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Arthur H. Kolsti

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The Strange Tactics Of God -- 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B -- 1996
Some of you will remember Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark, a film released several ye
A Habitat For Humanity -- 2 Samuel 7:1-14a -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 1996
The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live i
Here Is Where It Happens -- 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20) -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - B -- 1996
Here is where it happens. Where is here? Here is right here, among us.
Day of Pentecost -- Acts 2:1-21, Ezekiel 37:1-14 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Day of Pentecost - B -- 1996
Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lor
When Saints Go Marching Forth -- 1 Samuel 15:34--16:13 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - B -- 1996
Sometimes when reading you come across words that just leap off the page and grab you.
Acquaintances Or Friends? -- 1 Samuel 17:57--18:5, 10-16 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - B -- 1996
Let's begin by thinking about the difference between an acquaintance and a friend.
Another Kind Of Success -- 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - B -- 1996
Rags-to-riches stories have been popular in every time and place.
R.S.V.P. -- Isaiah 6:1-8 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 1996
Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?-- Isaiah 6:8b
Saul, The Tormented King -- 1 Samuel 8:4-11 (12-15) 16-20 (11:14-15) -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 1996
He was like a meteor.
Lyrics For The Centuries -- 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - B -- 1996
When David received the report of the battlefield deaths of Saul and Jonathan, he expressed his sorr
The Running Man -- Mark 10:17-30 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 1993
"And as he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him ..." There is an intensit
Where Do We Stand? -- John 18:33-37 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - B -- 1993
This is the last Sunday of the church year.
Good Powers Wonderfully Hidden -- Matthew 6:25-33 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Thanksgiving Day - B -- 1993
Our gospel lesson is part of the Sermon on the Mount.
No Short Cuts To Glory -- Mark 10:35-45 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - B -- 1993
The disciples were not good listeners. But then, neither are we.
Seeing And Not Seeing -- Mark 10:46-52 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 1993
Think about your eyes. What mysterious, wonderful instruments they are.
Less Important Does Not Mean Unimportant -- Mark 12:28-34 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - B -- 1993
This meeting between Jesus and the unnamed scribe recounted in the gospel lesson for today catches o
Dwarfed By Comparison -- Mark 12:38-44 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 1993
Mark is fond of drawing comparisons as he tells the story of Jesus.
Living Between Beginnings -- Mark 13:1-13 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 1993
The 13th chapter of Mark's gospel is positioned by him to serve as the last discourse of Jesus with
Caught By The Hook -- John 8:31-36 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- 1993
This is Reformation Sunday and it is fitting that we start with a quote from Martin Luther.
Will Someone Please Notice Martha? -- John 11:32-44 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- All Saints Day - B -- 1993
Martha is an overlooked and underrated saint.
Spectators Or Sentinels? -- Mark 13:24-32 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 1993
The gospel reading for this day is bracketed by the command to keep alert, to watch.
It's Time To Rediscover The Beatitudes -- Matthew 5:1-12 -- Arthur H. Kolsti -- All Saints Day - B -- 1993
The committee responsible for the wording of the New Revised Standard Version did not replace the fa
A Time For Thanksgiving -- Mark 15:21 -- Anthology, Arthur H. Kolsti -- 1989
This meditation was delivered at a memorial service for a young man of nineteen whose death was caus
God Has a Purpose Death Where Divorce Has Intruded -- Matthew 1 -- Arthur H. Kolsti, Anthology -- 1989
We can expect an increasing number of services involving families whose relationships have been stai
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
30 – Children's Sermons / Resources
29 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
29 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
27 – Children's Sermons / Resources
20 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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Object: This is a role play activity for the children.

Note: You will need an older volunteer to help with this activity. One option would be to find a teenager with some physical ability. If a teen is not available, an adult could be used instead. For simplicity here, I will refer to my older volunteer as “TOM”. You will also need to select three of your younger children to serve as volunteers in the story.

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2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30
Naaman seeks healing. He travels hoping healing will come to him when he visits the king of Israel. Yet, healing does not come in that way. Rather healing comes through Elishah. Healing comes from believing and being cleansed in the River Jordan. Healing comes through Naaman’s faithfulness and through God’s grace. Psalm 30 also reminds us to seek healing; to seek God and God will heal and restore us. Do we believe that? Do we believe that God can bring healing?

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But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ (vv. 10-11)

When I visit your church for the first time, consider the possibility that I might be looking for a church home. I am a good-looking old guy, but I have gray hair and I dress down in the summer, so don’t be put off by my cargo shorts and tank top. Talk to me!

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Damien and Ora grinned at each other in excitement. The time had come - at last! They'd been with the Leader for months and months, waiting for this moment. Not that it had felt much like training. They'd simply lived with the Leader, listening to his stories, hearing about the Kingdom, learning to get along really well with all the other people at Mission Headquarters. Now all seventy of them were ready, the spaceship had docked, and the Mission was about to begin. Ora was glad she'd been paired up with Damien again.

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(See Epiphany 6/Ordinary Time 6, Cycle B, and Easter 3, Cycle C, for alternative approaches.)

Anyone who has ever had the experience of losing a friend because of some conflict or dispute, and then has had the friendship restored because of love and forgiveness, has a unique insight into the meaning of this psalm. Although the poem begins and ends with praise, there is in the middle of the poem a brief moment of confession and contrition that puts the praise portions of the psalm in an entirely different light.

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A word of encouragement came from an unlikely source the other day in a television interview with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The former football player, wrestler, and now actor was asked about a low time in his life when he was very discouraged about his career and future.

"How did you make your way back from that?" he was asked.

The Rock replied, "You have to put yourself out there. You have to get out there and fail, and learn from your failures."

Larry D. Powell
In the summer of 1983, I participated in a ministerial exchange program sponsored by my denomination. My assignment was to a circuit of churches on the Isle of Man, a tiny island located in the Irish Sea. The months preceding the exchange included considerable correspondence with the minister on the island with whom I would exchange pastoral duties for six weeks.
Richard E. Gribble, CSC
A wealthy businessman decided to take a walk and eat his lunch at the same time. He strolled by a park. There he purchased a hot dog and a soft drink. As he walked through the park two different "street people" approached him one by one. Each asked, "Can you help me? I am hungry." Each time the businessman looked straight ahead and kept walking. After finishing his lunch, he stopped and bought a chocolate eclair for dessert. As he was about to take the first bite, he was forced to jump out of the way as a young boy raced by on his skateboard. The eclair went flying and landed on the ground.

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