Connections: Year A, Three-Volume Set

Description

Designed to empower preachers as they lead congregations to connect their lives to Scripture, Connections features a broad set of interpretive tools that provide commentary and worship aids on the Revised Common Lectionary.

This nine-volume series offers creative commentary on each reading in the three-year lectionary cycle by viewing that reading through the lens of its connections to the rest of Scripture and then seeing the reading through the lenses of culture, film, fiction, ethics, and other aspects of contemporary life. Commentaries on the Psalms make connections to the other readings and to the congregation's experience of worship.

This set contains all three volumes for Year A.

Connections is published in partnership with Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

This eBook set contains Year A, volumes 1, 2, and 3.

Sujets

• Preaching
• Christian Ministry
• Philosophie et théologie
• Revised Common Lectionary
• Religion

Informations

• Publié par: Presbyterian Publishing Corporation
• Date de parution: 19 mai 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781646980314
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Connections
Year A
Contents
Volume 1
Volume 2
Volume 3
Year A, Volume 1

Advent through Epiphany

Joel B. Green Thomas G. Long Luke A. Powery Cynthia L. Rigby Carolyn J. Sharp
General Editors
© 2019 Westminster John Knox Press

First edition
Published by Westminster John Knox Press
Louisville, Kentucky

19  20  21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28—10  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Westminster John Knox Press, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202-1396. Or contact us online at www.wjkbooks.com .

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. Scripture quotations marked CEB are from the Common English Bible, © 2011 Common English Bible, and are used by permission. Scripture quotations marked JPS are from The TANAKH: The New JPS Translation according to the Traditional Hebrew Text. Copyright 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked NIV are from The Holy Bible, New International Version . Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked NJB are from The New Jerusalem Bible , copyright © 1985 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd., and Doubleday, a division of Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. Reprinted by permission of the publisher(s). Scripture quotations marked RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971, and 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.

Excerpts from “Love Calls Us to the Things of This World” and “A Christmas Hymn” from Collected Poems 1943–2004 by Richard Wilbur. Copyright © 2004 by Richard Wilbur. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Excerpts from Pope Francis, “Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord,” © Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Reprinted by permission.

Book and cover design by Allison Taylor

The Library of Congress has cataloged an earlier volume as follows:
Names: Long, Thomas G., 1946- editor.
Title: Connections : a lectionary commentary for preaching and worship / Joel B. Green, Thomas G. Long, Luke A. Powery, Cynthia L. Rigby, Carolyn J. Sharp, general editors.
Description: Louisville, Kentucky : Westminster John Knox Press, 2018- | Includes index. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2018006372 (print) | LCCN 2018012579 (ebook) | ISBN 9781611648874 (ebk.) | ISBN 9780664262433 (volume 1 : hbk. : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Lectionary preaching. | Bible—Meditations. | Common lectionary (1992) | Lectionaries.
Classification: LCC BV4235.L43 (ebook) | LCC BV4235.L43 C66 2018 (print) | DDC 251/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018006372

Connections: Year A, Volume 1
ISBN: 9780664262372 (hardback)
ISBN: 9780664264796 (paperback)
ISBN: 9781611649666 (ebook)

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992.

Most Westminster John Knox Press books are available at special quantity discounts when purchased in bulk by corporations, organizations, and special-interest groups. For more information, please e-mail [e-mail] .
Contents
LIST OF SIDEBARS
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
INTRODUCING CONNECTIONS
INTRODUCING THE REVISED COMMON LECTIONARY
First Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 2:1–5
Psalm 122
Romans 13:11–14
Matthew 24:36–44
Second Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 11:1–10
Psalm 72:1–7, 18–19
Romans 15:4–13
Matthew 3:1–12
Third Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 35:1–10
Psalm 146:5–10
Luke 1:46b–55
James 5:7–10
Matthew 11:2–11
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 7:10–16
Psalm 80:1–7, 17–19
Romans 1:1–7
Matthew 1:18–25
Christmas Eve/Nativity of the Lord, Proper I
Isaiah 9:2–7
Psalm 96
Titus 2:11–14
Luke 2:1–14 (15–20)
Christmas Day/Nativity of the Lord, Proper II
Isaiah 62:6–12
Psalm 97
Titus 3:4–7
Luke 2:(1–7) 8–20
Christmas Day/Nativity of the Lord, Proper III
Isaiah 52:7–10
Psalm 98
Hebrews 1:1–4 (5–12)
John 1:1–14
First Sunday after Christmas Day
Isaiah 63:7–9
Psalm 148
Hebrews 2:10–18
Matthew 2:13–23
Second Sunday after Christmas Day
Jeremiah 31:7–14
Psalm 147:12–20
Ephesians 1:3–14
John 1:(1–9) 10–18
Epiphany of the Lord
Isaiah 60:1–6
Psalm 72:1–7, 10–14
Ephesians 3:1–12
Matthew 2:1–12
Baptism of the Lord
Isaiah 42:1–9
Psalm 29
Acts 10:34–43
Matthew 3:13–17
Second Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 49:1–7
Psalm 40:1–11
1 Corinthians 1:1–9
John 1:29–42
Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 9:1–4
Psalm 27:1, 4–9
1 Corinthians 1:10–18
Matthew 4:12–23
Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Micah 6:1–8
Psalm 15
1 Corinthians 1:18–31
Matthew 5:1–12
Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 58:1–9a (9b–12)
Psalm 112:1–9 (10)
1 Corinthians 2:1–12 (13–16)
Matthew 5:13–20
Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany
Deuteronomy 30:15–20
Psalm 119:1–8
1 Corinthians 3:1–9
Matthew 5:21–37
Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany
Leviticus 19:1–2, 9–18
Psalm 119:33–40
1 Corinthians 3:10–11, 16–23
Matthew 5:38–48
Eighth Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 49:8–16a
Psalm 131
1 Corinthians 4:1–5
Matthew 6:24–34
Ninth Sunday after the Epiphany
Deuteronomy 11:18–21, 26–28
Psalm 31:1–5, 19–24
Romans 1:16–17; 3:22b–28 (29–31)
Matthew 7:21–29
Transfiguration Sunday
Exodus 24:12–18
Psalm 2
Psalm 99
2 Peter 1:16–21
Matthew 17:1–9
CONTRIBUTORS
AUTHOR INDEX
SCRIPTURE INDEX
Sidebars
First Sunday of Advent: “Obey with the Best Heart We Have”
John Henry Newman
Second Sunday of Advent: “Let Us Purify Our Spirit”
Maximus of Turin
Third Sunday of Advent: “For Whom Did the Savior Come?”
Pope Paul VI
Fourth Sunday of Advent: “The Fulfillment of His Coming”
Karl Rahner
Christmas Eve/Nativity of the Lord, Proper I: “The Patience of God”
Pope Francis
Christmas Day/Nativity of the Lord, Proper II: “O Birth Pleasing and Welcome”
Bernard of Clairvaux
Christmas Day/Nativity of the Lord, Proper III: “The Place Where God Was Homeless”
G. K. Chesterton
First Sunday after Christmas Day: “Room in Our Hearts”
Dorothy Day
Second Sunday after Christmas Day: “We Look to Christ”
William Newton Clarke
Epiphany of the Lord: “That the Mighty Not Be Lifted Up”
Augustine
Baptism of the Lord: “The Claim That God Makes upon Us”
Karl Barth
Second Sunday after the Epiphany: “Beholding, We Become like Christ”
Alexander Crummell
Third Sunday after the Epiphany: “The High-Water Mark of Prophetic Religion”
Howard Thurman
Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany: “Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace”
John Winthrop
Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany: “The Great Deed That God Has Ordained”
Julian of Norwich
Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany: “Adorned with the Brightness of Virtue”
Hildegard of Bingen
Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany: “Surrendering Ourselves to God’s Direction”
John Calvin
Eighth Sunday after the Epiphany: “The Greatness of God’s Providential Care”
John Chrysostom
Ninth Sunday after the Epiphany: “Give Us Yourself”
Anne Lutton
Transfiguration Sunday: “The Ardor of Light”
Marguerite Porete
Publisher’s Note
“The preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God,” says the Second Helvetic Confession. While that might sound like an exalted estimation of the homiletical task, it comes with an implicit warning: “A lot is riding on this business of preaching. Get it right!”
Believing that much does indeed depend on the church’s proclamation, we offer Connections: A Lectionary Commentary for Preaching and Worship. Connections embodies two complementary convictions about the study of Scripture in preparation for preaching and worship. First, to best understand an individual passage of Scripture, we should put it in conversation with the rest of the Bible. Second, since all truth is God’s truth, we should bring as many “lenses” as possible to the study of Scripture, drawn from as many sources as we can find. Our prayer is that this unique combination of approaches will illumine your study and preparation, facilitating the weekly task of bringing the Word of God to the people of God.
We at Westminster John Knox Press want to thank the superb editorial team that came together to make Connections possible. At the heart of that team are our general editors: Joel B. Green, Thomas G. Long, Luke A. Powery, Cynthia L. Rigby, and Carolyn J. Sharp. These gifted scholars and preachers have poured countless hours into brainstorming, planning, reading, editing, and supporting the project. Their passion for authentic preaching and transformative worship shows up on every page. They pushed the writers and their fellow editors, they pushed us at the press, and most especially they pushed themselves to focus always on what you, the users of this resource, genuinely need. We are grateful to Kimberley Bracken Long for her innovative vision of what commentary on the Psalm readings could accomplish, and for recruiting a talented group of liturgists and preachers to implement that vision. Bo Adams has shown creativity and insight in exploring an array of sources to provide the sidebars that accompany each worship day’s commentaries. At the forefront of the work have been the members of our editorial board, w