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Wayne Brouwer

Wayne Brouwer is a pastor of the Christian Reformed Church in North America and is an Associate Professor of Religion at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, as well as a member of the faculty of Western Theological Seminary. Brouwer has been the lead pastor in three different congregations. He is a graduate of Dordt College and holds degrees from Calvin Theological Seminary and McMaster University. Over 700 of his articles have been published as well as over a dozen books. Previous CSS Publishing titles by Pastor Bouwer include Political Christianity and Humming Till the Music Returns. He has been a consistent contributor to Emphasis: A Preaching Journal since 2004 and is one of several authors featured in Navigating the Sermon. Pastor Brouwer resides in Holland, Michigan, with his wife Brenda and they are the parents of three daughters.
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Commentary

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Testimony -- Acts 9:1-6 (7-20), Revelation 5:11-14, John 21:1-19 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Third Sunday of Easter - C -- 2016
In 1637, Eilenburg, Saxony, was surrounded by the dark night of the soul. Europe was at war.
Powerful prayer -- Acts 16:16-34, Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21, John 17:20-26 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2016
Dr. James Dobson tells a story about his son when he was just a little fellow.
Seeing beyond -- 1 Kings 19:1-4, Galatians 3:23-29, Luke 8:26-39 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2016
In Morris West’s novel The Clowns of God, there’s a powerful scene where a father and his d
Personal testimony -- Hosea 1:2-10, Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19), Luke 11:1-13 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C -- 2016
Victor Hugo called his masterpiece Les Miserables a religious work. So it is.
Lying eyes, crying eyes -- Jeremiah 2:4-13, Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16, Luke 14:1, 7-14 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2016
The great composer Felix Mendelssohn loved to tell the marvelous story of how his grandparents Moses
Grace: reinterpreting our lives -- Lamentations 1:1-6, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Luke 17:5-10 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C -- 2016
One college professor presented his class syllabus on the first day of the new semester.
Eschatological ethics -- Haggai 1:15b--2:9, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17, Luke 20:27-38 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - C -- 2016
There is a powerful scene in Herman Melville’s great epic Moby Dick, where peglegged Captai
After the storm -- Isaiah 11:1-10, Romans 15:4-13, Matthew 3:1-12 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Second Sunday of Advent - A -- 2016
What difference does my life make for others around me? What difference does anyone’s life make?
The right gift -- Isaiah 7:10-16, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - A -- 2016
Some gifts we receive are simply add-ons to the polite niceties of the relationship.
A place at the table -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Maundy Thursday - B -- 2015
Here’s a parable: a man is convicted of a criminal act.
Prophet -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Mark 1:21-28 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2015
When the nation of Israel came out of Egypt and met God at Mount Sinai, there was a political tra
Of jungles and gardens -- Acts 8:26-40, 1 John 4:7-21, John 15:1-8 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - B -- 2015
After Margaret Mead, the world-renowned anthropologist, gave a presentation at a university, she hos
Conflicting expectations -- 1 Samuel 8:4-11 (12-15) 16-20, 2 Corinthians 4:13--5:1, Mark 3:20-35 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - B -- 2015
The year was 1934.
Shattered dreams and reviving hopes -- 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33, Ephesians 4:25--5:2, John 6:35, 41-51 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - B -- 2015
A Jewish boy in Europe grew up with a profound sense of admiration for his father.
Compassion: the language of heaven -- 2 Samuel 7:1-14a, Ephesians 2:11-22, Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B -- 2015
Ian Maclaren tells the story of a young woman in his book Beside the Bon­nie Briar Bush.
Wordsmithing -- Proverbs 1:20-33, James 3:1-12, Mark 8:27-38 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - B -- 2015
A Jewish rabbi was officiating at the funeral of a woman from his congregation.
Beyond consumerism -- Job 23:1-9, 16-17, Hebrews 4:12-16, Mark 10:17-31 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - B -- 2015
I know a mother who remembers an embarrassing moment that happened when she went with her daughter’s
The good voice of poverty -- Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17, Hebrews 9:24-28, Mark 12:38-44 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 2015
In my times of great energy and passionate success, I never think about death. I was born to live!
Born a child and yet a king -- Micah 5:2-5a, Hebrews 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-45 (46-55) -- Wayne Brouwer -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - C -- 2015
One morning in 1872, David Livingstone wrote this in his diary: “March 19, my birthday.
At the gate of the year -- Ecclesiastes 3:1-13, Revelation 21:1-6a, Matthew 25:31-46 -- Wayne Brouwer -- New Year's Day - A, New Year's Day - B, New Year's Day - C -- 2014
Time is the news of the day. Yesterday was yesteryear.
Living as if faith matters -- Exodus 14:19-31, Romans 14:1-12, Matthew 18:21-35 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A -- 2014
When Eric Lomax was posted to Singapore in 1941 he knew nothing of the horror that lay ahead of him.
The calm at the center -- Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28, Romans 10:5-15, Matthew 14:22-33 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A -- 2014
One Chinese word-symbol for "doubt" is a caricature of a person with each foot in a different canoe.
Tough beginnings -- Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7, Romans 5:12-19, Matthew 4:1-11 -- Wayne Brouwer -- First Sunday in Lent - A -- 2014
Ancient Israel's calendar of daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly markers was not so much a schedule o
A world turned upside down -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Maundy Thursday - A -- 2014
In 17th-century England, under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell and his righteous Puritanism, Parli
Easter living -- Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 2:19-25, John 10:1-10 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2014
"A grave is a sobering thing," said Wordsworth.

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John Jamison
Object: You may present this message as a simple story, or have the children act it out as a role-play. I will show the role-play version, but you can ignore the acting pieces and just tell the story if you prefer.

Note: For the role-play version, you will need to select two girls and one boy to play the roles. You might also have a broom and a dust rag if you want to.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! Let’s get started.

The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
For July 20, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Amos 8:1-12, Psalm 52
Amos proclaims the word from God that punishes the people. The people are to be punished for their lack of faith, for their focus on practicing deceit, betraying honesty to their neighbors, and being impatient for the time after the Sabbath when they can focus on profit and selling their crops and wares. Oh, my! What a terrible message for people. You have been unfaithful so I will punish you. And then in the psalm, God is proclaimed to be the olive tree, that which brings blessing.
David Kalas
I have tried to find different ways of saying it so that my children don’t tire of hearing it. But the basic principle remains the same, and my kids have heard it a ton. “First things first.” They ask if they can do this or they start to do that, and I will endeavor to redirect them, saying, “Why don’t we make sure we’re doing first things first!”

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. (v. 24)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
One of Martha's earliest memories was of her little sister Mary singing and dancing in the middle of an admiring crowd of friends. Mary had always been a dancer, from the time she could walk. Privately, Martha thought she'd always been something of a show-off and ought to go on the stage, for Mary loved an audience.

SermonStudio

John E. Sumwalt
Jeanne Jones
Several years ago, before we moved to Wisconsin, I was an honorary nanny for our pastor's son, Jonathan. I took care of him from the time he was able to walk until our pastor moved, when Jonathan was about five. We had wonderful times together. One time, when I was at their house, and we had been doing some spiritual direction together, Pastor Michael asked me if I knew the name of my guardian angel.
James Evans
We are not surprised when we learn about crooks and robbers boasting about "mischief done against the godly" or "plotting destruction" all day long. The image we have in our minds about who "bad" people are, and how they conduct themselves, make such accusations completely plausible. We are less inclined to believe such things about leaders, especially respected leaders among us. We have difficulty believing someone with wealth and power would deliberately plot to do someone else harm.
Arley K. Fadness
Today's gospel from Luke 10 follows the parable of the good Samaritan. Luke positions the good Samaritan and the Mary-Martha story back to back for good reason. The parable and the story are examples of the Great Commandment "to love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself." The good Samaritan parable illustrates "love to neighbor," whereas the Mary-Martha story illustrates "love to God."
Kirk R. Webster
In the early 1990s, Wesley Nunley of Dallas completed a project he had dreamed of for decades. "I tell you, this could be a big thing," he explained. Wes then walked out to a concrete octagon in the middle of his backyard. With a beaming smile, arms raised up in excitement, the energetic retiree said, "This welcomes the UFO to land, which has never been done before."
John W. Wurster
It was the best of times. A time of prosperity and confidence, a time of relative peace, a time when most everything looked pretty good, a time when most everyone felt pretty good. It was a time maybe not unlike our own time.
H. Burnham Kirkland
Words Of Assurance
Our God is both wise and caring: afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted.

Pastoral Prayer
God, we bow before you this morning, knowing that you hear every prayer. We know that in all of Creation, you are the source of life. You are the one who set the light swirling between the galaxies. The breath of your Spirit pulses through all life. You have even become flesh among us. We praise you, Lord, that in all your wonder, you have not forgotten us.

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