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Richard A. Hasler

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Jesus used the opening words of this passage... -- Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 -- Richard A. Hasler -- Third Sunday of Advent - B -- 2011
Jesus used the opening words of this passage as his "mission statement" when he spoke in his hometow
NULL -- Matthew 14:22-33 -- Richard A. Hasler -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A -- 2011
Kathleen Norris in Amazing Grace tells of a low time in her life when her husband became seri
One day Branch Rickey, the general manager... -- John 1:6-8, 19-28 -- Richard A. Hasler -- Third Sunday of Advent - B -- 2011
One day Branch Rickey, the general manager of the then Brooklyn Dodgers major league baseball team,
NULL -- Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 -- Richard A. Hasler -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 2011
Lewis Smedes tells of his early days as a seminary professor when he ran into trouble with the more
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow could write poetically... -- Romans 16:25-27 -- Richard A. Hasler -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B -- 2011
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow could write poetically about "my gospel," even as Paul did in his conclud
NULL -- Romans 12:9-21 -- Richard A. Hasler -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A -- 2011
In the April 5, 2011 issue of the Christian Century magazine, Sarah Hinlicky Wilson has an ar
In the classic Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street... -- Isaiah 9:2-7 -- Richard A. Hasler -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2011
In the classic Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street, which usually appears on television th
Gregory Knox Jones tells the story... -- Exodus 1:8--2:10 -- Richard A. Hasler -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A -- 2011
Gregory Knox Jones tells the story of an unusual golf course in Calcutta, India.
In The House of the Dead, Dostoevsky, the great... -- Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- Richard A. Hasler -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2011
In The House of the Dead, Dostoevsky, the great Russian writer describes a Christmas day in a
In C.S. Lewis' work The Silver Chair... -- Matthew 16:13-20 -- Richard A. Hasler -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A -- 2011
In C.S.
Dorothy Day, the social activist who later became... -- Galatians 4:4-7 -- Richard A. Hasler -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - B -- 2011
Dorothy Day, the social activist who later became a devout Roman Catholic and continued to reach out
Writing about relationships in the church... -- Matthew 18:15-20 -- Richard A. Hasler -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A -- 2011
Leonard Sweet, writing about relationships in the church, contends that to say "relationship" is to
A few years ago I attended lectures at the Chautauqua Institute... -- Matthew 25:31-46 -- Richard A. Hasler -- New Year's Day - B -- 2011
A few years ago I attended lectures at the Chautauqua Institute in western New York.
The story of visiting an old woman... -- Exodus 12:1-14 -- Richard A. Hasler -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A -- 2011
Peter Gomes tells the story of visiting an old woman in a nursing home who had to downsize her posse
There is a time and season for everything... -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 -- Richard A. Hasler -- New Year's Day - A, New Year's Day - B, New Year's Day - C -- 2011
There is a time and season for everything.
The lack of civility in our churches and in our nation... -- Romans 14:1-12 -- Richard A. Hasler -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A -- 2011
The lack of civility in our churches and in our nation as a whole is a mark of our time.
The mystery of the plan... -- Ephesians 3:1-12 -- Richard A. Hasler -- Epiphany of the Lord - B -- 2011
The mystery of the plan that the gospel might be spread beyond the covenant people to the whole Gent
If you have seen the movie Amadeus... -- Matthew 20:1-16 -- Richard A. Hasler -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - A -- 2011
If you have seen the movie Amadeus about the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, you probably re
When Helmut Thielicke, the great German Lutheran pastor and theologian... -- Genesis 1:1-5 -- Richard A. Hasler -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2011
When Helmut Thielicke, the great German Lutheran pastor and theologian, indicated that he proposed t
In 1988 Arthur Rooney Sr. died... -- Exodus 16:12-15 -- Richard A. Hasler -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - A -- 2011
In 1988 Arthur Rooney Sr. died.
Walker Percy as a young college student... -- Mark 1:4-11 -- Richard A. Hasler -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2011
Walker Percy as a young college student emulated the spirit of John when he said, "The one who is mo
When Wayne Muller was ordained he invited Henri Nouwen to preach... -- Philippians 2:1-13 -- Richard A. Hasler -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A -- 2011
When Wayne Muller was ordained he invited Henri Nouwen to preach his ordination sermon.
In the year 1520 Martin Luther... -- 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 -- Richard A. Hasler -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2011
In the year 1520 Martin Luther, the German reformer, wrote his small treatise titled The Freedom
In our own time... -- Matthew 21:33-46 -- Richard A. Hasler -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A -- 2011
"Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that pro
Forty days more... -- Jonah 3:1-5, 10 -- Richard A. Hasler -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2011
"...Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" (Jonah 3:4).

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New & Featured This Week

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
In the sometimes-tiresome debate over science and scripture with respect to creation, it’s easy to become distracted. While the argument typically requires a focus on the how, we may lose sight of the what. And so, for just a moment, let me invite us to think for a moment about what God created.
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
Acts 8:26-40
As a local church pastor, I was often asked if I would baptize a child whose family were not members of the church. Some churches rebelled against this, but I remember this scripture — the hunger for understanding and inclusion of the Eunuch and Philp’s response — to teach and share and baptize in the name of our God. How could we turn anyone away from the rite of baptism?

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
“Dad, I think you worked a miracle.” Rolf slowly walked around the tree. “After that windstorm, I assumed this tree was as good as gone.”

“We just needed to give the branches time to heal and come back,” Michael replied.

 “I know, but so many of them were battered and broken I figured that it couldn’t recover. Now though it looks just like it did before the storm.” Rolf paused. “Do you think it will bear any fruit this summer?”

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: A live plant that produces fruit, and a broken branch from that plant. I used a tomato plant from a local greenhouse. Ideally, find a plant with blossoms or small fruit already growing. If you use a different kind of fruit-producing plant, just change the script to fit.

* * *

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

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
Elena Delhagen
Dean Feldmeyer
Quantisha Mason-Doll
For April 28, 2024:
  • On The Way To Gaza by Chris Keating based on Acts 8:26-40. On the way to Gaza, Philip discovers the startling ways the Spirit of God moves across borders, boundaries, customs, and traditions.
  • Second Thoughts: Abiding by Katy Stenta based on John 15:1-8.
  • Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Tom Willadsen, Elena Delhagen, Dean Feldmeyer.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. In our service today, let us absorb from the vine all the nourishment we need.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes our branches become cut off from the vine.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes our branches are withered.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we fail to produce good fruit.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Stan Purdum
We will meet Psalm 22 in its entirety on Good Friday, but here the lectionary designates just verses 23-31. The lectionary psalms generally illuminate the week's First Lesson, which in this case is about the covenant initiated by God with Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17. The nine verses from this psalm, while not inappropriate, nonetheless leave us looking for an obvious connection with the First Lesson.

John S. Smylie
I think some people are natural-born gardeners. Our Lord grew up in a society that was familiar with agriculture. The images that he used to explain the ways of his Father in heaven are familiar to his audience. Growing up, my closest experience to agriculture was living in, "the Garden State." Most people, when they pass through New Jersey, are surprised to see that expression on the license plates of vehicles registered in New Jersey. Most folks traveling through New Jersey experience the megalopolis, the corridor between New York City and Washington DC.
Ron Lavin
A pastor in Indiana went to visit an 87-year-old man named Ermil, who was a hospital patient. A member of his church told the pastor about this old man who was an acquaintance. "He's not a believer, but he is really in need," the church member said. "I met him at the county home for the elderly. He's a lonely old man with no family and no money."

Paul E. Robinson
"Love is a many splendored thing...." Or so we heard Don Cornwall and the Four Aces sing time and again. Of course you or I might have other words to describe love, depending on our situation.

Love. "I love you." "I love to play golf." "I just love pistachio lush!" "It's tough to love some people." "Jesus loves me, this I know."

Love.

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