Luke 16:18 and Divorce

 In doing a quick google search this morning, I saw that most of the articles/interpretations of Luke 16:18 make no allowances for divorce under any circumstances. They read this verse in isolation and therefore consider it a very simple teaching, so I wanted to add another voice to the conversation (in whatever capacity it has an impact).

Lukan Lessons and Carols for Lent: Fourth Sunday in Lent (March 27, 2022)

(This is the fifth liturgy in a series of Lukan Lessons and Carols for Lent. The Ash Wednesday Liturgy and a more detailed explanation of the series can be found here; Lent 1, 2, & 3 can be found here, here, and here. I am excluding parts of the worship that were not directly connected to the series as well as parts that I give extemporaneously.)

I will post the liturgies for ensuing weeks as I write them. I'm happy for anyone to use any part(s) of this series in their own worship contexts with proper attribution, but I would request that you let me know in the comments that you're doing so.

Lukan Lessons and Carols for Lent: Third Sunday in Lent (March 20, 2022)

(This is the fourth liturgy in a series of Lukan Lessons and Carols for Lent. The Ash Wednesday Liturgy and a more detailed explanation of the series can be found here; Lent 1 & 2 can be found here and here. I am excluding parts of the worship that were not directly connected to the series as well as parts that I give extemporaneously.)

I will post the liturgies for ensuing weeks as I write them. I'm happy for anyone to use any part(s) of this series in their own worship contexts with proper attribution, but I would request that you let me know in the comments that you're doing so.

*NB: Our services have gone long the last two weeks, so we decided this week to cut the final hymn.*

Lukan Lessons and Carols for Lent: Second Sunday in Lent (March 13, 2022)

(This is the third liturgy in a series of Lukan Lessons and Carols for Lent. The Ash Wednesday Liturgy and a more detailed explanation of the series can be found here; Lent 1 can be found here. I am excluding parts of the worship that were not directly connected to the series as well as parts that I give extemporaneously.)

I will post the liturgies for ensuing weeks as I write them. I'm happy for anyone to use any part(s) of this series in their own worship contexts with proper attribution, but I would request that you let me know in the comments that you're doing so.

Lukan Lessons and Carols for Lent: First Sunday in Lent (March 6, 2022)

(This is the second liturgy in a series of Lukan Lessons and Carols for Lent. The Ash Wednesday Liturgy and a more detailed explanation of the series can be found here. I plan to base each week's liturgy on the previous week's reading, in order to help foster a sense of continuity and to "catch up" anyone who missed a week. I am excluding parts of the worship that were not directly connected to the series as well as parts that I give extemporaneously.)

I will post the liturgies for ensuing weeks as I write them. I'm happy for anyone to use any part(s) of this series in their own worship contexts with proper attribution, but I would request that you let me know in the comments that you're doing so.

An Ash Wednesday Reflection, Two Days Late

In reminding us that "You are from dust, and to dust you shall return," Ash Wednesday isn't advocating nihilism or self-flagellation.

Lukan Lessons and Carols for Lent: Ash Wednesday (March 2, 2022)

This year for Lent, I decided to do something different: instead of preaching a sermon every week, I'm going to read through Luke's gospel from beginning to end with my congregation. I will spend my energy creating liturgies that connect to the readings and help us think more deeply about why Luke shared his testimony with the world the way he did, and hopefully inspire us to think more seriously about our own testimony.

For the scripture readings, I'm largely using the International Children's Bible (ICB). This translation is easy to process when read aloud, lends itself to dramatic readings, and (importantly) unlike other versions that accomplish the same things, it tries to stay as close as possible to the original text - i.e., there are direct verse-to-verse parallels with more traditional translations, like the NRSV, NIV, or CEB.

I will post the liturgies for ensuing weeks as I write them. I'm happy for anyone to use any part(s) of this series in their own worship contexts with proper attribution, but I would request that you let me know in the comments that you're doing so.

Edited to add: I did not originally do this as a part of the Ash Wednesday Liturgy, but in retrospect, I might light the Advent wreath throughout the service, and then use it again at the end of Lent for a Tenebrae-like service on Good Friday.