Those of us on this side of the pond celebrate July 4th as Independence Day. Many people will be picnicking and partying. I was planning on a low attendance/informal worship kind of day, but heard recently that some out of towners are planning a meet up that day at church! So, now I am thinking there may be more here than I planned.
Which leads me to today's scriptures. In community life, you just dont know what might happen or how people might act. But it's wise to be prepared for any eventuality, according to both the Gospel and the Epistle (particularly if you choose to add the optional first part of Galatians, as I certainly would!)
How might these scriptures speak to your congregation, community, or nation this Sunday? How do they speak to you? Let us know in the comments!
I am preaching this Sunday and always find it curious to ponder what to offer when the 4th of July falls on a Sunday. There is a lot I COULD say about encountering scorpions and snakes and then wiping dust off one's feet...
ReplyDeleteor false idols.... :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not preaching this Sunday, heading to Continuing ed in NC. The gal I got to do pulpit supply for me said she'd do it if she didn't have to wave flags and such...
I don't preach on 7/4's lectionary. We will sing national hymns and use the collect for 7/4 in addition to the one for Proper 9. But the sermon will be about Naaman with a nod at Luke. No one has even mentioned processing the flags and I haven't asked for flag bearers to be added to the rotation. I was chastised for not including patriotic songs Memorial Day weekend. ;-)
ReplyDeleteMargaret said: "I was chastised for not including patriotic songs Memorial Day weekend."
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! And stick to your lack of guns!
Peace!
I'm preaching Luke and focusing on the shake the dust off your feet bit. Current title: "The Sacrament of Failure" (a phrase I believe was first coined by theologian John Oman). Focusing not only on the letting go part regarding failure, but also on dreaming big enough that failure is possible.
ReplyDeleteFIooh, earthchick, love that!
ReplyDeleteNo Independence Day to worry about up here, though Canada Day may be on people's minds. I plan to ignore nationalism & national holidays in the sermon, at least.
ReplyDeleteWe'll be keeping Vocations Sunday, which means I'll be preaching on the gospel and vocation, somehow. In my first pass, I am really struck by this bit: "[Jesus] sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go". The places we are sent are places where God is already moving and where God will move. This is so little about us (a healthy reminder for this new curate...).
I love the idea about daring to fail, though, earthchick. Maybe that'll make it in somehow too.
we are recapping the Elijah/Elisha series, and adding in this week with Namman - Sunday School are leading this bit. then asking the congregation to think about their journey with God. that was going to be individual, but as I look at it as I type, I guess we could do that as a congregational exercise - need to think more about that.
ReplyDelete4th July has a different meaning for me - I live in Australia, so no national day here. But it is the day my husband started his own business - it is our own independence day.
ReplyDeleteWe are doing one patriotic song and two hymns. And I fear what the soloist will be singing, but since he threw a fit last year about his not getting to sing HIS song, I will not bring it up. I have a month left and I have the INMP syndrome(It's not my problem).
ReplyDeleteLat time he wanted to sing American Trilogy. The choir director put the hiatus on that one and he acted like a spoiled 7 yr old. Got love that.
So, now she is gone and he volunteered to sing again.
Ugh...
we shall see.
Hey, where is everyone?
Two of the three churches in my parish canceled services this Sunday because "everybody will be too busy to go to church." Ugh. So they'll celebrate their freedom of religion by not worshiping, I guess! With the few who will show up at the one remaining service, I may talk about stepping out in faith, not knowing the outcomes, but trusting that God is in it with us. I like the thought about daring to fail, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm giving pulpit supply to the congregation that is caring for me during radiation treatments away from home. I'll be recycling a 7/4 sermon I preached in 2004 that hits on Isaiah 66, Galatians 6 and Luke 10. Is the US the New Jerusalem? Well, no, not when you consider the number of missionaries who come from abroad to proselytize for Christ among unchurched US folk.
ReplyDeleteHi there!
ReplyDeleteI am preaching on freedom in christ using Galatians from last week and gospel from this one. I'm at our local church camp this whole week, so kind of writing in between my duties here.
Re the 4th: Heard of a congregation that wii have it's worship on sat nite, which I thought was a cool solution.
wondering if I dare preach on immigration for this Sunday- Gospel text on hospitality and Galatians on bearing one another's burdens really lend itself to this issue...
ReplyDeleteI'm going for a "faith and fireworks" theme, using the Luke passage and (very loosely) tethered to "I saw Satan fall from the sky like a bolt of light."
ReplyDeleteJesus sent those 70 out to light things up, and, like fireworks, it was risky, beautiful and required direct contact to work.
Hope it's not a dud. (That's one of my many fireworks related puns. I'm also hoping to find a way to use "punks" for the first time ever on a Sunday morning.)
Are we the 70 going out or the ones the 70 are coming to? How can we be better listeners/communicators? Where is Jesus sending us to listen?
ReplyDeleteI'm meditating on the stated lectionary readings, and the difference between pride (dignity or self-respect) and pride (arrogance).
ReplyDeleteStrangely enough, that seems to apply to the secular holiday, too...