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Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

So, we finally have a... -- Luke 2:15-21 -- New Year's Day - B -- 2000
So, we finally have a name that we can call him.
Over the doors of the... -- John 8:31-36 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2000
Over the doors of the library at the University of Oregon are inscribed Jesus' words, "You shall kno
John MacQuarrie is one of... -- Luke 2:15-21 -- New Year's Day - B -- 2000
John MacQuarrie is one of the great theologians and lecturers of the twentieth century.
There was a gas station... -- John 8:31-36 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2000
There was a gas station robbery in West Palm Beach, Florida, that ended with the attendant being mur
After retirement, Neill Hamilton, a... -- Matthew 25:31-46 -- New Year's Day - B -- 2000
After retirement, Neill Hamilton, a former seminary professor from Drew University, and his wife mov
Blind Bartimaeus was set unflinchingly... -- Mark 10:46-52 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2000
Blind Bartimaeus was set unflinchingly on attaining one goal: healing from his affliction.
One winter day a Roman... -- Matthew 25:31-46 -- New Year's Day - B -- 2000
One winter day a Roman soldier called "Martin of Tours" observed a beggar shivering and asking for a
The boss needed to call... -- Mark 10:46-52 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2000
The boss needed to call one of his employees at home about an urgent problem.
I was awakened by a... -- Matthew 25:31-46 -- New Year's Day - B -- 2000
I was awakened by a call from the County Attorney (a member of the church I served).
This is a story about... -- Mark 10:46-52 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2000
This is a story about blindness and sight. But it is not what we think.
Margaret Mead, the famous anthropologist... -- Matthew 25:31-46 -- New Year's Day - B -- 2000
Margaret Mead, the famous anthropologist, was once asked what she believed was the first sign of civ
Mary had been born able... -- Mark 10:46-52 -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - B -- 2000
Mary had been born able to see.
We seek the voice of... -- Mark 1:21-28 -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2000
We seek the voice of authority. Jesus' voice carried it, because of who he was.
When Jesus calls a person... -- John 1:43-51 -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - B -- 2000
When Jesus calls a person to follow, it can come when the individual is least prepared.
The people who witnessed Jesus... -- Mark 2:1-12 -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - B -- 2000
The people who witnessed Jesus' healing work were often amazed, a sign that they did not recognize w
When the writer of Revelation... -- Revelation 21:1-6a -- New Year's Day - B -- 2000
When the writer of Revelation reports God's promise to make all things new, he is holding out the ho
French president and Mrs. Charles... -- Mark 1:40-45 -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2000
French president and Mrs.
When the gospel writers included... -- Mark 1:4-11 -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - B -- 2000
When the gospel writers included the detail of a voice from heaven in the story of Jesus' baptism, t
When the Magi came from... -- Matthew 2:1-12 -- Epiphany of the Lord - B -- 2000
When the Magi came from the East to find the Christ Child, they were following a quest toward someth
After a panic-stricken three... -- Luke 2:41-52 -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - C -- 2000
After a panic-stricken three-day search for their twelve-
Toby Young, the youngest man... -- John 1:1-14 -- 2000
Toby Young, the youngest man ever to make partner at the prestigious law firm of McBride and Johnson
In 1998, Art and... -- Luke 2:1-20 -- 2000
In 1998, Art and Auction magazine listed Gil Perez as one of the fifty most powerful people i
Ever since she was a... -- Luke 1:39-45 (46-55) -- 2000
Ever since she was a little girl, Lisa's mother had told her, "Someday, my princess, you will meet y
Joseph Berger, in his I... -- Luke 3:7-18 -- Third Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
Joseph Berger, in his New York Times column "Our Towns," once wrote a story called "Impeachme
David Gonzalez, in his I... -- Luke 3:1-6 -- Second Sunday of Advent - C -- 2000
David Gonzalez, in his New York Times column "About New York," once wrote about Father John F

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UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
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Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
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John Jamison
Object: A pig stuffed animal.

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

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Thomas Willadsen
Katy Stenta
Mary Austin
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
George Reed
For June 22, 2025:

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian,  for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.  As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (vv. 25-28)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
Bonnie Bates

1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7) 8-15a and Psalm 42-43
David Kalas
We’re not far from the 4th of July. And while for so many Americans, it seems that the holiday has become more about long weekends, cookouts, and fireworks shows, the theme of freedom is still there at least in the background. We might take advantage of that, therefore, and give some thought to the theme of freedom as it is revealed in our assigned texts for this week.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

The madman cried out to Jesus, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" In our worship today let us explore what Jesus has to do with us and invite him to heal our brokenness.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, we often find ourselves thinking, saying and doing things that we quickly regret.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Constance Berg
When Jill was five, she began to have headaches. The headaches were so severe she would throw up. Sometimes she would pass out. They usually came once a month. Jill could be playing, resting, or watching television when the headaches would come. Her only warning was a sudden pain in her head, then a blinding light would appear, and she would be rocked with pain. In her teenage years, they became debilitating, causing Jill to be in bed for three days at a time.
Stan Purdum
I'm not sure when the term "burn out" ceased being only a description of what happened to a campfire when you ran out of firewood to a term describing the experience of long-term exhaustion and diminished interest, usually coming immediately after an extended period of overwork, but the expression seems to fit that later situation, doesn't it? Exhaustion, deep weariness, all used up, nothing more to give, wiped out, burned out -- call it what we will, its symptoms are all too familiar to many of us.
April Yamasaki
In the classic movie, Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews plays a no-nonsense, yet delightful, nanny to two young children. As a nanny to a wealthy family, she is part teacher, part parent, and part disciplinarian. She gets the children up in the morning, puts them to bed at night, supervises their many adventures, and guides them in many ways. While they are in her care, she is responsible for their overall safety and well-being.

Julia Ross Strope
Zoos are no longer in people's good graces.
Religion faces the same problem.
Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.
-- Yann Martel, Life of Pi

Call To Worship
Leader: I'm so glad you're here! There are seats for everyone; there's slight air movement; the windows engender tranquility and imagination and words will stimulate fresh thoughts.

People: It's good to be here, in sanctuary. We're glad for opportunities to gather and to express our gratitude to God and our appreciation for one another.

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