Proper 5 | Ordinary Time 10 - A
R. Craig Maccreary
If you want to know how to get me to sing, though of course I am not sure that
anyone would want me to be singing, just get out one of the old favorite hymns like
"Standing On The Promises."
Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.
Of course, some of the verses knot my theological gears, but the second verse captures well the meaning of faith for me. Contrary to all evidence, we take our stand on promises that shall surely be fulfilled by God's own doing. The storms of life do have a way of kicking up tornados of doubt and fear that are even more threatening than the original storm.
Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.
Of course, some of the verses knot my theological gears, but the second verse captures well the meaning of faith for me. Contrary to all evidence, we take our stand on promises that shall surely be fulfilled by God's own doing. The storms of life do have a way of kicking up tornados of doubt and fear that are even more threatening than the original storm.
When I sit down to plan the worship services for this Sunday, I will start by penciling in John H. Sammis' hymn, "Trust And Obey." If Sammis had chosen to devote individual verses in his hymn to biblical characters, he could easily have included some that we will read about this week.
See Abraham packing up and leaving home in response to God's difficult directive. See Matthew leaving his tax table, apparently without bothering to pack up, in order to follow the one whose invitation included no details. See the grieving father turning to Jesus in the face of death, and see the bleeding woman reaching out to touch, just to touch, with the hopeful expectation that she would be healed.
Sammis' recipe is simple. It may even seem simplistic to sophisticated folk who...
See Abraham packing up and leaving home in response to God's difficult directive. See Matthew leaving his tax table, apparently without bothering to pack up, in order to follow the one whose invitation included no details. See the grieving father turning to Jesus in the face of death, and see the bleeding woman reaching out to touch, just to touch, with the hopeful expectation that she would be healed.
Sammis' recipe is simple. It may even seem simplistic to sophisticated folk who...
Frank Ramirez
In these passages, God calls on individuals to give up control of their lives and follow a whole new way of living. Abram and Sarai leave the comfort and familiarity of family and home to set forth on a journey with no clear destination. They heard, obeyed, and changed the world. Paul expands on this singular event in Abram’s life and how that changes our world. And Jesus reaches out to someone on the margins, someone well enough off to believe they don’t need direction and calls on that person to follow him.
It all looks good on paper, especially the pages of our Bibles, but how ready are we to let God lead us into new and different territory?
Genesis 12:1-9
It all looks good on paper, especially the pages of our Bibles, but how ready are we to let God lead us into new and different territory?
Genesis 12:1-9
I used to work with a guy named Jack. We shared a common interest in woodworking and tools - he was an accomplished woodworker, while I was an accomplished armchair woodworker. One day I was in a woodworking store and saw a beautiful tool, a marking gauge, used to scribe a line parallel to the edge of a board. It was made in England of rosewood and brass, it was without doubt the most beautiful tool I had even seen, and it was expensive. I wanted it badly, but couldn't justify buying it. Later that day I told Jack about it.
About a week later out of the blue Jack handed me a bag. I opened it, and there in the bag was the rosewood-and-brass marking gauge. A present, simply because we both appreciated well-made, beautiful tools.
About a week later out of the blue Jack handed me a bag. I opened it, and there in the bag was the rosewood-and-brass marking gauge. A present, simply because we both appreciated well-made, beautiful tools.
The Scriptures convey such powerful testimony about nothing less than life and death and eternity that we sometimes lose sight of the laughter and humor in which the testimony is couched. Humor, irony, understatement and overstatement, even downright comedy permeate many of the stories and much of the witness.
Our lessons for this day, particularly the two from the New Testament, challenge us to appreciate the humor and the laughter, even unstated, that is so much a part of the promise God gives for eternity. The epistle lesson can lead to the giggles, and the gospel leaves us smiling at its conclusion. Together they challenge us to consider that the more serious the issue at hand, the greater the need for an appropriate humor.
Hosea 5:15--6:6
Our lessons for this day, particularly the two from the New Testament, challenge us to appreciate the humor and the laughter, even unstated, that is so much a part of the promise God gives for eternity. The epistle lesson can lead to the giggles, and the gospel leaves us smiling at its conclusion. Together they challenge us to consider that the more serious the issue at hand, the greater the need for an appropriate humor.
Hosea 5:15--6:6
We wish we knew or could know more about the nature of faith. It is one thing to have it, to express it, to rely on it. It is another to claim to define and understand it, or to defend all the actions connected with it. The line between faith and credulity, faith and gullibility, faith and irresponsibility has to be thin and blurry. People get congratulated for relying on one kind of faith in one way and get scolded for believing too many things about too many signs and wonders in the same books, on the same pages.
Those of us who ever write short journalistic columns work on the principle that in making the one point allowed you within, say, a 700-word limit, you have to be vulnerable to the charge that you are missing others. Of course, and indeed. Those who tell stories...
Those of us who ever write short journalistic columns work on the principle that in making the one point allowed you within, say, a 700-word limit, you have to be vulnerable to the charge that you are missing others. Of course, and indeed. Those who tell stories...
Lectionary Commentary and Sermon Illustrations
Emphasis Preaching Journal provides in-depth lectionary-based commentary on lectionary texts, plus thousands of sermon illustrations to help you create riveting sermons.For over 45 years, Emphasis has provided subscribers with scripturally sound, lectionary-based commentaries and sermon illustrations that connect with the people in the pews.
For each week, Emphasis writers delve into the heart of the lectionary readings, providing you with several fresh, solid ideas -- based squarely on the lectionary texts -- for creating sermons that speak powerfully to your audience. They look for overall themes that hold the readings together. Then, they zero in on the themes and the specific scripture links, suggesting directions for the sermon and worship service. Since a single idea each week may not provide what you are looking for at that particular time, writers suggest several, giving you the opportunity to select the one that matches your specific needs.
