Sermon and Worship Resources

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Isaiah 9:1-7, Psalm 96:1-13, Titus 2:1-15, Luke 2:1-7, Luke 2:8-20

Sermon Aid

... Luke, in this instance - is assigned to the worship on a specific day, Christmas. The Christmas Gospel belongs to Luke (and to John, when a separate set of lections is provided for the worship on Christmas Day); Matthew has his chance to tell his version of the story of Jesus' birth on the Epiphany of Our Lord, January 6. Luke's story is full of exegetical holes, because most of the quasi-historical details - the details about the census, the governorship of Quirinius, Bethlehem as the actual location for ...

802. Baptism of Our Lord

Matthew 3:13-17, Acts 10:23b-48, Psalm 45:1-17, Isaiah 42:1-9

Sermon Aid

... Peter's speech about Jesus' baptism and, especially, his anointing as the Son of God, and allows him to speak about baptism to the faithful on this occasion when the Baptism of Our Lord is celebrated. Matthew 3:13-17 This pericope is Matthew's version of the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John the Baptizer. The story causes consternation, at first, because it seems to suggest that if Jesus sought baptism, he must be a sinner, too. The dialogue between John and Jesus corrects any misapprehension ...

803. Epiphany 3

Matthew 4:18-22, Matthew 4:12-17, 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Psalm 27:1-14, Isaiah 9:1-7

Sermon Aid

... The light uncovers sin and sinners cannot remain in the darkness. Matthew reports that Jesus began his itinerant preaching ministry with a message that was identical to that of John the Baptizer. Later, of course, he expanded it into the full-blown version of the good news that we call the gospel. 4. The ministry - preaching the gospel of the kingdom, teaching in the synagogues, and healing every disease. These constitute the full scope of Jesus' ministry and represent a balanced ministry. He supplemented ...

804. Transfiguration of Our Lord

Matthew 17:1-13, 2 Peter 1:12-21, Exodus 24:1-18, Psalm 2:1-12

Sermon Aid

... -18 - "A Man on a Mountain." 1. Central to the Exodus, as the Israelites moved from Egypt to the Promised Land, is the experience of one man, Moses, with God at Mt. Sinai. (Retell this story, briefly, as a kind of a "Readers' Digest" shortened version of the biblical account of God's giving the Ten Commandments to Moses and Israel. Most "man on the mountain" stories today are about mountain climbers, who battle great odds, display tremendous courage, and superb strength, as they attempt to reach the top of ...

805. Lent 1

Genesis 3:1-24, Romans 5:12-21, Matthew 4:1-11, Genesis 2:4-25, Psalm 130:1-8

Sermon Aid

... of love and grace by God, and he had to die that the gift might be delivered to repentant sinners. It is probably better to read the shorter form of this reading; comprehension will be easier and the point of Paul's argument will be clearer. The longer version, which includes verses 13-17, might best be included in a Bible study of Romans, which could be done during Lent (four of the first five "second readings" in Series A are from Romans), or a more extended sermon series, or a detailed study of the book ...

806. Lent 5

Psalm 116:1-19, John 11:38-44, John 11:17-37, John 11:1-16, Romans 8:18-27, Romans 8:1-17, Ezekiel 37:1-14

Sermon Aid

... all of Ezekiel 37:1-14, while the Roman Lectionary prescribes only verses 12-14. The Episcopal and Lutheran lessons appear to be tentative, offering the preacher the choice of the entire passage as a reading and potential source of the sermon, or a reduced version of the pericope. The "dry bones" theme of Ezekiel originally spoke only of Israel living in Exile and the promise of the Lord God to bring them back from Exile in Babylon and restore their nation once more. More pertinent to Lent and Easter is ...

807. Proper 7 & Pentecost 5

Jeremiah 20:7-18, Psalm 69:1-36, Psalm 91:1-16, Genesis 28:10-22

Sermon Aid

... our Lord. Psalm 91:1-10 (C) "He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter and from the deadly pestilence" is the key verse of this psalm. It is one of those psalms that many of us said, if not learned, in Sunday church school, maybe in this version (King James): He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. THE READINGS Genesis 28:10-17 (R) The LBW ...

808. Proper 13 & Pentecost 11

Matthew 14:13-21, Nehemiah 9:1-37, Exodus 12:1-30, Romans 8:28-39, Isaiah 55:1-13

Sermon Aid

... creature. Verse 18 offers a fitting conclusion to the portions of the psalm that are used in the liturgy: "The Lord is righteous in all his ways and loving in all his works." Psalm 78:1-29, or 78:14-20, 23-25 (E) Both long and short versions of this psalm are most appropriate for the reading from Nehemiah, which speaks of God's faithfulness to Israel - and specifically in providing them with water and manna in the wilderness. In the face of all the good things God has done for them, which the psalmist ...

809. Proper 14 & Pentecost 12

1 Kings 19:9-18, Psalm 29:1-11, Psalm 106:1-48, Romans 9:1-29, Matthew 14:22-36, Exodus 13:17--14:31, Jonah 2:1-10, Psalm 85:1-13

Sermon Aid

... classic collect being reworked to accommodate contemporary liturgical language, rather than making any theological alterations and/or corrections; the older English - "who art" ... "art wont," etc. - is replaced with modern linguistic and grammatical forms. The address of the revised version of the prayer is almost identical to the older collect, changing the "who art always more ready to hear ..." to "you are always more ready to hear, etc." What is intended to be a subtle theological alteration occurs in ...

810. The Eighth Son

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Sermon

... had stayed his own gnarled fingers from pouring the sacred horn’s myrrh and cinnamon mixture on the brawny lad. All seven of the boys passed by Samuel without being chosen. Samuel asked Jesse if he had any more sons. Jesse, the tenth century B.C. version of a Ben Cartwright, owner of a Ponderosa of plenty, told Samuel of his youngest son. A brawny lad named David. A shepherd who fought lions and bears to protect Jesse’s extensive flocks. Little did David know he would soon kill enemies to protect Israel ...

811. Born One Of Us

Drama

... , to the city of David, called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David. With him went Mary who was betrothed to him. And she was great with child (Luke 2:1-6). (Note: These scriptural readings are based upon the King James Version.) Born, One Of Us (Miriam enters stage right, carrying the tambourine. She shrugs her shawl onto her shoulders. She is humming and begins to tap the tambourine with her fingers. She crosses to stage left and peers out, listening. At center stage, she slips three ...

812. Advent 1

Matthew 24:36-51

Bulletin Aid

Theme: God's reliable unpredictability Exegetical note This passage comes toward the end of Matthew's version of the "Little Apocalypse" in Mark 13 and, like its source, emphasizes the unpredictability of the expected and desired parousia, and the consequent need for watchfulness and readiness. For Advent, the passage provides an excellent reminder that, despite the reliability of God's promises, God acts in God's own ...

813. Baptism of our Lord

Matthew 3:13-17

Bulletin Aid

Theme: An epiphany to the world Exegetical note Whereas Mark's earlier version of Jesus' baptism makes the theophany more subjective (with the voice from heaven addressing Jesus as a "Thou"), Matthew (with Luke) makes it more objective, with the divine declaration from above addressed to the bystanders. By making this personal event, in effect, public, Matthew may be declaring that this baptism ...

814. Epiphany 2

1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Bulletin Aid

Theme: Sainthood in solidarity Exegetical note Paul's typically "Christianized" version of the standard ancient epistle greeting here (vv. 1-3) revolves around two focal ideas: "call" and "church." His own call is specific: to be an apostle. Their call is more general, but yet universal in scope: to be saints, not just in their local church, but in solidarity with ...

815. Epiphany 2

John 1:29-34

Bulletin Aid

Theme: Witnessing God's Word Exegetical note John's version of Jesus' baptism is, at best, inferential, but the witness of the Baptizer to Jesus is direct and unambiguous, the result of both visual and aural evidence: he sees the Spirit descend "like a dove" and rest upon Jesus; and he hears the very voice of God. The Baptizer's ( ...

816. Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

Matthew 5:17-20

Bulletin Aid

Theme: The inner demands of God's Law Exegetical note Here begins the section of Matthew's version of the Sermon on the Mount that contains the so-called "antitheses" of Jesus concerning the Law. Having asserted that he has come to fulfill rather than abolish the Law and the prophets, Jesus proceeds to quote the Law ("You have heard it said ...") and then to intensify it ("But ...

817. Lent 1

Genesis 2:4-25

Bulletin Aid

Theme: Self-awareness as sin-awareness Exegetical note: These excerpts from the Jahwist's version of creation and account of humanity's so-called "fall" should be read in light of recent revisionist interpretation, which treats the story, not as a literal-historical or Pauline-Augustinian account of the cause of sinfulness, which ruined a primordial state of human perfection, but as a mythical representation ...

818. Monday in Holy Week

John 12:1-11

Bulletin Aid

Theme: Impending tragedy, ultimate triumph Exegetical note The Fourth Evangelist's version of the anointing of Jesus at Bethany differs from those of his predecessors by identifying the woman as Mary as well as by mentioning Lazarus, whose emergence from the grave John has just recounted (11:38-44). Mary's act of anointing (as told here, at least) is, of course, ...

819. Maundy Thursday

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Bulletin Aid

Theme: A memorial meal and more Exegetical note Although Paul's version of the Last Supper here is earlier than those of the Gospels, it is more stylized than the Synoptic accounts in the way it parallels the bread and cup. Both statements contained here emphasize the memorial aspect of the meal, but verse 26 entails a future, eschatological reference as well: ...

820. The Resurrection of Our Lord

Mt 28:1-10 · Col 3:1-4 · Acts 10:34-43 · Ps 118

Bulletin Aid

... : Women as witnesses of the risen Christ Exegetical note Among the many nuances added to Mark's earlier resurrection account by Matthew's redaction is a heightening of the role of the women in the event. Mark had ended his account (in its original version) at 16:8, with the women's fearful silence. Matthew, however, has the women departing with joy, not fear, and bearing the first testimony to the fact of the resurrection, having been commissioned as witnesses not only by an angel, but by the risen Jesus ...

821. Ascension Day

Luke 24:36-49

Bulletin Aid

Theme: Waiting on the supporting Spirit Exegetical note Luke's version of Jesus' ascension is not as detailed as his one in Acts 1, but gives pretty much the same picture. Jesus sets before the disciples a formidable task: to preach repentance and forgiveness to the world. But, instead of sending them out immediately, he instructs them to return to Jerusalem ...

822. Trinity Sunday

Matthew 28:16-20

Bulletin Aid

Theme: The threefold name of God Exegetical note: Matthew's version of the great commission contained here provides the clearest scriptural statement of the trinitarian formula that would later become the Trinitarian doctrine of orthodox Christianity. Important here is the context given by Jesus for this charge: it is a matter of authority, which has been given to him, and which ...

823. Proper 16

Matthew 16:13-20

Bulletin Aid

... note It should be surprising, if not sobering, to most congregations to find that in all of the Gospels, Jesus is quoted as using the word "church" only in Matthew, once here and twice in chapter 18. What we have, then, in Matthew's inflation of Mark's version of this incident is a retrospective testimony of the Church's recognition of Peter as its Rock, and of Jesus as God's "Son" as well as the Christ. Call to Worship (based on Psalm 95) Leader: Come, let us worship and bow down! People: LET US KNEEL ...

824. Proper 21

Mt 21:23-32 · Php 1:1-3 · Ex 17:1-7

Bulletin Aid

Paul A. Laughlin

... life of Jesus, who emptied and humbled himself for us and thereby found glory in you. In his name and spirit we pray. Amen Gospel: Matthew 21:28-32 Theme: Religiousness that resists grace Exegetical note RSV and NEB give two very different versions of this passage, reversing, in effect, the sons' responses and, accordingly, changing the crowd's reply to Jesus' question. The point, however, remains the same: outcasts are far more ready to accept God's coming Reign than are the overtly religious, ostensibly ...

825. Proper 22

Mt 21:33-46 · Php 3:4b-14 · Ex 20:1-20

Bulletin Aid

... be sanctified and glorified after the image and likeness of Christ Jesus. In his precious name we pray. Amen. Gospel Lesson: Matthew 21-33-46 Theme: Claiming God's coming Reign Exegetical note Form-critical analysis of this passage in light of the other versions of the parable in the Synoptics and the Gospel of Thomas reveals that the original point of the story was not Christological; nor was it primarily allegorical. Rather, it was a simple, if shocking, "Kingdom" parable, whose point was the value of the ...

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