Friends,
I think this is the signal that it is about time for me to get an occasional sub for this feature! I apologize that this is the second late week in a row. Now, on with it...
I am thinking about persistence this week, both in the sense of God's persistence with us and our own persistence in holding on to things that might hold us back.
I'm thinking of the alternative reading from Genesis, and the Gospel lesson from Luke from this week's texts.
What are you thinking about?
I had no idea what I was going to preach on until my wonderful lectionary study group yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI'm doing the Jeremiah and 2 Timothy texts and am going to talk about living in the "in-between times." The beautiful covenant promised in Jeremiah hasn't fully been realized, God's kingdom isn't fully here, so what do we do? We do a lot of what 2 Timothy says.
It's stewardship season and this Sunday is about Inner Growth, is it all just flows together nicely.
Well I guess I'll be first...
ReplyDeleteTHis is week 1 of a three week Stewardship series. Next week is Joel and abundance, then Zaccheus and the cost of sight. THis week it is responding to the plea for justice.
Still trying to really find a stewardship link that preaches -- given that the local particle board plant has filed for bankruptcy protection.
THere are some liturgy pieces up at my place and some early sermon thoughts at the church blog
I'm going with Genesis, I think. Jacob wrestling with God for a blessing... and thinking of the line from "God of Grace and God of Glory" "Save us from weak resignation/to the evils we deplore"
ReplyDeleteI am also doing 2 Tim with a touch of Jeremiah. My title is "What We've Always Known," and focusing on what we've been taught since we were children, the law written on our hearts, those memory verses that seem to pop up when we need them most, stuff like that. That's as far as I've gotten with it so far.
ReplyDeleteAmy, I'll have to think about what you've got there. It's helpful.
We did stewardship last month, and it's time to turn in pledge cards and commitment forms this week. Maybe I can work that in, too.
also, re: Luke, we had a little Bible study on Sunday where there was a great discussion of the widow's persistence in the face of the judge's injustice...people were questioning the verse where "will not God help his chosen ones who cry out to him?" (what if you aren't one of the chosen ones?) I pointed out that this might be in contrast to the judge, who did not favor the woman. but by faith we believe that God does favor us, that we are chosen. so we have even more reason to be persistent for the sake of justice/ (or blessing in the case of Jacob). Or maybe they are the same thing?)
ReplyDeletejust a thought.
I am also going with 2 Timothy and my tentative title is "Don't Use the Bible (Let the Bible Use You)" (or something like that!) because I want to bring up how the Bible gets misused and under-used and -- dare I say it? -- used as a weapon. These weeks of 2 Timothy, I want to encourage the congregation to live more fully as ministers even if (when) we feel tearful and timid, like Timothy. I do want to check out Jeremiah more thoroughly, too.
ReplyDeleteI am enthralled with Timothy. Dunno why. Still working on that.
ReplyDeleteI'm preaching the second in a three week series on John 6 and the presence of Christ in the Eucharist - part of a doctoral project exploring the unity of Word and sacrament. Pray for me :)
ReplyDeleteLol, Pastornines.... You're in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteI'm using the Luke text, but with a different slant. This is Leather and Lace Sunday, a uniquely MCC observance, in which we celebrate the leather folk among us--those who enjoy wearing leather and studs and so on--and those who prefer the lacey end of the clothing spectrum. But of course it's about more than clothes--it's the perspective on the world, the way we see things. So I'll be talking (I think) about the ones considered on the fringe who nonetheless assert their needs and self-hood and are heard by God. I should note that leather folk and drag kings/queens are considered "on the fringe" by many in the LGBT community.
I am going with Luke and plan to preach on prayer with persistence. Often our prayer life is hurtling requests at a silent God, much like the widow's experiance with the judge. My key is to bring in Mother Teresa and the recent news on her faith. She is a clear example of praying persistently to a silent God. My congregation has been interested in her story and I am eager to point out that it may not be as strange, or rare as they think. Also that it in no way takes away from her position as a model of faith - but rather adds to it.
ReplyDeleteGuess what? I get to preach at Evensong AGAIN...Nehemiah 8 9-18 & John 16 1-11. I was hoping that as I'm holed up with a cold i might be given some hint of an inspiration about either passage (surely can't see how to connect them) but so far, no good. Drat and bother.
ReplyDeleteI'm working on Jeremiah this week.
ReplyDeleteJeremiah's working on me, too....
It's going to be Timothy for me... Interesting to think what St Paul meant by "scripture"-- the letter was written long before the NT was put together and the canon closed. AND if Timothy and his community were greek-speakers, they likely knew the OT in the Septuagint, which has some significant differences from the OT we know.
ReplyDeleteBut what I'm probably going to talk about is the differences in how the Eastern Orthodox and the protestants view scripture, and use it. Interesting stuff (to me, at least; I'm afraid I'll put the congregation to sleep!!!)
I won't be preaching (natch), but am preparing to sub in My Favorite Seminarian's Sunday School class, a discussion of the week's Gospel in light of 21-century life.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to have this community to check in with!
Rainbow Pastor - WOW - do I ever learn a lot from the RevGals. Given that your leather folk are on the fringes...is it a tense situation at all?
I'm thinking of a parallel like, if Gene Robinson came to visit my home church...there'd be some discomfort...maybe more than some. Just interested, sorry for the digression!
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