Narrative Lectionary 638 (NL406): God Calls Samuel - October 12, 2025
Working Preacher's Narrative Lectionary
Release Date: 09/18/2025
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...
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Narrative Lectionary 640 (NL408): Solomon's Temple - October 26, 2025
Working Preacher's Narrative Lectionary
Join Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester on "I Love to Tell the Story" as they explore the narrative lectionary reading for October 26th, focusing on the building of Solomon's Temple from 1 Kings 8:1-13. In this episode, the hosts discuss the transition from King David's reign to his son Solomon, who fulfills David's vision of building a permanent temple for worship. They examine how the temple serves as a central place where God's presence is "intensified" while not confining God to a single location - similar to how we understand the sacraments today. Key topics covered:...
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Narrative Lectionary 639 (NL407): God Calls David - October 19, 2025
Working Preacher's Narrative Lectionary
Join hosts Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Craig Koester as they dive deep into one of the most compelling stories from the Hebrew Bible - the call and anointing of David from 1 Samuel 16:1-13, paired with the powerful verses from Psalm 51 about creating a clean heart. In this episode, we explore: * Why Samuel's mission to anoint David was an act of treason * The dramatic irony of Samuel falling into the same trap he's warned against - judging by appearances * The ancient symbolism of shepherds as kings throughout the Near East * How God's value system clashes with human...
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Narrative Lectionary 638 (NL406): God Calls Samuel - October 12, 2025
Working Preacher's Narrative Lectionary
Welcome to "I Love to Tell the Story," a podcast exploring the Narrative Lectionary! In this episode for October 12th, 2025, hosts Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferducker, and Craig Koester dive into 1 Samuel 3 - the powerful story of God calling the young boy Samuel. Join us as we explore: * The crisis of leadership in ancient Israel at the end of the judges era * Why Samuel didn't initially recognize God's voice calling him * The challenging truth-telling ministry Samuel was called to, including confronting his mentor Eli * How God's persistent calling doesn't depend on our ability but on...
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Narrative Lectionary 637 (NL405): God Provides Manna - October 5, 2025
Working Preacher's Narrative Lectionary
Join hosts Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferdecker, and Karoline Lewis on this episode of "I Love to Tell the Story," a podcast on the narrative lectionary for October 5th, 2025, as they explore the powerful story of manna in Exodus 16. After the Israelites' dramatic exodus from Egypt, they find themselves hungry and complaining in the wilderness, longing for the "flesh pots of Egypt." But God responds to their grumbling with miraculous provision - sending quail for meat and manna, the mysterious "bread from heaven" that would sustain them for 40 years. Our hosts dive deep into this foundational...
info_outlineWelcome to "I Love to Tell the Story," a podcast exploring the Narrative Lectionary! In this episode for October 12th, 2025, hosts Rolf Jacobson, Kathryn Schifferducker, and Craig Koester dive into 1 Samuel 3 - the powerful story of God calling the young boy Samuel.
Join us as we explore:
* The crisis of leadership in ancient Israel at the end of the judges era
* Why Samuel didn't initially recognize God's voice calling him
* The challenging truth-telling ministry Samuel was called to, including confronting his mentor Eli
* How God's persistent calling doesn't depend on our ability but on God's faithfulness
* What it means to be a "trustworthy prophet" who speaks difficult truths
* The ongoing vocation of listening that defines prophetic ministry
* How all Christians are called through baptism to various forms of ministry and witness
This episode tackles the uncomfortable reality that sometimes God calls us to speak truth to power, even when it's difficult or involves confronting corruption. The hosts remind us that everyone - not just pastors - has callings from God in multiple areas of life.
🎧 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/.
Here is Kathryn's commentary from 2014: https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-13/commentary-on-genesis-221-14-5.
Follow along with the commentary on 1 Samuel 3:1-21 written by Amy G. Oden at https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/narrative-lectionary/god-calls-samuel/commentary-on-1-samuel-31-21-4.
Watch this episode on YouTube at https://youtu.be/L3hPq6M_5VY.