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Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A

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Last Christmas, we heard reports... -- Hebrews 12:18-24 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
Last Christmas, we heard reports of the merchandising of Baby Jesus dolls, complete with glow-in-the
It was either a bold... -- Matthew 16:13-20 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
It was either a bold gesture of courage, or an act of supreme foolishness.
The author of Hebrews tried... -- Hebrews 12:18-24 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
The author of Hebrews tried to lead his readers to realize who they really are, what has happened to
There is the story of... -- Matthew 16:13-20 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
There is the story of a teenage boy who was battling cancer.
Just as there is a... -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
Just as there is a big difference between Mount Sinai with its laws and Calvary with its love, there
Hoping to find some reason... -- Matthew 16:13-20 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
Hoping to find some reason to accuse him, a man asked Gregory of Nazianzus in 381 A.D.
I wish I could show... -- Luke 13:22-30 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
I wish I could show you a picture that hangs in my study.
The radio talk show host... -- Matthew 16:13-20 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
The radio talk show host was lamenting the fact that she had three opportunities to see Pope John Pa
Several years ago the people... -- Luke 13:22-30 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
Several years ago the people who lived in a certain area along the Golf Coast of the U.S.A., were wa
When we present our bodies... -- Romans 12:1-8 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
When we present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, we also commit ourselves to good stewardshi
On February 23, 1821, John... -- Romans 12:1-8 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
On February 23, 1821, John Keats died of consumption (now called tuberculosis) in Rome.
While growing up, most of... -- Romans 12:1-8 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
While growing up, most of us probably heard at one time or another, a parent ask us, "If your friend
When Ninevah needed to hear... -- Exodus 1:8--2:10 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
When Ninevah needed to hear God's message, God called Jonah.
There are many tales in... -- Exodus 1:8--2:10 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
There are many tales in the ancient world that are similar to Moses' early adventure in the reed bas
Anytime we believe what we... -- Exodus 1:8--2:10 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
Anytime we believe what we read, or what others tell us, we are accepting the witness' testimony.
A beloved cultural artifact of... -- Exodus 1:8--2:10 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
A beloved cultural artifact of the Adirondack region of New York is the Adirondack Guide Boat -- a s
Learn to ride a horse... -- Jeremiah 20:7-13 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
Learn to ride a horse that throws you.
Who was Jeremiah? the Sunday... -- Jeremiah 20:7-13 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
"Who was Jeremiah?" the Sunday School teacher asked his seventh grade class.
He felt no fear of... -- Jeremiah 20:7-13 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
"He felt no fear of death, but a terror of life, of going on soiling himself and repenting and soili
It is hard to stand... -- Jeremiah 20:7-13 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
It is hard to stand against a crowd, calling on it to act responsibly.
These are prayers for unity... -- Isaiah 66:18-23 -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A
These are prayers for unity from many countries as they were used in worship at the Sixth Assembly o

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Proper 7 | OT 12 | Pentecost 2
30 – Sermons
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Proper 8 | OT 13 | Pentecost 3
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Proper 9 | OT 14 | Pentecost 4
34 – Sermons
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31 – Commentary / Exegesis
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Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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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