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Ron Love

Ronald H. Love was called into the ordained ministry from a career as a state trooper. He has served Methodist churches in rural, inner-city and suburban settings for 20 years, and also served for four years as an Army chaplain. Dr. Love has also been a corporate librarian for a Fortune 500 company and been a university professor for ten years, teaching history and theology. His writing experience includes denominational publications, magazine articles on religion, and a newspaper devotional column. He holds a bachelor's degree in sociology (Slippery Rock State College), master's degrees in library and information science (University of Pittsburgh), secondary education (Duquesne University), church history (Indiana University of Pennsylvania), and theology (Wesley Theological Seminary), as well as a doctorate in homiletics (Pittsburgh Theological Seminary). Dr. Love now resides in South Carolina.
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Commentary

Children's sermon

Illustration

Emphasis Preaching Journal

NULL -- Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67 -- Ron Love -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 2011
Loft 107 is a sober-living facility located in the heart of Brooklyn.
Cadel Evans of Australia... -- John 1:43-51 -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2011
Cadel Evans of Australia never lost his vision; he never lost his hope; he never lost his perseveran
NULL -- Matthew 25:31-46 -- Ron Love -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A -- 2011
In Colonial America each household was required to keep a leather bucket next to the front door.
When it appeared that Congress would be unable to pass... -- Acts 1:1-11 -- Ron Love -- Ascension of the Lord - A -- 2011
When it appeared that Congress would be unable to pass the 2011 budget, 800,000 federal employees wh
The altar has inspiring symbolic meaning... -- 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - B -- 2011
In the Catholic church the altar has inspiring symbolic meaning.
Five weeks before Benjamin Franklin's death... -- John 8:31-36 -- Ron Love -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 2011
Five weeks before his death, Benjamin Franklin received an inquiry about his beliefs from a Congrega
Susan Roy wrote a book that studied the history of the fallout shelter... -- Ephesians 1:15-23 -- Ron Love -- Ascension of the Lord - A -- 2011
Susan Roy wrote a book that studied the history of the fallout shelter, titled Bamboozled: How th
Two popular reality TV shows... -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20 -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2011
Two popular reality TV shows deal with pawnshops.
Ladies wore corsets... -- Jeremiah 31:31-34 -- Ron Love -- Reformation Sunday - A -- 2011
Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front.
NULL -- Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 -- Ron Love -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A -- 2011
Glenn Beck lost his viewers, 400 advertisers, and his relationship with Fox News when he said Presid
Claudia Puig reviewed... -- 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20) -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2011
Claudia Puig reviewed the movie Cowboys & Aliens for USA Today.
As all the other Anglicans in church knelt at their pews... -- 1 John 3:1-3 -- Ron Love -- All Saints Day - A -- 2011
During prayer as all the other Anglicans in church knelt at their pews, George Washington would stan
NULL -- Romans 8:1-11 -- Ron Love -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2011
Albuquerque police office Trey Economidy received national attention when a posting to his Facebook
In 1898, Florence Nightingale wrote a book... -- Matthew 17:1-9 -- Ron Love -- Transfiguration Sunday - A -- 2011
In 1898, Florence Nightingale wrote a book on nursing that was titled, Notes on Nursing: What It
When The Oprah Winfrey Show ended... -- Mark 1:21-28 -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2011
After the close of The Oprah Winfrey Show, People magazine did a review of its 25 year
NULL -- 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 -- Ron Love -- Thanksgiving Day - A -- 2011
In George Washington's day, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted.
NULL -- Genesis 28:10-19a -- Ron Love -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2011
We are celebrating over the next four years the sesquicentennial of the Civil War.
NULL -- 2 Corinthians 5:20--6:10 -- Ron Love -- Ash Wednesday - A -- 2011
In January of 2011, when Dan Uggla signed the contract to be the coach of the Atlanta Braves, he did
NULL -- Romans 5:12-19 -- Ron Love -- First Sunday in Lent - A -- 2011
Rudyard Kipling, best known as the author of The Jungle Book, wrote a poem titled The Whit
Thomas Jefferson was a deist... -- Isaiah 64:1-9 -- Ron Love -- First Sunday of Advent - B -- 2011
Thomas Jefferson was a deist.
NULL -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 -- Ron Love -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2011
The Grammy Awards have dropped a significant number of categories eligible for recognition -- decrea
NULL -- Romans 5:1-11 -- Ron Love -- Third Sunday in Lent - A -- 2011
Elie Wiesel is most often recognized for his book Night, in which he recounts his captivity a
Dignity therapy... -- 2 Kings 5:1-14 -- Ron Love -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2011
Hospice has introduced "dignity therapy" for terminally ill patients.
In the past, common entertainment included... -- Mark 13:24-37 -- Ron Love -- First Sunday of Advent - B -- 2011
In the past, common entertainment included playing cards.
NULL -- Romans 8:26-39 -- Ron Love -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2011
Everyone in the village believed Pendle Hill was haunted by demons.

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The Immediate Word

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For December 7, 2025:

The Village Shepherd

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There was an incident some years ago, when an elderly lady in some village parish in England was so fed up with the sound of the church bells ringing, that she took an axe and hacked her way through the oak door of the church. Once inside, she sliced through the bell ropes, rendering the bells permanently silent. The media loved it. There were articles in all the papers and the culprit appeared on television. The Church was less enthusiastic - and took her to court.

SermonStudio

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(See The Epiphany Of Our Lord, Cycle A, and The Epiphany Of Our Lord, Cycle B, for alternative approaches.)

This psalm is a prayer for the king, and it asks God to extend divine rule over earth through the anointed one who sits on the throne. Although the inscription says the psalm is about Solomon, that is a scribal addition. More likely, this was a general prayer used for more than one of the Davidic kings, and it shows the common belief that the monarch would be the instrument through which God acted.

Mark Wm. Radecke
In her Pulitzer Prize winning book, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, author Annie Dillard recalls this chilling remembrance:
Paul E. Robinson
There is so much uncertainty in life that most of us look hard and long for as many "sure things" as we can find. A fisherman goes back again and again to that hole that always produces fish and leaves on his line that special lure that always does the trick. The fishing hole and the lure are sure things.
John N. Brittain
If you don't know that Christmas is a couple of weeks away, you must be living underground. And you must have no contact with any children. And you cannot have been to a mall, Wal-Mart, Walgreen's, or any other chain store since three weeks before Halloween. Christmas, probably more than any other day in the contemporary American calendar, is one of those days where impact really stretches the envelope of time not just -- like some great tragedy -- after the fact, but also in anticipation.
Tony S. Everett
One hot summer day, a young pastor decided to change the oil in his automobile for the very first time in his life. He had purchased five quarts of oil, a filter wrench, and a bucket in which to drain the used oil. He carefully and gently drove the car onto the shiny, yellow ramps and eased his way underneath his vehicle.

Charles L. Aaron, Jr.
We've gathered here today on the second Sunday of Advent to continue to prepare ourselves for the coming of our Lord. This task of preparing for the arrival of the Lord is not as easy as we might think it is. As in other areas of life, we find ourselves having to unlearn some things in order to see what the scriptures teach us about God's act in Jesus. We've let the culture around us snatch away much of the meaning of the birth of the Savior. We have to reclaim that meaning if we really want to be ready for what God is still doing in the miracle of Christmas.
Timothy J. Smith
As we make our way through Advent inching closer to Christmas, our days are consumed with many tasks. Our "to do" list grows each day. At times we are often out of breath and wondering if we will complete everything on our list before Christmas Day. We gather on this Second Sunday in Advent to spiritually prepare for what God has done and continues to do in our lives and in our world. We have been too busy with all our activities and tasks so that we are in danger of missing out on the miracle of Christmas.
Frank Luchsinger
For his sixth grade year his family moved to the new community. They made careful preparations for the husky, freckle-faced redhead to fit in smoothly. They had meetings with teachers and principal, and practiced the route to the very school doors he would enter on the first day. "Right here will be lists of the classes with the teachers' names and students. Come to these doors and find your name on a list and go to that class."
R. Glen Miles
The text we have heard today is pleasant, maybe even reassuring. I wonder, though, how many of us will give it any significance once we leave the sanctuary? Do the words of Isaiah have any real meaning for us, or are they just far away thoughts from a time that no longer has any relevance for us today?
Susan R. Andrews
When our children were small, a nice church lady named Chris made them a child--friendly creche. All the actors in this stable drama are soft and squishy and durable - perfect to touch and rearrange - or toss across the living room in a fit of toddler frenzy. The Joseph character has always been my favorite because he looks a little wild - red yarn spiking out from his head, giving him an odd look of energy. In fact, I have renamed this character John the Baptist and in my mind substituted one of the innocuous shepherds for the more staid and solid Joseph. Why this invention?
Amy C. Schifrin
Martha Shonkwiler
Litany Of Confession
P: Wild animals flourish around us,
C: and prowl within us.
P: Injustice and inequity surround us,
C: and hide within us.
P: Vanity and pride divide us,
C: and fester within us.

A time for silent reflection

P: O God, may your love free us,
C: and may your Spirit live in us. Amen.

Prayer Of The Day

Emphasis Preaching Journal

The world and the church approach the "Mass of Christ" with a different pace, and "atmospheres" that are worlds apart. Out in the "highways and byways" tinsel and "sparkly" are everywhere, in the churches the color of the paraments and stoles is a somber violet, or in some places, blue. Through the stores and on the airwaves carols and pop tunes are up-beat, aimed at getting the spirits festive, and the pocketbooks and wallets are open.
David Kalas
In the United States just now, we're in the period between the election and the inauguration of the president. In our system, by the time they are inaugurated, our leaders are fairly familiar faces. Months of primaries and campaigning, debates and speeches, and conventions and commercials, all contribute to a fairly high degree of familiarity. We may wonder what kind of president someone will be, but we have certainly heard many promises, and we have had plenty of opportunities to get to know the candidate.
(A)
During my growing up years we had no family automobile. My father walked to work and home again. During World War II his routine at the local milk plant was somewhat irregular. As children we tried to guess when he would come. If we were wrong, we didn't worry. He always came.
Wayne Brouwer
Schuyler Rhodes
What difference does my life make for others around me? That question is addressed in three related ways in our texts for today. Isaiah raised the emblem of the Servant of Yahweh as representative for what life is supposed to be, even in the middle of a chaotic and cruel world. Paul mirrors that reflection as he announces the fulfillment of Isaiah's vision in the coming of Jesus and the expansion of its redemptive effects beyond the Jewish community to the Gentile world as well.

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