Looking into the lectionary - Pastoring in a secular age

June 2, 2024 Second Sunday after Pentecost  Deuteronomy 5:12-15, Mark 2:23–3:6 In a recent peer-learning session with other young-ish Presbyterian pastors, I heard a colleague present about his church’s creative communal practice of sabbath: once a month they have worship on Saturday night so that everyone can take the whole day off on Sunday. As part of the workshop, he asked us to share our own sabbath practices with the group. I eagerly quoted Rabbi Abraham Heschel’s precept for sabbath activity: “If you work with your hands, sabbath with your mind. If you work with your mind, sabbath with your hands.” “That’s why I love folding laundry on my day off,” I continued. My colleague smiled kindly at me and said, “It’s amazing what we can convince ourselves is not work, isn’t it?” What constitutes permissible sabbath work? That is the point of conflict in these paired controversial stories in Mark. First, Jesus’ disciples pick grain on the Sabbath, the religious rest day. The Pharisees object, and Jesus responds that if David’s men could break the law by eating consecrated bread when they were hungry, then his disciples could bend the rules about harvesting on the Sabbath to satisfy their needs. This puts the Pharisees on high alert. So when Jesus enters the synagogue on the Sabbath, they watch to see if he will heal a man with a withered hand, if he will work on a day when religion instructs him to rest. Jesus does, and again the Pharisees take issue, their anger increasing. Jesus reasons that he is saving the man’s life, and work that saves a life is permitted on the Sabbath. Mark does not record the Pharisees’ counterargument, but I can imagine they thought that since the man’s injury was not life-threatening, healing him could wait until the work week. It’s easy for us to read the hard-hearted Pharisees as the villains in this story, and Jesus, Son of Man, Lord of the Sabbath, as the hero.  ... Read the rest of the commentary on the website. Thank you to this week's writer Ellen Williams Hensle. Order of worship for June 2, 2024. These liturgies are free to use. A hymn-prayer in response to student protests by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette Enduring through faith: Paul’s suffering and Corrie ten Boom’s legacy (June 2, 2024) by Ellen Williams Hensle Pastoring in a secular age: Confessions of a recovering deist by Andy Kadzban Want the worship resources for May 26, 2024? You can find them here. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... PC(USA)’s engagement with Israel/Palestine at the 226th General Assembly Business before 226th General Assembly seeks to further denomination’s commitment to peace in Israel/Palestine. — Eric Ledermann Union Theological Seminary votes to divest from companies profiting from Gaza war Union, a private, ecumenical school that serves as Columbia University’s faculty of theology but maintains a separate endowment, is the first U.S. institute of higher education known to divest from the war in Gaza. — Fiona Murphy #GA226 environmental and climate justice committee preview Fossil fuel divestment, single-use plastics, lithium mining to be considered at this summer’s national meeting. — Gregg Brekke Controversial antisemitism bills are passing, and not only in the US House A North Carolina bill known as the Shalom Act is similar to the Antisemitism Awareness Act that passed the U.S. House of Representatives recently. — Yonat Shimron 2025-26 unifying budget proposal clears its last hurdle on the way to the 226th General Assembly Unification Commission gives the proposal its unanimous blessing. The commission will present the unifying budget to the GA next month. Meet Marian McClure Taylor and Danny Morales: #GA226 co-moderator candidates Get to know two of the candidates standing for co-moderator, Marian McClure Taylor and Danny Morales, in an Outlook-exclusive video. Podcast review: “New Way” An extension of the 1001 New Worshiping Communities initiative, Sara Hayden's New Way podcast, is an honest conversation between pastors and church leaders exploring a new way of doing ministry. Join Faith and Money Network on a Trip of Perspective to Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. On the Deep South Investors Tour, we will deepen our understanding of racial inequity and learn how we can participate in solutions that build wealth for Black Americans. #Ad A Prayer for Memorial Day "Lord God, until there is war no more and you wipe every tear from every eye, we will remember." — Jill Duffield