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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

First family -- Isaiah 61:10--62:3, Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 2:22-40 -- Wayne Brouwer -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - B -- 2011
Whenever a new president is elected, tabloids and journals bump sales by profiling the arrival of th
Initiation -- Genesis 1:1-5, Acts 19:1-7, Mark 1:4-11 -- Wayne Brouwer -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2011
Children are often naively honest, as a friend of mine found one day.
Prophet -- Deuteronomy 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Mark 1:21-28 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2011
In 330 BC, the Greek philosopher Aristotle said that by observing a person walking he could tell som
A mountaintop experience -- Exodus 24:12-18, 2 Peter 1:16-21, Matthew 17:1-9, Psalm 2 -- Wayne Brouwer, Schuyler Rhodes -- Transfiguration Sunday - A -- 2011
One of the cable networks has created a strange hit series.
What's new? -- 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 -- 2011
There is something strange about New Year's celebrations, if you think about it.
Are you thirsty? -- Exodus 17:1-7, Romans 5:1-11, John 4:5-42, Psalm 95 -- Wayne Brouwer, Schuyler Rhodes -- Third Sunday in Lent - A -- 2011
Here's a parable by a cartoonist named Saxon. It's about a fellow who has just reached retirement.
Radioactive glow -- 2 Kings 2:1-12, 2 Corinthians 4:3-6, Mark 9:2-9 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2011
It was a night to remember! Five school buddies at a friend's home overnight.
Believing is seeing -- 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Ephesians 5:8-14, John 9:1-41, Psalm 23 -- Wayne Brouwer, Schuyler Rhodes -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 2011
Sometimes we see people who are wide-eyed with wonder.
A good meal -- Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10) 11-14, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, John 13:1-17, 31b-35, Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19 -- Wayne Brouwer, Schuyler Rhodes -- Maundy Thursday - A -- 2011
When traveling through a strange town many years ago, we stopped a pedestrian and asked her, "Where
Homecoming -- Acts 2:14a, 36-41, 1 Peter 1:17-23, Luke 24:13-35, Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 -- Wayne Brouwer, Schuyler Rhodes -- Third Sunday of Easter - A -- 2011
Ian Maclaren tells the story of a young woman in his book Beside the Bonnie Briar Bush.
Game plan -- Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:44-53, Psalm 47 -- Wayne Brouwer, Schuyler Rhodes -- Ascension of the Lord - A -- 2011
During the 1978 British firefighters strike, the army was enlisted to cover emergency services.
Defined by choices -- Genesis 22:1-14, Romans 6:12-23, Matthew 10:40-42, Psalm 13 -- Wayne Brouwer, Schuyler Rhodes -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - A -- 2011
Robert Maynard once told how he became a writer.
Belonging -- Genesis 29:15-28, Romans 8:26-39, Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52, Psalm 105:1-11, 45b -- Wayne Brouwer, Schuyler Rhodes -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2011
When I was in high school a new music teacher came to town.
Mistaken identity -- Exodus 1:8--2:10, Romans 12:1-8, Matthew 16:13-20, Psalm 124 -- Wayne Brouwer, Schuyler Rhodes -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A -- 2011
Appearances can be deceiving.
Somebody has to pay! -- Exodus 14:19-31, Romans 14:1-12, Matthew 18:21-35, Psalm 114 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A -- 2011
Anger is like a volcano. Deep in many of us there is a lake of pain, pure molten hurt.
Are you satisfied? -- Exodus 16:2-15, Philippians 1:21-30, Matthew 20:1-16, Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - A -- 2011
When my wife was younger, her father typically ended meal times by declaring loudly that he was "suf
New -- Isaiah 43:16-21, Philippians 3:4b-14, John 12:1-8, Psalm 126 -- Wayne Brouwer, Schuyler Rhodes -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2010
In 1954, Marcelle Maurtette penned his play Anastasia.
Why did Jesus have to die? -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12, Hebrews 10:16-25, John 18:1--19:42, Psalm 22 -- Wayne Brouwer, Schuyler Rhodes -- Good Friday - C -- 2010
While Don Richardson was a student at Prairie Bible Institute in the 1950s his heart burned in antic
Visions -- Acts 9:1-6 (7-20), Revelation 5:11-14, John 21:1-19, Psalm 30 -- Wayne Brouwer, Schuyler Rhodes -- Third Sunday of Easter - C -- 2010
Giuseppe Tartini's Devil's Trill Sonata is a spectacular piece of music.
The road ahead -- Acts 16:9-15, Revelation 21:10, 22--22:5, John 14:23-29, Psalm 67 -- Wayne Brouwer, Schuyler Rhodes -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2010
When the Danish novelist, George Brandes, was a young man, he looked up to Henrik Ibsen.
No Fear -- Acts 2:1-21, Romans 8:14-17, John 14:8-17 (25-27), Psalm 104:24-34, 35b -- Wayne Brouwer, Schuyler Rhodes -- Day of Pentecost - C -- 2010
A woman struggling through the difficulties of the Great Depression went to the front desk of an ins
By their fruits -- 1 Kings 21:1-10 (11-14) 15-21a, Galatians 2:15-21, Luke 7:36--8:3, Psalm 5:1-8 -- Wayne Brouwer, Schuyler Rhodes -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2010
Margaret Mead, the world-renowned anthropologist, was speaking at a university and one student asked
What you sow ... -- 2 Kings 5:1-14, Galatians 6:(1-6) 7-16, Luke 10:1-11, 16-20, Psalm 30 -- Wayne Brouwer, Schuyler Rhodes -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C -- 2010
One of my favorite farming tales is of a pastor in a rural congregation who was tired of hearing peo
Family ties -- Hosea 1:2-10, Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19), Luke 11:1-13, Psalm 85 -- Wayne Brouwer, Schuyler Rhodes -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C -- 2010
Channing Pollack used to tell a devastating tale of something that happened to him as a young boy.
Sober reflections -- Isaiah 5:1-7, Hebrews 11:29--12:2, Luke 12:49-56, Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19 -- Wayne Brouwer, Schuyler Rhodes -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2010
My memories of my great-grandmother Bolt are very vague.

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In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
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Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

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John Jamison
Object: This message is a role play. You can do this with only two children playing the parts of the two women, but if you have more children, you could have two more playing the parts of the children, another playing the part of the synagogue leader, and another playing the part of the country’s leader. You can also add any other roles you might want to add to make it interesting. Also, I have created places for your characters to speak, but you can add more of those to make it all more fun and memorable.

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The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Dean Feldmeyer
Christopher Keating
Nazish Naseem
Thomas Willadsen
George Reed
Katy Stenta
For August 24, 2025:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Wayne Brouwer
C. Knight Aldrich, a medical doctor and the first chairperson of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Chicago (1955-1964), was a keen analyst of the motivations for our behaviors. He worked with the social services agencies of Chicago for a time, particularly spending hours with teenagers who had been arrested for shoplifting or other theft. Aldrich interviewed them to find out how they had come to this. He also talked with the parents, attempting to discover how they had handled the problem from the first time they knew about it.
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Jeremiah 1:4-10 and Psalm 77:1-6

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
“We have questions about your conduct as our pastor,” Carl announced as soon as Pastor John sat down at the hastily called board meeting. “We have received complaints about you from the congregation.”

“Complaints?” Pastor John frowned. “From whom and about what?”

“Mrs. Finnigan saw you coming out of what she politely described as ‘A Gentleman’s Club’ last Thursday night when she was driving downtown.” Bruce scowled. “Do you deny this?”

“Not at all,” Pastor John said. “I did have to go to that place on Thursday evening.”

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:
Jesus was aware of people's deepest needs and what prompted their actions. In our worship today let us consider how we can discover people's deepest needs and the motives for their actions.

Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, sometimes we see only the surface and condemn without real understanding.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, sometimes we are afraid to get sufficiently close to other people to see their inner needs.
Christ, have mercy.

SermonStudio

James Evans
(See Epiphany 4/Ordinary Time 4, Cycle C, for an alternative approach.)

The old saying, "experience is the best teacher," could serve as a subtitle for this psalm. Written as a prayer for help in a time of distress or oppression, the psalm subtly hints at a recognition and awareness that only comes with time. There is a track record, so to speak, that the psalmist is aware of: God's record of dependability. Based on God's proven record of saving power and grace, the psalmist is able to pray for salvation, but at the same time celebrate the certainty of its arrival.
Lee Ann Dunlap
Carrie's1 high school guidance counselor noticed she had been acting out a bit in school recently. She had appeared depressed and had been having some authority issues over rules and such. The guidance counselor set Carrie up with a local pastor who had been volunteering a few hours each Friday after a teen suicide a few months before. Most of the other students who came to see the pastor just needed someone to listen to their usual teen issues and heartaches. But, shortly into their time together, Carrie began to open up about some real grown-up problems.
Kirk R. Webster
It's a typical Sunday morning at St. Stephen Presbyterian Church in Orlando, Florida. The people file in and sit down in plush pews. Their attention is drawn to the chancel where they see choir members calmly seated, robed in dark blue and white. The mahogany altar table is draped with a silk parament. Two bronze candleholders stand guard at the table edges.
R. Robert Cueni
As was his custom, Jesus went that Sabbath morning to the synagogue for worship. As he was preaching and teaching, he happened to glance toward the fringe of the crowd where he saw a very crippled woman. She was bent over and was unable to stand up straight. When he inquired, Jesus was told the woman had been that way for eighteen years.
John H. Will
Call to Worship
Indeed, this is a day of rest and gladness.
This is God's Sabbath, created for our reflection and renewal.
Let us then not profane it, but keep it holy.
We do this as we honor God and commit ourselves to the well--being of God's creation.
Each of us individually needs a personal rejuvenation of spirit.
Together we seek a strengthening of community, a community that continues to build itself in love.
So do we come as one people to worship God, our Maker and our Sustainer.

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