESTIONS

Testing the Lord is not a good move

Testing the Lord reveals the hardness of our own hearts

Miracles, even repeated miracles, will not by themselves suffice for faith

God is a God of grace and mercy

Humility or self-focus? Which opens the door to others and to God?

True belief shows itself in godly action

Scripture Sentence (BAS, Canada)

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them and they follow me. John 10.27

Collect of the Day (BAS, Canada)

Grant, O merciful God,
that your Church,
being gathered by your Holy Spirit into one,
may show forth your power among all peoples,
to the glory of your name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. AMEN

 

Based on the Alternate Readings

First Reading (Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32)

The Lord claims every human being, while each individual is responsible for their own actions. To punish the child for the sins of the parents is wrong. The one who sins is the one who dies, and this gives no pleasure to God. But those who repent shall live.

Psalm (25:1-9)

The Psalmist expresses his keen desire to follow the ways of the Lord who is full of mercy and steadfast love. He calls for help from the one who is eager to respond to the humble. Only because of the Lord’s nature can the Psalmist’s youthful sins be forgiven.

Second Reading (Philippians 2:1-13)

Paul urges his readers to adopt “the mind of Christ”, who did not exploit his equality with God but took on human form, humbling himself to death on a cross. Therefore, the same God who works in us raised him Lord of all, with every knee to bow before him.

Gospel (Matthew 21:23-32)

Jesus silences Jewish leaders questioning his authority with a counter question about the authority of John the Baptist. He then shows them that true obedience is not just lip service, but actually doing God’s will, just like the notorious sinners who believed John.

CONNECTION SUGGESTIONS

The importance of taking personal responsibility for one’s sin

Personal and/or corporate repentance?

Is God unfair?

God is a God of grace and mercy

Humility or self-focus? Which opens the door to others and to God?

Scripture Sentence (BAS, Canada)

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them and they follow me. John 10.27

Collect of the Day (BAS, Canada)

Grant, O merciful God,
that your Church,
being gathered by your Holy Spirit into one,
may show forth your power among all peoples,
to the glory of your name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. AMEN

 

 

 

Posted on

Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost, November 3, 2019, Proper 26, Year C

Please see How to Use Lection Connection 

Full lections can be read here.

 

Based on the Readings as Set

First Reading (Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4)

Crying out for the Lord to end his silence concerning Judah’s destruction, the prophet Habakkuk decides simply to listen for the divine word. He is assured of a coming “end” for which he is to wait and that it is through such faithfulness that the righteous will live.

Psalm (119:137-144)

The Psalmist, although he is in the midst of serious trouble, exults in the life-giving quality of God’s word at every level of existence and pleads for fuller understanding.

Second Reading (2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12)

Paul praises the Thessalonians who are steadfast in the midst of suffering and persecution. Indeed, they are growing in faith and love through the power of God, bringing glory to the Lord Jesus.

Gospel (Luke 19:1-10)

St. Luke tells the story of Zacchaeus, a tax-collector and a cheat who nevertheless has a passion to see Jesus. Forced to climb a tree to get above the crowd, Jesus reaches out to him and his life is transformed as he experiences the new life of God’s salvation.

CONNECTION SUGGESTIONS

  • Suffering, even though it is very real and often debilitating, does offer opportunities for genuine faithfulness and witness
  • Suffering can remind us that we are always in the hands of the Lord
  • God does promise salvation and deliverance, but it is not on our timetable. Patience is a mark of the faithful
  • The road to righteousness requires great resolve
  • Is a sense of “lostness” the precondition to being “found”?

 

Based on the Alternative Readings

First Reading (Isaiah 1:10-18)

The prophet Isaiah compares the sin of Judah to that of Sodom and Gomorrah and calls the nation to right living as well as right religion. He offers the promise that, if the nation repents, its sins will be forgiven.

Psalm (32:1-7)

The Psalmist rejoices in sins forgiven and even in the difficult times that inspired true repentance. The Lord is a hiding place in times of trouble for those who will look to him.

Second Reading (2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12)

Paul praises the Thessalonians who are steadfast in the midst of suffering and persecution. Indeed, they are growing in faith and love through the power of God, bringing glory to the Lord Jesus.

Gospel (Luke 19:1-10)

St. Luke tells the story of Zacchaeus, a tax-collector and a cheat who nevertheless has a passion to see Jesus. Forced to climb a tree to get above the crowd, he catches Jesus’ attention and his life is turned around by the one who actually seeks the lost.

CONNECTION SUGGESTIONS

  • The Lord is looking for us to acknowledge our sin and repent
  • True repentance involves a change in behaviour
  • Suffering, even though it is very real and often debilitating, does offer opportunities for genuine faithfulness and witness
  • The road to righteousness requires great resolve
  • Is a sense of “lostness” the precondition to being “found”?