Proper 24, Pentecost 22, Ordinary Time 29
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VII, Cycle A
Object:
Seasonal Theme
The teaching and ministry of Jesus the Christ.
Theme For The Day
We whom God has chosen are to serve by doing works of love being sustained with a wonderful hope in Christ Jesus.
Old Testament Lesson
Exodus 33:12-23
God's Glory
In this passage Moses has a dialogue with Yahweh where Moses does most of the talking. Moses insists that the people should not "go up" from Sinai unless Yahweh intends to go with them through the wilderness. Moses is asking for the affirmation and a promise of God's presence. Moses asks for more and more assurances.
Verses 17-27 tell us God gives Moses all he asks for. Then he asks to see God's glory. The commitment of God to Moses is then made: God will pass by Moses with glory, will announce his name, will be gracious; and will have mercy. The word for God's glory or goodness is our familiar "shalom." So the journey begins again with all kinds of glorious assurances from God. Forward, Moses, you've got the right stuff!
Moses seems to know that survival depended on God's presence. He gives us here a wonderful model for insistent prayer. And God is pictured as gracious, and merciful. Perhaps the partial revealing of God to Moses anticipates Paul's 1 Corinthians 13:9-10, 12. We can also compare this experience with that of Elijah's in 1 Kings 19:9-18.
Note: Aren't you glad we are finally out of Romans? The next five Sundays we will turn to 1 Thessalonians, a letter written by Paul to the church he began there. This is Paul's earliest letter and you may want to print in the worship bulletin or verbally explain a little about the letter and that we'll be reading from it for the next five weeks. This first letter speaks often on the Second Coming of Christ.
New Testament Lesson
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Faith, Love, And Hope
The story of time Paul spent in Thessalonica is found in Acts 17:1-10. You might want to read it for the First Reading today.
Paul's stay there might have been very short (like three weeks or so) and very successful. It went so well that the Jews were outraged and he had to be smuggled out of town. He begins his letter with compliments. In verse 3, we have those three rich components of being a Christian: work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope. These folks are referred to in verse 4 as "Believed by God." This term was applied to greats such as Solomon and Moses. Verse 8 is grand verbiage! It could be like thunder or (I like better) sounding like a trumpet. These Thessalonians were obvious exemplary Christians which people knew about. Verses 9 and 10 have two good words for us who try to live the Christian life: serve a living God and wait for the coming of Christ.
The Gospel
Matthew 22:15-22
Paying Taxes
Coming up is a series of controversial stories which highlight the struggle between the Jews and Jesus. The orthodox Pharisees were dead set against paying the pole tax to their oppressors. The Herodians were in favor of paying it as their party ruled the country as puppets of Rome. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place! Jesus knew it was not an honest question so he threw it back on them. But, we still must decide what is Caesar's and what is God's! I marvel how these two groups who otherwise were enemies could join together with malice to hate and try to trip up Jesus. It's not the last time hatred made strange bedfellows. Verse 21b gives us a guideline for being a citizen of a particular country and a citizen of God's Kingdom. We are to be responsible members of both country and God's Kingdom. Peter said it in 1 Peter 2:17 as well.
Preaching Possibilities
We could do a topical sermon today using all three readings under the title: "Advice for Christian living."
A. Moses teaches us to be sure God is present in our life's journey.
B. Paul teaches us to serve God and wait for Christ's coming. He says be like the Thessalonians by doing works of faith, labor of love, and remain strong in hope.
C. Jesus advised us to be good citizens of both country and kingdom.
D. The Old Testament Reading will serve as a model for prayer. Moses was insistent in his praying. And he asks for the right things too, God's presence. When we pray we have the same assurances from God: God's presence, God's glory, God's graciousness, God's mercy. It will preach.
Here is a story which will work to illustrate God's presence: A mother brought her son to a concert to hear a great pianist. At intermission the little boy broke away, went up on stage, and began to play "Chopsticks" on the grand piano. A spotlight was placed on the little lad and the crowd got quiet. The boy became very afraid. The maestro saw it from the wings of the stage, came out and sat on the bench with the boy, and began to play the upper part of "Chopsticks." He leaned over and whispered, "It's all right now, son. I'm with you." God comes and sits with us and sees us through.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
1. Title: "Paul Remembers the Thessalonians"
2. Text: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 (especially verse 3)
3. Introduction: Tell the story from Acts 17:1-10 about Paul's stay in this town.
4. Sermon moves:
a. Paul remembered them as Christians who did works of faith -- verse 3. (What works of faith might we do?)
b. Paul remembered them as Christians who did labors of love -- verse 3. (What labors of love might we do?)
c. Paul remembered them as Christians who lived in steadfast hope -- verse 3. (What hope do we have?)
d. Then Paul reminded them they were beloved and chosen by God -- verse 4. (What does it mean to us to be beloved and chosen?)
e. Now return to the Acts 17:1-10 account and describe how this story might take place in your town this Sunday night after you preached this morning. But nevertheless might we be remembered for the same thing as these Thessalonians.
Prayer Of The Day
Bless our works of faith, dear Holy Parent, and let all we do be a labor of love. We thank you that we have a hope which sees us through the toughest of times. We rejoice you have chosen us, of all people, and most of all that we are loved. Now send us out to love. In Christ's name. Amen.
Possible Stories
For the Gospel: Donald Capps in Pastoral Counseling in Congregational Contexts tells that during one of the many nineteenth century riots in Paris orders were given to a commander to clear the square by shooting all the rabble. He shouted, "I have orders to fire at all the rabble. But as I see a great number of honest, respectable citizens before me, I request that they leave so that I can safely shoot at the rabble." The square was empty in a few minutes!
Linda Christensen called to say there was a beautiful rainbow in the western sky. It was a double one, aqua, yellow, and red. One end seemed on Saylorville Lake and the other at St. John's Lutheran downtown. It was gone by 6:21 p.m. and then the rain arrived and God watered the good Iowa soil in the midst of God's promise of hope. Thanks, Linda, for pointing out and showing God's promise and beauty in our midst.
The women of the Lorla clan of the Kpella tribe of Liberia wanted a health center so much that they carried two building blocks at a time on their heads across the Saint Paul River in "dry time" to build the walls. It so shamed the men that they finally got busy and helped build the building. The nurse, Korlawo Togba, R.N., who trained at Lutheran Phebe Hospital in midwifery and emergency room, is the medical help for the clan. During the war of 1990 the building was burned and the men of the village were killed. The women and children ran to escape into the bush. How brutal we humans can be to each other!
The teaching and ministry of Jesus the Christ.
Theme For The Day
We whom God has chosen are to serve by doing works of love being sustained with a wonderful hope in Christ Jesus.
Old Testament Lesson
Exodus 33:12-23
God's Glory
In this passage Moses has a dialogue with Yahweh where Moses does most of the talking. Moses insists that the people should not "go up" from Sinai unless Yahweh intends to go with them through the wilderness. Moses is asking for the affirmation and a promise of God's presence. Moses asks for more and more assurances.
Verses 17-27 tell us God gives Moses all he asks for. Then he asks to see God's glory. The commitment of God to Moses is then made: God will pass by Moses with glory, will announce his name, will be gracious; and will have mercy. The word for God's glory or goodness is our familiar "shalom." So the journey begins again with all kinds of glorious assurances from God. Forward, Moses, you've got the right stuff!
Moses seems to know that survival depended on God's presence. He gives us here a wonderful model for insistent prayer. And God is pictured as gracious, and merciful. Perhaps the partial revealing of God to Moses anticipates Paul's 1 Corinthians 13:9-10, 12. We can also compare this experience with that of Elijah's in 1 Kings 19:9-18.
Note: Aren't you glad we are finally out of Romans? The next five Sundays we will turn to 1 Thessalonians, a letter written by Paul to the church he began there. This is Paul's earliest letter and you may want to print in the worship bulletin or verbally explain a little about the letter and that we'll be reading from it for the next five weeks. This first letter speaks often on the Second Coming of Christ.
New Testament Lesson
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Faith, Love, And Hope
The story of time Paul spent in Thessalonica is found in Acts 17:1-10. You might want to read it for the First Reading today.
Paul's stay there might have been very short (like three weeks or so) and very successful. It went so well that the Jews were outraged and he had to be smuggled out of town. He begins his letter with compliments. In verse 3, we have those three rich components of being a Christian: work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope. These folks are referred to in verse 4 as "Believed by God." This term was applied to greats such as Solomon and Moses. Verse 8 is grand verbiage! It could be like thunder or (I like better) sounding like a trumpet. These Thessalonians were obvious exemplary Christians which people knew about. Verses 9 and 10 have two good words for us who try to live the Christian life: serve a living God and wait for the coming of Christ.
The Gospel
Matthew 22:15-22
Paying Taxes
Coming up is a series of controversial stories which highlight the struggle between the Jews and Jesus. The orthodox Pharisees were dead set against paying the pole tax to their oppressors. The Herodians were in favor of paying it as their party ruled the country as puppets of Rome. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place! Jesus knew it was not an honest question so he threw it back on them. But, we still must decide what is Caesar's and what is God's! I marvel how these two groups who otherwise were enemies could join together with malice to hate and try to trip up Jesus. It's not the last time hatred made strange bedfellows. Verse 21b gives us a guideline for being a citizen of a particular country and a citizen of God's Kingdom. We are to be responsible members of both country and God's Kingdom. Peter said it in 1 Peter 2:17 as well.
Preaching Possibilities
We could do a topical sermon today using all three readings under the title: "Advice for Christian living."
A. Moses teaches us to be sure God is present in our life's journey.
B. Paul teaches us to serve God and wait for Christ's coming. He says be like the Thessalonians by doing works of faith, labor of love, and remain strong in hope.
C. Jesus advised us to be good citizens of both country and kingdom.
D. The Old Testament Reading will serve as a model for prayer. Moses was insistent in his praying. And he asks for the right things too, God's presence. When we pray we have the same assurances from God: God's presence, God's glory, God's graciousness, God's mercy. It will preach.
Here is a story which will work to illustrate God's presence: A mother brought her son to a concert to hear a great pianist. At intermission the little boy broke away, went up on stage, and began to play "Chopsticks" on the grand piano. A spotlight was placed on the little lad and the crowd got quiet. The boy became very afraid. The maestro saw it from the wings of the stage, came out and sat on the bench with the boy, and began to play the upper part of "Chopsticks." He leaned over and whispered, "It's all right now, son. I'm with you." God comes and sits with us and sees us through.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
1. Title: "Paul Remembers the Thessalonians"
2. Text: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 (especially verse 3)
3. Introduction: Tell the story from Acts 17:1-10 about Paul's stay in this town.
4. Sermon moves:
a. Paul remembered them as Christians who did works of faith -- verse 3. (What works of faith might we do?)
b. Paul remembered them as Christians who did labors of love -- verse 3. (What labors of love might we do?)
c. Paul remembered them as Christians who lived in steadfast hope -- verse 3. (What hope do we have?)
d. Then Paul reminded them they were beloved and chosen by God -- verse 4. (What does it mean to us to be beloved and chosen?)
e. Now return to the Acts 17:1-10 account and describe how this story might take place in your town this Sunday night after you preached this morning. But nevertheless might we be remembered for the same thing as these Thessalonians.
Prayer Of The Day
Bless our works of faith, dear Holy Parent, and let all we do be a labor of love. We thank you that we have a hope which sees us through the toughest of times. We rejoice you have chosen us, of all people, and most of all that we are loved. Now send us out to love. In Christ's name. Amen.
Possible Stories
For the Gospel: Donald Capps in Pastoral Counseling in Congregational Contexts tells that during one of the many nineteenth century riots in Paris orders were given to a commander to clear the square by shooting all the rabble. He shouted, "I have orders to fire at all the rabble. But as I see a great number of honest, respectable citizens before me, I request that they leave so that I can safely shoot at the rabble." The square was empty in a few minutes!
Linda Christensen called to say there was a beautiful rainbow in the western sky. It was a double one, aqua, yellow, and red. One end seemed on Saylorville Lake and the other at St. John's Lutheran downtown. It was gone by 6:21 p.m. and then the rain arrived and God watered the good Iowa soil in the midst of God's promise of hope. Thanks, Linda, for pointing out and showing God's promise and beauty in our midst.
The women of the Lorla clan of the Kpella tribe of Liberia wanted a health center so much that they carried two building blocks at a time on their heads across the Saint Paul River in "dry time" to build the walls. It so shamed the men that they finally got busy and helped build the building. The nurse, Korlawo Togba, R.N., who trained at Lutheran Phebe Hospital in midwifery and emergency room, is the medical help for the clan. During the war of 1990 the building was burned and the men of the village were killed. The women and children ran to escape into the bush. How brutal we humans can be to each other!
