Alternate First Reading

Man praying in dimly lit room
Commentary on Hosea 1:2-10

The book of Hosea begins with a shocking command to the prophet, “Take a wife [...]

Metal sign with
Commentary on Amos 8:1-12

Amos describes a basket of summer fruit shown to him by God. This visual image [...]

Commentary on Amos 7:7-17

Amos 7:7-9 describes the third in a series of four visions. After the first and [...]

Commentary on 2 Kings 5:1-14

The text for this week is populated by an unusual number of characters, the effect [...]

Sunshine on grape vines in Italy
Commentary on 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14

Two prophets journey together to the Jordan: the hard-bitten spiritual [...]

hands interlocked in front of beach
Commentary on 1 Kings 19:1-4 [5-7] 8-15a

The account of Elijah’s flight to Horeb follows on the [...]

red dahlia flower in sun
Commentary on Genesis 11:1-9

On Pentecost Sunday, the Church celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit to the early [...]

charcoal black
Commentary on Isaiah 58:1-12

This is a message important enough to shout, to sound the trumpet/ram’s horn in accompaniment. [...]

Mosaic of Christ from Vatican
Commentary on 2 Samuel 23:1-7

Growing up in a rural, black Baptist Church, one of the songs I heard often [...]

Figure standing amid rubble after earthquake
Commentary on 1 Samuel 1:4-20

I hope some preachers will choose this text to preach, and then will read the [...]