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William H. Shepherd

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Commentary

Emphasis Preaching Journal

The wrong anthem -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 26:14--27:66, Psalm 31:9-16 -- William H. Shepherd, Schuyler Rhodes -- Passion Sunday - A -- 2011
The choir director was aghast. "I just didn't realize," she said. "It was totally inappropriate.
Idol-rife -- Acts 17:22-31, 1 Peter 3:13-22, John 14:15-21, Psalm 66:8-20 -- William H. Shepherd, Schuyler Rhodes -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2011
In Garret Kreizer's novel, God of Beer (2002), the high school social studies teacher tells t
It was good -- Genesis 1:1--2:4a, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Matthew 28:16-20, Psalm 8 -- William H. Shepherd, Schuyler Rhodes -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A -- 2011
The more I listened, the more I heard desperation.
Beartivity -- Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14 (15-20), Psalm 96 -- William H. Shepherd -- The Nativity of our Lord - C -- 2003
I live in a house with my wife, two cats, and about 200 teddy bears.
School of rock(s) -- Isaiah 2:1-5, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44, Psalm 122 -- William H. Shepherd -- First Sunday of Advent - A
Christianity is, among other things, an intellectual quest. The curriculum to know God truly.
School days, school days -- Exodus 12:1-14, Romans 13:8-14 -- William H. Shepherd -- Proper 18 | Ordinary Time 23 - A
Good old golden rule days.
"X" marks the spot -- Genesis 29:15-28, Romans 8:26-39, Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52, Psalm 119:129-136 -- William H. Shepherd -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A
God works in hidden ways.
Show me your ways -- Exodus 33:12-23, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10, Matthew 22:15-22 -- William H. Shepherd -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - A
I have to admit that I have absolutely no interest in preserving the institution of the church.
The jar left behind -- Exodus 17:1-7, Romans 5:1-11, John 4:5-42, Psalm 95 -- William H. Shepherd -- Third Sunday in Lent - A
I was reading the work of a well-known biblical critic who said, "Adequate water sources were crucia
The deed in the jar -- Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15, 1 Timothy 6:6-19, Luke 16:19-31, Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16 -- William H. Shepherd -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - C
If I've read it once, I've read it a dozen times: the religious thriller, where the plot hinges on a
The power of life and death -- Acts 9:36-43, Revelation 7:9-17, John 10:22-30, Psalm 23 -- William H. Shepherd -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - C
In the sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), the alien Klaatu, having been sho
Mountaintop experience -- Exodus 24:12-18, 2 Peter 1:16-21, Matthew 17:1-9 -- William H. Shepherd -- Transfiguration Sunday - A
It was the most boring sermon I ever heard, until it became the most interesting.
Read the manual -- Acts 2:14a, 36-41, 1 Peter 1:17-23, Luke 24:13-35 -- William H. Shepherd -- Third Sunday of Easter - A
My friend was overwhelmed by his first church convention.
Covenant: the next generation -- Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67, Romans 7:15-25a, Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30 -- William H. Shepherd -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - A
One of the central concepts of the Bible is the "covenant." A covenant is a contract-plus.
Search and preserve mission -- Isaiah 63:7-9, Hebrews 2:10-18, Matthew 2:13-23, Psalm 148 -- William H. Shepherd -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A
"Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty," says the bumper sticker.
The wrong anthem -- Isaiah 50:4-9a, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 26:14-27:66 -- William H. Shepherd -- Passion Sunday - A
The choir director was aghast. "I just didn't realize," she said. "It was totally inappropriate.
It was good -- Genesis 1:1-2:4a, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Matthew 28:16-20, Psalm 8 -- William H. Shepherd -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - A
The more I listened, the more I heard desperation.
God I ain't -- Hosea 1:2-10, Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19), Luke 11:1-13, Psalm 85 -- William H. Shepherd -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - C
The movie Rudy (1993) is about a football player who refuses to quit.
It came from beneath the sea -- Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18, Ephesians 1:11-23, Luke 6:20-31, Psalm 149 -- William H. Shepherd -- All Saints Day - C
Theaters in the 1950s were deluged with "wildlife-gone-amok" disaster films ...
It could happen to you -- Genesis 45:1-15, Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32, Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28, Psalm 133 -- William H. Shepherd -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
There is a chain of tradition.
By what authority? -- Exodus 17:1-7, Philippians 2:1-13, Matthew 21:23-32 -- William H. Shepherd -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A
They rang the church doorbell insistently.
Called before born -- Isaiah 49:1-7, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, John 1:29-42, Psalm 40:1-11 -- William H. Shepherd -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - A
"Who's your family?" Southerners know this greeting well, but it is not unheard of above, beside, an

Preaching

SermonStudio

Compose -- William H. Shepherd -- 2004
One who preaches without a net must have something memorable to say.
Overview: In A Nutshell -- William H. Shepherd -- 2004
Preaching without a net involves the mastery of the five acts of traditional rhetoric (see Ch
Sample Sermon Manuscripts -- William H. Shepherd -- 2004
Preaching cannot be taught in the abstract, but only in the doing.
The Secret of Preaching Without a Net -- William H. Shepherd -- 2004
Prepare like crazy, so that you areoverprepared.
Stand And Speak -- William H. Shepherd -- 2004
We are coming to the end of the week -- Friday, if not Saturday.
Study -- William H. Shepherd -- 2004
The preacher who would work without a net, like all preachers, will need to pay attention to the act
UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Lent 2
20 – Sermons
170+ – Illustrations / Stories
26 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
20 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Lent 3
34 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
26 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Lent 4
30 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
27 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

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Paul reread the parable again and sighed. Why had he agreed to lead the Bible study this week? When Pastor Luke asked him, he had been all excited and enthusiastic. He knew the parable of the prodigal son inside and out having read commentaries and stories about it before. He had actually preached a sermon on the passage when Pastor Luke was away and received great feedback from the congregation.

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It is a well-known cliché that “God never gives us more than we can handle”, but I have sometimes found that not to be so. When my youngest brother died of brain cancer at age five, it was more than I could handle. When my first husband was emotionally and physically abusive, it was more than I could handle. When my second husband and I lost our twin sons at birth, it was more than I could handle. The COVID pandemic was more than we could handle. Wars and violence are often more than we can handle. Homelessness, poverty, grief, and loss are often more than we can handle.
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I suppose we are all a little bit nervous about the prospect of a sermon on a Bible story as familiar and sometimes as overworked as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. "What can I possibly say that hasn't been said before?" And I know what's going through your minds: "Are we going to be subjected to the same old sermon yet another time?" Confronting a familiar Bible passage like this mid-Lent really serves to address the discipline of reading Scripture as part of our devotional life, particularly passages that are very familiar.
Charles D. Reeb
A. A. Milne, the creator of Winnie the Pooh, wrote a simple, yet telling poem in his work, Now We Are Six:

When I was One, I had just begun.
When I was Two, I was nearly new.
When I was Three, I was hardly Me.
When I was Four, I was not much more.
When I was Five, I was just alive.
But now I am Six, I'm as clever as ever.
So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.1

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to worship:

 While the Prodigal Son was still far off, his father saw him, ran to him, put his arms around him and kissed him. In our worship today, let us turn to God so that he may run to us, put his arms around and kiss us.

Invitation to confession:

 Jesus, for the times when we run away from you,

Lord, have mercy.

 Jesus, for the times when we have wasted our inheritance on dissolute living,

Christ, have mercy.

 Jesus, when we return to you,

Lord, have mercy.

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