This week's Lectionary Readings

9th Sunday After Pentecost
July 21, 2013

AMOS 8:1-12:  In another vituperative outburst against social injustices of his time in the 8th century BC, Amos vividly describes the fate that is about to befall his people. In an amazing series of images beginning with a basket of over-ripe summer fruit and ending with a famine, he depicts God's
unrelenting judgment against the economic,  political and religious chicanery of the rich toward the poor.
                                             
PSALM 52: Again echoing the words of Amos, this psalm reiterates God's judgment for social injustice and false piety. The reference to Zion in verse 6 indicates that these charges may have been directed against the religious leaders.

COLOSSIANS 1:15-28 (this is the text for the sermon):  Modern versions of this passage divide it into three paragraphs. The first speaks of the pre-existent, human, crucified and resurrected Christ. The second speaks of the reconciliation God effected through Christ. The third presents the vision of what God is doing in creating this new humanity and the cosmic universe in which we live and serve as did Paul. Few statements of the whole gospel Paul proclaimed have the sweep of this one.

The most puzzling part of the passage is Paul's claim to be "completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church." Does he really mean that the suffering of Christ on the cross was lacking some way? More likely, the phrase emphasizes that the Passion of
Christ was the central focus of Paul's faith and the church's reason for being.

LUKE 10:38-42: The lovely story of Jesus visiting Mary and Martha never ceases to raise romantic views of their relationship now featured in a modern novel. Jesus felt welcome in their home in Bethany and made his headquarters there when in Jerusalem. It lay only a short two kilometres
east of the city on the Mount of Olives.