The Roundtable Pulpit

May

2011-05-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

Alas, this will the the last month of the Roundtable Pulpit in Matt's tenure at Bethlehem UMC. The new pastor will begin in July, and we don't know yet if he will continue this practice. But for now, we still have some work to do.

May 3- Luke 24:13-35 (Seeing in Hindsight)

May 10- Acts 2:42-47 (Sharing the Wealth)

May 17- John 14:1-14 (Greater Works than Jesus?)

May 24- Acts 17:22-31 (What’s in a Name?)

May 31- Ephesians 1:15-23; Acts 1:1-11 (Invitation to the Journey)

April

2011-04-04T06:54:00.000-07:00

April 5- Ezekiel 37:1-14; John 11:1-45 (Giving it Up- Life)

April 12- Matthew 21:1-11 (Giving it Up- Popularity)

April 19- Easter- Acts 10:34-43; John 20:1-18 (Giving it Up- Death)

April 26- John 20:19-31 (Doubting Thomas)

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance prep is required, but reading the text beforehand is a good idea so you can get some ideas churning. The lectionary commentary at Journey with Jesus is also good discussion fodder.

If it's your first time with us, we'll buy your first beverage (caffinated or otherwise)!

March

2011-03-08T07:16:00.000-08:00

With the beginning of Lent we'll be starting a new sermon series called "Giving it Up", starting from the idea of giving up things for Lent, we'll be talking each week about things God wants us to give up not just for 40 days, but completely.

March 8- Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7; Matthew 4:1-11(Giving it Up- Calling the Shots)

March 15- Genesis 12:1-4a; John 3:1-17 (Giving it Up- Knowing what’s Next)

March 22- John 4:5-42 (Giving it Up- Superiority)

March 29- Luke 19:37-44 (Giving it Up- Enemies)

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance prep is required, but reading the text beforehand is a good idea so you can get some ideas churning. The lectionary commentary at Journey with Jesus is also good discussion fodder.

If it's your first time with us, we'll buy your first beverage (caffinated or otherwise)!

January

2011-01-11T11:54:00.000-08:00

January 11- Matthew 3:13-17 (Baptism: What Methodists Believe)

January 18- 1 Corinthians 3 (Yours, Mine, Ours, or God’s?)

January 25- Matthew 4:12-23 (Fishing)

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance prep is required, but reading the text beforehand is a good idea so you can get some ideas churning. The lectionary commentary at Journey with Jesus is also good discussion fodder.

If it's your first time with us, we'll buy your first beverage (caffinated or otherwise)!

December

2010-12-07T15:06:00.000-08:00

December 7- Isaiah 35:1-10; Matthew 11:2-11 (Joy: to get me through the tough days)

December 14- Isaiah 7:10-16; Romans 1:1-7 (Love: gotta have it)

December 21- Isaiah 9:2-7; Luke 2:1-20 (Christmas Eve)

December 28- Isaiah 60:1-6; Matthew 2:1-12 (Epiphany)

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance prep is required, but reading the text beforehand is a good idea so you can get some ideas churning. The lectionary commentary at Journey with Jesus is also good discussion fodder.

If it's your first time with us, we'll buy your first beverage (caffinated or otherwise)!

November

2010-11-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

This is the 50th post for this blog! Strange to think we've been doing this so long. Here's what we're up to this month:

November 2- 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 (All Saints’- Passing the Torch)

November 9- Isaiah 65:17-25; Luke 21:5-19 (Going through the Fire)

November 16- Jeremiah 23:1-6; Luke 23:33-43 (Christ Reigns)

November 23- we'll be having our annual Thanksgiving service at Hickory Point UMC at 7pm. Come joins us!

November 30: Isaiah 11:1-10; Matthew 3:1-12 (Peace: strength to hold on)

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance prep is required, but reading the text beforehand is a good idea so you can get some ideas churning. The lectionary commentary at Journey with Jesus is also good discussion fodder.

If it's your first time with us, we'll buy your first beverage (caffinated or otherwise)!

October

2010-10-04T14:07:00.000-07:00

October 5- 2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c; Luke 17:11-19 (Lepers)

October 12- Genesis 32:22-31; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 (Wrestling with the Word of God)

October 19- Luke 18:9-14 (Who is it For?)

October 26- Isaiah 1:10-18; Luke 19:1-10 (Halloween/Reformation; The Living-Dead Church)

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance prep is required, but reading the text beforehand is a good idea so you can get some ideas churning. The lectionary commentary at Journey with Jesus is also good discussion fodder.

If it's your first time with us, we'll buy your first beverage (caffinated or otherwise)!

September

2010-09-05T17:42:00.000-07:00

September 7- Exodus 32:7-14; Luke 13:1-9 (Is God Angry?)

September 14- Amos 8:4-7; Luke 16:1-13 (The Wealth of This World)

September 21- Jeremiah 33:1-3a, 6-15; Luke 16:19-31 (It Won’t Always Be Like This/ Buying in a Seller’s Market)

September 28- Leviticus 19:33-34; Luke 10:25-37; World Communion Sunday, (At the Table with the “Other”)

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance prep is required, but reading the text beforehand is a good idea so you can get some ideas churning. The lectionary commentary at Journey with Jesus is also good discussion fodder.

If it's your first time with us, we'll buy your first beverage (caffinated or otherwise)!

August

2010-08-02T11:30:00.000-07:00

This month we'll be discussing the texts and themes of our capital campaign, "Bethlehem on the Rise".

August 3- Matthew 2:2b-10 (Bethlehem Star Rising)

August 10- Phillippians 4:10-13, Matthew 28:16-20 (Balloons Rising)

August 17- Luke 8:43-56 (Hands Rising)

August 24- Matthew 5:14-16, Genesis 1:3-5 (Sun Rising)

August 31- Luke 24:13-35 (Seeing in Hindsight)

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance prep is required, but reading the text beforehand is a good idea so you can get some ideas churning.

If it's your first time with us, we'll buy your first beverage (caffinated or otherwise)!

July

2010-07-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

We'll be continuing with the Genesis series for a couple weeks, but then we'll be deviating from the plan, since the capital campaign starts in August.

July 13- Genesis 18:1-13 (The Hospitality of Abraham)

July 20- Genesis 22:1-18 (The Near-Sacrifice of Isaac)

July 27- John 6:35-40 (Capital Campaign Begins, "Bread Rising")

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance prep is required, but reading the text beforehand is a good idea so you can get some ideas churning.

If it's your first time with us, we'll buy your first beverage (caffinated or otherwise)!

June

2010-05-31T12:33:00.000-07:00

In June we will begin a summer-long series of sermons on the book of Genesis. As of right now we're planning on this going through June, July, and August, but the progress of the building plans and the capital campaign may interrupt us. So stay tuned to this site.

June 1- Genesis 1:1-2:25 (In the Beginning)

June 8- Genesis 3:1-24 (The “Fall of Humanity”)

June 15- Genesis 4:1-16 (Cain and Abel)

June 22- Genesis 6:11-7:5, 8:6-11 (Noah and the Flood)

June 29- Genesis 12:1-5 (A Nation meant to Bless Others)

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance prep is required, but reading the text beforehand is a good idea so you can get some ideas churning.

If it's your first time with us, we'll buy your first beverage (caffinated or otherwise)!

May

2010-05-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

May 4- Acts 9:1-19 (A Very Different Resurrection Appearance)

May 11- Revelation 1:9-17

May 18- Pentecost/Confirmation; Acts 2

May 25- Matt gone this Sunday, no RTP tonight

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance prep is required, but reading the text beforehand is a good idea so you can get some ideas churning. The lectionary commentary at Journey with Jesus is also really good for stimulating ideas.

If it's your first time with us, we'll buy your first beverage (caffinated or otherwise)!

April

2010-04-13T07:11:00.000-07:00

April 13- Matt won't be preaching this Sunday due to the all church retreat, so we're going to have some fun debating the ol' faith/works tension: Ephesians 2:8-9 and James 2:14-18

April 20- John 21:1-19 (Second Chances)

April 27- Luke 24;13-33 (The Road To Emmaus)

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance prep is required, but reading the text beforehand is a good idea so you can get some ideas churning. The lectionary commentary at Journey with Jesus is also really good for stimulating ideas.

If it's your first time with us, we'll buy your first beverage (caffinated or otherwise)!

The Rest of March

2010-03-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

March 16- Luke 10:25-37; 14:25-27

March 23- Palm Sunday- Luke 19:28-40

March 30- Easter- Isaiah 65:17-25; Luke 24:1-12

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance prep is required, but reading the text beforehand is a good idea so you can get some ideas churning. The lectionary commentary at Journey with Jesus is also really good for stimulating ideas.

If it's your first time with us, we'll buy your first beverage (caffinated or otherwise)!

February

2010-02-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

February 2- John 6:1-15 (Feeding 5,000)

February 9- Exodus 34:29-45; Luke 9:28-43 (Transfiguration)

February 16- we're beginning a new sermon series for Lent, called “Why they Killed Jesus”
Luke 4:14-30 (Fulfilled in your Hearing)

February 23- Mark 12:13-17 (Jesus Challenges the Political System)

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance prep is required, but reading the text beforehand is a good idea so you can get some ideas churning. The lectionary commentary at Journey with Jesus is also really good for stimulating ideas.

If it's your first time with us, we'll buy your first beverage (caffinated or otherwise)!

Dollar for Dollar

2010-01-19T10:04:00.000-08:00

Friends,
In light of the devastation we've seen this week in Haiti, and given that we meet at a place where the coffee can be a bit pricey, I'm making a proposal for at least the next few weeks. For every dollar we spend on Starbucks drinks, let's donate that same amount to relief efforts. I recommend donating to the UMCOR flights going to Port au Prince out of the Methodist Habitat in Eluthra, Bahamas, but there are hundreds of reputable organizations you can give to.

Thanks. We look forward to seeing you tonight, whether you're a regular or a first timer.

Grace and Peace,
Matt...

January

2010-01-04T14:42:00.000-08:00

January 5- Leviticus 19:9-10, 33-34; Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 (Baptism of the Lord)

January 12- 1 Corinthians 12:1-31 (Gifts)

January 19- Luke 4:14-30 (Fulfilled in your Hearing)

January 26- John 2:1-11 (Water into Wine)

If it's your first time joining us, we'll buy your first cup of coffee for you!

As always, everyone is welcome, and no advance prep is required, although we encourage you to read the text(s) beforehand (links provided above) to get some ideas going. The lectionary commentary at Journey with Jesus is also helpful.

December

2009-11-30T15:32:00.000-08:00

December 1- no RTP tonight, as we have a guest preacher this coming Sunday. Come hear her on December 6 at 10am!

December 8- Luke 1:26-38 (Saying 'Yes' to God)

December 15- Isaiah 9:2-7; Luke 2:1-20 (Christmas Eve)

December 22- Luke 2:41-52 (A Very Human Messiah)

December 29- come talk about scripture/theme ideas for 2010!

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance preparation is required, but reading the texts before you come is always a good idea. The lectionary commentary at Journey with Jesus is also a good resource to get some ideas flowing.

If it's your first time with us, your first beverage is on us!

November

2009-11-03T08:07:00.000-08:00

November 3- Matthew 6:25-33 (Thanksgiving)

November 10- Hebrews 10:11-25 (It Really is Finished)

November 17- John 18:33-37 (Reign of Christ)

November 24- No RTP tonight. Come join us for the Thanksgiving service at Hickory Point UMC at 7 pm

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance prep is necessary, although spending some time with the text beforehand is advisable. The lectionary commentary at Journey with Jesus is also some good food for thought.

If it's your first time, your first drink is on us!

October

2009-10-06T08:19:00.001-07:00

In the first two weeks of the month we'll be concluding our series on the biblical narrative, "Living the Story", and then going back to weekly lectionary texts for a while.

October 6: Living the Story Episode 8- Church: It’s Your Turn Now (Acts 15:1-21)

October 13- Living the Story Episode 9- The Last Word, and the Word After That (Revelation 22:1-21)

October 20- Ruth 1:1-18 (Sticking with You No Matter What)

October 27- (All Saints Sunday) John 11:32-44 (Living on Through Us)

Journey with Jesus is a great place to find some insights on the lectionary texts.

As always, everyone is welcome and no advance prep is required, although you may want to read the text before hand. If it's your first time, we'll buy you a drink!

September

2009-08-31T11:00:00.000-07:00

This month we'll be discussing texts that are representative of the major episodes in the biblical narrative, a series we're calling "Living the Story". As you read the texts for each week, take some extra time and look at the material around them so we can talk about the whole episode.

September 1- Living the Story Episode 3: Strangers in a Strange Land (Exodus 2:11-25)

September 8- Episode 4: Settling Down... for Now (Joshua 1:1-9)

September 15- Episode 5: Exile and Longing (2 Kings 25:1-7 and Lamentations 1:1-22)

September 22- Episode 6: Coming Back Home (Jeremiah 32:8-13; Nehemiah 2:11-18)

September 29- Episode 7: A New Beginning (Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Mark 1:1-8)

Remember that we're now meeting at St. Mary's Catholic School on Madison Street for worship on Sundays. This will be our long term location until we rebuild the church building.

Regrouping

2009-07-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

As pretty much everyone knows by now, it's been a crazy week for Bethlehem UMC. Our church building was destroyed by fire and we are now worshipping in a new location (info available on Matt's personal blog). All church programs are proceeding as normal, and that includes RTP. With that in mind, here's what we'll be discussing over the next few weeks.

July 28-2 Samuel 11:1-12:13 (The Downside of Power)

August 4- Ephesians 4:25-5:2 (In Our Anger)

August 11- Bishop Wills will be preaching this week, so we'll figure out what to talk about soon!

August 18- Living the Story pt. 1- Creation and Crisis (Genesis 3:1-12, 21-24)

August 25- Living the Story pt. 2- One Family for the Whole Family of God (Genesis 18:1-14)

July

2009-07-07T10:29:00.000-07:00

July 7- there will be a guest preacher this coming Sunday, so come talk about the kinds of things (scriptures, topics, etc.) you'd like to wrestle with in the coming months

July 14- Matt in Costa Rica, no RTP

July 21- 2 Samuel 11:1-12:13 (The Downside of Power)

July 28- TBA

June

2009-06-02T08:37:00.000-07:00

June 2- Isaiah 6:1-8, John 1:1-18 (Imaging God)

June 9- Acts 8:26-40 (Accepting the Unacceptable)

June 16- 1 Samuel 17:32-49 (Wearing your own armor)

June 23- 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 (Sharing the wealth)

May

2009-04-24T07:08:00.000-07:00

May 5- John 15:9-17 (The One Commandment)

May 12- 2 Corinthians 12:1-13 (A Thorn in the Flesh)

May 19- Luke 22:44-53 (Ascension)

May 26- Ezekiel 37:1-14; Acts 2:1-21 (Pentecost)

As always, everyone is welcome. If it's your first time, we'll buy your first cup of coffee.

No advance prep is required, although it's a good idea to read the text beforehand. If you're so inclined, the lectionary commentary at Journey With Jesus provides very good food for thought.

April 21

2009-04-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

On April 21 we won't be discussing a specific biblical text, but we will be meeting. We will be discussing the topics of Sin and Salvation, so as food for thought we'll be reading a couple of articles.

An article on Penal Substiutionary Atonement, which is probably the dominant atonement theory in modern Protestant Christianity

A couple of blog posts by Tony Jones, who offers a critique and clear alternative to the Penal Substitutionary theory, on Why Jesus Died and Why Jesus Rose.

We'll use these articles as a jumping off point for our discussion. If you can read these articles a few days beforehand, post some thoughts and questions on the blog.

While you're at it, check out the new Truth As Best I Know It Podcast. There are two episodes up, with a new one each week. You can also find the podcast on iTunes.

As always, everyone is welcome on Tuesday nights. If it's your first time, we'll buy your coffee. See you then!

April

2009-04-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

April 7- Acts 10:34-43; John 20:1-18 (Easter, God Shows No Partiality)

April 14- 1 John 1:1-2:2 (Wiping the Slate Clean)

April 21- no RTP, as Matt will not be preaching the following Sunday (Dr. Doug Meeks will be, though, so be sure to come!)

May 28- Acts 3:1-26 (A Power That Is Not Our Own)

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance prep is required, but you're encouraged to read the passages beforehand. Also, the lectionary commentaries at Journey with Jesus are very helpful for generating ideas and questions.

March

2009-03-03T08:50:00.000-08:00

During Lent we're doing something a little different with the sermons, hence something a little different with RTP. The series is called "How I Saw It", and each Sunday we'll be hearing from a person who actually encountered Jesus. To help the actor playing that person, we'll be reading from a text where they encountered Jesus and trying to imagine what it must have been like for them.

Normally the scripture passage is the main topic, with the general theme in the background. This month the character in question will be our main topic, and the text will inform our thinking.

As always, everyone is welcome. If it's your first time at RTP, we'll buy your coffee for you!

March 3- How I Saw It: Centurion Mark 15:16-41

March 10- How I Saw It: The Rich Young Man Matthew 19:16-30

March 17- How I Saw It: Mary the mother of Jesus John 19:23-27

March 24- How I Saw It: Pontius Pilate John 18:28-19:16

March 31- How I Saw It: Barabbas Mark 15:1-15

February

2009-02-02T20:19:00.000-08:00

Here are the texts and themes we'll be discussing this month:

February 3- Isaiah 40:21-31 (Being drawn to God)

February 10- 2 Kings 5:1-14 (Loving everyone, even your enemies)

February 17- Mark 9:2-9 (Transfiguration)

February 24- John 21:1-15 (How I Saw It: Peter)

During Lent (March 1-April 5) we'll be doing a series of sermons called "How I Saw It", where certain people will be doing monologues portraying individuals who encountered Jesus during his final week. These performances will be based on the scripture texts and informed by our discussion.

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance prep is required, but reading the text ahead of time is always a good idea. You can also check out Journey with Jesus for commentary on the lectionary passages as general food for thought.

Also, please remember that the blog accepts comments. If you can't make it on a particular Tuesday, or if you have an idea after we are done (as often happens to Matt), you can leave a comment here and it will be read and considered in writing the sermon.

Weather Caution

2009-01-27T10:59:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. As of right now (1 pm), we are still having RTP tonight. However, please be mindful of the weather forecast. Freezing rain is pretty much guaranteed through the next 24 hours, and it's very likely that the roads could be bad before and after our meeting. If you don't feel comfortable driving in this weather PLEASE don't do it. Post your reflections on the blog and join us next time when the roads are clear.

I pray traveling mercies on you and everyone else on the roads today.

January

2009-01-05T10:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

This month will be a little unusual, as Matt and Jessica are on baby-watch, so any of these weeks we may have a substitute discussion facilitator. Regardless of when Baby Kate arrives, however, there will be RTP each week.

January 6- Mark 1:4-11 (Jesus' Baptism)

January 13- 1 Samuel 3:1-20 (Listening for God)

January 20- Matthew 4:18-20 (Being called)

January 27- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 (Idolatry)

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance preparation is required, although it's never a bad idea. If you are so inclined, check out the lectionary commentary at Journey with Jesus for some possible topics of discussion.

December

2008-12-02T16:49:00.001-08:00

Here are the passages and themes we'll be discussing this month:

December 2- Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Luke 4:14-30 (“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me”)

December 9- Luke 1:26-38 (Mary and Joseph’s emotional journey)

December 16- Isaiah 9:2-7; Luke 2:1-20 (Christmas Eve)

December 23- Galatians 4:4-7 (Under the law?)

December 30- John 1:1-18 (Jesus: The Word of God)

As always, everyone is welcome. No advance prep is required, although you're welcome to read the texts before you come. Also, you can check out the lectionary commentaries at Journey with Jesus for some food for thought.

November

2008-11-10T17:09:00.001-08:00

November 4- no RTP tonight. Go vote!!!

November 11- Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18; 1 Thesselonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30 (Is God Angry?)

November 18- Matthew 25:31-46 (Reign of Christ)

November 25- no RTP tonight. Come to the Thanksgiving service at Hickory Point.

As always, everyone is welcome and no advance prep is required. However, it wouldn't be a bad idea to take a few minutes and read the passages before you come. You could also check out the lectionary commentaries at Journey with Jesus.

October

2008-10-06T15:29:00.000-07:00

October 7- No RTP tonight (of course, you're welcome to gather at the normal time, but if you gossip about Matt behind his back, he WILL find out)

October 14- Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21: 23-32 (The Will of God)

October 21- Matthew 22:34-36 (The Greatest Commandment)

October 28- Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 (Choosing to serve the Lord)

As always, everyone is welcome. Reading the passages in advance is a good idea, but not required. You might also want to check out the weekly lectionary commentary at Journey with Jesus.

September

2008-09-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

We're finally done with Exodus, so we're back to individual sermons each week. The passages are linked below so you can read them beforehand.

As always, everyone is welcome.

September 2- Matthew 18:15-20 (Matt will be gone this Sunday, but we'll discuss the lectionary gospel passage anyway)

September 9: Matthew 14:22-33 (Walking on water)

September 16: Matthew 9:18-26 (Jesus amongst the crowd)

September 23: Isaiah 6:1-8 (Being "clean")

September 30: Matthew 21:33-46 (The Kingdom of God vs. the Kingdom of Man)

August

2008-08-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

This will be the last month of our series of sermons on Exodus. In September we will more or less start following the lectionary again, but if there are passages or topics you would like for us to discuss in the coming months, feel free to bring them up. RTP is a collaborative effort, and everyone's input is extremely valuable.

As always, everyone is welcome, even if you just want to come and listen.

August 5: Exodus 20:8-11 (Ten Commandments Part 2- Do No Work)

August 12: Exodus 20:12-17 (Ten Commandments Part 3- Neighbors)

August 19: Exodus 32:1-14 (Falling Away and Coming Back)

August 26: Exodus 40:34-38 (God’s Glory)

July

2008-06-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

July 1: Exodus 15:22 -17:7 (God’s provision in the desert)

July 8: no RTP this week, as Matt will be on the mission trip with the youth. Everyone is certainly welcome to gather on the porch at the usual time, but there will be no forma discussion. Gossiping about Matt, however, is strictly prohibited (I will find out...)

July 15: Exodus 17:8-16 (Holding each other up)

July 21: Exodus 19 (Cleansing ourselves)

July 29: Exodus 20:1-7 (Ten Commandments Part 1- No Other Gods)

June

2008-05-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

We've begun our summer long series on Exodus. As such, we're deviating from the lectionary, but you should still read Journey with Jesus. It's just a generally good site. I'm still looking for good online commentaries on Exodus, and I'll post links when I find any. If you happen to find any, please share them so we have more material to discuss. As always, everyone is welcome. This might be the perfect time to try RTP if you've never been!

June 3: Exodus 2 (Moses the unlikely leader)

June 10: Exodus 3-4 (Moses’ calling)

June 17: Exodus 5-11 (The plagues)

June 24: Exodus 12-15:21 (Passover and Deliverance)

(In the weeks when we're covering a bunch of chapters we won't read every single verse, of course, but you should at least skim over all the material so you can catch the overarching narrative.)

2008-05-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

Regular RTP participants will recognize their own contributions to an article I wrote for Cokesbury's "Worship Connection" site. You can check out the article here.

If you can't access the link, paste the following into your browser:

http://www.worshipconnection.cokesbury.com/content.aspx?dyn=1604

Also, don't forget about our summer long series on Exodus. Take a little time to read the whole book so we can talk about each of the parts in the context of the whole narrative.

May

2008-05-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

Here are the texts and themes we'll be discussing in May. As always, no advance prep is required, but reading the passage and the stuff that comes before and after, as well as looking at commentary sites like Journey With Jesus are always helpful. And, as always, everyone is welcome.

May 6- Acts 2:1-21 (Pentecost/Confirmation)

May 13- Matthew 28:16-20 (The Great Commission)

May 20- 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 (Stewards of God's Mysteries)

May 27- Exodus 1 (Beginning a Summer-long series on Exodus)

April

2008-03-31T15:43:00.000-07:00

April 1: Luke 24:13-35 (The Road to Emmaus)

April 8: Matt will be out of town the following Sunday, so tonight will be free form. No texts to read and discuss, so it will be an open forum for any questions or issues you want to talk about. The only requirement, of course, is that you be respectful of those with whom you may disagree on a particular topic.

April 15: 1 Peter 2:2-10 (taxes in the Bible. Just kidding! But do make sure you've sent you tax returns before you come tonight. The actual topic is "citizens of a new nation")

April 22: John 14:15-21 (Christ's continuing presence)

April 29: Acts 1:1-11 (The Ascension)

As always, no advance prep is required, although it helps if you read the text beforehand and bring a Bible. Check out Journey with Jesus for additional commentary on the passages.

March Update

2008-02-28T15:53:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone. After last week's RTP at Matt and Jessica's house, we're back at Starbucks every Tuesday night (until the corporate office decides to close for another training event, that is). Here are the texts and themes we'll be discussing in March.

March 4- Matthew 26:36-46 (Jesus’ Temptations V: The Temptation to be Normal)

March 11- Luke 19:28-40 (Palm Sunday)

March 18- Matthew 28:1-10 (Easter)

March 25- John 20:19-31 (Faith and Doubt)

As always, no advance reading is required, but it doesn't hurt to look over the text beforehand. You might also want to check out the lectionary commentary at Journey with Jesus for some ideas. And, as always, everyone is welcome!

Tuesday, February 26

2008-02-20T16:18:00.000-08:00

Due to a corporate training event, the Starbucks on Madison Street will be closed during our normal meeting time on February 26. So this week we'll meet at Matt and Jessica's house, 1787 Theresa Dr. (click here for directions from the church) at the regular time, 8pm. We'll have coffee and some goodies. As always, everyone is welcome!

February Update

2008-02-04T17:30:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. Here are the texts we'll be discussing for February. As always, everyone is welcome. No advance preparation is required, but it would help if you read the text beforehand (linked below). Also, check out the lectionary commentary at Journey with Jesus for some thoughts as well.

February 5- Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7; Matthew 4:1-11 (Jesus' Temptations Part 1- The Temptation of the Quick Fix)

February 12- Genesis 12:1-4a; Matthew 4:1-11 (Jesus' Temptations Part 2- The Temptation of Prosperity)

February 19- Exodus 17:1-7; Matthew 4:1-11 (Jesus' Temptations Part 3- The Temptation of Idolatry)

February 26- 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Matthew 21:12-17 (Jesus' Temptations Part 4- The Temptation to Abandon the Religious System)

January Update

2008-01-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

It's a New Year, which means new texts (well, they're thousands of years old, but you get the idea) and new issues to discuss. If you've never been to the Roundtable Pulpit before, make a New Years Resolution to come and try it out.

As always, the passages listed below will be preached on the following Sunday, and the themes listed are merely meant to kickstart our conversation, not to limit it in any way. You also might want to check out Journey with Jesus for commentary on the lectionary passages.

January 8: Matthew 3:13-17 (Jesus' Baptism)

January 15: John 1:29-42 (Come and See)

January 22: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 (Unity in Christ)

January 29: Isaiah 58:-1-2; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 (Fasting and other disciplines for Lent)

December update

2007-11-25T13:20:00.000-08:00

Here are the texts we'll be discussing for the month of December. They are listed on the Tuesday we'll be discussing them. They'll be preaching on the following Sunday. As always, everyone is welcome!

November 27: Luke 1:26-38 (Mary's perspective)

December 4: Matthew 3:1-12 ("A voice crying out in the wilderness")

December 11: Matthew 11:2-11 ("Are you the one we've been waiting for?")

December 18: Matthew 2:13-23 (Divine refugees)

We won't meet on December 25 or January 1 because of the holidays. We'll start again on January 8. Have a blessed Christmas!

Pre-Thanksgiving update

2007-11-12T14:39:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. In addition to Isaiah 65:17-25, let's also read the gospel text, Luke 21:5-19, and talk about the theme of hope for the future.

We won't have Roundtable Pulpit on November 20 because we're having our joint Thanksgiving service with Hickory Point UMC. It's at Hickory Point (click here for directions) at 7pm, and we'll be eating with their congregation afterward.

Regular Roundtable Pulpit meetings will resume in December.

November update

2007-10-30T08:50:00.000-07:00

October 30: Ephesians 1:11-23 (Our Inheritance)

November 6: Job 19:23-27a (Dying to Tell Our Stories)

November 13: Isaiah 65:17-25 (Hope for the future)

November 20: Jeremiah 23:1-6 (The Reign of Christ)

All of these passages are from the lectionary, so you can check out the weekly commentary at Journey With Jesus for possible issues to discuss.

As always, everyone is welcome. No Bible knowledge or church experience is necessary.

October Update

2007-10-02T05:48:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. Here are the texts we'll be discussing for October. The general themes are listed as well, but please feel free to raise any questions and reflections you have from reading the texts. Please also check out Journey With Jesus for commentary on the lectionary texts. As always, everyone is welcome any time!

October 2- Lamentations 1:1-6 (Finding God in a Hurting World) This will also be World Communion Sunday, so we'll be looking at this text in a global perspective.

October 9- no Rountable Pulpit this week. Matt is out of town and the following Sunday will be Laity Sunday.

October 16- Hebrews 12:1-3 (Cloud of Witnesses)

October 23- Luke 19:1-10 (Something Bigger Than Ourselves)

Reccomendation

2007-09-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. I came across a great commentary on the lectionary passages we'll be discussing each week. I reccomend that in addition to reading the passages before you come, you check out Journey with Jesus (www.journeywithjesus.net) for a brief commentary on some of the issues that the text raises. No advance reading is required to attend, of course, but taking a few minutes to do so might help kickstart some interesting discussion.

As always, everyone is welcome at any time!

Grace and Peace,
Matt...

August 21 update

2007-08-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

Hello again. What a great time we've been having every Tuesday! God is working in some pretty incredible ways through our collaboration. Here are the texts we'll be discussing in September. As always, we'll meet at the Starbucks on Madison Street. And, of course, everyone is welcome. You don't need to know anything about the Bible- just read the text for the week and come with any questions and reflections, or just come to listen to what others have to say. There are no wrong answers or dumb questions- we're all learning together.

The dates listed below are when we will be discussing the texts. The sermons based on them will be preached the following Sundays.

August 28- Luke 22:14-23 (The Mystery of Holy Communion)

September 4- Jeremiah 18:1-11; Luke 14:25-33 (The Cost of Discipleship)

September 11- Luke 15:1-10 (Leaving the 99 for the 1)

September 18- Luke 16:1-13 (Strange and mysterious ways of the Kingdom of God)

September 25- Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15 (Buying in a seller's market)

July 19 update

2007-07-19T16:23:00.000-07:00

After our one week hiatus we will begin meeting again on June 24. As always, we will meet at the Starbucks on the corner of Madison street and Hwy. 76 ("The Connector"). You might want to come a little early so the friendly baristas can get your drink fixed and we can start on time.

From now through the month of August we will be studying the New Testament book of Acts and talking about what we can learn from the first generation of Christians' successes and struggles, and how we might apply those lessons to the church in the twenty-first century.

Here is the schedule of passages we'll be discussing. They will be preached on the Sundays following our Tuesday discussion.

July 24- Acts 4:32-5:11. (The Church as the Economy of God)

July 31: Acts 9:1-19. (Converted from what to what?)

August 7: Acts 10:9-33 (Clean and unclean)

August 14: Acts 17:16-34 ("To and unknown God")

August 21: Acts 28:17-30 (Trouble ahead, trouble behind)

As always, please feel free to leave comments on any of these passages on this blog. Anyone and everyone is welcome!

July 5 Update

2007-07-05T07:10:00.000-07:00

July 10- we'll be discussing Acts 3:1-10, which begins a six week series of sermons on the Book of Acts and what the 21st century church can learn from the early church. We can't just copy them because we don't live in the first century Roman Empire, but we can learn something from their successes, failures, and many conflicts that can help us discern what kind of church God wants us to be in the 21st century.

There will be no Roundtable Pulpit on July 17, as Matt will be out of town. We'll resume on the 25th and keep discussing the book of Acts.

June 23 update

2007-06-23T17:20:00.000-07:00

Well, we had our first session of the Roundtable Pulpit this past Tuesday, and it was great! Thanks to all the folks who showed up.

This gathering changes week to week, so please don't feel obligated to make it all the time. You can come as much or as little as you'd like. Your contributions are always welcome either in person (Tuesday nights or whenever) or here on this blog. The more conversation and interaction we have over these texts, the more the sermons reflect the whole community, and not just Matt's viewpoint.

Here's the schedule of texts for the next few weeks: (as always, click on the citation to bring up the text itself)

July 1: Galatians 5:1, 13-25. Since it's Fourth of July week, we'll be talking about the theme of freedom in the Bible and what it means in relation (in tensions and harmonies) to the idea of freedom as an American.

July 8: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20. We'll be discussing the theme of how Jesus calls the church to act with his authority.

July 15: Matt will be gone this week, so Greg Dahl will be reporting to the congregation on what happened at Annual Conference. Come to the Roundtable Pulpit on Tuesday, though because we'll be discussing...

Beginning July 22 and continuing through the month of August, Matt will be preaching through the Book of Acts, which is the Bible's record of the activities of the early church. Check back soon for a list of specific passages we'll be discussing each week.

Welcome!

2007-06-06T13:16:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Roundtable Pulpit of Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Clarksville, TN. Here's now this works: we meet every Tuesday evening at 8pm at the Starbucks on the corner of Madison Street and Hwy. 76 in Clarksville. We'll discuss the scriptural text that Matt will preach on this coming Sunday, giving you the chance to have some input into the sermon. We do this so that many different voices will be present in the proclamation at worship on Sunday morning.

Our first meeting will be on June, 19. The text we'll be discussing is Isaiah 43:18-25. (Click on the citation to view the text) If you can't make it on Tuesday evenings, feel free to leave your comments on this blog.