Sermon and Worship Resources

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2 Samuel 7:1-17

Sermon

Arthur H. Kolsti

Shortly after the death of F. Scott Fitzgerald some of his close friends went through his papers and manuscripts. They discovered a number of proposed plots for stories. One such plot dealt with the varied members of a family who had inherited a house. The bequest had one stipulation. To receive possession of the house they had to live in it harmoniously and purposefully. That's quite a stipulatio...

2. Acquaintances Or Friends?

2 Samuel 16:15--17:29

Sermon

Arthur H. Kolsti

Let's begin by thinking about the difference between an acquaintance and a friend. There is a difference. That difference is the dimension of depth. There are those who make the acquaintance of many and count that as social success. So, one can end up with many acquaintances but no real friends, for a friend is much more than an acquaintance. The proverbial wisdom of Israel made the distinction th...

3. Another Kind Of Success

6-16, 2 Samuel 5:1-5

Sermon

Arthur H. Kolsti

Rags-to-riches stories have been popular in every time and place. The story of Abraham Lincoln whose life led from the log cabin to the White House is a staple of Americana. So are the stories of Horatio Alger. He started writing just after the civil war. He wrote exclusively about underprivileged young people who through honesty, preseverance, and diligence went on to win fame and wealth. Ragged ...

4. Death Where Divorce Has Intruded

Matthew 1:1-17

Eulogy

Arthur H. Kolsti

God Has a Purpose Ephesians 1:3-10 We can expect an increasing number of services involving families whose relationships have been stained or ruptured by divorce. Speaking to the complex pattern of hurts and feelings is an added challenge in such a situation. This meditation was addressed to such a context. The words of remembrance were delivered by a close family member and dealt with both the re...

5. For a Nineteen-year-old Who Died of Cancer

Mark 15:1-15

Eulogy

Arthur H. Kolsti

A Time For Thanksgiving This meditation was delivered at a memorial service for a young man of nineteen whose death was caused by cancer. The words of remembrance were delivered by an uncle, a sister, a close friend, and a neighbor/employer. These were prepared prior to the service and delivered to the pastor. The aim of the meditation was to bring everything together, provide a theological perspe...

6. Here Is Where It Happens

1 Samuel 2:12-26

Sermon

Arthur H. Kolsti

Here is where it happens. Where is here? Here is right here, among us. Here is the community of faith, and every local congregation, large or small, is a visible manifestation of that community. The gathered community of faith is the port of entry for the initiatives of God. That is the it, the initiative of God. Does saying that place too high an estimation upon the local congregation? If y...

7. Lyrics For The Centuries

2 Samuel 1:1-16

Sermon

Arthur H. Kolsti

When David received the report of the battlefield deaths of Saul and Jonathan, he expressed his sorrow and tribute by composing and chanting a lament, that beautiful elegy that is today's first reading. A line from an old spiritual comes to mind. "Little David, play on your harp." Yes, David, play and sing for us the lyrics that span the centuries. Sing the songs that help us express our mourning ...

8. Saul, The Tormented King

1 Samuel 8:1-22

Sermon

Arthur H. Kolsti

He was like a meteor. He blazed brightly and briefly across the skies of Israel before burning out and falling to the ground. You can sum up the life of the first king of Israel in just such words. The priests who wrote about him rejected him outright. But then, they had a special reason for doing that. Saul did not always see things their way. Most of the people he led followed him to the end. Pe...

9. The Strange Tactics Of God

2 Samuel 6:1-23

Sermon

Arthur H. Kolsti

Some of you will remember Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark, a film released several years ago but still showing up from time to time on cable and satellite television movie channels. Today we are going to trace a bit of the history of the ark as reported in 1 Samuel 4-6. We will not experience any of the dangers faced by Indiana Jones. We will encounter some marvelous Hebrew satire as...

10. When Saints Go Marching Forth

1 Samuel 15:1-35

Sermon

Arthur H. Kolsti

Sometimes when reading you come across words that just leap off the page and grab you. Here is a comment by C.S. Lewis I encountered in his book, Reflections On The Psalms. If the Divine call does not make us better, it will make us much worse. Of all bad people, religious bad people are the worst. Of all created beings the wickedest are those who originally stood in the presence of God. Let the...

11. Whom Shall I Send, and Who Will Go for Us?

Isaiah 6:1-13

Sermon

Arthur H. Kolsti

R.S.V.P. Sometimes it is interesting to take a biblical passage and just go through it line by line, letting the sparks fly out. This is the way I have opted to deal with today's first reading. Isaiah is one of the prophets who has given us an account of a turning point experience in his life. Some of his imagery will seem strange to us. But if we can get behind it there is something powerful...

12. Wind -- Word -- Spirit -- Community

Acts 2:1-13

Sermon

Arthur H. Kolsti

Here is a statement by Elie Wiesel that I came across. "Words can sometimes in moments of grace, attain to the quality of deeds." I do believe that is so. I also believe it true to say that in moments of gracelessness words also attain the quality of deeds. In fact, I believe that words are deeds that can hurt or heal, divide or unite, tear down or build up. To assign such significance to words fl...

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