Sermon and Worship Resources

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776. Think What God Can Do with Our Sins

Mark 3:20-30

Illustration

James Weekley

... it against the wall. It left an ugly stain. One of the guests got up, went to the wall, and began sketching around the stain with a crayon. What emerged was a stag with magnificent antlers. The man was Sir Edwin Landseer, England's foremost painter of animals. If an artist can transform an unsightly stain into a beautiful masterpiece, think what God can do with our sins. He absolves them and, in their place, refashions us toward full maturity.

777. The Object of Envy Is Trapped

Mark 6:1-6

Illustration

Scott Hoezee

... that the envied person is often trapped by his envy. In his writing he retells the story of the Cain and Abel, and he modernizes it. The Cain character is played by a skilled surgeon who has for years secretly envied his friend, Abel Sanchez, a skilled artist. At one point in the story, the doctor is scrutinizing one of Abel's paintings. This particular painting is a depiction of the Cain and Abel story itself from the Bible. At first, the doctor is convinced that the face of Cain in the painting is modeled ...

778. Mark 6:14-29

Mark 6:14-29

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

... of the story. Josephus’ account of this story names the young woman as “Salome.” Although Mark’s version does not explicitly state this was part of a plot hatched by Herodias, the inference of her influence is heavily suggested. Later artists’ renditions of this scene paint the daughter’s dancing as sensuous and seductive, but Mark’s text does not offer any comment on the content of her dance, noting only the remarkable response her performance elicited from Herod. With effusive enthusiasm ...

779. When Others Serve Your Head on a Platter

Mark 6:14-29

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

780. Zombie Zone or Beulah Land?

Ephesians 2:11-22

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... and was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2008. He composed much of the soundtrack for the Christian world in the 80s and 90s. “We are the Reason,” the song he’s most famous for, has been recorded over 200 times by other artists. At a summer camp in the mountains of Pennsylvania, where he was the headliner, he showed up unexpectedly at Teen Talent Night. This is when kids are pushed and pulled on stage to showcase their talents. Not only was Meece present for Teen Talent Night, but at ...

781. Advent 2

Malachi 3:1-4, Luke 1:68-79, Luke 3:1-20, Philippians 1:3-11

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... , curious seeking, and satisfying relationships. Maker and Shaker of our Humanity — like good soap, bathe us in goodness. Like refiner’s fire, polish our expectations. Like a physician, encourage us to be available to the wholesomeness in our environment. Like an artist, recolor our pains and griefs until light shines through. Dreamer of a New Reign — let your peace and your heaven come to earth. Set in motion human mercy and hospitality that reach into our own towns and around the world; set ...

782. Epiphany 4

Psalm 71:1-6, Jeremiah 1:4-10, Luke 4:21-30, 1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... Prayers Lover of our Souls — we say you are the Creator of all that is; we say you invite us to be co-creators with you. Empower us to embody patience and kindness with strangers as well as with friends, with the ecosphere, and with animals. Artist of the Universe — move among us and through this planet home; brush governments and citizens with the colors of civility and respect. Bring an end to the ugliness of war and terror. Bring young and old, gay and straight, black and white, male and female, rich ...

783. Epiphany 7

Genesis 45:3-11, 15, Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40, Luke 6:27-36, 1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-50

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... that we are designed to die. How strange! We need one another to accompany us along this human journey as our bodies grow and our minds learn and our souls find peace. When we are wounded, soothe us; when we are ill, heal us; when we are sad, comfort us. Artist of the Universe — how we marvel at blue skies and sparkling waters! How frightened we are when the wind is strong! How gentle we feel when we walk among tall trees! We want to take care of all you have created. Help us to protect the planet so our ...

784. Big Men in Little Planes

Mark 9:33-37

Sermon

King Duncan

... the priest observed that day after day, she came and did homage before the statue. “Look how she reverences the Virgin Mother,” he whispered to one of his fellow priests. “Don’t be deceived by what you see,” the priest responded. “Many years ago an artist was commissioned to create a statue for the cathedral. As he sought a young woman to pose as the model for his sculpture, he found one who seemed to be the perfect subject. She was young, serenely lovely, and had a mystical quality in her face ...

785. Proper 17

Psalm 81:1, 10-16, Jeremiah 2:4-13, Luke 14:1-14, Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... Contemporary Affirmation The Divine Imagination continues to be at work in the world; God breathes life and proclaims it good. The Divine Worker was revealed in Jesus of Nazareth who moved among people healing, mentoring, feeding, and renewing. The Divine Artist continues to create through us, inspiring us to exhibit the Christ in our choices and decisions. In community, we encourage one another to explore who we can become as twenty-first-century friends of Jesus. Together, we can be honest, compassionate ...

786. Proper 21

Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16, Jeremiah 32:1-3, 6-15, Luke 16:19-31, 1 Timothy 6:6-19

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

787. Proper 23

2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c, Psalm 66:1-20, Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, Luke 17:11-19, 2 Timothy 2:8-15

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... and electricity to continue the pleasures we have come to think of as necessities. Help us not to squander the planet’s resources. Provide leaders in our nation and in every nation who respect the earth’s supply of oil and gas, forests and water. Artist of Landscape and Seaside — there is so much beauty for us to appreciate and to enjoy. There are so many ways you’ve provided for our physical needs, so many ways you’ve invited us to participate with you in making this world hospitable for human ...

788. Christmas Day

Psalm 97:1-12, Isaiah 62:6-12, Luke 2:1-7, Titus 3:4-7

Bulletin Aid

Julia Ross Strope

... , for talents, and for time to be intentional about making your kingdom visible and tangible here and throughout the global village, we are grateful. Amen. An Affirmation (Leader) There are many ways to articulate our faith story. Poets and essayists, artists and choreographers, theologians and apologists down through the ages have left us a large repertoire of words, melodies, paintings, and movements. In the nineteenth century, Cecil Frances Alexander wrote a poem that was given a melody in 1849 by Henry ...

789. A Glimpse of Glory

Revelation 21:10-22 - 22:5

Sermon

Steven E. Albertin

... moon, if telescopes can see billions of miles into outer space ... then where is heaven?" In Sunday school she had heard the story of Jesus' ascension, his rising up into the skies, disappearing into the clouds, and going to heaven. She had seen artists' imaginative paintings of heaven with angels, relaxing on the clouds, fluttering their wings, adjusting their halos, and playing their harps. If that heaven is "up" there, why hasn't it been discovered? I still remember it well, when I was in grade school ...

790. God's Left Hand

Humor Illustration

... was spending the weekend with his grandmother after a particularly trying week in kindergarten. His grandmother decided to take him to the park on Saturday morning. It had been snowing all night and everything was beautiful. His grandmother remarked..."doesn't it look like an artist painted this scenery? Did you know God painted this just for you?" Bobby said, "Yes, God did it and he did it left handed." This confused his grandmother a bit, and she asked him "What makes you say God did this with his left ...

791. Profile Of A Savior

Isaiah 50:4-9a

Sermon

David J. Kalas

In the century and a half that cameras have been around, photographers have done us the great favor of capturing moments. Previously, artists could endeavor to recreate great moments on canvas, in wood, or in stone. Photography, however, enables us to capture the actual instant, and to show us certain individuals at significant and telling moments. In 1945, Alfred Eisenstaedt photographed the celebration of VJ Day in Times Square in New York City. ...

792. When We Feel Lost

Luke 15:11-32

Sermon

King Duncan

... Parable of the Waiting Father rather than the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Everything depends on God’s grace. In the magnificent Hermitage, the palace of Catherine the Great in St. Petersburg, Russia, there is a fascinating painting by the Dutch artist Rembrandt called, “The Return of the Prodigal Son.” Some have called this work the greatest picture ever painted. In Rembrandt’s painting based on Jesus’ parable, the son has returned home after wasting his inheritance and falling into poverty and ...

793. The Servant Leader

John 13:1-17

Sermon

King Duncan

... ’s world. Without a big ego it is almost impossible to become a celebrity and being a celebrity is very profitable in our star-struck society. People who depend on celebrity are constantly looking for ways to push themselves to the forefront. Old-time comic artist Harry Hershfield was a pro at self promotion. Whenever he was in a group photograph for a newspaper he always made it a practice to stand on the group’s right side. That way, his name always appeared first in the newspaper caption. That’s ...

794. Fire from Heaven

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... . But Lorenzo also got hands-on with some of his benefactions. Even though I can’t verify whether this story is true or not, it has become a favorite Pentecost story. Loth tells how Lorenzo love to provide the citizens of Florence with artistic and magnificent spectacles of many sorts. He produced many religious pageants with striking realism and effectiveness. On one occasion, he surpassed himself in staging a pageant of Pentecost. The descent of the tongues of fire upon the apostles, however, was just a ...

795. Good Hearts

Romans 5:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... Man, and Lion. Dorothy’s tiny terrier Toto had pulled back the curtain that kept the true identity of “The Wizard” a secret. Instead of being “Oz, the Great and Powerful,” the “wizard” was revealed by the pup to be an ordinary man, a con artist, practicing the art of smoke and mirrors to impress the people with his faked naked powers. Oz may have been a charlatan, but human beings have always been leery of coming face to face with a greater, non-human power. After they noshed on the forbidden ...

796. The Keys to Effective Praying

Luke 11:1-13

Sermon

King Duncan

... woman, who was short with brown eyes. Because of his business, he lived in a city apartment, not a big house with a garden, and he took cabs, and rode subways, not a sleek, expensive Ferrari. He had three loving daughters, not three sons a nurse, an artist, and a music teacher. They adopted, not two St. Bernards, but a fluffy cat. One morning the man awoke and remembered his boyhood dream. He became extremely depressed. He called out to God, “Remember when I was a boy and told You all the things I wanted ...

797. The Door of the Cross

John 10:1-21

Sermon

David O. Bales

... branches.” That doesn’t mean that his skin feels like bark or his hair is green. Jesus tries another comparison, “I am the gate for the sheep.” Or, as older translations had it, “I am the door.” The word “door” also means “gate, doorway, or gateway.” Artists have a field day painting Jesus as the shepherd. But, how do you paint Jesus as a door? Easy enough to paint a gentle shepherd carrying a fragile lamb. A lot harder to show a gaping doorway or a swinging hunk of wood as a personal ...

798. Hope from a Stump

Isaiah 11:1-16

Sermon

King Duncan

... sole possession. In front of this destroyed home stood an old grandfather-looking man dressed only in his underclothes with a small boy clutching a pair of patched overalls. It was evident that the child was crying. Beneath the picture were the words which the artist felt the old man was speaking to the boy. They were simple words, yet they presented a profound theology and philosophy of life. Those words were [these], ‘Hush child, God ain’t dead!’” (3) And that is what keeps hope alive even in the ...

799. What If Joseph Were the Patron Saint of 2014?

Matthew 2:13-18

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

... . We are promised more than bread, the staple of life. We are promised a stable in which God speaks to each and every one of us. We are promised the very mouth of God. Last week Canadian Michael Buble put on a Christmas special in Toronto. One of his guest artists was Mary J. Blige. As only Buble could say it, he told the audience that her voice sounded like God had kissed her throat. The mouth of God wants to kiss the soul of every one of you. You are God-kissed. The first human being came to life when ...

800. Hitting the Boss Key

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

King Duncan

“Lead me not into temptation,” sang country artist Lari White a few years back, “I already know the road all too well; Lead me not into temptation / I can find it all by myself.” It’s a chorus that makes us silently chuckle, but after a few moments of reflection, we understand that this is, at heart, a ...

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