APRIL SCRIPTURE READINGS
April 1, 2012 SUNDAY OF THE PASSION / PALM SUNDAY
The first and second readings and psalm are the same this Sunday every year: Christ emptying himself of divine power and protection, willingly becoming vulnerable to those who struck him and put him to death. With Christ we lament his suffering and all human suffering, but expect God's final vindication. Mark's passion story begins with an unnamed woman anointing his head, perhaps to proclaim him Messiah, and Jesus saying she has anointed him beforehand for burial. Mark's Easter story will begin with women going to anoint Jesus for burial, only to find that he has been raised, God's living Anointed One . Isaiah 50:4-9a, Psalm 31:9-16, Philippians 2:5-11, Mark 14:1—15:47
April 8, 2012 RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD, EASTER DAY
This year may be the one in which John's resurrection account is likely to be chosen over Mark's, perhaps because Mark's gospel ends so abruptly, with astonishment and fear rather than joyful proclamation. Yet Mark may speak to our experience more directly than the other gospels. Corinthians and Acts fill out the story by telling of appearances of the risen Christ. Peter says we "ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead." And so do we, in a foretaste of the mountaintop feast where death will be no more. Acts 10:34-43, Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Mark 16:1-8
April 15, 2012 SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER
The Easter season is a week of weeks, seven Sundays when we play in the mystery of Christ's presence, mostly through the glorious Gospel of John. Today we gather with the disciples on the first Easter, and Jesus breathes the Spirit on us. With Thomas we ask for a sign, and Jesus offers us his wounded self in the broken bread. From frightened individuals we are transformed into a community of open doors, peace, forgiveness, and material sharing such that no one among us is in need. Acts 4:32-35, Psalm 133, 1 John 1:1—2:2, John 20:19-31
April 22, 2012 THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER
The gospel for the third Sunday of Easter is always one in which the risen Christ shares food with the disciples, meals that are the Easter template for the meal we share each Lord's day. In today's gospel, Jesus both shares the disciples' food and shows them the meaning of his suffering, death, and resurrection through the scriptures: the two main elements of our Sunday worship. Acts 3:12-19, Psalm 4, 1 John 3:1-7, Luke 24:36b-48
April 29, 2012 FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
The image of the Good Shepherd shows us how the risen Christ brings us to life. It is the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep, one of mutual knowledge and love, that gives the shepherd authority. The shepherd's willingness to lay down his life for the sheep shows his love. First John illustrates what it means to lay down our lives for one another by the example of sharing our wealth with any sister or brother in need. Acts 4:5-12, Psalm 23, 1 John 3:16-24, John 10:11-18
