Welcome back one and all! For those in Canada and the US who had a long weekend I hope the holiday was enjoyable! And now as we look forward to another Sunday let us pray:
(Prayer source)
O God of mercy,
in Jesus Christ you freed us from sin and death,
and by your Holy Spirit
you nourish our mortal bodies with life.
Plant us now in good soil,
that our lives may flower
in righteousness and peace. Amen.
The Lectionary passages for this week -- Proper 10A, the 4th After Pentecost (this year) can be read
here.
One of the nice things about the Lectionary readings in the Season After Pentecost is that we get to follow a logical flow through the Jewish Scripture readings. In Year A these readings follow through the stories of the Patriarchs (admittedly with some big jumps) and through into the story of the Exodus as we move into the fall. This week we move into the stories of Jacob, as he tricks Esau into giving up his birthright. Jacob is at best an interesting character. Hardly a good role model when it comes right down to it. In fact the family of Abraham provides an intriguing look at "family values" as
this link discusses
The Lectionary also includes an alternate Jewish Scripture reading that the compilers feel links with the Gospel reading. This week we have a passage from Isaiah 55 that has a fairly clear link with the Gospel Reading from Matthew -- the Parable of the sower and the seed. Interestingly Matthew also provides us with an allegorical interpretation of the parable. It is a matter of great debate (in some circles anyway) whether the interpretation goes back to Jesus. Does including these verses make the preacher's task easier or more complicated?
Or for a different tack one could continue on in the book of Romans as Paul continues to discuss sin and law and appears to veer into a dualistic flesh-Spirit dichotomy. And people wonder why Christianity has always struggled with dualism and visions of the body as flawed....
Image Sources:
Jacob and Esau
Sower Stained Glass
cartoon
HAving wallowed in Romans last week I am letting Paul go sailing on by this week. This week is all about seeds and sowers and soils. I am thinking that I will take the sermon in the direction of asking what if we are each of those things...
ReplyDeleteMy early thoughts may give a hint of those answers. BUt, as has already been pointed out to me in another place, waht is the application piece? What does this mean when we leave the sanctuary?
Supply preaching this week in a congregation that I think must be desperate -- just did not feel good vibes when I was there last winter and this is the first they've asked me back, even though they're without a pastor.
ReplyDeleteI was at a loss for days but now I know the title: Cast Generously. About how we have no idea what the results will be, but we are still invited to sow away.
I guess this is something I could stand to hear these days.
I'm thinking Romans AND Matthew but I have no idea how that is going to look. I'm not sure I have recovered from last Sunday yet. The sermon was wild and driven entirely by the Spirit so I have no idea what I said. Well, not much of an idea. I got the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle in there, though. ;-)
ReplyDeleteWEll any time you get the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle in must be an interesting sermon....
ReplyDeleteWow. I feel pretty simple now. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI'm using the alternative OT readings with Matthew for the foreseeable future, so I'm in Isaiah. I'm compelled by the last verse (thanks to the insight from an IRL colleague) and its promise of God's transforming power. We read the parable and the interpretation and slot ourselves and others in wherever we think we might belong, and then we stop to congratulate ourselves or beat ourselves up and -- SCENE! But Isaiah offers a word of hope. And for Pete's sake, it's a parable, not a diagnostic tool.
That's where I am on Tuesday, hoping to be transformed myself.
I am a lonely, lonely preacher already committed to Jacob & Esau. What was I thinking? This is my smallest supply congregation--there's usually six of them, counting the pianist. Not sure where I'm going or what I'm thinking. None of the characters are likeable nor role models, yet God used them anyway. There's that.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, esperanza, in Genesis. I love these family stories! I made the big announcement last week that we'd be with Isaac and Rebekah and their family for four weeks, so I'm committed. I sort of had a plan also include the story when Rebekah helps Jacob trick Isaac for the blessing. Last week I painted a picture of Isaac as a pretty everyday guy who doesn't get too active in God's plan, but God still works through him. This week, I think, will be the contrast of that - -Rebekah and Jacob getting SUPER involved and/or God on the side of the underdog (the younger brother, the one who is NOT entitled to the blessing). Not totally sure.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, esperanza, in Genesis. I love these family stories! I made the big announcement last week that we'd be with Isaac and Rebekah and their family for four weeks, so I'm committed. I sort of had a plan also include the story when Rebekah helps Jacob trick Isaac for the blessing. Last week I painted a picture of Isaac as a pretty everyday guy who doesn't get too active in God's plan, but God still works through him. This week, I think, will be the contrast of that - -Rebekah and Jacob getting SUPER involved and/or God on the side of the underdog (the younger brother, the one who is NOT entitled to the blessing). Not totally sure.
ReplyDeleteChanging my plan a bit. Not feeling the underdog stuff much anymore. Not really even feeling the Rebekah stuff anymore. Next I started going to divine providence - - Look what God can do with the mess we make. But I don't want that to be heard as permission to run any which way we can or want. Then I was hearing less providence and more grace - - grace for difficult family situations. There's still that risk of encouraging/supporting "cheap grace," but I think I can find a way to push against that. I hope. Hmmm... Time to start narrowing this down!
ReplyDeleteI'm finishing my first full week in ministry, and now I wonder where the time goes. Is Sunday coming again? I'm with Romans for the next six weeks have themes sketched out for those services, but at the moment I have just as much prepared for this week as I do for mid-August. Ugh. Poor time management, newbie.
ReplyDeleteBut it's good to hear you all from the Tuesday leanings (I'm late... just like I was driving to my second church last Sunday!!) and know that I'm not alone!
Diane! Don't worry! Sunday sneaks up on everyone. Every week it happens.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Esperanza (I love your name, btw!). This has been a huge week of adjustments --- first time living alone, first time being the only staff-person for multiple churches, first time realizing that my basic assumptions about what worship is & what the Bible is & who God is are VERY different from the people in my churches... And sermon/worship prep is bringing up all of those issues...
ReplyDeletePero siempre hay esperanza....