Here we go…the first of what I hope will be a very long series of commentaries on the lectionary readings for the week.

Today finds us near the end of the season of Easter, which ends at Pentecost. If you go to a church that follows the liturgical calendar the altar is likely dressed in white, the color of Easter. The parament colors will change through the year, and I’ll make note of them as we change seasons. We are in “Year A,” which means the focus is typically on the Gospel of Matthew with the Gospel of John read some weeks. This week happens to be one of them.

If you’re Catholic, you’ll notice that these readings aren’t exactly the same every week. Some will be. Even though there was some Catholic participation in the organization of this Lectionary, their parishes typically follow a Catholic lectionary. There’s a great deal of overlap in the readings, though, and the seasons are the same, so my thoughts here will hopefully still be useful to you.

The Gospel readings are usually what anchor the celebrations and other readings. Even though you’ll hear them last in the worship service, I like to start with the Gospel to ground us for the other readings.

Gospel Reading: John 17:1-11

John 12 has an account of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on what we now call Palm Sunday, and John 13 is where we read about the Last Supper. If you have a “red letter” Bible, you’ll notice that most of chapters 13-17 is red…it’s almost like John were following Jesus around with a notepad writing down everything he said. Jesus and at least some of the disciples left the upper room where dinner was and are now in the Garden of Gethsemane (most likely) where Jesus starts to pray.

This passage is the beginning of what’s known as Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer,” in which he talks directly to God the Father, interceding on our behalf. Think of that–Jesus is praying not only for the disciples. He’s praying for us, too.

And what does Jesus pray for? That we “may be one, even as We (Jesus and the Father) are one.” He prays for us to be completely united in every way. It was Jesus’ deepest desire that we would be as united as He is with the Father. That’s an amazing request.

First Reading: Acts 1:6-14

Wait–Acts? Isn’t the first reading out of the Old Testament?

Well, yes, usually, unless we’re in the season of Easter, which we are. Most of the First Readings come from Acts during that time. This week it’s especially important. After Easter, Jesus came back for forty days (Acts 1:3) and then ascended to Heaven. This was all witnessed by the disciples. Thursday of this past week was actually the 40th day after Easter, and was marked as Ascension Day. Today’s reading is the account of the Ascension into Heaven.

The book of Acts was written by the Luke, and I sometimes think of it as “Luke II.” Luke was a highly educated Greek physician, and his Gospel emphasizes the role of the outsider in Jesus’ ministry. This is the Gospel that focuses the most on the role of women in Jesus’ life, and it’s the one least concerned with tying Jesus to historical Jewish beliefs. It makes total sense that this same author would follow the story as the disciples carry Jesus’ message to the wider world.

In the Gospel reading, Jesus emphasized His union with the Father. In this one, which contains His very last words to the disciples, He emphasizes that union again, and then promises that the Holy Spirit will be coming to help them carry out their job of getting Jesus’ message out to the whole world.

Think about that. A little band of fishermen and tradesmen from a backwater of the Roman empire being told that they will be Jesus’ witnesses from now on, everywhere, “to the end of the earth.” Two angels then had to come and prod them to move along. I’m pretty sure that standing there, staring at the now-empty sky, was easier than facing a task that they had no idea how to accomplish.

This is definitely a time when “Stay Tuned for Next Week” applies. Jesus had promised the Holy Spirit. God does not make empty promises, and this particular promise is fulfilled only ten days later.

Psalm: 68:1-10, 32-34

Every week we’ll read a Psalm. They are such an important part of worship, always glorifying God. Sometimes they do so from a position of triumph; sometimes, from abject misery. They truly contain the full breadth of human experience. Some Psalms, including this one, are attributed to David, but there are other authors, and many Psalms are unattributed to any author at all.

There are several points to make about this Psalm but I’ll stop at two. First, look how the Exodus of Israel from Egypt is recounted. Over and over that event is remembered and talked about in the Old Testament, in obedience to God’s admonishment to remember what He does, tell each other and tell your sons and daughters. We are to remember what happened and we are to recount it to each other, too.

So here’s a question for you: Do you keep track of what God has done for you? Even something as simple as a journal, where you note what is going on in your life and where you see God working, is tremendously important. The only way to know what God is doing in your life is to note it, remember it, and share it.

The second point with the Psalm is that, in verse 32, David reveals his understanding that God is not merely Lord of the nation of Israel. He implores, “O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God.” God is bigger than just one nation–He’s the Ruler of the entire world. How beautiful is the relationship between this verse and Jesus’ last commandment to go to the ends of the earth?

Second Reading: 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

I’m just going to tell you right at the beginning: I love Peter. Paul is great and brilliant and erudite, and John just pours out love, but Peter has such a heart and is the most plain-spoken of the letter writers. He’s a man who has had all of his worst moments laid out for everyone to see (denying Jesus three times? “Get behind me, Satan?”) and yet only wants the world to know about Jesus. This is the first of his three letters, and it’s addressed chiefly to Gentile believers in the area we know as Turkey.

The recipients of this letter are going through persecution for their beliefs, and Peter lays out guidelines for enduring trials. Earlier in the letter he has given encouragement that what they came to believe is still true, and he’s given practical advice on everyday living.

Our reading is near the end of the letter. At this point, Peter feels compelled to address suffering head-on. The name “Christian” was used as an insult at this time in the Roman empire; Peter encourages them to claim it with enthusiasm, knowing that it glorifies God.

The omitted verses are directly addressed to leadership, but then Peter continues with general advice at 5:6 as part of the last passage of the letter. The way the verses are divided is a little funny, because 4:16 encourages Christians to not be ashamed, and then 5:6 begins with “Humble yourselves.” As always, the glory is God’s alone. But Peter ends with a promise about God in v. 10: “…the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

Peter knew first-hand how God keeps promises. He had experienced many, including the one we named above at Pentecost. Sharing one of God’s promises wasn’t a light thing for him. How awesome it is that we can count on it!

I hope you found this helpful today, especially if you are preparing for worship later this weekend. If you are using the lectionary I’d love to know what your pastor chooses to talk about! As always, these notes of mine aren’t meant to be a sermon or a substitute for worship in any way.

A note about the photographs that accompany these lectionary posts: they are all mine, taken of churches wherever I happen to be. Today’s photograph is from a chapel in St. George’s, Grenada.