Lectionary Resources
First Thoughts on Passages from the Gospels and the Epistles in the Lectionary The aim of these is to offer some initial reflections on the readings in the lectionary as an aid to people preparing sermons. The comments are not meant to be exegetical commentaries, although they include exegetical observation. They also include reflections which point to contemporary issues. They are also, by the same token, not sermons, not an attempt to say to people what sermons ought to be about. They are offered as a stimulus only. I have written them with only the Greek text before me, so that occasionally your translations may have opted for alternative ways of reading the text. If you sense this is the case, please check other translations or refer to detailed commentaries.
I value feedback on whether you find it is useful and on how it might be changed/improved, made more useful.
A
group of
Melbourne colleagues, led by Revd Prof
Howard Wallace, retired Professor of Old Testament at the
Uniting Church Theological Hall, has commentaries
on the Old
Testament passages.
See also the weekly Podcast series By the Well
For the Year of Mark
Engaging Mark -
Reflections on Mark for Preaching
The Gospel of Mark - An Introduction for Preachers
Lenten Studies: reflections on the Gospel readings: Year B
6 Studies for Lent + A Reflection for Good Friday and Easter Day
See also the videos
"Good News" in Mark What is the "good news" according to Mark?
Mark's Approach to Scripture. By what "authority"? Mark's Hermeneutic and ours
"Mark" Time Studies for inquiring minds of faith.
Series 1: "Mark" Time 345 - 4 studies on Mark 3-5
Series 2: "Mark" Time 6 - 3 studies on Mark 6
Series 3: "Mark" Time 789 - 4 studies on Mark 7-9
Series 4: "Mark" Time 10 - 4 studies.
Christ the King: 24 November John 18:33-37
Christ the King: 24 November Revelation 1:4b-8
For the Year of Luke
The Gospel of Luke - An introduction for preachers
Looking at Luke
"Looking at Luke" Studies for inquiring minds of faith. Series 1: Luke 7 - 3 studies; Series 2: Luke 10 -11 - 3 studies; Series 3: Luke 14 - 15 - 3 studies.
New
"Are we there yet?" Studies for the Season of Advent
Advent 1: 1 December Luke 21:25-36
Advent 1: 1 December
Advent 2: 8 December Luke 3:1-6
Advent 2: 8 December
Advent 3: 15 December
Advent 4: 22 December Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)
Advent 4: 22 December
Christmas Day: 25 December Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20
Christmas Day: 25 December Titus 2:11-14
Christmas Day 1+2: 25 December Luke 2:(1-7), 8-20
Christmas Day 2: 25 December Titus 3:4-7
Christmas Day 3: 25 December John 1:1-14
Christmas Day 3: 25 December Hebrews 1:1-4 (5-12
See also The Christmas Stories
Ask a Roman. A Reflection on Christmas
The Kindness Star - A Christmas Fantasy. Suitable for sevens+ but also for adult ears. It assumes some knowledge of Matthew's Christmas story.
Donkey - A Story for Children and Adults - vimeo version Christmas Imagination
Lukas of Priene - A Presentation of the Message of Christmas through Story
Secrets of the Christmas Story in Matthew
Secrets of the Christmas Story in Luke
For Children: Finding the Lost Sheep -also suitable for Christmas
A Very Special Baby - retelling the Christmas story for my 3 1/2 year old grandson with stick drawings or with pics
The Christmas Queue - Reflections on the Journey to the Christ Child.
Christmas and Cronulla - a reflection on violence and hope
Christmas in a time of fiscal restraint - a bit of serious fun!
Christmas 1: 29 December Luke 2:41-52
Christmas 1: 29 December Col 3:12-17
Christmas 2: 5 January John 1:(1-9), 10-18
Christmas 2: 5 January Ephesians 1:3-14
Epiphany: 6 January Matthew 2:1-12
Epiphany: 6 January Ephesians 3:1-12
Baptism of Jesus: 12 January Luke 3:15-17, 21-22
Baptism of Jesus: 12 January Acts 8:14-17
Epiphany 2: 19 January John 2:1-11
Epiphany 2: 19 January 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
Epiphany 3: 26 January Luke 4:14-21
Epiphany 3: 26 January 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
New:
What Can Love Hope For? Questions for Faith Seeking Understanding (Cascade Books: Eugene, 2020).
This book raises thorny questions about the themes of faith, hope, and love. Is God really like Jesus or was Jesus a temporary exception to the way God usually is?
Was there forgiveness before the cross? Will God one day stop loving? What do we do with the fact that the hopes they had for change were not fulfilled?
What happened to good news for the poor? Why did some replace it with something else? Does Christian freedom mean we no longer need the Law?
Were early responses to rejection always healthy? Does the Bible say all we need to know about sexuality?
This book is a summary of my five volumes of research on attitudes towards sexuality in Early Jewish and Christian Literature, indexed to those volumes.
My hope is that it will prove useful to a wide readership and serve as a doorway for others into the detailed research of the previous 5 volumes.
A useful resource for ministers and parishes, seeking a fresh approach
to the
New Testament.
Other resources:
New "Mark" Time Studies for inquiring minds of faith. Series 1: "Mark" Time 345 - 4 studies on Mark 3-5; Series 2: "Mark" Time 6 - 3 studies on Mark 6; Series 3: "Mark" Time 789 - 4 studies on Mark 7-9; Series 4: "Mark" Time 10 - 4 studies. These are for use of groups during the Year of Mark, but suitable for any time.
Year A
Lectionary Index First
thoughts on the
Matthew and other Gospel Passages, Year A
Year of
Mark(John) Index First thoughts
on the
Mark(John) Passages, Year B
Year of Luke
Index. First thoughts on
the Luke
and other Gospel Passages, Year C
The Role of
John's Gospel in the Three Year
Lectionary
Neuere
Tendenzen in der Matthรคusforschung English: Recent Tendencies in
Research on the Gospel according to Matthew
Listening and telling as Preachers
Preaching
as an invitation to engage
God-stories
A Service of the Eucharist - for
use
within Worship
Links to links: try the following:
Songs that Unite:
a rich site for worship resources
Liturgy: A New Zealand site for
liturgical resources
Stepping
Stones: A Guide to Lectionary Based Resources for Worship and
Teaching -
from John Maynard
Sermons &
Sermon
Lectionary Resources by Richard J. Fairchild
Lectionary Resources
provided by David Beswick