The Sunday Bible readings in the Revised Common Lectionary

These links are to Year A, Year B and Year C will take you to the PowerPoint lesson for the Bible readings for each Sunday in the three-year lectionary cycle. Lick on the link Year A B or C, then locate the lesson. The PowerPoint decks are numbered and titled with Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost and the Proper also known as Ordinary time. These are linked to a OneDrive Cloud location and may be viewed online or downloaded.  

USE

These may be used to facilitate an adult education group discussion for an Episcopal Church. On the other hand, you may use these as a personal study about the readings for each Sunday. Each power point deck deals with the designated scripture readings for that Sunday, the collect from the BCP for that Sunday, and related artwork chosen for readings or the Collect.

Why these were Created

These were developed for a Sunday morning discussion group that meets for about one hour. The slides can be projected on a screen or shown on a television set placed so that the entire group can easily see the slides. The leader should have a general knowledge of theology and scriptures. The leader may be a member of the clergy or a layman who is qualified by for example completion of the four-year EFM (Education for Ministry) program or an equivalent. 

Sources

The scripture commentary is taken largely from the introductions, footnotes, and reference materials in the New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocryphal / Deuterocanonical Books, from the New Revised Standard Version, Edited by Bruce M. Metzger and Roland E. Murphy, 1989 Edition, Oxford University Press. The collects are drawn from the Book of Common Prayer 1979 using the modern language. There are other sources used which are indicated in the materials. The Notes page feature of the PowerPoint decks will often have more information than the slide. The group leader will need minimal skills with PowerPoint as each deck is complete with maps and animations. 

Scope and Time Available

A presenter can download and edit the decks as needed for the circumstances. The decks are long as they cover the readings and alternative readings and the collect. If there is limited time, then a class might cover only some of the readings. A facilitator may wish to cover only the Collect and one of the reading selections such as the day’s Gospel. 

Discussion

The class works best as a group discussion using the PowerPoint for the basic information about the reading. Some members may want to participate by reading the scripture aloud to the others and exchanging comments. Others may not want to speak at all but may wish only to listen or read the PowerPoint slides. Very often one of the readings on a given Sunday may spark a spirited discussion that uses up class time. When this happens let the discussion go and if needed skip to the end. When this happens that’s a good day. Even when there is ample time for formation a lively discussion will make the time seem short.

Questions

If you have questions about the use of these PowerPoint decks or glitches you can contact me by email at jbcross@cei.net.

Advent 2 RCL A Isaiah 11:1-10
Romans 15:4-13
Matthew 3:1-12
Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19 The Collect Merciful God, who sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. The Collect The collect starts with an observation that God “sent … messengers the prophets to …prepare the way for our salvation:..” The petition is that we be given “grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins…”The collect theme is the time and our preparation for the time when Jesus will return. The theme is reflected in the OT selections for this Sunday over the three year cycle. In RCL A the reading is Isaiah 11:1-10, “A rod out of Jesse’s tree.” In RCL B the Reading Isaiah 40:1-11 titled “A voice crying out in the wilderness. In RCL C there are track 1 and track 2 selections the first is Baruch who asks that Jerusalem lookout from its heights. In the 2 track the Malachi reading is entitled the coming Messenger. The Collect The theme concerns the prophets and messengers sent to prepare our way to salvation a marvelous theme as we prepare for the birth of Jesus and His return in glory.  While most of our collects were translated into English with a protestant twist this collect is one of two collects originated by Bishop Cranmer for 1549 BCP.  Almighty God, in your love you gave your servant Nicholas of Myra a perpetual name for deeds of kindness both on land and sea: Grant, we pray, that your Church may never cease to work for the happiness of children, the safety of sailors, the relief of the poor, and the help of those tossed by tempests of doubt or grief; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen Ambrogio Lorenzetti,
Scenes of the Life of St Nicholas, c. 1332
Tempera on wood
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence
Nicholas is throwing gold into the house of a man considering prostituting his daughters. The future saint did the same twice more, dowering the girls so they could marry. By way of his Dutch name, this gift-giver turned into Santa Claus. Isaiah 11:1-10 Part 1 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.  The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.  His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.  He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; Isaiah 11:1-10 Part 2 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.  Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.  The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.  Isaiah 11:1-10 Part 3 The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den.  They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.  On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious. Introduction to the Book of Isaiah Isaiah the prophet was active in Jerusalem from 742 until 701 B.C.  While there are questions of authorship for later chapters, today’s reading is not questioned. Isaiah often attacked social injustice however, his visions of the future are also compelling. The Text Isaiah in this passage looks to a future messianic king who will manifest the characteristics of the Kings who were great in Israel’s past. Jesse was the father of King David, from whom Jesus was according to Matthew Descended. Wisdom and justice were traditionally associated in the ideal king. The time of the messianic King’s reign will be "paradise regained“ where the disorder of nature will be transformed to a pristine harmony. The concept of a holy mountain is often associated with visions of the ideal future. ALTERNATE TRANSLATION “3 The spirit of the fear of God will fill him. He will not judge according to reputation nor will he reprove according to that which has been said.” The precise expression “to reprove according” is unique to this passage. But the sense of this passage is clear. This Spirit-directed messiah will not pass false or superficial judgments based on people’s worldly status or that said by others about them, but according to the truth of who they are and what they have done. Key Concepts of Isaiah Common themes of the Isaianic tradition are: Main themes are God as "the Holy One of Israel" and Jerusalem. Related subthemes are holiness, justice, righteousness, salvation, faith, and peace.  Many of the most elaborate visions of a new age focus on an individual savior figure as the champion of justice and righteousness. MESSIAH or CHRIST Edward Hicks (1780 – 1849), The Peaceable Kingdom, c. 1846-1847
24 x 31 1/8 in., Oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art
 During the last thirty years of his life, the Quaker sign painter-turned-painter Edward Hicks created more than one hundred versions of this subject, an allegory of spiritual and earthly harmony based on Isaiah Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
Deus, judicium 1 Give the King your justice, O God, *
and your righteousness to the King's Son;  2 That he may rule your people righteously *
and the poor with justice;  3 That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, * and the little hills bring righteousness.  4 He shall defend the needy among the people; * he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.  5 He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, * from one generation to another.  Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
Deus, judicium 6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, * like showers that water the earth.  7 In his time shall the righteous flourish; *
there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall be no more.  18 Blessed be the Lord GOD, the God of Israel, * who alone does wondrous deeds!  19 And blessed be his glorious Name for ever! * and may all the earth be filled with his glory.
Amen. Amen.  Psalm 72  Psalm 72 according to the footnotes is a Prayer for God's blessing on the king.  The occasion for the psalm may have been a coronation or its annual commemoration. In Verses 1-4: The king is to be the guarantor of justice for the helpless  Verses 5-6: Suggest the supernatural aura which surrounded the person of the king in the thought of the ancient Near East. Lectionary Choice The placement of this Psalm with the Isaiah reading suggests that the “King” referred to is God, rather than an earthly King of Israel. As with many other OT readings the meaning seems to change based on the circumstances of the READER.  Romans 15:4-13 Part 1 Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:4-13 Part 2 Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, Romans 15:4-13 Part 3 "Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name"; and again he says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people"; and again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him"; and again Isaiah says, "The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.“ May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Circumstances of Romans This is the only letter in which the Paul does not name  a companion or coauthor. Paul had never visited the Christian community in Rome it  was his hope to do so, he knew many Christians who lived  there as shown in the greetings. Paul states his plan to carry his mission to the western half of the Mediterranean world, as far as Spain. Generally in Romans the role of women in the early church is  evident in the reference to Prisca and others as active in the  Christian mission. The specific date is not known other than toward the end of  Paul’s career.  The ethical admonitions are generalized and intended to be a summary of Christian faith and practice. Romans Some scholars think that Chapters 15 and 16 are a part of an appendix to the letter. This is because some ancient writers that have commented on the text used a version without these chapters. The letter seems to emphasize that through Christ, God's promises to the patriarchs were being fulfilled. He further argues that the promised salvation was also for the Gentiles. Quotes The quotes are from: Psalm 18 V 49 – “For this I will extol you, 0 LORD, among the nations, and sing praises to your name.” Deuteronomy 32 V 43 “Praise, O heavens, his people, worship him, all you gods! For he will avenge the blood of his children, and take vengeance on his adversaries; he will repay those who hate him, and cleanse the land for his people.” Psalm 117 Verse 1 of only 2 “Praise the LORD, all you nations! - Extol him, all you peoples!” Isaiah 11 Verse 10 the last line of today’s reading. Matthew 3:1-12 Part 1 In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
`Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.‘” Matthew 3:1-12 Part 2 Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves,  Matthew 3:1-12 Part 3 `We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. "I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." Introduction to Matthew Gospel of Matthew is thought to be a manual of Christian teaching. A recurring theme is that Jesus Christ is described particularly as the fulfillment of God's will disclosed in the Old Testament.  Much of the material peculiar to this Gospel is concerned with the Jews or with the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.  All of the Gospels do this to some extent, but Matthew emphasizes this relationship much more. Activity of John the Baptist The Baptist also appears in Mark, Luke and John. John in keeping with the theme of Matthew resembles the Old Testament prophets. Christian faith understood John to fulfill Isaiah. John’s influence is attested by Acts and the Gospels. The time “Those days” refers to the time when Jesus began his public life.  The wilderness of Judea lay east and southeast of Jerusalem.  The word “Repent” means literally "return," and meant a call back to the way of life charted by the covenant between God and Israel. Pharisees and Sadducees These were the two major divisions among the Jews of that time.  As related later in Matthew these two sects did not agree and there was tension. There was a third Jewish sect in Palestine called the Essenes known from Josephus and the Dead Sea Scrolls. This group kept to itself. Baptism The term first appears in the New Testament as a purification ritual used by an unorthodox Jewish figure named John the Baptist.  All four Gospels and Acts describe him "preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins"  Scholars have speculated that John's mission might be related to other Jewish separatist groups such as the Essences. Lustral bathing was an important aspect of Greco-Roman religions, especially for healing divinities. In the OT cleansing with water is an important part of purification rites, especially after sex or contact with a corpse. John the Baptist calls for a more general repentance symbolized by baptism. Speculation. . . That Jesus himself was baptized in the Jordan by John raises the possibility that Jesus was a disciple of John who broke off and started his own movement.  Matthew's gospel includes a dialogue in which John recognizes Jesus' spiritual superiority as do Mark and the 4thGospel. Luke excludes John from the account of Jesus' baptism telling of John's imprisonment immediately before the event takes place.  In the Gospels, John is of interest only as he is related to the ministry of Jesus, butthe baptism symbol used by John became a central image of Acts and for the early Church. Matthew concludes with the charge to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" -Matthew 28.19.  Acts elaborates further when Peter says to the crowd gathered on Pentecost, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven" - Acts 2.38. Interesting. . . Traditional adult Baptism occurs when someone comes to believe in Christ, and it is usually followed by receiving the Holy Spirit. The Contrast is between John's water baptism and Christ’s "being baptized by the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1.5; cf. Mark 1.8; Matthew 3.11; Luke 3.16; John 1.33).  But: The Jerusalem church sent Peter and John to lay hands on believers in Samaria who had "only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus," after which they receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8.14-17).  The situation is reversed when the gentiles of Cornelius's house come to believe. They receive the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues as a sign of God's acceptance of gentile converts, so Peter asks, "Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" (Acts 10.44-48). Questions that still remain Nor have we really reached a definitive solution. But these are issues for Scholars – most in the pews show few doubts. Traditions of BAPTISM Protestant Baptism Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516), St. John the Baptist
Oil on panel, Museo Lázaro Galdiano, Madrid Geertgen tot Sint Jans, John the Baptist in the Wilderness,
1490-95
Panel, 42 x 28 cm
Staatliche Museen, Berlin