This post offers visual resources for the Revised Common Lectionary and the Narrative Lectionary for May 14, 2023. This is the sixth Sunday of Easter (fifth Sunday after Easter).

Jump to Narrative Lectionary resources.

Revised Common Lectionary

Here are quick links to all the texts for this week:

The Apostle Paul passed through the city of Athens on his second journey. The entire story is found in Acts 17:16-33. CLICK HERE to scroll through the images and commentary. You can download these images in a PowerPoint and a pack of .jpeg images for your own preaching, teaching and personal study. Enjoy!

CLICK HERE for an introduction and overview of Acts.

This image comes from page 16 in A Cartoonist’s Guide to John.

This passage happens within the context of the intimate conversation Jesus has with his disciples on the night he is betrayed and arrested. It starts in chapter 13 where Jesus washes the disciples’ feet as a living example of what they are called to do for the world.

We saw in last week’s reading that the key word to missional theology is dwelling. The dwelling place of God is not a physical location, but the dynamic relationship between God, Jesus, and the disciples.

But, how do we do that?

This week’s reading, John 14:11-21, gives us the key to dwelling. It has two parts:

1. It is all about LOVE. Jesus said that if you obey his commandments then you will dwell with God and God will dwell with you. What are Jesus’ commandments? Love one another. That’s it. If we make our whole life mission to be about loving one another, rather than protecting ourselves, then God will be set loose amongst us. This is how we will be able to do even greater things than Jesus did. Imagine a world in which everyone was actually looking out for the good of everyone else. There would be no more war, no more hunger, etc. The dwelling place of God.
2. We need a helper. Here’s the problem. We can’t do it. We cannot simply choose to obey God’s law and love each other with the love of God. Martin Luther called it the Bondage of the Will. We, individually and collectively as a race, are so trapped in our destructive tendencies that we cannot free ourselves. We need someone who can stand beside us. We need someone who will defend us and speak for us against our accusers and declare that we are good and worthy of receiving God’s love and able to give God’s love. This is the Spirit of Truth. read more…

Preview PowerPoint

Feel free to use any or all of these slides and images in your own preaching and teaching.

[slideshare id=257728979&doc=john14-17-230508120400-e10910df&w=800&h=600]

Narrative Lectionary

This week the NL brings us to part 2 of a three-week series on Romans. Last week we heard Paul’s argument that ALL PEOPLE are equally in need of God’s grace and equally included in the faith of God.

Therefore…

Chapter 5 begins his argument for what an inclusive Gospel looks like and what we can truly boast about.

Preview PowerPoint

Feel free to use any or all of these slides and images in your own preaching and teaching.