Proper 20
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III, Cycle C
The Church Year Theological Clue
The rather indistinct shouts of the resurrection of our Lord - "Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed !" - continue to sound in our ears as we approach mid-October and, depending on the lectionary followed and the calendar year. We have to listen for them to hear them; the celebration of Easter is so far behind us! But the church year reminds us that the "sound" of the resurrection reverberates throughout the entire year and should be repeated every Lord's Day, every Sunday of the year. That's where our hope lies - in the crucified and risen Lord, whom God gave to the world to atone for sin on the cross and whom he justified in his glorious resurrection.
Our business is to make the sounds of the resurrection loud enough that the whole world will hear them; they need to be heard above the din of daily life, assuring people of God's love and of his ability to help and sustain us in every situation we encounter in life. God has the power to heal our infirmities, to undergird our efforts to live the good life in Christ, and to support us when suffering tends to weaken and diminish our faith. The church year reminds us that Jesus lives. He is alive forever and he has promised that those who believe in him will receive the gift of life in the kingdom to come. And because he is alive as the risen and ascended Lord, we may be bold enough to believe that his promise to come again is enduring and true. The sounds of the resurrection - "He is risen! He is risen, indeed!" inspire and revive the ancient prayer of the church, "Come, Lord Jesus! Come, quickly!" now.
The Prayer Of The Day
The contemporary collect for Proper 20, the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, in The Book Of Common Prayer is one of the most appropriate prayers for this Sunday. It is a revision of an older collect and reads: "Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen." It complements the classic collect for this Sunday: "Lord, we beseech thee, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow thee, the only God; through thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen."
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 113 (L); 113:1-2, 4-8 (RC) - Here is one of the Hallel psalms, which calls for praise of the Lord's name; it begins with the first three verses as a psalm of praise that is to continue as long as people inhabit the earth. At verse 4 and for the remainder of the psalm, reasons are given for praising the Lord God. The Lord is God, the only God of all nations and all parts of the earth; he is high above the earth - transcendent - but he is sufficiently interested in the affairs of people on earth that he "stoops to behold" what is happening on earth. This psalm was chosen as a responsory to the first reading (Amos 8) because it speaks of God's compassion and blessing of the weak and the poor. He elevates the downcast to the estate of the royalty of the nation; he makes childless women the "joyful mothers of children."
Psalm 130 (E) - Most funeral liturgies appoint this psalm as one of the lessons that may be read as part of the worship service. By using this psalm as a responsory, the church essentially puts it into the mouth of Jesus when he has concluded the 40-day fast and is tempted by Satan. He was close to a kind of death - maybe closer to actual death than he had been in the desert - because he would have been separated from God, along with all human beings, by sin. Jesus called upon God silently, no doubt, and he found strength to withstand the onslaughts of (his) supplications." Of the Lord - and, hopefully, of us - it may well be said, "I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; in his word is my hope.... for with the Lord there is mercy." Part of the prayer is ours, not that of Jesus, although we believe it because he died to gain assurance for us, "If you, Lord, were to note what is amiss, O Lord, who could stand? For there is forgiveness with you, therefore you shall be feared." Oh, Lord, hear our voices, for we are all close to death.
Psalm prayer (113 - LBW) - "Lord Jesus, surrendering the brightness of your glory, you became mortal so that we might be raised from the dust to share your very being. May the children of God always bless your name from the rising of the sun to its going down, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever."
Psalm 130 (LBW) - "God of might and compassion, you sent your Word into the world as a watchman to announce the dawn of salvation. Do not leave us in the depths of our sins, but listen to your church pleading for the fullness of your redeeming grace; through Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Readings
Amos 8:4-7 (RC, L); 8:4-7 (8-12) (E) - In this reading, the "prophet of the poor," who calls for social justice in every age, addresses the rich people who put down the poor by over-pricing goods sold to them and outright cheating them in various ways. Such people live under the judgment of God, who has declared that he will remember "their deeds" and punish them, in good time. They are so greedy that they can't wait until festival and sabbath worship are concluded and they can get back to the thing that interests them the most - making more money. God will bring them down, Amos declares, spelling out the details of their demise in the last verses of this chapter; he will bring them to their knees, turning their celebrations into occasions of mourning and misery. At verse 11, God speaks those well-known words: "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord God, "when I will make a famine in the land; not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord." The wicked profiteers, in other words, will be cut-off from the source of salvation. That is harsh judgment, indeed.
Hosea 11:1-11 (C) - The prophet, in this chapter, contrasts the love, compassion, and fidelity of God toward his chosen people with their infidelity and sin and lack of appreciation for all that he has done for them. They are reminded that God brought them out of Egypt and sustained them for 40 years as they made their way toward that land. They are also reminded that they have worshiped Baal and other gods, failing to appreciate the goodness of the Lord toward them and their children. And so, there is the threat of returning them to Egypt, of allowing Assyria to conquer them and to destroy their cities, taking them captive. But God will continue to love them and will bring them back from their exile and "return them to their homes." He did just that, of course.
1 Timothy 2:1-8 (RC, E, L); 2:1-7 (C) - In his pastoral charge to Timothy, Paul outlines the liturgical function of the Christian community even before he spells out the responsibilities and privileges of being a Christian pastor (chapter 3), directing Christians to pray for their rulers and the state in their worship assemblies. He points out the relationship of the state to the churches; the state must establish peace and concord, so that people may lead a quiet and peaceable life, and so that the churches may worship, witness, and proclaim the gospel of the Lord to all the people. He makes it clear that all people need to know Jesus Christ as Savior, the one and only mediator between God and his people. "For this," says the writer, "I was appointed a preacher and apostle, ... a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth." The last verse repeats his opening plea that prayer is basic to the business of being a Christian. Prayer is a spiritual activity that is essential and common to all parts of the church of Jesus Christ.
Luke 16:1-13 (RC, E, L, C) - It is believed that this parable originally was meant to be an eschatological exhortation given to the disciples as Jesus sought to educate them for ministry; all people will be called to account in the last days, and some will be found faithful while others will be confronted with their infidelity toward God. The rich man commends the unfaithful steward, not for his dishonesty but for his intelligent actions; when he realized what was going to happen to him, he was smart enough to take steps to insure his future by altering the accounts of people who owed him money. Human beings need to be as intelligent and resourceful toward the things of God as they are in their worldly affairs. The sayings, which seem to make intelligent use of all of their resources, as good stewards of God. This, therefore, is a timely text, coming as it does during a month when many congregations are engaged in stewardship efforts.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
Luke 16:1-13 (RC, E, L, C) - "Smart Stewardship." - All Christian stewardship takes the shape of an appreciative and thankful response to God for his blessings in the world and in eternity through Jesus Christ. Just recently, the alumni newspaper from the college that my wife and I attended carried a story about the current financial drive for $25 million. Several million dollar-plus gifts were solicited in advance of the main drive, plus a number of gifts and pledges from $100,000 to $500,000. The names of two former students husband and wife - who were in college when we were there appeared on the latter list; they gave $100,000 in this particular campaign, in addition to other monetary participation in past fund-raising efforts of the college. It is a remarkable story.
The couple who gave this money really were making a kind of thank-offering to the college which gave them an education and, therefore, an opportunity to achieve success in life. The man came from a small town in Pennsylvania, was an excellent athlete who starred in football, basketball, and baseball, and was always on the dean's list, as well. He served in the Navy during World War II, and climbed the corporate ladder to success after its conclusion; he became one of the leading executives successively in several large corporations, made excellent salaries and invested his money wisely, and retired when he was just over 60 years old. He and his wife, who has been active in civic affairs and has helped rear four children, subsequently moved from the large city where they had been living back to the small college town. There they bought and remodeled a large home, and the man became an unpaid visiting professor in the business school of the college. He also became a member of the board of trustees of the college and headed up several funding efforts. He has already given a decade of his life to this school, topped by the $100,000 bequest to this current drive, and has done so simply to express his and his wife's love and appreciation for the school which gave them so much. That is an example of the basic shape that Christian stewardship should take.
1. Christian stewardship is, and ought to be, the grateful and spontaneous response of people who appreciate all of God's gifts to them, and particularly his grace in Jesus Christ. It is really the business of giving one's life to God in return for life, its benefits and blessings, and the hope of eternal life in Christ.
2. Christians will be held accountable for their stewardship of the gifts they have received from God. God expects people to be good stewards; there is no option where stewardship is concerned. Good stewards will be commended in the age to come with a "Well done, good and faithful stewards," and condemned for poor, or non-existent, response to God's grace and the gospel.
3. Christian stewardship should be intelligent giving of one's time, talent, and treasure. The Christian should serve where needed, especially where one's gifts meet the need that exists. The Christian steward needs to be aware of his abilities and assets, and know how to make the most of them in the service of the Lord.
4. The Christian, who seeks to be a good steward, attempts to live out the gospel wherever he is and in whatever is done. And so, the Christian steward will always be a "cross-bearer" carrying joyfully his share of the burden that may be laid upon him in life. This means that all limitations and restrictions on one's total giving will be removed and that opens the way for genuine stewardship. That's what I see in the stewardship story of my friends.
Amos 8:7-14 (RC, L); 8:7-14 (8-12) (E) - "Grace and Judgment."
1. Poverty is one of the terrible plagues that the human race encounters here on earth. The people of God are expected to do something about eradicating poverty from this world. This is part of the mission of the people of God.
2. The wrath and judgment of God will fall upon those people who create poverty and overburden the poor with debts and expenses that are too much for them. People whose first priority is making money without considering the consequences for the poor will find themselves condemned by God for their greed and covetousness.
3. People will have to pay a price for their self-centeredness and their lack of regard for others, especially the poor. But the true champions of the poor, which is what Christians ought to be, will be blessed by God in eternity, if not in time.
Hosea 11:1-11 (C) - "History Lesson."
1. All people need, from time to time, a religious history lesson, which will orient them to the story of God and his goodness toward his people. Too often, we tend to forget, just as the Israelites did, what God has done for us.
2. Christians, too, need to remember, even relearn, the history of the acts of God in Jesus Christ. God brought all people out of the grasp of Satan and sin and gave all believers the hope of heaven at tremendous cost - the death of Christ on the cross.
3. Christians need to be aware of the contributions of others to their spiritual welfare and life; the church did not just "happen" today; it was established and preserved by human blood. People have laid down their lives for the church; the martyrs' blood is splattered on every single Christian church and community.
4. Christians need to remember that God never gives up on his people, but always calls them back to himself through his word and the cross of Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 2:1-8 (RC, E, L); 2:1-7 (C) - "Christian Prayer."
1. That Christians should pray for the church, the community of believers, is obvious. "Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus ..." is the beginning of the Sunday prayers in the worship book (LBW) of my church. We do that rather faithfully and quite well in most congregations.
2. We are also to pray "for all people according to their needs." And we have become quite adept at voicing our concerns and imploring God's blessing upon those who may not have anything to do with the Christian church.
3. We have begun to pray effectively for the state, asking God to help the state discharge its role in the divine scheme of things. This means thanksgiving for what the state does correctly, supplications for guidance and direction of leaders, and intercession on behalf of those who must make critical decisions that affect life and peace.
4. We need to learn to pray to God to enlist the state in the work of the gospel by establishing and maintaining real peace and concord among people, enforcing laws that attempt to bring harmony among people of various races and religions, so that the gospel may be proclaimed freely and effectively to all people.
5. In all things, our business as Christians is to lift "holy hands" in prayer to God in the spirit and love of Jesus Christ our Lord.
The rather indistinct shouts of the resurrection of our Lord - "Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed !" - continue to sound in our ears as we approach mid-October and, depending on the lectionary followed and the calendar year. We have to listen for them to hear them; the celebration of Easter is so far behind us! But the church year reminds us that the "sound" of the resurrection reverberates throughout the entire year and should be repeated every Lord's Day, every Sunday of the year. That's where our hope lies - in the crucified and risen Lord, whom God gave to the world to atone for sin on the cross and whom he justified in his glorious resurrection.
Our business is to make the sounds of the resurrection loud enough that the whole world will hear them; they need to be heard above the din of daily life, assuring people of God's love and of his ability to help and sustain us in every situation we encounter in life. God has the power to heal our infirmities, to undergird our efforts to live the good life in Christ, and to support us when suffering tends to weaken and diminish our faith. The church year reminds us that Jesus lives. He is alive forever and he has promised that those who believe in him will receive the gift of life in the kingdom to come. And because he is alive as the risen and ascended Lord, we may be bold enough to believe that his promise to come again is enduring and true. The sounds of the resurrection - "He is risen! He is risen, indeed!" inspire and revive the ancient prayer of the church, "Come, Lord Jesus! Come, quickly!" now.
The Prayer Of The Day
The contemporary collect for Proper 20, the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, in The Book Of Common Prayer is one of the most appropriate prayers for this Sunday. It is a revision of an older collect and reads: "Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen." It complements the classic collect for this Sunday: "Lord, we beseech thee, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow thee, the only God; through thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen."
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 113 (L); 113:1-2, 4-8 (RC) - Here is one of the Hallel psalms, which calls for praise of the Lord's name; it begins with the first three verses as a psalm of praise that is to continue as long as people inhabit the earth. At verse 4 and for the remainder of the psalm, reasons are given for praising the Lord God. The Lord is God, the only God of all nations and all parts of the earth; he is high above the earth - transcendent - but he is sufficiently interested in the affairs of people on earth that he "stoops to behold" what is happening on earth. This psalm was chosen as a responsory to the first reading (Amos 8) because it speaks of God's compassion and blessing of the weak and the poor. He elevates the downcast to the estate of the royalty of the nation; he makes childless women the "joyful mothers of children."
Psalm 130 (E) - Most funeral liturgies appoint this psalm as one of the lessons that may be read as part of the worship service. By using this psalm as a responsory, the church essentially puts it into the mouth of Jesus when he has concluded the 40-day fast and is tempted by Satan. He was close to a kind of death - maybe closer to actual death than he had been in the desert - because he would have been separated from God, along with all human beings, by sin. Jesus called upon God silently, no doubt, and he found strength to withstand the onslaughts of (his) supplications." Of the Lord - and, hopefully, of us - it may well be said, "I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; in his word is my hope.... for with the Lord there is mercy." Part of the prayer is ours, not that of Jesus, although we believe it because he died to gain assurance for us, "If you, Lord, were to note what is amiss, O Lord, who could stand? For there is forgiveness with you, therefore you shall be feared." Oh, Lord, hear our voices, for we are all close to death.
Psalm prayer (113 - LBW) - "Lord Jesus, surrendering the brightness of your glory, you became mortal so that we might be raised from the dust to share your very being. May the children of God always bless your name from the rising of the sun to its going down, for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever."
Psalm 130 (LBW) - "God of might and compassion, you sent your Word into the world as a watchman to announce the dawn of salvation. Do not leave us in the depths of our sins, but listen to your church pleading for the fullness of your redeeming grace; through Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Readings
Amos 8:4-7 (RC, L); 8:4-7 (8-12) (E) - In this reading, the "prophet of the poor," who calls for social justice in every age, addresses the rich people who put down the poor by over-pricing goods sold to them and outright cheating them in various ways. Such people live under the judgment of God, who has declared that he will remember "their deeds" and punish them, in good time. They are so greedy that they can't wait until festival and sabbath worship are concluded and they can get back to the thing that interests them the most - making more money. God will bring them down, Amos declares, spelling out the details of their demise in the last verses of this chapter; he will bring them to their knees, turning their celebrations into occasions of mourning and misery. At verse 11, God speaks those well-known words: "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord God, "when I will make a famine in the land; not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord." The wicked profiteers, in other words, will be cut-off from the source of salvation. That is harsh judgment, indeed.
Hosea 11:1-11 (C) - The prophet, in this chapter, contrasts the love, compassion, and fidelity of God toward his chosen people with their infidelity and sin and lack of appreciation for all that he has done for them. They are reminded that God brought them out of Egypt and sustained them for 40 years as they made their way toward that land. They are also reminded that they have worshiped Baal and other gods, failing to appreciate the goodness of the Lord toward them and their children. And so, there is the threat of returning them to Egypt, of allowing Assyria to conquer them and to destroy their cities, taking them captive. But God will continue to love them and will bring them back from their exile and "return them to their homes." He did just that, of course.
1 Timothy 2:1-8 (RC, E, L); 2:1-7 (C) - In his pastoral charge to Timothy, Paul outlines the liturgical function of the Christian community even before he spells out the responsibilities and privileges of being a Christian pastor (chapter 3), directing Christians to pray for their rulers and the state in their worship assemblies. He points out the relationship of the state to the churches; the state must establish peace and concord, so that people may lead a quiet and peaceable life, and so that the churches may worship, witness, and proclaim the gospel of the Lord to all the people. He makes it clear that all people need to know Jesus Christ as Savior, the one and only mediator between God and his people. "For this," says the writer, "I was appointed a preacher and apostle, ... a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth." The last verse repeats his opening plea that prayer is basic to the business of being a Christian. Prayer is a spiritual activity that is essential and common to all parts of the church of Jesus Christ.
Luke 16:1-13 (RC, E, L, C) - It is believed that this parable originally was meant to be an eschatological exhortation given to the disciples as Jesus sought to educate them for ministry; all people will be called to account in the last days, and some will be found faithful while others will be confronted with their infidelity toward God. The rich man commends the unfaithful steward, not for his dishonesty but for his intelligent actions; when he realized what was going to happen to him, he was smart enough to take steps to insure his future by altering the accounts of people who owed him money. Human beings need to be as intelligent and resourceful toward the things of God as they are in their worldly affairs. The sayings, which seem to make intelligent use of all of their resources, as good stewards of God. This, therefore, is a timely text, coming as it does during a month when many congregations are engaged in stewardship efforts.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
Luke 16:1-13 (RC, E, L, C) - "Smart Stewardship." - All Christian stewardship takes the shape of an appreciative and thankful response to God for his blessings in the world and in eternity through Jesus Christ. Just recently, the alumni newspaper from the college that my wife and I attended carried a story about the current financial drive for $25 million. Several million dollar-plus gifts were solicited in advance of the main drive, plus a number of gifts and pledges from $100,000 to $500,000. The names of two former students husband and wife - who were in college when we were there appeared on the latter list; they gave $100,000 in this particular campaign, in addition to other monetary participation in past fund-raising efforts of the college. It is a remarkable story.
The couple who gave this money really were making a kind of thank-offering to the college which gave them an education and, therefore, an opportunity to achieve success in life. The man came from a small town in Pennsylvania, was an excellent athlete who starred in football, basketball, and baseball, and was always on the dean's list, as well. He served in the Navy during World War II, and climbed the corporate ladder to success after its conclusion; he became one of the leading executives successively in several large corporations, made excellent salaries and invested his money wisely, and retired when he was just over 60 years old. He and his wife, who has been active in civic affairs and has helped rear four children, subsequently moved from the large city where they had been living back to the small college town. There they bought and remodeled a large home, and the man became an unpaid visiting professor in the business school of the college. He also became a member of the board of trustees of the college and headed up several funding efforts. He has already given a decade of his life to this school, topped by the $100,000 bequest to this current drive, and has done so simply to express his and his wife's love and appreciation for the school which gave them so much. That is an example of the basic shape that Christian stewardship should take.
1. Christian stewardship is, and ought to be, the grateful and spontaneous response of people who appreciate all of God's gifts to them, and particularly his grace in Jesus Christ. It is really the business of giving one's life to God in return for life, its benefits and blessings, and the hope of eternal life in Christ.
2. Christians will be held accountable for their stewardship of the gifts they have received from God. God expects people to be good stewards; there is no option where stewardship is concerned. Good stewards will be commended in the age to come with a "Well done, good and faithful stewards," and condemned for poor, or non-existent, response to God's grace and the gospel.
3. Christian stewardship should be intelligent giving of one's time, talent, and treasure. The Christian should serve where needed, especially where one's gifts meet the need that exists. The Christian steward needs to be aware of his abilities and assets, and know how to make the most of them in the service of the Lord.
4. The Christian, who seeks to be a good steward, attempts to live out the gospel wherever he is and in whatever is done. And so, the Christian steward will always be a "cross-bearer" carrying joyfully his share of the burden that may be laid upon him in life. This means that all limitations and restrictions on one's total giving will be removed and that opens the way for genuine stewardship. That's what I see in the stewardship story of my friends.
Amos 8:7-14 (RC, L); 8:7-14 (8-12) (E) - "Grace and Judgment."
1. Poverty is one of the terrible plagues that the human race encounters here on earth. The people of God are expected to do something about eradicating poverty from this world. This is part of the mission of the people of God.
2. The wrath and judgment of God will fall upon those people who create poverty and overburden the poor with debts and expenses that are too much for them. People whose first priority is making money without considering the consequences for the poor will find themselves condemned by God for their greed and covetousness.
3. People will have to pay a price for their self-centeredness and their lack of regard for others, especially the poor. But the true champions of the poor, which is what Christians ought to be, will be blessed by God in eternity, if not in time.
Hosea 11:1-11 (C) - "History Lesson."
1. All people need, from time to time, a religious history lesson, which will orient them to the story of God and his goodness toward his people. Too often, we tend to forget, just as the Israelites did, what God has done for us.
2. Christians, too, need to remember, even relearn, the history of the acts of God in Jesus Christ. God brought all people out of the grasp of Satan and sin and gave all believers the hope of heaven at tremendous cost - the death of Christ on the cross.
3. Christians need to be aware of the contributions of others to their spiritual welfare and life; the church did not just "happen" today; it was established and preserved by human blood. People have laid down their lives for the church; the martyrs' blood is splattered on every single Christian church and community.
4. Christians need to remember that God never gives up on his people, but always calls them back to himself through his word and the cross of Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 2:1-8 (RC, E, L); 2:1-7 (C) - "Christian Prayer."
1. That Christians should pray for the church, the community of believers, is obvious. "Let us pray for the whole people of God in Christ Jesus ..." is the beginning of the Sunday prayers in the worship book (LBW) of my church. We do that rather faithfully and quite well in most congregations.
2. We are also to pray "for all people according to their needs." And we have become quite adept at voicing our concerns and imploring God's blessing upon those who may not have anything to do with the Christian church.
3. We have begun to pray effectively for the state, asking God to help the state discharge its role in the divine scheme of things. This means thanksgiving for what the state does correctly, supplications for guidance and direction of leaders, and intercession on behalf of those who must make critical decisions that affect life and peace.
4. We need to learn to pray to God to enlist the state in the work of the gospel by establishing and maintaining real peace and concord among people, enforcing laws that attempt to bring harmony among people of various races and religions, so that the gospel may be proclaimed freely and effectively to all people.
5. In all things, our business as Christians is to lift "holy hands" in prayer to God in the spirit and love of Jesus Christ our Lord.
