Category: Isaiah

Isaiah 5:1-17

This text is used for the Lectionary Year C on August 14, 2016.

Red Vineyard - Van Gogh
Red Vineyard – Van Gogh

Isaiah sings for his beloved. His beloved is the Lord. Consistent to Isaiah, he does not speak as himself or for himself, but as the Lord, for the Lord. In this regard, Isaiah has more speech on behalf of the Lord than either Jeremiah or Ezekiel; as in Isaiah 30:1, where he expresses a deep woe for the Lord about the stubborn sons and daughters bearing witness to the word of the Lord.

In this fashion Isaiah sings to the beloved while being overheard in the camp of the rebellious. The song is a lament by the God who so hurt in his heart (borrowing a frequently used Native American expression for our creator’s deep love in sending his son to die for us). Singing a love song Isaiah expresses the disappointment of the Lord. Their disenchantment brings a stiff word of judgment upon the people. Hear the sound of this song in its reading. It sounds like the deep cords of a cello echoing from a heart that has been broken. As part of your worship the reading of this text could very well be followed by the playing of a deeply sad but lovely lament on the cello offering a time of confession. When the beauty of God’s heart is revealed we can be empowered to muster the courage that is required to make confession.

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Isaiah 1:1, 10-20

This text is used for the Lectionary Year C on August 7, 2016.

Isaiah - Duccio
Isaiah – Duccio

Like an artist, Isaiah shapes a vision into a word; a hard yet good word that seeks to form the language of God and transform the people of God; hard in the sense that it holds nothing back, truth-speaking even when the truth is too hot to handle.

Isaiah has hopes for the people to be alive with wonder to the presence of God. He confronts them with the concrete particulars of the life they are living. He challenges them to examine the mundane and ordinary realities of their everyday existence in light of the multiplicity of ways God desires to take this raw material to transform the world in which they live.

This urban prophet brings a strong word imploring the people to give over their lives to this powerful, compassionate God. Their lives nullify the worship they are performing. What is the purpose of going through the motions of worship when our everyday lives do not live out such praise?

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Isaiah 50:4-9a

This text is used for the Lectionary Year C on March 20, 2016.

Isaiah - Marc Chagall
Isaiah – Marc Chagall

This is not your typical Palm Sunday text.  We prefer the celebration. Children waving branches as Jesus, mounted on a donkey, rides into the holy city.  We join the parade singing “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” The congregation knows Good Friday will happen before we meet again.  But on this day, we prefer to celebrate, sing, and dance.

Perhaps, breaking tradition is healthy every so often.  The unwritten question resonating in the background of the Triumphal Entry asks, “Will these same people worship the Jesus on the donkey, when he is hanging on cross?”  “Will they identify with the suffering one, just as they celebrate the one who comes as a king?” “Will we?”  These questions are where Isaiah 50 and the Triumphal Entry find common ground this Palm Sunday.

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Isaiah 55:1-9

This text is used for the Lectionary Year C on February 28, 2016.

Still Life - Cezanne
Still Life – Cezanne

The “gold standard,” among other things, refers to a type of economy. Every economy rests on some foundation. The bold promise of a new economic order can be underwritten only through the very distinctive nature of God. Only God could give rise to a new economy of redemption for the community of want. The other texts for the third Sunday in Lent are Psalm 63:1-8, which picks up on themes of thirst and satisfaction similar to Isaiah 55:1-9, and Luke 13:1-9, where the themes of repentance echoes Isaiah 55:1-9.

The passage contains a five part argument: First part (verse one); Second part (verses 2-3); Third part, the behold section (verses four and five); fourth section, a call to repentance (verses six through nine); and fifth section the statement of God’s otherness (verses eight and nine).

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