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Timothy F. Merrill

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Deafening Decibels -- Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Ash Wednesday - C -- 2003
My neighbor across the street stopped by one day to tell me he had petitioned the city council for a
The Fat Factor -- Hebrews 11:29--12:2 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - C -- 2003
Camryn Manheim is an actor, best known for her role as the no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners, Eleanor F
A New Idea -- Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - C -- 2003
The Utne Reader (named after its founder) is not at all like the Reader's Digest.
AAADD -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 16 | Ordinary Time 21 - C -- 2003
"Do you believe in life after death?" the boss asked one of his new employees.
Christ The President Sunday -- Colossians 1:11-20 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - C -- 2003
We have arrived at the last Sunday of the church year.
Sex Is A Turnoff -- Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 17 | Ordinary Time 22 - C -- 2003
You've seen the ads.
Where's Jesus? -- Luke 24:1-12 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Easter Day - C -- 2003
I have a hobby that some people might think odd, if not perverse.
Lopsided Clay -- Jeremiah 18:1-11 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - C -- 2003
My wife is a potter. She has a wheel in the sun room and a kiln in the garage.
The First Jesus Seminar -- John 20:19-31 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Second Sunday of Easter - C -- 2003
No biblical character has suffered as much exegetical and theological abuse as Thomas.
The Parable Of The Lost Dog -- Luke 15:1-10 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - C -- 2003
Like most of the general population, I lose things all the time.
A Shop That Specializes In Conversions -- Acts 9:1-6 (7-20) -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Third Sunday of Easter - C -- 2003
Have you converted anything lately?We do it all the time.
Prayer Meeting On The First Tee -- 1 Timothy 2:1-7 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C -- 2003
I attend a small country church where I volunteer my time to preach and plan worship.
Freeze-dried Or On Ice? -- Revelation 7:9-17 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2003
Slugger Ted Williams, "the greatest hitter in the world," the last player to hit over .400 for a sea
Body Building -- 1 Timothy 6:6-19 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C -- 2003
The psalmist David seems to have it right when he muses, "It was you who formed my inward parts ...
The Ketchup Church -- Acts 11:1-18 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2003
My parents didn't put up with a lot of foolishness.
Lipstick Pistols -- 2 Timothy 1:1-14 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C -- 2003
"We do disagreeable things," wrote novelist John le Carré in The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, "so
The Nanotest -- John 14:23-29 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2003
When I was a kid I got sick probably as much as the next kid, but not abnormally so.
Gratitude Deficit Disorder (GDD) -- Luke 17:11-19 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C -- 2003
I love all these new diseases, syndromes, and disorders they've come up with in the last ten years.
The Mind-set -- John 17:20-26 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - C -- 2003
Justin and Juliana, twins, are college seniors at Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin.
The Popcorn Fork -- John 2:1-11 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - C -- 2003
You've rented the movie Shrek like for about the fourth time, and you're all settling in the family
The Nag Factor -- Luke 18:1-8 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - C -- 2003
Alex, nine, is just one kid among millions who make up the demographic group aged four to twelve, a
The Head Light -- Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2003
Every once in a while, I hear from friends I had in college and seminary.
Croppies -- Joel 2:23-32 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - C -- 2003
My wife enjoys Mel Gibson's talent. Sort of like I enjoy Jamie Lee Curtis' talent.
The English Garden -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2003
Allan Metcalf, executive secretary of the American Dialect Society, likes to think of language as a
Deus Absconditus -- Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 -- Timothy F. Merrill -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - C -- 2003
Sometimes, you just don't know where God is, or if you do, what he's up to.
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John Jamison
Object: A crown and a cross. If you have enough small crosses, you could give one to each child at the end of the message.

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For November 24, 2024:

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John E. Sumwalt
Look, he is coming with the clouds,
    and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
    and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”
So shall it be! Amen.
(v. 7)

Emphasis Preaching Journal

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Bill Thomas
Bonnie Bates
Mark Ellingsen
2 Samuel 23:1-7
This scripture is said to be the last words of David. We are called to hear the words and know that they need to live on in us. “One who rules over people justly, ruling in the fear of God, is like the light of morning, like the sun rising on a cloudless morning, gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.” This call for justice remains. It is a call that lives throughout the scriptures. Justice is vitally important to the faithful followers of God. To rule with justice is to answer the call of God.
Wayne Brouwer
One morning in 1872, David Livingstone wrote this in his diary: “March 19, my birthday. My Jesus, my king, my life, my all, I again dedicate my whole self to thee. Accept me, and grant, O gracious Father, that ere the year is gone I may finish my work. In Jesus’ name I ask it. Amen.”

Just one year later, servants came to check on their master’s delay. They found him on his knees in prayer. He was dead.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Prayers usually include these concerns and may follow this sequence:



These responses may be used:




Let us pray for the Church and for the world, and let us thank God for his goodness.

Almighty God our heavenly father, you promised through your Son Jesus Christ to hear us when we pray in faith.

SermonStudio

Robert G. Beckstrand
The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty ...
your throne is established from of old,
you are from everlasting ...
More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters,
more majestic than the waves of the sea,
majestic on high is the LORD.
-- Psalm 93:1a, 2, 4

Theme: The majesty of Yahweh

Outline
1-2 -- Yahweh's eternal sovereignty is seen in the laws of the physical world.
3-4 -- The hostile powers of earth (like "floods"), however majestic or loud-sounding, threaten his rule in vain.
John R. Brokhoff
The Ancient of Days takes his seat on the throne of judgment.
Today's lesson is apocalyptic literature written at a time of
persecution by Antiochus Epiphanes IV around 165 B.C. Chapter 7
tells of four beasts representing the Persian, Medean, Greek and
Syrian empires. The most terrible beast is the last which led to
the writing of Daniel and the Maccabbean revolt. Our pericope
interrupts the account of the fourth beast. It consists of a
vision of a heavenly court of judgment upon the reign of
Lee Ann Dunlap
The weeklong pastor's training event was about halfway through its course and the pastor coordinating the event was enjoying her break with a leisurely stroll across the grounds. But what began as a beautiful leisurely spring day soon turned somewhat anxious when she returned to her room and found a message taped to her door, "Call the bishop's assistant as soon as possible." She spent part of the afternoon playing phone tag between class sessions. "Whatever could it be?" she pondered.

Cathy A. Ammlung
I'd rather hear Saint Matthew talk about Christ the King. His story of the Last Judgment is vivid. Concrete acts are laid out. "As you have done to the least of these," Jesus says, "you have done to me." We may disagree or cringe, but we can picture this King claiming kinship with the lowly.

Luke's story is good, too. Jesus hangs between two criminals and promises to one that "today you will be with me in Paradise." We see a dying King offering kingly gifts to the dying who trust in him. We may be puzzled, we may object, but again, we can picture it.
H. Alan Stewart
Maybe you have had the experience of being mentioned in the last will and testament of someone who has died. As you listen during this poignant experience to the reading of a deceased person's last wishes, a legacy is being passed on. Both as we live and as we die, we pass on a legacy to the rest of the world.
Charles And Donna Cammarata
Call To Worship
From Psalm 145.
Leader: I lift you high in praise, my God, my King!
People: I will bless your name for all eternity.
Leader: You are magnificent!
People: You can never be praised enough!
Leader: There are no boundaries to your greatness.
People: All generations stand in awe of you.
Leader: Your beauty and splendor have them all talking.
People: We compose songs on your wonders.
Leader: Books could be written filled with the details of your greatness.

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