Sacred Encounters: March 2020 lectionary preview
January 30, 2020 by Rev. Dr. Neal Presa
These next five Sundays in March, we sojourn into the sacred season of Lent, as the Spirit of the Lord prepares us for the cross of Holy Week, the silence of Holy Saturday, and the victory of Easter. The psalms and the Gospel readings go hand-in-hand as the former sings reflective words that glorify the Lord, and a corresponding Gospel reading that narrate a formative sacred encounter in which God’s mighty hand and outstretched arm of love and restoration are on full display. Enter this Lenten season with prayerful intentionality, both in personal devotions and in community. This is a special time for sacred encounters with the Lord who sojourns with us, who forges in our hearts and in our lives a deepening and broadening wellspring of joy through the trials and troubles of life in the real world.
Click the links below to read that date's lectionary preview.
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| March 1 Psalm 32 and Matthew 4:1-11 |
March 8 Psalm 121 and John 3:1-17 |
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| March 15 Psalm 95 and John 4:5-42 |
March 22 Psalm 23 and John 9:1-41 |
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| March 29 Psalm 130 and John 11:1-45 |
Neal D. Presa is the Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Presbyterian Church Foundation. He is Associate Pastor for Family, Connecting, and Communications Ministries and Coordinator for the Faith & Work Initiative at the Village Community Presbyterian Church (Rancho Santa Fe, CA), Visiting Professor of Practical Theology at the International Theological Seminary (West Covina, CA), Visiting Professor and Scholar at the Union Theological Seminary (Dasmariñas, Cavite, Philippines), Research Fellow of Practical and Missional Theology at the University of the Free State (Bloemfontein, South Africa), and a Fellow of the Center for Pastor Theologians (Oak Park, IL). He previously served as Moderator of the 220th General Assembly (2012) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Ecumenically, he is the Co-Vice Chair of the current Third Round of Bilateral Dialogues between the Episcopal Church and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and for nearly six years led the Caribbean and North American Area Council of both the World Communion of Reformed Churches and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, serving on the executive committees of both organizations. To connect with Neal via LinkedIn, go to: linkedin.com/in/NealPresa
