Heritage Day (Community of Christ)

Ordinary Time (Proper 19)

Proverbs 1:20-33, Psalm 19, James 3:1-12, Mark 8:27-38

We all want happy endings, and no doubt so did Jesus’ closest disciples. But their understanding of a messiah was not at all shared by Jesus. So much so that he dramatically (and famously!) rebuked Peter with that “Get behind me, Satan!” line. Instead, the discipleship path we’re called and challenged to follow is certainly far more “suffering servant” than “anointed one.”

Here’s a link to a previous ForeWords blog post on this week’s lectionary scriptures:

https://richbrownforewords.wordpress.com/2015/09/10/9132015/

My most recent book, Speak to the Bones: How to Be a Prophetic People in a Time of Exile, is up on Amazon in both print and e-book formats: 161-page Book ; Kindle e-book. The ancient Hebrew prophets can serve as guides for modern-day prophetic communities to engage in actions for peace and social justice. Each of the 10 chapters includes questions for reflection and discussion, making this great for class use. My previous book What Was Paul Thinking? is also available on Amazon in both print and Kindle e-book editions.