%1

June 26 Ordinary 13C Luke 9 51 62

When no barbers were open for business in the summer of 2020, I cut my son’s curly hair on the steps of our front porch. The curls bounced and blew away to tangle with bushes or hide in the crevices of tree roots. Then in spring we saw them again, reinterpreted: the birds who made their nests in the trees of our yard had found my son’s locks and used them to cushion their twiggy abodes.

A New Testament that connects the heart languages of First Nations people

The First Nations Version of the New Testament is the brainchild of Terry M. Wild­man (Ojibwe and Yaqui), who served as the lead translator and collaborated with members of over 25 tribes across North America to make it a reality. This English language contextualization of the New Testament is the first of its kind, and it is meant for “English-speaking First Nations People,” “the entire sacred family,” and “all the churches . . .

May 29 Easter 7C Acts 16 16 34 John 17 20 26

Things start and end well for Paul, Silas, and their companions in Philippi. In between, not so much. Our lectionary selection concludes with the conversion of the Philippian jailer, along with his household. Prior to this passage, we witness another household conversion, that of Lydia. After the passage, the Roman authorities who have tortured and imprisoned Paul and Silas apologize and release them. The missionaries’ time in Philippi concludes with a farewell visit to Lydia.