Irreverently Reverend

  Easter Sunday When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they could go and anoint Jesus’ dead body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they came to the tomb. 3 They were saying to each other, “Who’s going to roll the stone away from the entrance for us?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. (And it was a very large stone!) 5 Going into the tomb, they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right side; and they were startled. 6 But he said to them, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He isn’t here. Look, here’s the place where they laid him. 7 Go, tell his disciples, especially Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” 8 Overcome with terror and dread, they fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid . (CEB) ...

  Good Friday It was about noon on the Preparation Day for the Passover. Pilate said to the Jewish leaders, "Here's your king."   15 The Jewish leaders cried out, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" Pilate responded, "What? Do you want me to crucify your king?" "We have no king except the emperor," the chief priests answered.   Then Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified. 16 The soldiers took Jesus prisoner.   17 Carrying his cross by himself, he went out to a place called Skull Place (in Aramaic, Golgotha).   18 That's where they crucified him—and two others with him, one on each side and Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate had a public notice written and posted on the cross. It read "Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews."   20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city and it was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek.   21 Therefore, the Jewish chief priests complain...

  Fifth Sunday of Lent When  Adonai  restored Tziyon’s fortunes, we thought we were dreaming. 2  Our mouths were full of laughter, and our tongues shouted for joy. Among the nations it was said, “ Adonai  has done great things for them!” 3  Adonai  did do great things with us; and we are overjoyed. 4  Return our people from exile,  Adonai , as streams fill  vadis in the Negev. [NRSV: Restore our fortunes, O Lord,     like the watercourses in the Negeb.] 5  Those who sow in tears will reap with cries of joy. 6  He who goes out weeping as he carries his sack of seed will come home with cries of joy as he carries his sheaves of grain. (CJB)             House Bill 1557, colloquially called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, passed in Florida this past week, prohibiting discussion about sexual or gender identity in primary school classrooms. ...

  Fourth Sunday of Advent   In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country,  40  where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.  41  When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit  42  and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  43  And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?  44  For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.  45  And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” 46  And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47      and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48  for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.     Sure...