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Road to Hallelujah

It had been a hard...

Illustration
Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - C
1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24)
It had been a hard winter in the Appalachian backcountry. Blizzards had deposited snow in huge drifts, blocking many roads. The rivers were all frozen solid. The Red Cross became alarmed that some of the backcountry families might be running out of food, so they brought in helicopters to fly in supplies.

One relief crew had been working long hours, day after day. They were on their way home late one day, when they saw a little cabin all but submerged in the snow. A thin whisper of smoke trailed up from the top of the chimney, indicating someone was still at home.
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The Immediate Word

Thomas Willadsen
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Christopher Keating
George Reed
For November 29, 2020:
  • What Are We Waiting For? by Tom Willadsen — Extend the hope of the unfolding of the reign of Christ. Here. Now.
  • Second Thoughts: Pay Attention! by Dean Feldmeyer — The coming of Jesus into our lives is not a one-time thing. It’s not an event — it’s a happening. So, pay attention and watch for it.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
For all the years that I have been a parent, I have taken pleasure in buying Advent calendars for our family. Most years, I have bought the simple, two-dimensional types, featuring some seasonal picture and twenty-five paper “windows” that can be opened, revealing perhaps other pictures, scripture verses, or song lyrics. I find Advent calendars so irresistible, in fact, that some years I have bought several!
Bill Thomas
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Isaiah 64:1-9
David Coffin
Three generations of family are gathering for their traditional Thanksgiving Day meal. They serve a potluck style dinner with the foods on the kitchen counters, with people filling their plates and sitting at respective places around the house. Some eat at the kitchen table, while others eat in the dining room. Still another group chooses to take their plate to the living room and sit in front of the large flat screen television to watch a sports event. Everybody fills their plate with delicious food. They all get their food, and simply dig in without any word of prayer.
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Deuteronomy 8:7-18

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David O. Bales
Peter Andrew Smith
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“Responding To Signs Of The End” by David O. Bales
“Preparation For More Than A Marathon” by David O. Bales
“Waiting with Hope” by Peter Andrew Smith


Responding To Signs Of The End
by David O. Bales
Mark 13:24-37
C. David Mckirachan
Frank Ramirez
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“Tangled Up in Stuff” by C. David McKirachan
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Deuteronomy 8:7-18

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John Jamison
Objects: You will need three objects:

1) A box with the word “WAIT!” written on the side of it in big letters. The box should be big enough to hold a collection of “gifts” you will give the children when you do finally open it. Fun gifts might be things like noisemakers or other party-favors so you can all celebrate the fact that the box has been “finally” opened. You will not actually need to have the gifts inside the box until the last message of the series when you finally open the box.
John Jamison
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him — and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? (vv. 15-17)

SermonStudio

David G. Rogne
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they?
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Advent is the time of waiting, of wishing, and of wanting an intervention. Advent is a whisper, or a cry, or a prayer of "Come, Lord Jesus!"

As our member and artist, Teri, stated visually and verbally on our bulletin cover this morning, "Oh, that you would burst forth from the skies and come down ..." (Isaiah 64:1 TLB) or as the New Revised Standard Version translated the Hebrew of Isaiah 64, "O that you would tear open the heavens and come...." Come to us. "Please come, Lord Jesus!"

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott

Jane was in her sixties, looking forward to the time when her husband finally retired and they could begin to do more things together. They lived in a remote Norfolk village without even a shop, with almost no bus service and with no other means of public transport, but thankfully, they had their own car. Jane had never learned to drive, but with Raymond around all the time, life should be sweet.

A year or so before Raymond's retirement, Jane began to notice the sensation of having a

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