Proper 13.A.20
Genesis 32:22-32
The Rev. Melanie McCarley
Jacob was a heel. No…really, he was. In truth, that’s what the name Jacob means. The root of the Hebrew name “Jacob” means to “supplant, circumvent, assail and overreach.” It also means “heel.” What’s more, remember that Jacob was born grasping the heel of his brother Esau. Jacob was a heel.
Proper 12.A.20
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
The Rev. Melanie McCarley
Today’s lesson is chock full of parables. Five of them, in fact: The mustard seed, leaven in a loaf, treasure in a field, the pearl of great P andRICE a dragnet of the good and bad.
But look closely, and we can discern a similarity amongst several of these stories as well. Jesus, here, is teaching us one of the most remarkable truths that comes from the Gospel—he’s speaking of the hiddenness of the kingdom of God, and encouraging us to search for this mystery and make it our own.
Proper 11.A.20
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
The Rev. Melanie McCarley
There is something about human nature that prompts us to divide people into groups. Think about it. There are upper, middle and lower class individuals: blue collar and white collar workers, smart and stupid, nobles and serfs, tall and short, skinny and fat. And, of course, how can a clergy person omit the saved and the damned.