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R. Craig Maccreary

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Commentary

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Has it dawned on you? -- Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12, Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Epiphany of the Lord - C -- 2022
Note: This installment was originally published in 2007.
Don't miss out on the coming reformation -- Jeremiah 31:31-34, Romans 3:19-28, John 8:31-36 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 2011
Reformation Day always seemed to me to be the odd day out on the church calendar.
Ride on in majesty? -- Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24, Ephesians 1:15-23, Matthew 25:31-46 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A -- 2011
As the ship made her way down the channel, there was hardly a dry eye among those watching.
Passionate about the passion -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 26:14--27:66, Psalm 31:9-16 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2008
I suspect that most preachers will not be looking for ways to dive headlong into
All things to all people? -- Acts 10:34-43, Colossians 3:1-4, John 20:1-18, Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Easter Day - A -- 2008
What does the territory ahead look like as you chart your way through what is
Charting the course without the chart -- Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 2:19-25, John 10:1-10, Psalm 23 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2008
People have all sorts of travel styles. I am constantly amazed at those who can just pick
Standing on the promises -- Genesis 12:1-9, Romans 4:13-25, Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26, Psalm 33:1-12 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - A -- 2008
If you want to know how to get me to sing, though of course I am not sure that
The grand national preach-off -- Genesis 22:1-14, Romans 6:12-23, Matthew 10:40-42, Psalm 13 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2008
Nowadays it is hard for any television viewer to avoid the reality show genre where "real
Don't blow your inheritance -- Genesis 28:10-19a, Romans 8:12-25, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2008
I suppose all of us have particular objects of our venom and disgust. Whenever said
Gotcha! -- Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28, Romans 10:5-15, Matthew 14:22-33, Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A -- 2008
The longer I go in life the more I become fascinated with words: how we use them, where
Choose your weapon -- Exodus 3:1-15, Romans 12:9-21, Matthew 16:21-28, Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A -- 2008
Weapon: "1) something (as a club, knife, or gun) used to injure, defeat, or destroy; 2) a
So who will you be voting for? -- Exodus 16:2-15, Philippians 1:21-30, Matthew 20:1-16, Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - A -- 2008
Needless to say, I suspect that I have captured your attention at this point. Most of the
What you are not responsible for -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-13, Revelation 21:1-6a, Matthew 25:31-46, Psalm 8 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- New Year's Day - A, New Year's Day - B, New Year's Day - C -- 2007
'Tis the season to measure up, sum up, and own up. While most sanctuaries will not be
Locked in a room with open doors -- Acts 16:16-34, Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21, John 17:20-26, Psalm 97 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2007
About 25 years ago, Ernest Campbell, former preaching minister at New York's
Christianity, the basic course -- Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Luke 17:11-19, Psalm 66:1-12 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C -- 2007
A survey of Christian education resources reveals a trend toward an increasing number of
What's new? -- Isaiah 65:17-25, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, Luke 21:5-19, Psalm 98 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - C -- 2007
Life can be quite onerous depending on the answer given to this question. Many of
Keeping up appearances -- Isaiah 49:1-7, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, John 1:29-42, Psalm 40:1-11 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - A -- 2007
One of my favorite British situation comedies is Keeping Up Appearances. It
What's carved above your church door? -- Song of Solomon 2:8-13, James 1:17-27, Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23, Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - B -- 2006
There is a certain irony here as we approach the Sunday before Labor Day and the
Any questions -- show of hands -- Proverbs 31:10-31, James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a, Mark 9:30-37, Psalm 1 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B -- 2006
"Any questions?" The words hang in the air at the end of the teacher's lecture as the
Do you really want to be in that number? -- Isaiah 25:6-9, Revelation 21:1-6a, John 11:32-44, Psalm 24 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- All Saints Day - B -- 2006
I have to admit that Monty Python's Flying Circus is an acquired taste. Yet,
Propping up or opening up -- 1 Samuel 1:4-20, Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25, Mark 13:1-8, 1 Samuel 2:1-10 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 2006
It is never a good place to be when you feel that you are loosing it. When clearly marked
Primal urge -- Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a, Luke 4:14-21, Psalm 19 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2006
The texts set before us all have to do with encountering the primal and basic core of
Getting started on the right foot -- Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Romans 10:8b-13, Luke 4:1-13, Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2006
We now set sail for Jerusalem, the events of holy week, and the hope of Easter morning.
Prisoners for love -- John 15:9-17, 1 John 5:1-6, Acts 10:44-48, Psalm 98 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - B
In a scene from the current hit Broadway show, The Producers, a chorus of

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Don't miss out on the coming reformation -- Jeremiah 31:31-34, Romans 3:19-28, John 8:31-36 -- R. Craig Maccreary -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 2011
Reformation Day always seemed to me to be the odd day out on the church calendar.
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Lent 2
20 – Sermons
170+ – Illustrations / Stories
26 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
20 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Lent 3
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Lent 4
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
27 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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Object: A rock about the size of a tennis ball, baseball, or even a softball.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent!

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For March 30, 2025:

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Paul reread the parable again and sighed. Why had he agreed to lead the Bible study this week? When Pastor Luke asked him, he had been all excited and enthusiastic. He knew the parable of the prodigal son inside and out having read commentaries and stories about it before. He had actually preached a sermon on the passage when Pastor Luke was away and received great feedback from the congregation.

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It is a well-known cliché that “God never gives us more than we can handle”, but I have sometimes found that not to be so. When my youngest brother died of brain cancer at age five, it was more than I could handle. When my first husband was emotionally and physically abusive, it was more than I could handle. When my second husband and I lost our twin sons at birth, it was more than I could handle. The COVID pandemic was more than we could handle. Wars and violence are often more than we can handle. Homelessness, poverty, grief, and loss are often more than we can handle.
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I suppose we are all a little bit nervous about the prospect of a sermon on a Bible story as familiar and sometimes as overworked as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. "What can I possibly say that hasn't been said before?" And I know what's going through your minds: "Are we going to be subjected to the same old sermon yet another time?" Confronting a familiar Bible passage like this mid-Lent really serves to address the discipline of reading Scripture as part of our devotional life, particularly passages that are very familiar.
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A. A. Milne, the creator of Winnie the Pooh, wrote a simple, yet telling poem in his work, Now We Are Six:

When I was One, I had just begun.
When I was Two, I was nearly new.
When I was Three, I was hardly Me.
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The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to worship:

 While the Prodigal Son was still far off, his father saw him, ran to him, put his arms around him and kissed him. In our worship today, let us turn to God so that he may run to us, put his arms around and kiss us.

Invitation to confession:

 Jesus, for the times when we run away from you,

Lord, have mercy.

 Jesus, for the times when we have wasted our inheritance on dissolute living,

Christ, have mercy.

 Jesus, when we return to you,

Lord, have mercy.

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