Dear Sutton and Savannah,
You a part of something big. You are part of a community that is present, past and future. I hope that isn’t intimidating, but rather freeing. You don’t need to be anyone other than yourself, because this bigger story line needs nothing more, but nothing less, than your unique contribution.
-Dad
Inside Out Lectionary Letters
Year A Proper 27 - (Texts, Art, Hymns)
Readings for Sunday, November 8, 2026
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 / Psalm 78:1-7 / 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 / Matthew 25:1-13
Summary of Matthew 25:1-13
Jesus tells a story about ten bridesmaids waiting for a wedding celebration. Five are wise enough to bring extra oil for their lamps, while five are unprepared for the bridegroom’s delay. All ten become drowsy and fall asleep. But when the bridegroom finally arrives, only those who have prepared are ready to join the celebration. The others discover that the door has closed. Jesus concludes with a simple admonition: be attentive, for we do not know when the decisive moment will arrive.
Scripture as Mirror of the Soul
From an inward perspective, I wonder how often I miss opportunities for the Kingdom of Heaven to become more fully expressed within me. The journey toward wholeness can include discovering and integrating the parts of myself that remain hidden or unrecognized. The conscious and unconscious, the light and shadow, the masculine and feminine—all belong to the larger story of who I am becoming. But such integration rarely happens without preparation.
I am often reluctant to surrender familiar patterns, even dysfunctional ones, because they offer the comfort of predictability. However, transformation requires a shift, a new path or a change of old rhythms that are no longer working. Transformation may include strained relationships, relinquished control, and the unsettling discovery that I am not entirely who I thought I was.
Marriage is a powerful image of integration, of bringing together what has been separate. Dreams, projections, recurring conflicts, and unexpected emotional reactions can become invitations to discover what has remained outside my awareness. Engaging these experiences requires time, curiosity, courage, and compassion. I cannot anticipate every opportunity for growth, but I can cultivate the readiness to recognize and respond when those opportunities arise. The invitation is to live with enough openness and attentiveness that, when the unexpected arrives, I have oil in my lamp. What a loss it would be to miss a wedding banquet to which I had been invited as an honored guest.
Psalm 78:1-7 Scripture as Prayers of the Soul
Oh Lord, creation speaks wisdom again and again. It is a teacher of infinite patience, enduring principles, and glorious mysteries. Likewise, You have given us an inner compass, a longing for truth, a voice that invites us toward growth. Help me listen to the wisdom of creation while remaining attentive to the quiet guidance within.
May history be my guidebook without limiting my vision for the future. Help me learn from the wisdom of those who came before me, from their successes and failures, their faithfulness and their mistakes. May I recognize the patterns I have inherited, embracing those that give life and finding the courage to change those that do not. Let the lessons of the past deepen my understanding without determining who I must become.
And may I remember that the story does not end with me. What I learn, how I live, and the love I extend will become part of the inheritance I leave to those who follow. May I pass along not only the wisdom I have received, but also the freedom to question, discover, and grow beyond it. May I live fully in the present, with gratitude for those who came before me and responsibility toward those yet to come.
Amen.