Dear Friend,
In my ten years as an associate pastor, I always got to preach on the Sunday after Easter. In fact, I got to preach on the Sunday after every major holiday, but the Sunday after Easter was my favorite. That’s when the church begins to deal with the “so what” of the resurrection. Some years that “so what” is found in Jesus’ “feed my lambs” comment to Peter at the seaside post-resurrection breakfast. In year B, it is reflected in the “peace be with you” greeting to the fearful disciples and the Acts 4 description of life among the believers.
In these difficult economic times, many will be seeking some “so what” answers as they sit in your pews this Easter season. I pray that you will be able to help them begin to find those answers in the scriptures—and that the lectionary reflections below will assist you in that task.
The Sundays after Easter are an ideal time to participate in Bread for the World’s 2009 Offering of Letters urging Congress to rework U.S. foreign assistance programs so they are more effective in overcoming hunger and poverty. You will find more information below.
You will also find a Holy Week litany of intercession on behalf of those suffering in the current economic crisis, some new resources, and a invitation to Bread for the World’s Gathering 2009, June 14-16.
Grace and peace,
Rev. Gary R. Cook
Director of Church Relations
LECTIONARY REFLECTIONS
Each month, Bread for the Preacher shares links to reflections from Hunger for the Word: Lectionary Reflections on Food and Justice, edited by Larry Hollar and published in three volumes by Paulist Press [link to order info]. For April, Michelle Tooley reflects on the text for Passion Sunday, Michael Siefert and Rubin Becarra comment on the Holy Week texts, and George Johnson begins a series of reflections for the Sundays of Easter.
Passion/Palm Sunday, April 5th
On Palm Sunday 2002 my friend Cindy arrived in Jerusalem, where Jesus had entered nearly two thousand years earlier to the sounds of cheers and hosannas. For Jesus, underlying the sounds of welcome and jubilation were a city and state living under Roman occupation. In 2002 no one heard cheers and hosannas. Read more »
Maundy Thursday, April 9th
Each Holy Thursday, just outside of Brownsville, Texas, a group of ministers gather at what the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service calls a “processing center.” The feet these ministers wash at this Holy Thursday celebration are quite different from most of the other feet that will be washed in church sanctuaries across the land. Read more »
Good Friday, April 10th
Good Friday is senseless. Jesus’ crucifixion destroys all theological categories, however elegant and carefully wrought they might be. While Calvary sits at the very center of Christian reflection, Jesus’ death on the cross stuns even the deepest faith in an all-powerful, loving God. Read more »
Great Vigil of Easter, April 11th
The story of this most holy night has always been at risk of being reduced to a series of pious reflections that promise heaven to those who behave well. In some cases God’s powerful “NO!” to the execution of Jesus the Just One has been reduced to an eternal life insurance package for the well-bred and the polite. Worse, this singular saving act of God in Jesus has been mistakenly understood as divine permission to leave aside the hard fact of our responsibility for our lives and for the lives of others—and for the working of God’s will in our lives. Read more »
Easter/Resurrection of the Lord, April 12th
Change is never easy. Mark Twain once said that “the only person who likes change is a wet baby.” But change is necessary, perpetual, and a sign of growth. Without openness to change, decay sets in and death lurks in the shadows. Martin Luther said that the Word of God, whenever it comes, comes to change and renew the world. Read more »
2nd Sunday of Easter, April 18th
The Christian faith has profound economic implications. Any preaching of the Good News that shuns this reality denies the Gospel and Jesus’ teachings. In Acts we see that one of the strong witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection is the way his disciples order their economic lives. Read more »
3rd Sunday of Easter, April 25th
Chapter 7 of Walter Brueggemann’s book Peace reminds us that peace is both a gift and a task. In the text from Luke, the first message Jesus gives his disciples is one of peace. What did the disciples hear in the word “peace”? What did their hearts hear? Then what do we hear when we hear the word “peace”? What should we hear? Read more »
A LITANY FOR UNCERTAIN ECONOMIC TIMES
When God brought the Israelites out from Egypt into the wilderness, they complained that they had nothing to eat. But God gave them manna. Let us bring our prayers before God, knowing that they will be heard by the One who provides.
We thank you, gracious God, for all that you provide. In this time of economic uncertainty, give us gratitude for all that we have and freedom from worry about the things we lack.
Lord, your faithfulness is beyond all measure.
Help us trust in you.
We pray for all people who have lost jobs and for those whose livelihoods are threatened, especially those supporting families through their labor.
Lord, your faithfulness is beyond all measure.
Help us trust in you.
We pray for all people now facing futures dramatically different from the ones they planned. Help us meet what is yet to come with flexibility, grace, and a certainty that our future is in your hands.
Lord, your faithfulness is beyond all measure.
Help us trust in you.
We pray for all people who hunger and especially for those around the world whose lives are at risk this day because of insufficient food.
Lord, your faithfulness is beyond all measure.
Help us trust in you.
We pray for all people struggling to stay in their homes and for those who have been uprooted. Help us to remember that we are truly at home in you.
Lord, your faithfulness is beyond all measure.
Help us trust in you.
In this time of challenge, deliver us from the temptation to see blaming others as a solution. Give us a spirit of generosity, understanding and love.
Lord, your faithfulness is beyond all measure.
Help us trust in you.
We pray for the leaders of all nations, and especially for our president and Congress, as they make decisions that affect many lives. Guide them and help them remember hungry and poor people as they consider the path ahead.
Lord, your faithfulness is beyond all measure.
Help us trust in you.
Loving God, provider of manna, loaves and fish, and bread and wine,
Help us trust in you.
OTHER RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES
2009 Offering of Letters
Bread for the World’s 2009 Offering of Letters focuses on reworking U.S. foreign assistance to make it more effective in reducing hunger and poverty. Find out more about the campaign by visiting www.bread.org/OL2009. Bread for the World regional organizers are leading Offering of Letter workshops throughout the country this month. Click the map on the website to check for a location near you.
An Invitation to Bread for the World’s Gathering 2009
As a Bread for the Preacher subscriber, we hope you know how much we would welcome you at our Gathering on June 16-18 here in Washington, DC! Members of Bread for the World are some of the most inspiring people one would ever want to meet.
Our Gatherings always involve great sharing of experiences, ideas, and stories about what God is doing through our membership. This year, Bread for the World is commemorating 35 years of speaking out for hungry people, focused on the theme “Rejoice. Hope. Act.”
We will launch a new book by our founder, Art Simon, and Marty Haugen—the country’s leading liturgical composer—has written a new song for the occasion. We will learn from a variety of denominational, congressional, and community leaders. Finally, of course, we’ll worship throughout our time together and visit members of Congress!
Please visit www.bread.org/Gathering2009 to learn more and to register.
