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By what authority?

Commentary
Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A
Exodus 17:1-17
Philippians 2:1-13
Matthew 21:28-32
David Coffin
It is the first week of classes at a small college or university in the 1970s and 1980s in Midwest America. The professor stands in the auditorium with pride and asks the whole class of students to stand up. The professor tells the students to each look to their right side, then to their left side. The professor smiles and announces that one out of two of the students will not graduate from this institution. It is with a confident if not superior tone of voice that the professor says that 50% of the students will drop out of college.

New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Mary Austin
Bethany Peerbolte
Dean Feldmeyer
George Reed
Ron Love
Thomas Willadsen
Christopher Keating
For November 18, 2018:
  • Big Stones, Big Change by Mary Austin -- Like the disciples, we expect our biggest realities to last forever. And like the disciples, we are often surprised. This recent mid-term election overturned some unexpected foundation stones.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
Mark Ellingsen
Bob Ove
Frank Ramirez
1 Samuel 1:4-20 and 1 Samuel 2:1-10
David Coffin
Another cold, autumn Wednesday evening as the sun sets early and the church council gathers into the cool, musty church basement. As they sit on the plastic chairs surrounding two rectangle tables placed together, the pastor leads in prayer and maybe a Bible passage. The council president dutifully distributes the council agenda in front of all of the attendees. An older lady member was nice enough to bake some cookies and brew some decaffeinated coffee (so people are not kept awake at night) for those present.

StoryShare

C. David Mckirachan
Frank Ramirez
Contents
“Mom” by C. David McKirachan
“Not One Stone” by Frank Ramirez


Mom
by C. David McKirachan
1 Samuel 1:4-20, 1 Samuel 2:1-10

My mother told me that if I’d been a girl, I’d have been named Hannah. It was always an incidental detail. Then my nephew and his wife gave their daughter the name and I realized it ran in the family. So I got interested. The Bible keeps surprising me. This time when I read the familiar story, I ran into something new.

CSSPlus

Arley K. Fadness
“...do not be alarmed...” (v. 7a)

Good morning boys and girls,

I have a question for you today. The question is this: Were you scared at anything this past Halloween? Did anything frighten you like at a Halloween party or when you were out trick or treating? (children respond) Maybe with your weird masks and silly costumes you frightened someone else yourself. That's so much fun!

Well, there's fun-fear like at Halloween. And there's also not-fun-fear.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
I had the privilege to be with my father when he died. I'd never seen anyone die before, and although I'm sure it must be a different experience for different people, I was amazed at what a struggle it seemed to be for him.

He wasn't in any pain, but he struggled to take off his pyjama jacket, and he struggled to have the window open, and he struggled to breathe, and it seemed as though it was a struggle to die. And although he was given various drugs which relaxed and calmed him, I still felt that underneath that surface calm, perhaps the struggle was continuing.

SermonStudio

Russell F. Anderson
Theme For The Day: Knowing the signs of the Lord's return.


BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS

Lesson 1: 1 Samuel 1:4-20 (C)

Special Occasion