Psalm 71:1-6

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Luke 4:21-30

First Reading

If you did not have cause to read the comments for the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, please read those--they are important in understanding this text. In short, before we reach verse 21, Jesus has gathered with the people of Nazareth in Galilee, his hometown, with whom he reads from...]]>Thu, 1 Oct 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Third+Sunday+after+the+epiphany+January+24%2c+2010.-a0210161338Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

Psalm 19

1 Corinthians 12:12-31 a

Luke 4:14-21

First Reading

Today's gospel reading tells of Jesus' first appearance before his hometown crowd in Nazareth of Galilee. This is also Jesus' first step into public ministry. And the crowd that greets him will quickly change their feelings about Jesus and his calling, for which he prepared...]]>Thu, 1 Oct 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Second+Sunday+after+the+epiphany+January+17%2c+2010.-a0210161337Isaiah 62:1-5

Psalm 36:5-10

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

John 2:1-11

First Reading

The reading from John is highly symbolic--a wedding, wine (and not just wine, but excellent wine), water, a bridegroom, a mother, the containers that hold the water then wine, and the "third day." One might think that the writer of the fourth Gospel did this on purpose.

Psalm 29

Acts 8:14-17

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Since Jesus' baptism is a story that is found in each of the Gospels, it is important to pay heed to the distinctiveness of Luke's rendering of it. The pericope positions the preacher to recognize the paradox between John the Baptist, whom the crowd hoped would be the Messiah (Luke 3:16) and Jesus, of whom it is...]]>Thu, 1 Oct 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Second+Sunday+after+Christmas+January+3%2c+2010.-a0210161335Jeremiah 31:7-14

Psalm 147:12-20

Ephesians 1:3-14

John 1:(1-9), 10-18

This Sunday will be the third day into a new year. Thoughts of newness, in one way or another, will be on the minds of many. With this in mind, and the readings in front of us for this day, perhaps it's a propitious moment to help those among whom you preach to talk about what's new, i.e., Jesus...]]>Thu, 1 Oct 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/First+Sunday+after+Christmas+December+27%2c+2009.-a02101613341 Samuel 2:18-20, 26

Psalm 148

Colossians 3:12-17

Luke 2:41-52

If the gospel readings in the season of Advent call us to wait and watch for the coming of the promised Messiah, the gospel readings in the season of Christmas call us to complete and utter celebration. This is certainly the case with the gospel assigned for the First Sunday after Christmas. In other words,...]]>Thu, 1 Oct 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+Nativity+of+our+Lord+December+24%2c+2009.-a0210161333Isaiah 9:2-7

Psalm 96

Titus 2:11-14

Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)

Gathered together for worship on this night will be people who are there because they want to celebrate the birth of the Christ, but they will not be alone. There will be people who have given up altogether on organized religion as well but who are there nonetheless out of familial obligation, in addition to those...]]>Thu, 1 Oct 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Fourth+Sunday+of+Advent+December+20%2c+2009.-a0210161332Micah 5:2-5a

Luke l:46b-55 or Psalm 80:1-7

Hebrews 5:5-10

Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)

We have a choice on this day for our readings. We can choose to sing the Magnificat in the place of the psalm, or we can include that in the gospel reading and use Psalm 80. I've chosen to include the psalm in my reflections as it allows for another voice to express the waiting. In the...]]>Thu, 1 Oct 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Third+Sunday+of+Advent+December+13%2c+2009.-a0210161331Zephaniah 3:14-20

Isaiah 12:2-6

Philippians 4:4-7

Luke 3:7-18

We don't read Zephaniah very often in worship. In fact, it's only designated twice besides this day: Easter Vigil and Proper 28A/Ordinary 33A. The book moves from anger to the song of joy that we read for today, and this movement fits well thematically with Advent. The sense of motion that comes from...]]>Thu, 1 Oct 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Second+Sunday+of+Advent+December+6%2c+2009.-a0210161330Malachi 3:1-4

Luke 1:68-79

Philippians 1:3-11

Luke 3:1-6

First Reading

In our Old Testament reading we are not sure that the title of the book we are reading is the name of an actual person or just a title. The word malachi in Hebrew means, "my messenger." In Christian tradition these writings are the final book of the Old Testament and seem to function to prepare...]]>Thu, 1 Oct 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/First+Sunday+of+Advent+November+29%2c+2009.-a0210161329Jeremiah 33:14-16

Psalm 25:1-10

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

Luke 21:25-36

First Reading

In the thirty-third chapter of Jeremiah God speaks to Jeremiah while he is imprisoned (v. 1). These words are a promise to return Judah and Jerusalem to their former state. Now, these cities stand as a wasteland, isolated and forsaken, destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. God tells Jeremiah...]]>Thu, 1 Oct 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Preaching+helps%3a+First+Sunday+of+Advent-Fourth+Sunday+after+the...-a0210161328Advent Waiting

Andrea L. Walker, Jennifer Moland-Kovash, Paul Lutter, Carey Gardiner Mack

I recently reviewed the manuscripts of some of my Advent sermons and the experience left me feeling a bit silly. I discovered that, for more than a quarter century, my Advent preaching reveals an underlying theme, sometimes explicit and sometimes subtle, of convincing people to wait. For...]]>Thu, 1 Oct 2009 00:00:00 http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Koine+Greek+reader.-a0210161327
Rodney J. Decker's Koine Greek Reader (Kregel, $25.99) will be a boon to pastors or students who seek to revive or strengthen their Greek skills. Twenty-three readings (nine from the New Testament, six from the Septuagint, four from the Apostolic Fathers, and four from early creeds) lead the reader through a review of morphology, grammar and vocabulary, and verse by verse analysis....]]>