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Anna Shirey

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Be the Clay! -- Luke 3:7-18 -- Anna Shirey -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 2012
First Thoughts
I Have Chosen You -- John 15:9-17 -- Anna Shirey -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: In many church doctrines, the power and responsibility of choice seems to res
Now I See! -- Matthew 2:1-12 -- Anna Shirey -- Epiphany of the Lord - C -- 2012
First Thoughts
Sent Out as Christ -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Anna Shirey -- Ascension of the Lord - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: As we enter this celebration of Ascension and prepare for Pentecost, we're go
Sheep or Goat? -- Matthew 25:31-46 -- Anna Shirey -- New Year's Day - A, New Year's Day - B, New Year's Day - C -- 2012
First Thoughts
Not of the World -- John 17:6-19 -- Anna Shirey -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: Ever since the church began, there has been an ongoing struggle with the ques
The Spirit that Guides Us -- Day of Pentecost -- Anna Shirey -- 2012
First Thoughts: As we celebrate the birthday of the church, we can also revisit our own first
As Iron Sharpens Iron -- John 3:1-17 -- Anna Shirey -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: Today's lesson contains one of the most familiar passages in the Bible: "For
A House Unified -- Mark 3:20-35 -- Anna Shirey -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: If we read the entire passage for this Sunday we are struck with how many les
The Weedy Kingdom -- Mark 4:26-34 -- Anna Shirey -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: We are all likely familiar with this evocative parable, which compares the ki
Quieting the Storm -- Mark 4:35-41 -- Anna Shirey -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: This story is almost magical and is likely to appeal to young children.
Untouchable? -- Mark 5:21-43 -- Anna Shirey -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: Jesus' healing stories are miraculous demonstrations of Jesus' power, but the
A Prophet in Her Hometown -- Mark 6:1-13 -- Anna Shirey -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: It is hard for us to realize, sometimes, how God can speak and work through j
Breaking a Promise -- Mark 6:14-29 -- Anna Shirey -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 2012
First Thoughts: The story about the beheading of John the Baptist is pretty disturbing, but i
Carrying God's Mark -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Anna Shirey -- Ash Wednesday - B -- 2011
First Thoughts: As we begin our journey into Lent, we are faced with some weighty spiritual q
Being the Beloved -- Mark 1:9-15 -- Anna Shirey -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2011
First Thoughts: This Sunday it would be easy to stick with the first part of the text, which
Waiting for the Right Gift -- Luke 2:22-40 -- Anna Shirey -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - B -- 2011
First Thoughts: This first Sunday after Christmas we are introduced to two familiar character
What Is Concealed Now Is Revealed -- Matthew 2:1-12 -- Anna Shirey -- Epiphany of the Lord - B -- 2011
First Thoughts: This lesson focuses on the nature of revelation, to suddenly "see" something
Pointing Out the Christ -- Mark 1:4-11 -- Anna Shirey -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2011
First Thoughts: I want to focus a bit on John the Baptist -- who is such an interesting chara
Seeing into the Heart -- John 1:43-51 -- Anna Shirey -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2011
First Thoughts: Here we are looking at Jesus' first "recruiting" mission, as depicted in John
Freeze! -- Mark 1:14-20 -- Anna Shirey -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2011
First Thoughts: In this next story of Jesus inviting disciples, we're going to focus on Jesus
Cleaning Out the Icks -- Mark 1:21-28 -- Anna Shirey -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2011
First Thoughts: A lesson about spiritual possession is a difficult one for children to unders
Saved to Serve -- Mark 1:29-39 -- Anna Shirey -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2011
First Thoughts: This scripture passage is a great lead-in to a conversation about need and gr
Being a Blabbermouth -- Mark 1:40-45 -- Anna Shirey -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2011
First Thoughts: This is one of those provocative stories in the gospel where Jesus seems to w
Being Healed -- Mark 2:1-12 -- Anna Shirey -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2011
First Thoughts: How does it feel to be truly seen?
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The Immediate Word

Thomas Willadsen
Dean Feldmeyer
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Christopher Keating
Katy Stenta
George Reed
Bethany Peerbolte
For May 9, 2021:
  • One Nation Under God? by Tom Willadsen — What would the United States look like if we truly were “one nation under God?” What would it be like to live in a place where everyone was treated as one who has been “born of God?”
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StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
Frank Ramirez
Contents
“Waking Up to Racism” by John Sumwalt
“Twists and Turns” by Frank Ramirez

 
Waking Up to Racism
by John Sumwalt
Psalm 98

Let the floods clap their hands;
    let the hills sing together for joy
 at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming
    to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
    and the peoples with equity. (vv. 8-9)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
In the mid-1960s, a popular song declared, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It's the only thing that there's just too little of.”1 It was an era of both national and international unrest. And the American landscape was reeling from the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement, and opposition to both. Amidst headlines so marked by unrest and division, therefore, the sentiment of the song struck a chord with an American audience. 
Bill Thomas
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Acts 10:44-48
Prejudice is always wrong. Nat King Cole is a well-known artist who was the first African American to host his own national television program. In 1948, he purchased a beautiful home in an exclusive Los Angeles neighborhood. When the local neighborhood association confronted him and informed him it didn’t want any undesirables to move in, Cole responded, “Neither do I. If I see any coming in here, I’ll be the first to complain.” He lived in that house until his death in 1965.

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John Jamison
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (vv. 9-12)

Hi, everyone! (Let them respond.)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus gave up his life for us. In our worship today let us explore how to love one another as he has loved us.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes our love for each other is thin and pale.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we pretend to love but fail to care.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we don't know how to love.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

John E. Sumwalt
Jo Perry-sumwalt
One evening, when I was 26 years old, beleagered by guilt for acknowledged sins, I was deep into an hour-long prayer of repentance. In despair, I grieved that I had broken the commandments and that I was not worthy of God's love.

Near me lay the Bible, unused and unfamiliar. I had never, ever read from the Bible. Yet my hands reached out and took the Bible to open it. I knew not where, nor why. But my hands knew the way. They opened to John 15:9-11 and as my eyes began to read, my mind knew the meaning with clarity. My eyes read verse 10 first:
Mark Ellingsen
Theme of the Day
God's love brings us together.

Collect of the Day
It is noted that God has prepared great joy for those who love Him. Petitions are then offered that such love may be poured into the hearts of the faithful so that they may obtain these promises. Justification as a reward for our deeds (love) is communicated by this prayer.

Psalm of the Day
Psalm 98
Stan Purdum
(See Christmas Day, Cycles A and B, for alternative approaches.)

Richard E. Gribble
Once upon a time a great and powerful king ruled over a vast territory. There was something very strange about this kingdom, however -- everything was the same. The people ate the same food, drank the same drink, wore the same clothes, and lived in the same type of homes. The people even did all the same work. There was another oddity about this place. Everything was gray -- the food, the drink, the clothes, the houses; there were no other colors.

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