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Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C

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The aged woman lived... -- 2 Kings 4:42-44 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
The aged woman lived alone in a second-floor apartment.
Remember the film, It's a... -- Colossians 1:15-28 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
Remember the film, It's a Wonderful Life, about George Bailey, the small-town banker played b
Bette Brown tells of a... -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
Bette Brown tells of a friend, whom we shall call Jeffrey, who decided to take his own life early on
A converted Chinese Christian explained... -- Mark 6:30-34 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
A converted Chinese Christian explained why he chose the Galilean.
Nobody is less important to... -- Colossians 1:15-28 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
Nobody is less important to God than anyone else.
The annual meeting of the... -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
The annual meeting of the First Church was over and John was pleased that he had elected to be the m
Tradition! ... Tradition! goes a line... -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
"Tradition! ...
John Lyttle was a 29... -- Colossians 1:15-28 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
John Lyttle was a 29-year-old marathon runner in the best shape of his life when a drunk driver ende
One television ad featured a... -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
One television ad featured a young boy who offers to help some children slightly older fixing a bike
The gracious hospitality of this... -- 2 Kings 4:8-17 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
The gracious hospitality of this woman prompts the prophet Elisha to see possibilities in her life s
If you have ever watched... -- Colossians 1:15-28 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
If you have ever watched a spy movie, you likely witnessed a scene in which a secret message passed
What is the one thing... -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
What is "the one thing needed" in our lives?
Our churches have many like... -- 2 Kings 4:8-17 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
Our churches have many like this woman and her husband.
A friend and his wife... -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
A friend and his wife are both over fifty years of age. They've been married for over thirty years.
In the early days of... -- 2 Kings 4:8-17 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
In the early days of television, there was a show called "The Millionaire." Each week the millionair
During the sixties a group... -- 2 Kings 4:8-17 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
During the sixties a group of us were attending a session of the Ecumenical Institute in New Haven.
Czech-born American artist Albin... -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
Czech-born American artist Albin Polasek, born in Moravia, was for many years the head of the sculpt
Elisha became the recipient of... -- 2 Kings 4:8-17 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
Elisha became the recipient of a "wealthy" woman's kindness.
When an American visited the... -- 2 Kings 4:8-17 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
When an American visited the German city of Munich, he had an unexpected encounter with Bavarian hos
Mary illustrates the quality of... -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
Mary illustrates the quality of a disciplined devotion to paying attention.
Ray Gaylord pastored the Cascade... -- 2 Kings 4:8-17 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
Ray Gaylord pastored the Cascade Christian Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for more than 30 years.
Henri Nouwen, in his excellent... -- Genesis 18:1-10 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
Henri Nouwen, in his excellent book Reaching Out, speaks of the movement from hostility to ho
Martha was so focused on... -- Luke 10:38-42 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
Martha was so focused on her hospitality chores, that she became upset when her sister, Mary, was si
Almeda Adams was the blind... -- 2 Samuel 12:1-14 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
Almeda Adams was the blind author of a book titled Seeing Europe Through Sightless Eyes.
Abraham entertained the Lord for... -- Genesis 18:1-10 -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - C
Abraham "entertained" the Lord for dinner and was unaware of it.

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New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Thomas Willadsen
Nazish Naseem
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Katy Stenta
George Reed
For July 6, 2025:

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: This is a role play activity for the children.

Note: You will need an older volunteer to help with this activity. One option would be to find a teenager with some physical ability. If a teen is not available, an adult could be used instead. For simplicity here, I will refer to my older volunteer as “TOM”. You will also need to select three of your younger children to serve as volunteers in the story.

* * *

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Mark Ellingsen
2 Kings 5:1-14
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
Bonnie Bates
2 Kings 5:1-14, Psalm 30
Naaman seeks healing. He travels hoping healing will come to him when he visits the king of Israel. Yet, healing does not come in that way. Rather healing comes through Elishah. Healing comes from believing and being cleansed in the River Jordan. Healing comes through Naaman’s faithfulness and through God’s grace. Psalm 30 also reminds us to seek healing; to seek God and God will heal and restore us. Do we believe that? Do we believe that God can bring healing?

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ (vv. 10-11)

When I visit your church for the first time, consider the possibility that I might be looking for a church home. I am a good-looking old guy, but I have gray hair and I dress down in the summer, so don’t be put off by my cargo shorts and tank top. Talk to me!

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Damien and Ora grinned at each other in excitement. The time had come - at last! They'd been with the Leader for months and months, waiting for this moment. Not that it had felt much like training. They'd simply lived with the Leader, listening to his stories, hearing about the Kingdom, learning to get along really well with all the other people at Mission Headquarters. Now all seventy of them were ready, the spaceship had docked, and the Mission was about to begin. Ora was glad she'd been paired up with Damien again.

SermonStudio

James Evans
Stan Purdum
Carlos Wilton
(See Epiphany 6/Ordinary Time 6, Cycle B, and Easter 3, Cycle C, for alternative approaches.)

Anyone who has ever had the experience of losing a friend because of some conflict or dispute, and then has had the friendship restored because of love and forgiveness, has a unique insight into the meaning of this psalm. Although the poem begins and ends with praise, there is in the middle of the poem a brief moment of confession and contrition that puts the praise portions of the psalm in an entirely different light.

April Yamasaki
A word of encouragement came from an unlikely source the other day in a television interview with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The former football player, wrestler, and now actor was asked about a low time in his life when he was very discouraged about his career and future.

"How did you make your way back from that?" he was asked.

The Rock replied, "You have to put yourself out there. You have to get out there and fail, and learn from your failures."

Larry D. Powell
In the summer of 1983, I participated in a ministerial exchange program sponsored by my denomination. My assignment was to a circuit of churches on the Isle of Man, a tiny island located in the Irish Sea. The months preceding the exchange included considerable correspondence with the minister on the island with whom I would exchange pastoral duties for six weeks.
Richard E. Gribble, CSC
A wealthy businessman decided to take a walk and eat his lunch at the same time. He strolled by a park. There he purchased a hot dog and a soft drink. As he walked through the park two different "street people" approached him one by one. Each asked, "Can you help me? I am hungry." Each time the businessman looked straight ahead and kept walking. After finishing his lunch, he stopped and bought a chocolate eclair for dessert. As he was about to take the first bite, he was forced to jump out of the way as a young boy raced by on his skateboard. The eclair went flying and landed on the ground.

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