Lesson Plans That Work
Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 25: October 28, 2012
No ceremony, no pomposity, no swooping in with fuss and feathers. No needs assessments, no programs. Jesus simply stands before the pleading blind man and asks: "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus can see that this man has gathered all his courage to ask: "My sight." Jesus affirms the man's courage and assures him his faith will make him well.
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 24: October 21, 2012
How in the world will we find our place, our position, our status, if we are already "in"? What if there is no top spot – no seat of honor? What if we do not have to compete for a place at the table – the place is already set, the dinner served, the wine poured? The disciples have been scrambling for position. Jesus tells them that the sign of being "in" is not about being served but in looking for whom to serve.
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 23: October 14, 2012
What does it take to get in? That’s the question that Jesus is asked. Jesus answers the question that is not asked and offers a very different way of being. The commandments of old are valid but insufficient. The way we've always done it is not working. What in the world would be an entrance requirement for a way of life you have already begun? What if it is not about getting in but about noticing that you are already in?
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Proper 22: October 7, 2012
The Pharisees continue to try to trap Jesus. Divorce: “Is it lawful?” the Pharisees ask. Jesus moves the question to higher ground. Meanwhile, people were bringing their children to Jesus. The disciples still did not "get it" and were trying to turn the children away. Jesus takes the children, lays his hands on them, and blesses them. Do we "get it”?