Looking into the lectionary - Churches prepare for surge in hunger – Here’s what’s at stake

Luke 21:5-19 Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost November 16, 2025 A South African man named Joshua Mhlakela predicted the end of the world and the rapture would happen on September 23. In a YouTube video, he confidently proclaimed, “The rapture is upon us. I’m a billion percent sure. I saw Jesus sitting on his throne, and I could hear him very loud and clear saying, ‘I am coming soon. He said to me on the 23rd and 24th of September, ‘I will come back to the Earth.’”1 But Jesus did not return on September 23 — just as He did not when William Miller predicted October 22, 1844, or when Harold Camping warned of May 21, 2011 (later revised to October 21). Such predictions have echoed across two millennia, and each time, the world continued on. Why many continue to proclaim in Jesus’s name, “The time is near!” (Luke 21:8) escapes me, as Jesus plainly told his disciples, “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32). Luke 21:5-19 anticipates the language of Christ the King Sunday a week later and the early Sundays of Advent. As a preacher, you may cringe when you encounter apocalyptic language such as is found in Luke 21, Matthew 24, and Mark 13. Especially in light of prophecies like Joshua Mhlakela’s, we may wonder, along with folks at the end of the first century C.E., “Where is the promise of [Jesus’] coming? For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:4). The news is full of wars and insurrections, nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom. Great earthquakes, famines and plagues happen on a regular basis around the world. Jerusalem, Israel and the Middle East are constantly in the news, especially in the aftermath of the events of October 7, 2023, and the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. You can also find harrowing accounts of Christians being persecuted in many countries. It’s no wonder many come in Jesus’s name and say, “The time is near!” (Luke 21:8). When the first believers heard Luke’s gospel proclaimed near the end of the first century C.E., they had personal experience with wars and destruction and suffering.  ... Read the rest of the commentary by Philip Gladden at pres-outlook.org. Want the worship resources for November 9, 2025? You can find them here. Order of worship — November 16, 2025 by Philip Gladden Churches prepare for hunger surge as SNAP benefits face historic cutoff by Harriet Riley Learning to unlearn ableism by Maggie Alsup Keeping friendships in a busy world by Katy Shevel A free Advent candle liturgy by Shardaé Henry and Shea Watts Is there religious revival among Gen Z? by Kathryn Post IN CASE YOU MISSED IT... Why Christians Should be Leftists “Why Christians Should Be Leftists” argues Jesus’ moral imagination pushes Christians toward justice, compassion and a politics rooted in neighbor-love, writes Samuel McCann. Board of Pensions President announces retirement The Rev. Dr. Frank Clark Spencer will retire as President and CEO of the Board of Pensions at the close of GA226 (2026) after 12 years of service. — BOP Does God answer the prayers of a showgirl? Hannah Lovaglio explores pop music as prayer, falling in love while the world falls apart, and why even “shallow” petitions might be sacred. CREDO cultivates ministers’ wholeness for 20 years Over two decades, the Board of Pensions has offered CREDO gatherings more than 170 times.— BOP MRTI Committee moves to add director voting strategy as a possible tactic Mission Responsibility Through Investment alerts key CEOs of its probable recommendation to vote against directors of companies not progressing on key climate concerns. Speaker Johnson says clergy protesting deportations have no right to ‘get in the face’ of DHS agents Johnson initially claimed he was not aware of the instances, despite having been directly asked about one of the incidents in a press conference earlier this month. — Jack Jenkins Join us this Wednesday!