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Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A

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Mary's beautiful song stresses the... -- Luke 1:46b-55 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 1999
Mary's beautiful song stresses the mighty acts of God.
Wow! I must be special... -- Luke 1:46b-55 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 1999
"Wow! I must be special."
What a fantastic insight! We... -- Galatians 4:4-7 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 1999
What a fantastic insight! We are no longer slaves, but children of God!
The other day I was... -- Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 1999
The other day I was cleaning out my hall closet when I found a box.
Henri Nouwen tells the story... -- Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 1999
Henri Nouwen tells the story of an old man who used to meditate early every morning under a big tree
A minister complained to another... -- Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 1996
A minister complained to another pastor saying, "I am so busy that I don't have time for people!" To
On a Gunsmoke episode (my... -- Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 1996
On a Gunsmoke episode (my all-time favorite program, if you have failed to guess by now), the parent
A man who was not... -- Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 1996
A man who was not a Christian was led to a condition of partial faith.
A New AnswerBy... -- Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 1996
A New AnswerBy what unique name do you call me, Lord?
In the fall of 1994... -- Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 1996
In the fall of 1994 a man was driving his pickup through the backwoods mountains of Oregon.
Some of us assume that... -- Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 1996
Some of us assume that the people who get what they want in this life do so by breaking the rules!
The Canaanite woman is the... -- Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 1996
The Canaanite woman is the first person outside of the nation of Israel to be ministered to by Jesus
Many men in the United... -- Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
Many men in the United States remember a time when the military draft was in full swing and there wa
Mark Vonnegut, son of the... -- Luke 12:49-53 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
Mark Vonnegut, son of the author Kurt Vonnegut, has written a case history of his own experience of
Jesus seemed to be doing... -- Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
Jesus seemed to be doing a "tongue-in-cheek song-and-dance" with the Canaanite woman before he heale
During the civil rights movement... -- Luke 12:49-53 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
During the civil rights movement of the 1960s, a college student grew deeply impressed with the cour
Johnny, a first-grader, always... -- Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
Johnny, a first-grader, always waited on the front steps of the school after classes.
A senior citizen was browsing... -- Jeremiah 18:1-11 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
A senior citizen was browsing through the liquor department of a store.
Do you believe in miracles... -- Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
Do you believe in miracles? If so, what kind?
In a tourist area, a... -- Jeremiah 18:1-11 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
In a tourist area, a working potter with a wheel can gather a crowd anytime.
In the pantheon of heroes... -- Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
In the pantheon of heroes of the Christian faith, the Canaanite woman doesn't even make the list.
In verse one of this... -- Hebrews 12:1-2, 12-17 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
In verse one of this reading, the Bible writer reminds us many Christians are able to persevere beca
Simple SignsFrom... -- Jeremiah 18:1-11 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
Simple SignsFrom the very startGod has blessed usWith simple signs
During his years in Corinth... -- Hebrews 12:1-2, 12-17 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
During his years in Corinth, Paul must have been an interested spectator at many athletic events.
There is no such way... -- Jeremiah 23:23-29 -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
There is no such way to gain admittance, or give defense, to strange and absurd doctrines, as to gua

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New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Thomas Willadsen
Dean Feldmeyer
Mary Austin
Christopher Keating
Katy Stenta
George Reed
Bethany Peerbolte
For May 9, 2021:
  • One Nation Under God? by Tom Willadsen — What would the United States look like if we truly were “one nation under God?” What would it be like to live in a place where everyone was treated as one who has been “born of God?”
  • Dying Is Easy by Dean Feldmeyer — Dying is easy; living the gospel is hard.

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
Frank Ramirez
Contents
“Waking Up to Racism” by John Sumwalt
“Twists and Turns” by Frank Ramirez

 
Waking Up to Racism
by John Sumwalt
Psalm 98

Let the floods clap their hands;
    let the hills sing together for joy
 at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming
    to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
    and the peoples with equity. (vv. 8-9)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
In the mid-1960s, a popular song declared, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It's the only thing that there's just too little of.”1 It was an era of both national and international unrest. And the American landscape was reeling from the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights movement, and opposition to both. Amidst headlines so marked by unrest and division, therefore, the sentiment of the song struck a chord with an American audience. 
Bill Thomas
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Acts 10:44-48
Prejudice is always wrong. Nat King Cole is a well-known artist who was the first African American to host his own national television program. In 1948, he purchased a beautiful home in an exclusive Los Angeles neighborhood. When the local neighborhood association confronted him and informed him it didn’t want any undesirables to move in, Cole responded, “Neither do I. If I see any coming in here, I’ll be the first to complain.” He lived in that house until his death in 1965.

CSSPlus

John Jamison
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (vv. 9-12)

Hi, everyone! (Let them respond.)

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus gave up his life for us. In our worship today let us explore how to love one another as he has loved us.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes our love for each other is thin and pale.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we pretend to love but fail to care.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we don't know how to love.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

John E. Sumwalt
Jo Perry-sumwalt
One evening, when I was 26 years old, beleagered by guilt for acknowledged sins, I was deep into an hour-long prayer of repentance. In despair, I grieved that I had broken the commandments and that I was not worthy of God's love.

Near me lay the Bible, unused and unfamiliar. I had never, ever read from the Bible. Yet my hands reached out and took the Bible to open it. I knew not where, nor why. But my hands knew the way. They opened to John 15:9-11 and as my eyes began to read, my mind knew the meaning with clarity. My eyes read verse 10 first:
Mark Ellingsen
Theme of the Day
God's love brings us together.

Collect of the Day
It is noted that God has prepared great joy for those who love Him. Petitions are then offered that such love may be poured into the hearts of the faithful so that they may obtain these promises. Justification as a reward for our deeds (love) is communicated by this prayer.

Psalm of the Day
Psalm 98
Stan Purdum
(See Christmas Day, Cycles A and B, for alternative approaches.)

Richard E. Gribble
Once upon a time a great and powerful king ruled over a vast territory. There was something very strange about this kingdom, however -- everything was the same. The people ate the same food, drank the same drink, wore the same clothes, and lived in the same type of homes. The people even did all the same work. There was another oddity about this place. Everything was gray -- the food, the drink, the clothes, the houses; there were no other colors.

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