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Showing 2226 to 2250 of 2844 results

2226. A Pilgrimage To Bethlehem

Matthew 3:1-12

Drama

Matthew Powell

Cast Storyteller 1 Storyteller 2 Gregory Ivan Peasant Man Peasant Woman Gregory's Wife (The Storytellers remain seated or standing throughout the performance, as the director chooses. The other actors sit until they make their "entrances," then they stand) Storyteller 1: Once in Russia there lived two men who had decided to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. One of them was a well-to-do farmer named Ivan Petroff, who was short and had curly hair. Storyteller 2: The other, Gregory Radinsky, was not so ...

2227. Easter 5

Acts 7:54--8:1a, 1 Peter 2:4-12, John 14:1-4, John 14:5-14, Acts 17:1-9, Acts 17:10-15

Sermon Aid

John R. Brokhoff

COMMENTARY Lesson 1: Acts 7:55-60 (C) In the presence of Saul, Stephen is stoned to death. This pericope is the conclusion to Stephen's bold witness to Jesus. He aroused his hearers' anger to the point that they stoned him to death. Several items stand out: (1) This is the only time Jesus is referred to as "Son of Man" by one other than Jesus himself; (2) Only here is the ascended Jesus portrayed as "standing" at the right hand of God; (3) Saul is a consenting spectator; and (4) Stephen dies with a prayer ...

2228. The Offense of Grace

Matthew 5:43-48, Matthew 5:38-42

Sermon

Susan R. Andrews

Victor Hugo begins Les Miserables with the story of Jean Valjean. He is an ex-convict who has just been released from nineteen years in prison for stealing bread to feed his sister's children. As he reenters society, no one will house him or give him work because of his criminal record - that is until he stumbles into the bishop's house. Much to Valjean's bewilderment, the bishop treats him with kindness and hospitality. Seizing the moment, Valjean steals the bishop's silver plates and, then, flees into ...

2229. Completing The Master's Work

Luke 24:44-53

Sermon

Richard Gribble

Classical music provides some significant examples of great musical compositions that were never finished by their creators. A perennial favorite with many, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, never completed his magnificent Requiem Mass. Franz Schubert, who like Mozart, lived only a short life but produced over 600 works of music, wrote only two movements of his Eighth Symphony. Orchestras today still play this great composition, known appropriately as the Unfinished Symphony. Living in the latter nineteenth and ...

2230. Once More with Feeling!

Luke 17:11-19

Sermon

Stephen M. Crotts

It's that holiday season again. Friends and loved ones are making plans for a visit. Christmas decorations are out in the store windows. Once again people's hearts are swelling with optimism. Jack Frost has left his calling card. The smell of wood fires curls from the chimneys, and inside, mothers work their magic as fathers are heard to say, "Make some of those sugar cookies that you made last year, the ones with the sprinkles." Yes, it's Thanksgiving week, and I'm supposed to preach on gratitude. And you ...

2231. A High FLOSS Church

Romans 14:1--15:13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

It's one of those dreaded moments. One that exposes all our inadequacies and inconsistencies. The dentist, poking around your molars and bicuspids, simultaneously scrapes plaque and your conscience with the pointed question, "And have you been flossing everyday?" Despite all the flavored, waxed, stringless improvements, despite all the high-tech, low-tech gadgets and gizmos, flossing is still an unloved and unlovely chore. Nobody likes to do it. Nobody likes to see it being done. And--dentists will look ...

2232. Come Back

Luke 21:5-38

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Just when I think that all this talk about A.I. or Artificial Intelligence is a bunch of artificial air, something happens to show me that maybe we're further along the AI path than we think. Maybe the worlds of the born and the words of the made are coming together faster than we ever imagined. In researching this week's theme of betrayal, I undertook a Google search to reference a disturbing news story I remembered hearing the last week of October. Here's the Associated Press news release: TACOMA, Wash ...

2233. More!!!

Isaiah 11:1-16

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Have you heard about the new Christmas spirit? The new Christmas spirit was unveiled by Pat Williams, General Manager of the NBA's Orlando Magic. He has a Christmas tip to pass along to kid-consumers, brought to you by the Mall Merchants' Association: Remember kids: If Santa brings everything you ask for, you're not asking for enough! If your kids are anything like the Sweet children, they do not suffer from any form of wishful-thinking shyness. A quick (as parently-possible) tour through the downtown New ...

2234. Others

Romans 9:30--10:21

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

One of the most terrifying places you can visit with a small, speedy toddler is a big, slow-you-down department store. The marketing geniuses who design floor layouts for these big stores have come up with a common strategy. Do away with nice direct aisles through the store; Do away with any and all right-angled organization within the various departments; Do away with straight lines, and customers will be forced to wander into areas they would never go into as they searched for their intended merchandise ...

2235. Living Outside the Box

Luke 16:1-15

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

In the 1950s and 60s the five-and-dime market was invented and then dominated by two entrepreneurial giants Woolworth's and Newberry's. Like the giants Wal-mart and K-mart today, both these marketing geniuses broke ground for the megastores that have now asphalted forests and farmlands. The idea both Woolworth's and Newberry's sold was that you could get virtually anything and get it cheap at their stores. It did seem that they stocked everything from dishes to dresses to tools and toys; from a hundred ...

2236. Building Bridges While Getting Shot at from Both Shores

Revelation 22:1-6

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

[This sermon seeks to address what's going on in the world right now both with priestly sensitivity and with prophetic strength. If you want to make it more pointed, more linear, you might want to build it around the major themes that are subtly introduced in the narrative: 1. The world is a violent place, and getting more violent; 2. Christians shouldn't be surprised, since we have a doctrine of sin that warns us that our estrangement from God will have ghastly consequences; 3. Christians have always been ...

2237. The Good Life vs. The God Life

Isaiah 55:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

At our kids' school there's only one day a week that offers a hot lunch (prepared by parent volunteers). That means four out of five mornings each week we confront the dreaded "what will we eat for lunch?" dilemma. How do you face down that morning-monster with your kids? I confess: we inevitably succumb to the supermarket temptations of convenience and individual packaging. The differences in sales receipt totals for a cart full of cold-lunch necessities versus a cart full of real food is atrocious. We ...

2238. Death by Chocolate

Hebrews 9:11-28

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

"Death by Chocolate." Just the words put moisture in your mouth. [If you can bring out here some parishioner's recipe of Death by Chocolate, and tease them with its deliciousness, so much the better.] Almost every upscale, elegant restaurant seems to offer their own version of this extra rich, extra decadent, extra artery-clogging delight they dub Death by Chocolate. For committed chocoholics this dessert offers the ultimate attempt to sweeten the bitterest reality life offers all of us the plain and ...

2239. Salted with Fire

Mark 9:42-50

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Whether we're five or seventy-five, all of us like the reassuring glow of a night-light. When something goes bump in the night and awakens us, the small, steady illumination of a night light offers comfort and companionship amidst the big, burly darkness. Since we grown-ups are usually less than upfront about our still scared-of-the-dark queasiness, we try to disguise our security-blanket night-lights. Why do you think some of these plug-in air fresheners glow in the dark? Some light switch plates and ...

2240. Attics, Basements, Closets

Psalm 130:1-8

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

[An inventory of things accumulating in one of your closets or a drawer stuffed with all sorts of interesting items . . . these visuals would greatly enhance your preaching of this sermon.] Grace to you and peace, sisters and brothers. From the one who is . . . the one who was . . . and the one who is to come. Good morning, saints. [Wait for a good morning.] Good morning, sinners. [Wait for a LOUDER good morning.] We're all here. And all we are is here. And I'm delighted YOU'RE here. Icons are not having ...

2241. It Is Also Blessed to Receive

John 13:1-17

Sermon

James McCormick

One of the most meaning filled stories in the New Testament is the account of the last supper. It was the Passover, and Jesus and his disciples gathered in an upper room to share in the meal. It was customary, and an expected act of hospitality, to have someone there to wash the feet of those who had come. But there was no servant present, and the disciples were busy jockeying for the preferred positions in the coming Kingdom. They all wanted to be pre-eminent in the Kingdom, so none was willing to lower ...

2242. John 1:43-51

John 1:43-51

Sweet

Leonard Sweet

This week's gospel reading begins on what is, according to John's text, the fourth in a series of days that mark the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. After the meeting with John the Baptist on the first day, the gospel writer notes three subsequent days (verses 29, 35, 43) in which familiar characteristics of Jesus' mission are introduced and his identity is further revealed. It's in the conclusion of today's text, the fourth day that Jesus makes his first definitive self-revelation. As potentially ...

2243. Which End Is Up?

Ephesians 3:1-13

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Exegesis: Ephesians 3:1-12 The epistle text for this week can be read with two different agendas in mind. On one hand the focus is on establishing apostolic tradition. In the first century there was a necessary concern with creating a continuity of tradition and authority for the fledgling Christian church. Hence Paul’s apostolic authority, his priority of leadership, is part of these verses’ testimony. Especially since these Ephesians probably had not known Paul’s preaching personally, it is an imperative ...

2244. Through the Wilderness

Exodus 17:1-7

Sermon

Elizabeth Achtemeier

Israel is underway in this story, as the church is underway. Israel’s story is our story. She has been redeemed out of slavery in Egypt, just as we have been redeemed by the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ out of our slavery to sin and death. And now, like Israel, you and I are making our way through the wilderness toward a promised land of rest. We are midway between our redemption and our final salvation in the Kingdom of God. The goal toward which we press lies out there ahead of us (cf. ...

2245. Want to Be Happy?

Matthew 3:13-17

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

Theme: Pleasing God is what brings true happiness in life. The Word-Became-Flesh . . . Exegesis: Matthew 3:13-17 All four gospels record the events of Jesus’ baptism at the hand of John. And each one of the four gospel writers add their own unique touches to the story. Our text this morning from Matthew contains elements not found in any of the other gospels, suggesting he had either a unique source for this information or was writing out of a community concern that required a special perspective. To begin ...

2246. Proper 17

Exodus 3:1-22, Matthew 16:21-28, Romans 12:9-21, Psalm 105:1-45

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Exodus 3:1-15 is the call of Moses, which ends with the revelation of the divine name, while Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b adds an alternative section (vv. 23-26) to the historical hymn of praise that was also the psalm for Proper Fourteen. The replacement section recounts Israel's oppression in Egypt and the calling of Moses and Aaron to save them. Exodus 3:1-15 - "Deciphering God's Call" Setting. Exodus 3:1-15 is best characterized as a call narrative. The call narrative is an established ...

2247. Proper 29

Psalm 100:1-5, Ezekiel 34:1-31, Ephesians 1:15-23, Matthew 25:31-46

Sermon Aid

Marion L. Soards, Thomas B. Dozeman, Kendall McCabe

OLD TESTAMENT TEXTS Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 is a description of God as a good shepherd. Psalm 100 is a song of praise. Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24 - "God as the Good Shepherd" Setting. There are two central images in Ezekiel 34, shepherds and sheep. The image of a shepherd is used in this chapter to refer to kings and the power of monarchs to lead the people of Israel, their sheep. The imagery of this chapter, therefore, relates well to the Reign of Christ Sunday. Structure. An overview of Ezekiel 34 is ...

2248. Take On Something for Lent

Matthew 4:1-11

Sermon

Leonard Sweet

An increasing number of responsible pet owners have now “micro-chipped” their dogs and cats. A small “chip” is injected under the skin and when a special scanner is run over the chip, the creature’s whole history is made available—-pet’s name, owner’s name, home address, home phone, vet’s name, vet’s phone, medications taken. It’s all there. Most animal shelters now have these scanners. When a lost or wandering animal is brought in, “scanning” is the first procedure. Often the “lost” is “found,” ...

2249. When Tragedy Strikes

Psalm 23:1-6

Sermon

James W. Moore

Jerry Eckles was one of those inspiring young people who just loved being at the church. He literally grew up at St. Luke's. Every time the church doors were open, he was here. Sunday School, youth fellowship, Pure Sound Youth Choir, acolyte practice, worship services, concerts, plays, Scouts, Vacation Bible School, missions trips, all-church events… whatever we were having or doing here at St. Luke's, Jerry was here celebrating, serving and helping us to be the Church. Not counting special moments he ...

2250. Rise Above It

John 21:15-19

Sermon

James W. Moore

Let me begin with three quick stories. See if you can find the thread that links them together. First… Have you heard about the couple who had been married for over sixty years? As they approached yet another anniversary… they became nostalgic and reflective about their life together. The husband said: “I have always wanted to ask you something. From the night we married, you have always had a box in your closet. I have never looked in it. It’s your private property, but I have always wondered what is in ...

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