Blezard, Sharron

Called to Make Peace

July 19, 2017 By Sharron R. Blezard Leave a Comment

Narrative Lectionary Reflection for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, July 23, 2017
Peace. Sometimes it seems like such an elusive word, such a foreign concept–especially if you’ve been spending much time with social media or the news lately. We humans crave peace and need peace, but we’re not very good at making and keeping peace. Thankfully, our Lord IS in the peace business–proclaiming and passing and breathing peace into the darkest corners of this fallen and fragmented world of ours, and exhorting us to find peace both in rest and in trust in his abiding presence. (Photo: Leland Francisco, Creative Commons)

Duke’s Mixture Discipleship

July 19, 2017 By Sharron R. Blezard Leave a Comment

Revised Common Lectionary Reflection for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, July 23, 2017
We need to remind one another that God created this world and all that’s in it, proclaiming it good. Sin entered the world, sowing pain and suffering in its wake and fracturing the perfect goodness of the created order. God came into the messy midst of us in human form to bridge that fracture and begin the process of redeeming all creation. We, saint and sinner, Duke’s Mixture disciples, are involved in that restoration. (Photo: Aske Holst, Creative Commons)

A Rock, A Hard Place, and Good Soil

July 13, 2017 By Sharron R. Blezard Leave a Comment

Revised Common Lectionary for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, July 16, 2017
What if we say that as Christians we are indeed between a rock (the rock of our salvation) and a hard place (life in this beautiful, broken world)? Jesus will not let us go and will not let the world crush us. Life may be hard, and we may hurt, but we are never alone. We have amazing hope and freedom—fertile soil in which to nurture our faith. Here Paul’s words again: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Say it again and let the words sink deep into your being. This is good news for all of us. (Photo: John Farrell Macdonald, Creative Commons)

Bless, Blessed, and Blessing

July 13, 2017 By Sharron R. Blezard Leave a Comment

Narrative Lectionary Reflection for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, Year Three, July 16, 2017
Today’s lesson reminds us that we are all beneficiaries of God’s good “will” in Christ Jesus. We are adopted into God’s family and recipients of abundance. Even if your congregation or family is struggling financially, you are still rich beyond measure as heirs of God’s grace, mercy, and salvation. We have been richly blessed by God who loves us, adopted into God’s family, and blessed to be a blessing. This is very good news!

Life Saver or Life Savior?

July 6, 2017 By Sharron R. Blezard Leave a Comment

RCL Reflection, Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, July 9, 2017
In Jesus we have not only a life saver but also a life Savior, and this makes all the difference in the world. in 1912 the creation of small life saver-shaped candies saved candy maker Clarence Crane’s business by boosting his summer sales when shipping chocolate was impractical, The salvation Jesus freely offers us as our Life Savior is ever so much sweeter and longer lasting! (Photo: Amanda Munoz, Creative Commons)

Hallelujah! Amen!

July 6, 2017 By Sharron R. Blezard Leave a Comment

Narrative Lectionary Reflection for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, Year Three, July 9, 2017
This week we finish our summer Psalm series, and we end on a high note—a note of praise and hallelujah. Imagine how much better our world could be if we always ended on a note of praise with a song of joy and thanksgiving on our lips? What if we trusted God enough to offer our praise and thanksgiving no matter what our situation? (Photo: Derek Bridges, Creative Commons)

Trust, Obey, and Get Going!

June 29, 2017 By Sharron R. Blezard Leave a Comment

RCL Reflection, 4th Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, July 2, 2017
Trust, obedience, and tough texts are on the menu this week. We may squirm and question Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac. We may even prefer to avoid the story altogether, relegating it to the dark corners where we hide the most shameful, confusing, and violent of biblical texts. We may scratch our heads about how to make Paul’s logic accessible and meaningful to those we serve, and before it’s over we may feel like WE need somebody to hand US a cup of cold water. Yes, relinquishing our illusion of control and following Jesus is a countercultural and seemingly risky thing. It is, however, what we are called to do. (Photo: Darwin Bell, Creative Commons)

Sing a Song of Praise

June 29, 2017 By Sharron R. Blezard Leave a Comment

Narrative Lectionary Reflection for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Year Three, July 2, 2017
Psalm 30 is a song of praise to the God who constantly lifts us up and who will never leave us. How should we respond? We may sing off-key and dance awkwardly, but our job is to point to the One who holds it all together, to pour out our offering of praise and thanks, to fall down seven and get up eight by the grace of God. How will you sing of God’s goodness this Sunday? How will you proclaim the promise and hope of resurrection in the face of this world’s lies about death and destruction? What song is stuck in your head? (Photo: Noel Pennington, Creative Commons)

A Steward’s Green Pastures

June 22, 2017 By Sharron R. Blezard Leave a Comment

Narrative Lectionary Reflection for the Third Sunday after Pentecost, Year Three, June 25, 2017
Luther likens the 23rd Psalm’s “green pasture” to the church, and the church’s beloved community to the Good Shepherd’s flock. It is easy to overlook the fact that this short psalm of praise is both communal as well as personal. We are stronger in community, and we have the capacity to be better, too. In community, in concert and in contact with God’s word read and proclaimed, and in the bread and wine of Holy Communion, we experience something precious and life-giving. We are strengthened for the journey, our focus is sharpened, and we are reminded of God’s many good gifts. In our life together we affirm our abundance rather than fear our scarcity. (Photo: Katrina L, Creative Commons)

Losers

June 22, 2017 By Rob Blezard Leave a Comment

3rd Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, June 25, 2017: What’s a preacher supposed to do with these “hard” lessons for this week? If we set the discipleship bar too high, won’t that alienate the folks who want an easy life? Easy is not always the answer. In fact, most things truly worth having require expenditures of time, effort, and energy. Why should we expect the journey of faith to be any different? If Jesus’ life and ministry and the paths of his early followers are our model, most of us are in real trouble! (Photo: Barbara Kruger, Modern Art Oxford Creative Commons)