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Wayne Brouwer

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Wayne Brouwer is a pastor of the Christian Reformed Church in North America and is an Associate Professor of Religion at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, as well as a member of the faculty of Western Theological Seminary. Brouwer has been the lead pastor in three different congregations. He is a graduate of Dordt College and holds degrees from Calvin Theological Seminary and McMaster University. Over 700 of his articles have been published as well as over a dozen books. Previous CSS Publishing titles by Pastor Bouwer include Political Christianity and Humming Till the Music Returns. He has been a consistent contributor to Emphasis: A Preaching Journal since 2004 and is one of several authors featured in Navigating the Sermon. Pastor Brouwer resides in Holland, Michigan, with his wife Brenda and they are the parents of three daughters.
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Commentary

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Big Beginnings -- Genesis 1:1-5, Acts 19:1-7, Mark 1:4-11 -- Wayne Brouwer -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2024
Children are often naively honest, as a friend of mine found one day.
Ecstasy and Real Life -- 2 Kings 2:1-12, 2 Corinthians 4:3-6, Mark 9:2-9 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2024
Shortly before he died in a training accident with the Royal Canadian Air Force in December of 1941,
Lost... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, Exodus 20:1-17, John 2:13-22 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 2024
Each of our lectionary readings for today reminds us that we have forgotten who we are.
Waking to a New Day -- Acts 10:34-43, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, John 20:1-18 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Easter Day - B -- 2024
When builders dug in modern Rome to secure the footings for a new parking garage, they uncovered an
The Life that Changes Lives -- Acts 10:44-48, 1 John 5:1-6, John 15:9-17 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2024
It was a dark and stormy night. Lightning flashed and thunder crashed.
Sharing the Table -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35, Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Maundy Thursday - A -- 2023
Fred Craddock once flew to Winnipeg, Manitoba, to speak at a church conference.
Clone of Traveling with Abraham -- Genesis 12:1-4a, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, John 3:1-17 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Second Sunday in Lent - A -- 2023
You remember the story... Abraham was a great old man, probably 125 or so!
A People Belonging to God -- John 10:1-10, Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 2:19-25 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2023
You remember the story... Abraham was a great old man, probably 125 or so!
Breath of Life -- John 20:19-23, Acts 2:1-21, 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Day of Pentecost - A -- 2023
An ancient Jewish legend declares, “Pentecost is the day on which Torah was given.” One wonders whet
Reborn -- Genesis 21:8-21, Romans 6:1b-11, Matthew 10:24-39 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A -- 2023
Tony Campolo once told of a student who came to him in his office at Eastern Christian College.
Dawn on the Horizon -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, Romans 8:12-25, Genesis 28:10-19a -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2023
In Morris West’s novel The Clowns of God, there’s a powerful scene where a father and his d
Which Leader Should We Follow? -- Matthew 16:13-20, Exodus 1:8--2:10, Romans 12:1-8 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A -- 2023
Coaching is nothing without a team that responds.
Authority and Obedience -- Matthew 21:23-32, Philippians 2:1-13, Exodus 17:1-7 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A -- 2023
An ice storm on Saturday night! Everything was cancelled.
Humble (and Proud of It!) -- Deuteronomy 34:1-12, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8, Matthew 22:34-46 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - A -- 2023
Frank Fowler tells this amazing story: during World War II, fifteen hundred international noncombata
Catalyst -- Matthew 25:31-46, Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24, Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A -- 2023
Life happens. Steady, unrelenting, life happens.
Dare We Expect? -- 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16, Romans 16:25-27, Luke 1:26-38 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 2023
Alone for his first cruise ship voyage, a young man felt a stranger among crowds of aging patrons.
What Do We Do with Jesus? -- Matthew 2:13-23, Isaiah 63:7-9, Hebrews 2:10-18 -- Wayne Brouwer -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A -- 2023
A friend once explained it like this: in a dream, he saw a marvelous apparatus of yellow silk billow
Social Circles -- Deuteronomy 30:15-20, 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, Matthew 5:21-37 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - A -- 2023
Here is a great poem by Edwin Markham. Listen closely!
Traveling with Abraham -- Genesis 12:1-4a, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, John 3:1-17 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Second Sunday in Lent - A -- 2023
You remember the story... Abraham was a great old man, probably 125 or so!
Perspective -- Isaiah 62:1-5, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, John 2:1-11 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2022
We live in a pluralized world where all opinions seem valid, and the only perspective about which we
Glow -- Exodus 34:29-35, 2 Corinthians 3:12--4:2, Luke 9:28-36 (37-43a) -- Wayne Brouwer -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 2022
During the time of the Reformation, John Foxe of England was impressed by the testimony of the early
Labels and Names -- John 12:1-8, Philippians 3:4b-14, Isaiah 43:16-21 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2022
Dr. E. Stanley Jones related an incident from his missionary days that illustrates Jesus’ point.
Starting Over -- Acts 9:1-6 (7-20), Revelation 5:11-14, John 21:1-19 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Third Sunday of Easter - C -- 2022
Sometimes the healing of our hurts starts only when we find another song to sing.

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Lost... -- 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, Exodus 20:1-17, John 2:13-22 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 2024
Each of our lectionary readings for today reminds us that we have forgotten who we are.
Dawn on the Horizon -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, Romans 8:12-25, Genesis 28:10-19a -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2023
In Morris West’s novel The Clowns of God, there’s a powerful scene where a father and his d

Illustration

StoryShare

New Beginnings For A New Year -- Matthew 25:31-46, Ecclesiastes 3:1-13, Revelation 21:1-6a, Psalm 8 -- David O. Bales, Terry Cain, Wayne Brouwer, John E. Sumwalt -- New Year's Day - A -- 2006
Contents What's Up This Week

Sermon

SermonStudio

Kingdoms In Conflict -- Matthew 21:33-46 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A -- 2007
When Vince Lombardi was hired as head coach of the Green Bay Packers in 1958, the team was in dismal
Political Pardon -- Matthew 18:21-35 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A -- 2007
My parents were married in the wave of weddings that followed World War II.
Why Is God Unfair? -- Matthew 20:1-16 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - A -- 2007
One of my favorite courses to teach is "Introduction to Biblical Literature." It is a 200-level cour
Ecological Politics -- Matthew 14:22-33 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A -- 2007
One of the greatest military campaigns ever conducted was the Persian invasion of Greece in 480 BC.
Mistaken Identitiy -- Matthew 16:13-20 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A -- 2007
Appearances can be deceiving.
The Road No One Wants To Travel -- Matthew 16:21-28 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A -- 2007
Some time ago, I was riding a train through central England and a man boarded at one of the stops.
Religious Balkanization -- Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 2007
As a seminary intern in St. Louis, Missouri, I was part of a Jewish-Christian Dialogue group.
Personal Politics -- Matthew 18:15-20 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A -- 2007
Thomas Browne said that "the vices we scoff at in others laugh at us from within ourselves." More th
Why We Need The Pledge Of Allegiance -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2007
When I was in high school, a new music teacher came to town.
Hunger And Politics -- Matthew 14:13-21 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 13 | Ordinary Time 18 - A -- 2007
Yogi Berra, the great baseball player of an earlier age, was known for his unusual and creative use
A Career In The Kingdom -- Matthew 21:23-32 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A -- 2007
When Sadie and Bessie, the famed "Delany Sisters," were in the early years of their second centuries
A House Even Better Than "Buurma-Built" -- Romans 8:28, 31, 36, 37-39 -- Wayne Brouwer, Charles Cammarata -- 2006
For an elderly, faithful man
A Life In Rhyme -- Romans 8:1-4, 26-27 -- Wayne Brouwer, Charles Cammarata -- 2006
For a faithful womanA Life In Rhyme
Tour Guide -- Proverbs 3:5-6 -- Wayne Brouwer, Charles Cammarata -- 2006
For a faithful woman who was a tour guideTour Guide
Fade To Black -- James 1:10-11 -- Wayne Brouwer, Charles Cammarata -- 2006
A thought pieceFade To BlackJames 1:10-11
Restless Realism -- James 4:9 -- Wayne Brouwer, Charles Cammarata -- 2006
A thought pieceRestless RealismJames 4:9
ChristianOptimism -- 2 Corinthians 1:18-22 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - B -- 1999
While waiting at an airport, years ago, I saw a couple in their thirties bring an older woman
Anti-Venom Serum -- Galatians 4:4-7 -- Wayne Brouwer -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - B -- 1999
Years ago, when we lived in Alberta, Sunday nights were very special for us.
I Can't Wait! -- 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 -- Wayne Brouwer -- First Sunday of Advent - B -- 1999
Novelist Irwin Shaw was once taking a meal at a fancy French restaurant.
Tilting The Balance Of Power -- Romans 16:25-27 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 1999
Do you remember when it was that you first realized your parents were people, that they actually wer
Two Kinds Of Baptism -- Acts 19:1-7 -- Wayne Brouwer -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 1999
A Sunday school teacher challenged her children to take some time on Sunday afternoon to write a let
Mountain Standard Time -- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 1999
Somewhere today there is a widow who sits at the window of her apartment.
Beyond Personal Preferences -- 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 1999
In one of his early books (The Trouble with Parents, Zonder-van, 1978), Tim Stafford told of a youth

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Why Is God Unfair? -- Matthew 20:1-16 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - A -- 2007
One of my favorite courses to teach is "Introduction to Biblical Literature." It is a 200-level cour
The Road No One Wants To Travel -- Matthew 16:21-28 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A -- 2007
Some time ago, I was riding a train through central England and a man boarded at one of the stops.

Stories

StoryShare

New Beginnings For A New Year -- Matthew 25:31-46, Ecclesiastes 3:1-13, Revelation 21:1-6a, Psalm 8 -- David O. Bales, Terry Cain, Wayne Brouwer, John E. Sumwalt -- New Year's Day - A -- 2006
Contents What's Up This Week
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