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Worship

SermonStudio

Fourth Sunday After The Epiphany -- Deuteronomy 18:15-22, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, Mark 1:21-28, Psalm 111 -- Charles And Donna Cammarata -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - B -- 2005
Call To Worship
Fifth Sunday After The Epiphany -- Isaiah 40:21-31, 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, Mark 1:29-39, Psalm 147:1-11, 20c -- Charles And Donna Cammarata -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - B -- 2005
Call To Worship
Sixth Sunday After The Epiphany -- 2 Kings 5:1-14, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Mark 1:40-45, Psalm 30 -- Charles And Donna Cammarata -- Epiphany 6 | Ordinary Time 6 - B -- 2005
Call To Worship From Psalm 30. Leader: I will exalt you, O Lord,
Seventh Sunday After The Epiphany -- Isaiah 43:18-25, Mark 2:1-12, Psalm 41 -- Charles And Donna Cammarata -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - B -- 2005
Call To Worship
The Epiphany Of Our Lord -- Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12, Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 -- Charles And Donna Cammarata -- Epiphany of the Lord - B -- 2005
Call To Worship
Good Friday -- Isaiah 52:13--53:12, John 18:1--19:42, Psalm 22 -- Charles And Donna Cammarata -- Good Friday - B -- 2005
Call To Worship Selected verses from Psalm 22. Leader:
First Sunday in Lent -- Genesis 9:8-17, 1 Peter 3:18-22, Mark 1:9-15, Psalm 25:1-10 -- Charles And Donna Cammarata -- First Sunday in Lent - B -- 2005
Call To Worship
Second Sunday in Lent -- Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16, Romans 4:13-25, Mark 8:31-38, Psalm 22:23-31 -- Charles And Donna Cammarata -- Second Sunday in Lent - B -- 2005
Call To Worship Based on the Genesis 17 passage. Leader:
Third Sunday in Lent -- Exodus 20:1-17, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, John 2:13-22, Psalm 19 -- Charles And Donna Cammarata -- Third Sunday in Lent - B -- 2005
Call To Worship Psalm 19:1-2 Leader:
Fourth Sunday in Lent -- Numbers 21:4-9, Ephesians 2:1-10, John 3:14-21, Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 -- Charles And Donna Cammarata -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - B -- 2005
Call To Worship This is what Jesus was born for. Leader:

Drama

Sermon

SermonStudio

Life's Purpose Is Often Hidden! -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 -- Mark Ellingsen -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2007
Life is a messy affair. Our purpose is often hidden.
Ecological Politics -- Matthew 14:22-33 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A -- 2007
One of the greatest military campaigns ever conducted was the Persian invasion of Greece in 480 BC.
Religious Balkanization -- Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 2007
As a seminary intern in St. Louis, Missouri, I was part of a Jewish-Christian Dialogue group.
Mistaken Identitiy -- Matthew 16:13-20 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A -- 2007
Appearances can be deceiving.
The Road No One Wants To Travel -- Matthew 16:21-28 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A -- 2007
Some time ago, I was riding a train through central England and a man boarded at one of the stops.
Personal Politics -- Matthew 18:15-20 -- Wayne Brouwer -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A -- 2007
Thomas Browne said that "the vices we scoff at in others laugh at us from within ourselves." More th
How Beautiful The Feet -- Romans 10:5-15 -- Larry Lange -- Proper 14 | Ordinary Time 19 - A -- 2007
The whole thing is stupid and unnecessary, Judy was thinking as she was driving to the nursing home.
The Heifer That Will Change The World! -- Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 -- Larry Lange -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A -- 2007
The Reverend Clyde Lott is a national champion cattle judge and livestock showman.
We Are The Champions -- Romans 12:1-8 -- Larry Lange -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - A -- 2007
The year I knew Jack, one of the cattle he had raised was awarded the title "State Champion Steer."
It Was Only Fair -- Romans 12:9-21 -- Larry Lange -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - A -- 2007
The blizzard was kind enough to have shown up on Friday evening, so that when it had finished rattli

Children's sermon

SermonStudio

The Prayers -- Larry L. Sydow -- 1991
(Ask the children to come forward following the creed.
The Peace -- Larry L. Sydow -- 1991
(Ask the children to come forward following the words of the peace before the peace is shared.
The Offering -- Larry L. Sydow -- 1991
(Ask the children to come forward at the time of the offering.
The Offertory (Create in Me ...) -- Larry L. Sydow -- 1991
(While the offering is being received, or just before the offertory is sung, ask the children to com
The Offertory (Let The Vineyards ...) -- Larry L. Sydow -- 1991
(Ask the children to come forward while the offering is being received.
The Offertory (What Shall I Render ...) -- Larry L. Sydow -- 1991
(Ask the children to come forward during the offering.
The Offertory Prayer -- Larry L. Sydow -- 1991
(Ask the children to come forward after the offering has been received.
The Great Thanksgiving (Litany) -- Larry L. Sydow -- 1991
(Ask the children to come forward at the usual time for the children's sermon to avoid interrupting
The Great Thanksgiving (Preface) -- Larry L. Sydow -- 1991
(Ask the children to come forward at the appropriate time.
Candles -- Larry L. Sydow -- 1991
(At the time when the acolytes usually come out to light the candles, call the children forward.)

Preaching

SermonStudio

Don't I Look Nice? -- Terry Cain -- 2005
Purpose Statement: Our obsession with physical appearance does not fit with Christian values.
Pilgrim Or Tourist? -- Terry Cain -- 2005
Purpose Statement: How serious (or loose) is our connection to Jesus Christ, the church, and Chri
Knock, Knock -- Who's There? -- Terry Cain -- 2005
Purpose Statement: How do we handle the religious zealots who knock at our door?
The Multi-Billion-Dollar Rodent Den -- Terry Cain -- 2005
Purpose Statement: Too many people are missing the intelligent and appropriate response to alcoho
Wicked, But Worth It -- Terry Cain -- 2005
Purpose Statement: We need to recognize the delicate balance between the realization we are sinne
Religion That Will Scare You To Death -- Terry Cain -- 2005
Purpose Statement: Is there still fear associated with some religion and should there be?
Blemishes And Biblical Authentication -- Terry Cain -- 2005
Purpose Statement: "Defects" or "flaws" in the Bible do not necessarily diminish its value or tru
A Dangerous Way To Read Your Bible -- Terry Cain -- 2005
Purpose Statement: Unavoidably and necessarily we must "pick and choose" which passages in our Bi
Skeletons In The Church Closet -- Terry Cain -- 2005
Purpose Statement: The Church is not now, and has not in the past, been perfect.
The Christian And False Besmirchment -- Terry Cain -- 2005
Purpose Statement: Christians should be extraordinarily careful not to judge others on flimsy and

Worship Service

Stories

SermonStudio

Open Doors: Illustrations, Quotes, And Quips -- Derl G. Keefer -- 2001
Democracy
Open Doors: Illustrations, Quotes, And Quips -- Derl G. Keefer -- 2001
Discipleship
Open Doors: Illustrations, Quotes, And Quips -- Derl G. Keefer -- 2001
Discipleship
Open Doors: Illustrations, Quotes, And Quips -- Derl G. Keefer -- 2001
Ego
Open Doors: Illustrations, Quotes, And Quips -- Derl G. Keefer -- 2001
Ego
Open Doors: Illustrations, Quotes, And Quips -- Derl G. Keefer -- 2001
Encouragement
Open Doors: Illustrations, Quotes, And Quips -- Derl G. Keefer -- 2001
Enthusiasm
Open Doors: Illustrations, Quotes, And Quips -- Derl G. Keefer -- 2001
Envy "Everybody loves success, but they hate successful people." (John McEnroe)
Open Doors: Illustrations, Quotes, And Quips -- Derl G. Keefer -- 2001
Envy
Open Doors: Illustrations, Quotes, And Quips -- Derl G. Keefer -- 2001
Eternal

Prayer

Devotional

SermonStudio

Proper 27 -- Mark 12:38-44 -- William W. Helland -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - B -- 2005
Mark 12:38-44
Proper 28 -- Mark 13:1-8 -- William W. Helland -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B -- 2005
Mark 13:1-8
The Transfiguration Of Our Lord -- Mark 9:2-9 -- William W. Helland -- Transfiguration Sunday - B -- 2005
Mark 9:2-9
The Holy Trinity -- John 3:1-17 -- William W. Helland -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B -- 2005
John 3:1-17
Christmas 1 -- Luke 2:22-40 -- William W. Helland -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - B -- 2005
Luke 2:22-40
Christmas 2 -- John 1:(1-9) 10-18 -- William W. Helland -- Second Sunday after Christmas - B -- 2005
John 1:(1-9) 10-18
The Nativity Of Our Lord/Christmas Eve/Christmas Day (Proper 1) -- Luke 2:1-14 (15-20) -- William W. Helland -- The Nativity of our Lord - B -- 2005
Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
The Burning Bush -- Exodus 3:1-5 -- William C. Bartlett -- 2001
Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock
The Passover -- Exodus 12:3, 5-7, 11-13 -- William C. Bartlett -- 2001
Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth of this month they are to take a lamb fo
"We Don't Know What To Do" -- 2 Chronicles 20:12-15 -- William C. Bartlett -- 2001
"O our God, will you not execute judgment upon them?

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Christian Faith

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Proper 13 (OT 18, Pent 10)
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4 – Pastor's Devotions
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Proper 14 (OT 19, Pent 11)
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Proper 15 (OT 20, Pent 12)
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New & Featured This Week

The Immediate Word

Dean Feldmeyer
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Christopher Keating
Mary Austin
George Reed
For August 2, 2026:

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Tom and Ben couldn't stand each other. They'd known each other for a very long time since they had been at school together years ago and had lived in the same village ever since. But they'd never hit it off. Unfortunately, being a village there was only one church, and Tom and Ben were both churchgoers.

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
Argile Smith
Contents
What's Up This Week
"Not a Cup but a Cow" by Frank Ramirez
"Compassion at Work" by Argile Smith


What's Up This Week

SermonStudio

Jerry L. Schmalenberger
Seasonal Theme
The teaching and ministry of Jesus the Christ.

Theme For The Day
God's blessing from our troubles and the kingdom's invitation to share with others.

Old Testament Lesson
Genesis 32:22-31
Jacob Wrestles At Peniel
Stan Purdum
This psalm belongs in the category of "personal lament," which means it probably was not used for corporate worship, but by an individual pray-er. From the tone, the person is clearly in some unspecified distress, probably from persecutors of some sort. Protesting his innocence and his faithfulness to God, the psalmist asks for divine relief, and concludes with an expression of confidence that God will come to his aid (v. 18: "I shall awake satisfied").
David Kalas
I wonder how many of us here are named after someone.

Chances are that a good many of us carry family names. We are named for a parent, a grandparent, an uncle, or an aunt somewhere on the family tree. Others of us had parents who named us after a character in the Bible, or perhaps some other significant character from history.

All told, I expect a pretty fair number of us are named after someone else.
Larry Lange
To Jim it seemed like an opportunity to right decades of wrongs.
Wayne Brouwer
Yogi Berra, the great baseball player of an earlier age, was known for his unusual and creative use of the English language. In giving directions to his home, for example, he often told people, "When you come to the fork in the road, take it." His formula for success, as some heard it, was this: "Ninety percent perspiration, and the rest mostly just plain hard work." Then there was the time he went to a restaurant by himself and ordered a large pizza. The waitress asked if he would like it cut into four or eight pieces. "Better make it four," he replied.
Richard E. Gribble, CSC
Willy Loman lived in a world of indifference; nobody seemed to care about him and others. It was a world where people thought mostly of themselves. Willy was a traveling salesman, but not a very good one. For many years he had been on the road, traveling from one city to another, one hotel to a second. His area was all of New England. Several times each year he would make his rounds, going from his home in New York north to Waterbury, Connecticut, then on to Providence, Boston, and north still further to Portland and Bangor in Maine before returning home.
Jeff Wedge
Aren't families fun, at times? Paul reminds us in the lesson for today that families can be a source of many things in our lives.

Consider the husband who had promised his wife to replace the kitchen cabinets, but kept putting off the home improvement. The wife had to leave to care for her sick mother for two weeks and returned to find the new cabinets installed in the kitchen.
Thom M. Shuman
Call To Worship
One: We come to this place of worship,
to encounter the One who has called us here.
All: This Holy One -- our God --
is with us in every moment.
One: God is in our celebrations and joys,
God is in our darkest nights of loneliness.
All: This Holy God -- our God --
blesses us and calls us by name.
One: As night fades before the coming light,
we meet the One who saves us --
even from ourselves.
All: This God -- our Holy God --
touches us with the spirit of hope.
Beverly S. Bailey
Hymns
Break Now The Bread Of Life (NCH321, CBH360, UM599, PH329)
Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown (UM386, CBH503)
God Is Here (NCH70, PH461)
Holy Spirit, Truth Divine (LBW257, NCH63, PH321)
Our God, To Whom We Turn (NCH37, PH278)
Sweet Hour Of Prayer (NCH505)
Sheaves Of Summer/Una Espiga (NCH338, PH518)
You Satisfy The Hungry Heart (PH521)

Anthems
Asleep On Holy Ground, Michael Card, The Beginning, Solo
Frank Ramirez
First Lesson: Genesis 32:22-31
Theme: Out Of Joint


Call To Worship (based on Psalm 145:1-4)

One:
We will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.

All:
We will proclaim you as God and King in the midst of our community.

One:
Every day we will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever.

All:
Your name is great, Lord, and worthy of this praise.

One:
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

We all love stories of courage among those who wrestle with daunting difficulties in life and actually pull out a win:

* Francis Parkman suffered from both arthritic muscles and poor eyesight. He could work only five minutes at a time, scrawling huge letters on his manuscript, yet he managed to complete a massive twenty-volume historical masterpiece.
David Kalas
Early in the cherished 1965 movie, The Sound of Music, we see the sisters at the abbey wondering about their whimsical novice, Maria. At the moment, no one can find her, and one of the sisters dutifully reports to the Reverend Mother that she has looked in all the usual places. "Considering that it's Maria," responds the wise, old woman, "perhaps you should look someplace unusual."

CSSPlus

Leah Thompson
Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. (v. 19)

Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) Today we are going to talk about bread. How many of you have eaten bread recently? (allow answers) What did you eat with your bread? (allow answers)
Cynthia E. Cowen
The Point: Jesus wants us to work together to spread the kingdom of God.
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