Upcoming Studies

January 2013 - December 2013

All texts drawn from the Revised Common Lectionary.

2013

January 6-February 10: Theme – God’s Desire and Israel’s Glory

(Epiphany through Transfiguration Sunday will follow OT)

Jan. 6 – Isaiah 60:1-6 (Epiphany) – “Rise and Shine!”
    A coming day of glory for Israel.

Jan. 13 – Isaiah 43:1-7 – “You Are Mine!”
    A coming day of deliverance for Israel.

Jan. 20 – Isaiah 62:1-5 – “A Cherished Bride”
    As God’s bride, Israel gets a new name.

Jan. 27 – Nehemiah 8:1-10 – “Law School”
    Ezra teaches the first mass Bible study class.

Feb. 3 – Jeremiah 1:4-10 – “Inside and Out”
    God calls Jeremiah, explaining that he has no choice.

Feb. 10 – Exodus 34:29-35 – “A Face Full of Glory”
    God speaks – and shines – through Moses.

February 17-March 31: Theme -- Lent on the Loose

(Lent through Easter Sunday will follow the gospel readings)

Feb. 17 – Luke 4:1-13 – “Don’t Tempt Me!”
    Jesus’s ministry begins with a test: three of them, over 40 days.

Feb. 24 – Luke 13:31-35 – “A Fox in the Henhouse”
    Jesus, like a mother hen, weeps over Jerusalem.

March 3 – Luke 13:1-9 – “The Year of No Fig Preserves”
    Jesus refuses to explain tragedy, but calls for repentance.

March 10 – Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 – “Prodigals, All of You”
    Who’s the biggest prodigal?

March 17 – John 12:1-8 – “Better Than a Pedicure”
    Mary anoints Jesus’ feet at Bethany – how do we show love to Jesus?

March 24 – Luke 19:28-40 – “A Day for Shouting”
    Jesus’ “triumphal entry” to Jerusalem is a day ordained for praise

March 31 – John 20:1-18 – “The Power of Persistence”
    Mary stayed at the tomb when all others had left – and met Jesus.

April 7-May 12: Theme -- The Apocralypse?

(The Sunday after Easter until Pentecost will follow NT readings from the Book of Revelation)

April 7 – Rev. 1:4-8 – “Look Who’s Coming!”
    John insists that Jesus will come again

April 14 – Rev. 5:1-14 – “Songs of Angels”
    John’s idea of heaven’s throne room.

Aprl 21 – Rev. 7:9-17 – “Visions of Terror”
    Plagues following the fifth and sixth trumpets – awful to contemplate.

April 28 – Rev. 21:1-6 – “No More Tears”
    A new heaven and new earth, where death and grief are no more.

May 5 – Rev. 21:10, 22-22:5 – “Better Than You Can Imagine”
    John’s description of heaven as a place beyond earthly beauty and majesty.

May 12 – Rev. 22:12-21 – “I Am Coming Soon!”
    John promised that Jesus was coming soon – 1900 years ago.

May 19 – (Pentecost) Psalm 104:24-35 (lectionary 24-34, 35b) – “Life in the Spirit”
    The psalmist attributes all life to the Sprit of God

May 26 – (Trinity Sunday) Romans 5:1-5 – “Love Three Ways”
    Paul writes of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

June 2-30: Theme – Elijah: Prophets Gone Wild

    (The second through seventh Sundays after Pentecost will come from 1 Kings)

June 2 – 1 Kings 18:20-21 (22-29), 30-39 – “Baal, Bulls, and Blazes”
    Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to a duel of the Gods.

June 9 – 1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24) – “Giving and Getting”
    Elijah challenges a poor widow’s faith – and then calls God on the carpet.

June 16 – 1 Kings 21:1-10 (11-14), 15-21a – “How Low Can You Go?”
    Elijah confronts Ahab and Jezebel, who had stolen Naboth’s vineyard.

June 23 – 1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7), 8-15a – “The Sound of Silence”
    God speaks to Elijah – very quietly.

June 30 – 1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21 – “If the Mantle Fits …”
    Elijah commissions Elisha to follow him … sort of.

July 7 – Psalm 30 – “Mourning Into Dancing”
    A hymn of ups and downs – or downs and ups.

July 14-August 4: Theme – Colossians: Reviewing the Basics

(Sundays 8-11 after Pentecost are from the Epistle readings)

July 14 – Colossians 1:1-14 – “Triple Strength”
    Paul prays for the Colossians, who understand faith, love, and hope – and asks that they may be “strong with the strength of … power”

July 21 – Colossians 1:15-28 – “The Hope of Glory”
    Christ, the reconciler, is the head of the church and the hope of glory.

July 28 – Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19) – “Stuck on Jesus”
    Paul urges the Colossians to remain firmly fixed on Jesus, in whom they are rooted, built up, and established.

August 4 – Colossians 3:1-11 – “The Be All and End All”
    Paul’s call to put the past behind and focus on Jesus, in whom all are one.

August 11-September 1 – What God Really Wants

(Sundays 12-15 after Pentecost will focus on OT calls for justice)

August 11 – Isaiah 1:1, 10-20 – “How to Make God Happy”
    What God really wants is justice – and those who do justice are blessed.

August 18 – Isaiah 5:1-7 – “How to Make God Mad”
    Stinking fruit does not a happy vineyard owner make.

August 25 – Isaiah 58:9b-14 – “Justice’s Reward”
    Isaiah insists that showing justice is good for all, including the just.

September 1 – Jeremiah 2:4-13 – “Dumb and Dumber”
    Turning from God’s way and exchanging living water for a cracked and empty cistern is not a smart move.

September 8-October 27: Theme – Gospel Stories

(The 16th-23rd Sundays after Pentecost will focus on gospel lessons about daily living)

September 8 – Luke 14:25-33 – “Counting the Cost”
    Do we really want to be disciples?

September 15 – Luke 15:1-10 – “Counting Sheep”
    People who love look out for the lost.

September 22 – Luke 16:1-13 – “Counting Coins”
    Jesus applauds a crook and teaches a lesson.

September 29 – Luke 16:19-31 – “Counting Options”
    The story of the rich man and Lazarus suggests we should think ahead.

October 6 – Luke 17:5-10 – “Feeling Small”
    Mustard seed faith and worthless servants can accomplish great things.

October 13 – Luke 17:11-19 – “One Came Back”
    The healing of the 10 lepers leads to a lesson on gratitude and service.

October 20 – Luke 18:1-8 – “Persistent Prayer”
    The story of the persistent widow leads us to wonder if prayer really works this way … does God give in to our wheedling?

October 27 – Luke 18:9-14 – “Humble Prayer”
    The pushy prayer of the widow is countered by a story of self-righteous versus humble approaches to God.

November 1-24: Theme – Latter Prophets, Future Dreams

(Sundays 24-27 after Pentecost consider Israel’s last prophets and their future hopes)

November 3 – Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4 – “When Things Look Bad …”
    Habakkuk saw trouble on every hand, but held on to hope.

November 10 – Haggai 1:15b-29 – “I Will Fill This House With Splendor”
    Haggai looked at a ruined temple and saw visions of grandeur.

November 17 – Malachi 4:1-2a (use 1-6) – “With Healing on His Wings”
    Malachi saw a sick nation – and a new day of healing and life.

November 24 – Jeremiah 23:1-6 – “A Righteous Branch”
    Jeremiah lived in a troubling time but hoped for a new and just leader.

December 1-29: Theme – Advent Hopes, Old and New

(For Advent, we consider how an old prophet’s visions heralded a far-off hope.)

December 1 – Isaiah 2:1-5 – “You Don’t Need that Spear”
    Isaiah’s hopeful vision of a day when weapons will become tools of peace.

December 8 – Isaiah 11:1-10 – “Odd Bedfellows”
    Isaiah’s peaceful vision of peace between natural enemies, even lions and lambs.

December 15 – Isaiah 35:1-10 – “From Highway to Holy Way”
    Isaiah’s joyful vision of a happy return to God’s holy city.

December 22 – Isaiah 7:10-16 – “With Us – God!”
    A vision that even Isaiah didn’t understand.

December 29 – Matthew 2:13-23 – “A Strange Beginning to a Happy Ending”
    The joyful news of Jesus’ birth gives way to a bloody slaughter of innocent children: what’s that about?


[Note: For the year, 26 OT texts, 26 NT texts]

Scope & sequence developed by Tony Cartledge for the Nurturing Faith curriculum. FaithElement is sharing this scope & sequence as part of our partnership with Nurturing Faith.