Visual Resources for the Lectionaries

This post offers visual resources for the Revised Common Lectionary and the Narrative Lectionary for August 6, 2023. The RCL takes us to the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 in Matthew 14:13-21. The NL continues a series on Wisdom literature by looking at Ecclesiastes. It pairs this with Luke 13:1-3 for the Gospel reading.

Jump to Narrative Lectionary resources.

Revised Common Lectionary

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

This image comes from page 10 in A Cartoonist’s Guide to Matthew.

Preview PowerPoint

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

Narrative Lectionary

The NL ends the summer with a series on the Wisdom Literature of the Hebrew Scripture. This week we look at the book of Ecclesiastes.

“Whatever!” This one word phrase has been the motto of the last decade in our popular culture. It’s what a teenager says to her parents when they ask her to clean up her room for the 12th time that day. It’s what the employee says when his employer treats him unfairly in the workplace. It’s what the citizen says when the politician renigs on campaign promises…again. “Whatever!”

What does this statement represent? What are we really saying with this word? Underneath the seemingly cool detachment and slight sarcasm in which this word is uttered lies a deep sense of hopelessness. Over and over we have seen the injustices of the world being perpetrated by people who seem to care nothing about our feelings and who seem to never be called to justice for their flagrant acts of bullying and manipulation. The wicked seem to be flourishing while the people who are working hard and just trying to make it in the world are trampled on or overlooked. The people who claim to be righteous or hold the keys to the mysteries of God turn out to be fakes, charlatans, and worse sinners than the people at whom they are wagging their self-righteous finger. People tell us there is supposed to be meaning in the world, but the world itself shouts out, “meaningless!! There is no order to things. It’s all a big crap shoot and a game of survival of the fittest!” So we respond, “Whatever!” put our heads down, and carry on with our lives that seem pointless and devoid of real joy. Read more…

The NL Gospel Reading is Luke 13:1–3. Jesus addresses the seamingly meaningless death of a group of Galileans.

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