Narrative Lectionary 635 (NL403): Jacob's Dream - September 21, 2025
Working Preacher's Narrative Lectionary
Release Date: 08/27/2025
Narrative Lectionary 650 (NL418): A Voice in the Wilderness - December 28, 2025
Working Preacher's Narrative Lectionary
Join hosts Rolf Jacobson and Kathryn Schifferdecker as they welcome Karoline Lewis, Luther Seminary's resident Gospel of John expert, for the first episode in John's gospel year. This timely discussion explores John 1:19-34, perfect for the first Sunday after Christmas and sermon preparation for the Narrative Lectionary. In this episode, the hosts unpack John the Baptist's crucial role as witness rather than baptizer in the Fourth Gospel. Unlike the synoptic gospels, John presents the Baptist not as Elijah or "the prophet," but as one who testifies to Jesus's identity. Caroline Lewis...
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Narrative Lectionary 649 (NL417): Birth of Jesus/Shepherds Visit - December 24-25, 2025
Working Preacher's Narrative Lectionary
Join hosts Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester as they explore the beloved Christmas story from Luke 2 in this special Christmas Eve and Christmas Day episode. While the Narrative Lectionary typically follows the Gospel of John this year, the hosts return to Luke's account because "you got to have the shepherds and the angels at Christmas." This conversation moves beyond sentimentality to reveal the cosmic significance of Christ's birth and its enduring power to speak to experiences of both homecoming and dislocation. TIMECODES: 00:00 Christmas Reflections: Homecoming and...
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Narrative Lectionary 648 (NL416): Word Made Flesh - December 21, 2025
Working Preacher's Narrative Lectionary
Join hosts Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester as they explore John's magnificent prologue for the Fourth Sunday of Advent (December 21st). This episode examines one of Scripture's most eloquent passages - the opening 18 verses of John's Gospel that present a cosmic perspective on the incarnation. The hosts dive deep into the poetic and hymnic qualities of John's prologue, contrasting its cosmic, awe-inspiring message with the traditional nativity narratives. Rather than focusing on shepherds and mangers, this passage presents the Word becoming flesh in ethereal, almost...
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Narrative Lectionary 647 (NL415): Word Accomplishes God's Purpose - December 14, 2025
Working Preacher's Narrative Lectionary
Join Profs. Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester for the Third Sunday of Advent as they explore Isaiah 55:1-13, a climactic prophetic word from the end of Second Isaiah that offers hope at the close of exile. This episode examines the vivid marketplace imagery of God's free invitation—"Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price"—and unpacks how this passage bridges exile and restoration while pointing toward the incarnation in John's Gospel. Key Themes Explored: * The marketplace imagery of Isaiah 55 and its evocative call to spiritual nourishment * God's...
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Narrative Lectionary 646 (NL414): Ezekiel: The Valley of Dry Bones - December 07, 2025
Working Preacher's Narrative Lectionary
When everything feels dead and hope seems lost, can dry bones live again? In this powerful episode for the Second Sunday of Advent, hosts Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester explore Ezekiel's stunning vision of the valley of dry bones—a message of hope for exiles who believed they were completely cut off from God. The conversation unpacks the rich Hebrew word "ruach" (spirit/breath/wind) that runs throughout Ezekiel 37, revealing how God promises to breathe new life into seemingly hopeless situations. Unlike Jeremiah who wrote from Jerusalem to the exiles, Ezekiel...
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Narrative Lectionary 645 (NL413): Daniel - The Fiery Furnace - November 30, 2025
Working Preacher's Narrative Lectionary
Join Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester as they explore Daniel 3:1 [2-7] 8-30 for the First Sunday of Advent (November 30, 2025). This episode kicks off the Advent season, a season of hope and reflection. It offers lessons from the Book of Daniel on exile, hope, martyrdom, and humor/satire as one way to exercise faithfulness in the face of authority. TIMECODES: 00:00 Advent: A Season of Hope and Reflection 02:03 Living in Exile: Lessons from Daniel 06:03 Humor and Satire in Biblical Narratives 10:01 Faithfulness in the Face of Authority 13:01 Advent as a Call to...
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Narrative Lectionary 644 (NL412): Jeremiah's Letter to Exiles - November 23, 2025
Working Preacher's Narrative Lectionary
Join Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester as they explore Jeremiah 29:1, 4-14 for Christ the King Sunday (November 23, 2025). This powerful episode examines Jeremiah's shocking letter to the Babylonian exiles, where God calls His people not to resist, but to settle down, build homes, and seek the welfare of the very city that conquered them. The hosts unpack the jarring nature of Jeremiah's message—marry, have children, pray for Babylon—in contrast to the rage expressed in Psalm 137. They explore how this ancient text speaks to anyone finding themselves in an unexpected...
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Narrative Lectionary 643 (NL411): Isaiah: A Child is Born - November 16, 2025
Working Preacher's Narrative Lectionary
Join Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester as they explore Isaiah 9 in this week's Narrative Lectionary podcast. Moving from the northern prophets to the southern kingdom, the hosts examine Isaiah's vision of hope and justice centered in Jerusalem. This familiar passage—"For unto us a child is born"—is often associated with Advent and Handel's Messiah, but what did it mean in its original context? The conversation unpacks Isaiah's prophecy during a time of Assyrian invasion, the connection to King Hezekiah's reign, and the enduring themes of justice (mishpat) and...
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Narrative Lectionary 642 (NL410): Amos: Justice Rolls Down - November 9, 2025
Working Preacher's Narrative Lectionary
Join Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester as they explore the powerful message of the prophet Amos in this week's episode of I Love to Tell the Story, a podcast on the Narrative Lectionary for November 9th, 2025. The prophet Amos brings one of the most challenging messages in Scripture—calling out the disconnect between religious observance and social justice. Though he was a farmer from the Southern Kingdom, Amos was sent to speak truth to power in the Northern Kingdom around 760-780 BCE. His ministry may have lasted only two years, but his words continue to resonate...
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Narrative Lectionary 641 (NL409): God Speaks to Elijah - November 2, 2025
Working Preacher's Narrative Lectionary
In this episode of "I Love to Tell the Story," hosts Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester explore one of the most dramatic narratives in the Hebrew Bible: Elijah's journey to Mount Horeb and his encounter with God in the "sound of sheer silence" (or "still small voice"). After his dramatic victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, the prophet Elijah flees from Queen Jezebel's threats and travels from the northern territories all the way to Mount Horeb in the south—literally going "off the map." Exhausted and despairing, Elijah asks God to take his life, claiming...
info_outlineWelcome to I Love to Tell the Story, a podcast on the narrative lectionary! In this episode for September 21, 2025, hosts Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Karoline Lewis dive deep into the complex story of Jacob stealing his brother Esau's blessing with the help of his mother Rebecca.
This episode explores the third week of the narrative lectionary cycle, examining one of the most morally complex stories in Genesis.
Our hosts discuss:
* The dysfunctional family dynamics in Genesis and what they reveal about humanity
* Jacob as a "trickster" figure and the consequences of deception
* The theological significance of God meeting Jacob at Bethel when he had nothing but a stone for a pillow
* How this Old Testament story connects to John 1:50-51 and Jesus as the place where heaven and earth meet
* The contrast between trying to "box God in" versus recognizing God's presence in daily life
The conversation reveals how these ancient stories continue to speak truth about both God's character and human nature, showing how God works with and through flawed people throughout salvation history.
🎧 Listen now and equip yourself for your preaching journey! Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with fellow preachers.
đź”— Find more episodes and resources here: https://www.workingpreacher.org/.
Follow along with the commentary on Genesis 27:1-4, 15-23; 28:10-17 written by Justin Michael Reed at https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/narrative-lectionary/jacobs-dream-2/commentary-on-genesis-271-4-15-23-2810-17-4.
Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/HAUbo2F__V0.