Alternate First Reading

Christ and the Rich Young Man (painting by A. N. Mironov
Commentary on Job 23:1-9, 16-17

Last week we looked at the larger canonical context of [...]

Two boys grasping each other and smiling
Commentary on Job 1:1; 2:1-10

For this and the next three Sundays, the Revised Common Lectionary offers four readings from [...]

Sand in outstretched palm
Commentary on Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22

The story of Esther is a tale about the survival [...]

Toddler reaching hand into puddle
Commentary on Proverbs 31:10-31

This poem is an acrostic, an a-b-c’s of a “good [...]

Cross alongside road on mountain pass
Commentary on Proverbs 1:20-33

The book of Proverbs features two loud women. Both of [...]

Elder adults sitting together on boardwalk
Commentary on Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23

The book of Proverbs is known as a wisdom book [...]

Dear standing in forest
Commentary on Song of Solomon 2:8-13

If you have not read the Song of Songs (its [...]

Stay Awhile sign on bookshelf
Commentary on 1 Kings 8:[1, 6, 10-11] 22-30, 41-43

This week’s reading presents us [...]

dried fish on a board
Commentary on 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14

The transition from the reign of David to that of [...]

hands clasped in mutuality
Commentary on 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33

By this point in David’s story, I’ve developed quite a [...]