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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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Emphasis Preaching Journal

William Shatner for years avoided any convention... -- Acts 19:1-7 -- Ron Love -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2011
William Shatner for years avoided any convention that was related to the television series Star T
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
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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 -- 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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A Time for Everything
Larry Winebrenner
Ecclesiastes 3:1-13

Henry didn't like Jack.

Oh, he loved him like a brother. He would die for his friend. But oh, the arrogance. He always thought he was right. And he would always use authority, authority of some kind, to support his claims.

SermonStudio

Mark Wm. Radecke
This season, the boundaries of darkness are pushed back. A light shines in the darkness and the darkness is powerless to extinguish it.

Darkness has always been a potent metaphor for those things in life that oppress and enthrall us, frighten and intimidate us, cause us worry and anxiety and leech the joy from our lives.

We know darkness in our physical lives when illness is close at hand, when we lack the basic necessities of life -- food, shelter and clothing.
Paul E. Robinson
Early in January in northern Canada the sun peeks above the horizon for the first time after six weeks of hiding. An important dawn for Canada. Imagine how the lives of people in the northern latitudes would be different if they got used to the darkness and never even expected that a dawn would ever lighten their horizon again.
John N. Brittain
We lived in Florida for a while in the 1980s and it was then that we learned about Tarpon Springs. Not a large city, it has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any place in the US. This dates back to the 1880s, when Greek immigrants moving into the area were hired as sponge divers, a trade they had plied back in the old country. Today Tarpon Springs' main claim to fame is the Greek Orthodox Church's Epiphany celebration, which is held every January 6, with the blessing of the waters and the boats.
Charles L. Aaron, Jr.
Early January always feels like a fresh start. The Christmas whirlwind has settled down. We still have a fighting chance to keep our resolutions for the new year. Cartoons always depict the New Year as a baby, full of possibilities and innocence. We hope that with a new year we can leave the baggage behind us, stretching toward a brighter future.

Stephen M. Crotts
Many things are written with all of the excitement of some fresh truth recently received. Other things are written from anger. And there is much these days in any pastorate to make one mad. Still other messages are delivered from depression. I'm convinced that the majority of preachers I know are over the edge into burnout. And what of this particular study? Where am I coming from? Today, I'm writing from a broken heart, a heart shattered by a fallen comrade.
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Did you notice that bad things did not stop happening through the holidays? And is any warning necessary that bad things will happen in every season of this year? Surely there is better news than that, but we ought to be honest about the bad news. Not even the holidays generate enough good will to stop people from blowing up airplanes and destroying people's reputations and abusing children and selling drugs to teenagers and gunning down their neighbors.
Robert A. Beringer
"So, what's new?" he asked. It happens all the time. You meet someone on the street you have not seen for awhile. "What's new?" "Oh, nothing much, really.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

When to accommodate and when not to accommodate? That's the question we face today. Most likely, the minds and hearts of our congregations will be focused on the new year. They will have just celebrated the advent not only of a new year but in this case a new millennium. With all the hype about the year 2000, our attention will doubtless be engrossed in the calendar. On the other hand, today is also an important liturgical celebration of the naming of Jesus. It provides us opportunity to acknowledge the importance of that name which has become sacred in our tradition.
Mark J. Molldrem
Schuyler Rhodes
These are the longest hours of darkness. Although the winter solstice is passed, the darkness lingers for many more weeks. The season becomes a symbol for the longing of the human spirit to "see the light." It becomes difficult to catch sight of the light, however, when so many shadows lurk at every turn of a corner we make. We claim to be an enlightened people; yet settle for clap-trap on television and spend countless hours absorbing it like a sponge under a dripping faucet. We call athletes heroes for nothing more than being good at what they do.
Cathy Venkatesh
In many countries, January 6 is a public holiday with parades, parties, and festivities celebrating the visit of the wise men. For some Christian churches, the main celebration of Christ's incarnation occurs on this day. But in the United States, Monday, January 6, 2014, is nothing special in the public sphere. For most of us, this day marks the beginning of our first full week back at work or school after the Christmas and New Year's holidays.

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Teachers: Most youngsters (and many adults) have a misconception of the wise men. The Bible does not state that the wise men visited Jesus at the manger. Even so, our tradition of gift giving at Christmas may relate to the wise men's gifts. The church celebrates the arrival of the wise men's visit to Jesus 12 days after Christmas. This event is called "Epiphany."

Take a moment to explain to your students the significance of Epiphany, the wise men, and Jesus. The lesson from Matthew states three gifts that the wise men gave Jesus: gold, frankincense and
Today we are going to be like the wise men from the East who looked for baby Jesus. They were told the wonderful story about a promised Messiah who would save the world. He was the "king of the Jews" and would be king of all people. They traveled a great distance. They wanted to see the baby. They had to see the baby! So they left and ended up in Jerusalem. There they asked about the promised king.

The man who was king became very jealous. Even though they were looking for a spiritual king -- a king of our hearts, minds,
Teachers or Parents: Have an Epiphany pageant to close off the Christmas season and the twelve days of Christmas with the children of your church. Have people stationed in various parts of the home or church building where you might go to ask the question, "Are you the Messiah?" They will, of course, say, "No." The first group might add, "Look for the star." Involve as many children as possible. Let them ask the question. Let them get into the role of wise men from the East. Help them relive the story and see that Jesus is more than king of the Jews or king of

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