Lectionary Reading Introduction

This site provides something different: many sites and books provide a brief summary of the reading - so that people read out or have in their pew sheet an outline of what they are about to hear. They are told beforehand what to expect. Does this not limit what they hear the Spirit address them? This site provides something different - often one cannot appreciate what is being read because there is no context provided. This site provides the context, the frame of the reading about to be heard. It could be used as an introduction, printed on a pew sheet (acknowledged, of course), or adapted in other ways. This is an experimental venture and I will see how useful it appears.

Haggai 1:15b-2:9

Haggai is the first of the prophets after the exile: Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. We pick up today directly after Haggai's first message: the call to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.

Job 19:23-27a

The book of Job is a morality tale set once upon a time in the land of Uz (Job 1:1). Today's text is part of Job's second reply to his friend Bidlad the Shuhite who has been taunting the suffering Job.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

This section chosen by the RCL has a strong focus on the end times - particularly concentrated on as we head towards the end of the Church Year. The Roman Catholic 3 Year Cycle choice 2 Thes 2:16-3:5 does not have such a strong eschatological thrust but is concerned more with prayer

Luke 20:27-38

The background of this story is that the Sadducees only accepted the written Torah (Genesis to Deuteronomy). The Pharisses, in contrast, accepted the oral Torah also - developments and adaptations since the completion of the pentateuch. Jesus argues with the Sadducees on their terms, rubbing in his points with a reference to angels - which the Sadducees also did not believe in. Jesus 1; Sadducees 0.