Pilgrimage

Here are the readings for Sunday, February 28 . A word about how the lectionary works: During the seasons of Advent (longing for Jesus' birth), Epiphany (seeing how Jesus is revealed as God's Son, Lord and Savior) Lent (journeying with Jesus to Jerusalem and the cross), Easter (hearing the news of Jesus' raised from the dead) and Pentecost (celebrating the gift of the Holy Spirit) the Old Testament and New Testament readings have some kind of link. Sometimes the New Testament reading refers to the Old Testament reading, sometimes there is a shared theme or another kind of connection. Combined, these seasons of the Church year last about six months. For the rest of the year (usually about June – November), called either "Ordinary Time" or "The Season After Pentecost," there is not necessarily a connection between the Old and New Testament readings. This is because, especially in our Reformed Tradition, the Old Testament stands on its own as the Word of God and it is therefore right that the Old Testament is preached on its own terms, with or without reference to the New Testament. But in this season in Lent I encourage you to look for the connections between Old Testament and New Testament readings.

One of the main themes of Scripture is that of Pilgrimage. In the words of last week's reading from Deuteronomy 26, our ancestors in the faith were "wandering Arameans." Abraham, Isaac and Jacob wandered around the Promised Land, waiting for God to grant the land to their descendants. Moses led Israel on a 40 year journey through the wilderness, and the climax of the Gospels is Jesus' journey to Jerusalem. Of course for Abraham, for Israel in the Wilderness and perhaps for some of us we do not feel like pilgrims with a set destination in mind, but like nomads who wander with no destination in mind or in view. In her book From Nomads to Pilgrims author Diana Butler Bass describes the difference between nomads and pilgrims: nomads are "spiritual tourists" who wander from experience to experience with no connection to other nomads or to any sense of purpose or destination. Pilgrims, on the other hand, connect to one another as they share a common journey towards a transformed life. Bass writes, "Being a tourist means experiencing something new; being a pilgrim means becoming someone new."

Sunday's Gospel reading tells the story of the beginning of Jesus' pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The readings below from Genesis tell the story of Abraham's journey. How do these scenes from his journey help us understand our own? In our readings from Philippians Paul offers some testimony about his spiritual pilgrimage, first as one who is rooted in Abraham's story and then as one who is defined by the story of Jesus Christ. In light of Christ how do we understand our own life differently? How are we nomads/tourists? What does it mean for us to become pilgrims? Please share your thoughts and stories by clicking on "comment" at the end of the post.

Thursday, Feb 25
Genesis 13:1-7, 14-18
Philippians 3:2-12

Friday, Feb 26
Genesis 14:17-24
Philippians 3:17-20

Saturday Feb 27
Psalm 118:26-29
Matthew 23:37-39

Read Psalm 27 each of these three days.