Sermon Illustrations for Proper 14 | OT 19 (2010)
Illustration
Illustrations
Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
Thomas Costain's history, The Three Edwards, focuses on the life of a fourteenth-century duke by the name of Raynald III.
According to Costain, Raynald was given the nickname by his countrymen of Crassus, which means "fat."
A dispute arose between Raynald and his brother Edward. It was such a divisive argument that Edward let a successful revolt against Raynald. As Raynald attempted to flee he was captured and sentenced to an unusual fate. A room was built in Nieuwkerk castle and Edward promised him he would give his title and property back as soon as he was able to leave the room.
The room had near-normal sized windows and doors and none had locks or bars preventing him from leaving. The difficulty was that Raynald could not squeeze through any of them because of his size. To be free all he had to do was lose weight. Edward understood his brother's weakness. Each day mounds of delicious foods were brought to Raynald on platters. Freedom was just a diet away, but instead he yielded and grew fatter for the next ten years. Locked away by his own decision and will.
Only after Edward was killed in battle was Raynald freed, but by then he had eaten his way to death and died a year after being released.*
Isaiah calls on Israel to stop making foolish decisions and begs them to stop doing wrong and to learn to do right. If they would choose to do right their lives would dramatically change. The same with the person of the twenty-first century ... if we choose to stop doing wrong our life would change and we could influence others for the right!
(Craig Brian Larson, Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching [Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993], 229)
Derl K.
Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
Have you ever been in a bad argument with someone? When two people have a disagreement, it can get awkward. Perhaps one person wants to make up to the other, but the first person is not ready for forgiveness. Acting as if the problem does not exist is not a constructive solution. No matter how polite you are to the person with whom you disagree, the forgiveness process cannot begin until you acknowledge your problems and work out a solution. God and the Israelites are in this kind of argument in Isaiah's text. God is willing to work things out with the Israelites only if they are willing to acknowledge the problem between themselves and God.
Leah T.
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Margaret Lee suffered from asthma, so her husband, Sam Houston, the US Senator from Texas, decided to take her and their seven children to their fourth home in Independence. It was here that Margaret's mother lived and by all accounts ran the Baptist church in town. It was during this excursion that Sam Houston's long quest for spiritual repose was found. At the conclusion of a Sunday worship service he went forward and knelt at the altar and asked to be received into the church. On November 19, 1850, Sam Houston and Reverend Rufus Burleson waded into the chilly waters of Rocky Creek and the convert was baptized.
The church periodical printed the following article: "The announcement of General Houston's immersion has excited the wonder and surprise of many who have supposed that he was 'past praying for' but it is no marvel to us… 3,050 clergymen have been praying for him ever since the Nebraska outrage in the Senate."
As the author of Hebrews recounts, there are countless individuals who have preceded us in faithful obedience to God. Their faith and service offers us assurance for our own faith and inspires us to follow their example. In the life of Sam Houston there were over 3,000 ministers who believed in the testimony recorded in Hebrews. The steadfastness of their faith and the sincerity of their prayers is one of the many influences that lead Sam Houston to Rocky Creek.
Ron L.
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
I recently got the opportunity to see the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Heritage Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan. It's a beautiful facility filled with exhibits that chronicle the beginnings of the national police force that would become one of the most widely recognized parts of Canadian culture. It went back to the roots of the force as an expeditionary force sent to the rough Canadian west to curb lawlessness among the fur traders and adventurers, taking the visitor up to its contemporary role in law enforcement, crime investigation, counterterrorism, and dignitary protection. I would highly recommend seeing it!
Hebrews 11 has been called the "Hall of Faith" for good reason. Like the RCMP Heritage Centre, Hebrews 11 takes us through the roots of our faith, highlighting great men and women who became great not because of their prowess in battle or their rise to power, but because of their trust in an unseen, yet very present God.
Craig K.
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Joanne had been away from the church for too many years. She enjoyed the youth group while in high school, but when she left for college she stopped attending. In fact she stopped thinking about God and matters of faith. Years later a friend from work invited he to attend her church. Joanne found the Sunday school class discussion both inviting and intriguing. She became part of this class. It was during this time that the embers of faith began to flame in her life.
There were Sundays after a difficult week or bad weather when she was tempted to stay home. It was the whisper of the Holy Spirit that nudged her to attend. Eventually she discovered that the class was important to her and made the extra effort to attend. It was those days when she wanted to stay home that she was most blessed. "I came way uplifted and refreshed," she explained. The time spent with other believers restored her faith in the God who loves her.
The author of the book of Hebrews uses the example of Abraham and Sarah as persons of great faith. They willingly left their home and relatives to embark on a journey of faith. "For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God."
Tim S.
Luke 12:32-40
It should not have happened! The technology was the most advanced of the time. Its design was created by experience engineers with the best degrees. The safety features were extensive from top to bottom and yet the Olympic-class passenger liner owned by the White Star Line and built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast sank shortly before midnight on April 14, 1912. The Titanic struck an iceberg and sank two hours and forty minutes later on April 15, 1912 resulting in the deaths of 1,517 of the 2,223 people on board making it one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history.
A number of unrelated causes contributed to the deaths of so many people that fateful night almost a hundred years ago. People failed to be alert to the items that later led to those deaths.
* The number of lifeboats was inadequate for the number of people on board. The total capacity for all the lifeboats was 1,178 and yet the Titantic could hold well over 3,000 people and on that dark evening there were 2,223 people on board. Additionally many of lifeboats were inadequately stowed.
* The ignoring of the "non-essential" message from the steamer Amerika that warned that large icebergs lay in the Titanic's path and also the failure to heed the warning from the Mesaba by the two wireless radio operators on board the Titanic.
* Though flares were shot off and Morse code lamps were used they were also ignored.
So many other items contributed to the sinking, but the number one reason for their sinking is that few were alert to the dangerous circumstances surrounding them.
If we are not alert spiritually and to the dangerous circumstances that surround us through temptation we too could sink. Let's keep alert!
Derl K.
Luke 12:32-40
Expecting parents have to be careful when it comes near their child's due date. The child could come at any time! Mothers-to-be may pack a bag of things to take to the hospital so that they can be ready at a moment's notice. They must be careful when traveling, even if it is just to the next town over. Being prepared is the key. A baby may come days early, or it may not arrive until days late. Thankfully, however, the window of possibility for delivering a baby is far narrower than the window of possibility discussed in today's reading from Luke! Expecting parents will only be on alert for a few weeks at most -- followers of Christ must be alert at all times of the year, every year.
Leah T.
Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
Thomas Costain's history, The Three Edwards, focuses on the life of a fourteenth-century duke by the name of Raynald III.
According to Costain, Raynald was given the nickname by his countrymen of Crassus, which means "fat."
A dispute arose between Raynald and his brother Edward. It was such a divisive argument that Edward let a successful revolt against Raynald. As Raynald attempted to flee he was captured and sentenced to an unusual fate. A room was built in Nieuwkerk castle and Edward promised him he would give his title and property back as soon as he was able to leave the room.
The room had near-normal sized windows and doors and none had locks or bars preventing him from leaving. The difficulty was that Raynald could not squeeze through any of them because of his size. To be free all he had to do was lose weight. Edward understood his brother's weakness. Each day mounds of delicious foods were brought to Raynald on platters. Freedom was just a diet away, but instead he yielded and grew fatter for the next ten years. Locked away by his own decision and will.
Only after Edward was killed in battle was Raynald freed, but by then he had eaten his way to death and died a year after being released.*
Isaiah calls on Israel to stop making foolish decisions and begs them to stop doing wrong and to learn to do right. If they would choose to do right their lives would dramatically change. The same with the person of the twenty-first century ... if we choose to stop doing wrong our life would change and we could influence others for the right!
(Craig Brian Larson, Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching [Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1993], 229)
Derl K.
Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
Have you ever been in a bad argument with someone? When two people have a disagreement, it can get awkward. Perhaps one person wants to make up to the other, but the first person is not ready for forgiveness. Acting as if the problem does not exist is not a constructive solution. No matter how polite you are to the person with whom you disagree, the forgiveness process cannot begin until you acknowledge your problems and work out a solution. God and the Israelites are in this kind of argument in Isaiah's text. God is willing to work things out with the Israelites only if they are willing to acknowledge the problem between themselves and God.
Leah T.
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Margaret Lee suffered from asthma, so her husband, Sam Houston, the US Senator from Texas, decided to take her and their seven children to their fourth home in Independence. It was here that Margaret's mother lived and by all accounts ran the Baptist church in town. It was during this excursion that Sam Houston's long quest for spiritual repose was found. At the conclusion of a Sunday worship service he went forward and knelt at the altar and asked to be received into the church. On November 19, 1850, Sam Houston and Reverend Rufus Burleson waded into the chilly waters of Rocky Creek and the convert was baptized.
The church periodical printed the following article: "The announcement of General Houston's immersion has excited the wonder and surprise of many who have supposed that he was 'past praying for' but it is no marvel to us… 3,050 clergymen have been praying for him ever since the Nebraska outrage in the Senate."
As the author of Hebrews recounts, there are countless individuals who have preceded us in faithful obedience to God. Their faith and service offers us assurance for our own faith and inspires us to follow their example. In the life of Sam Houston there were over 3,000 ministers who believed in the testimony recorded in Hebrews. The steadfastness of their faith and the sincerity of their prayers is one of the many influences that lead Sam Houston to Rocky Creek.
Ron L.
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
I recently got the opportunity to see the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Heritage Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan. It's a beautiful facility filled with exhibits that chronicle the beginnings of the national police force that would become one of the most widely recognized parts of Canadian culture. It went back to the roots of the force as an expeditionary force sent to the rough Canadian west to curb lawlessness among the fur traders and adventurers, taking the visitor up to its contemporary role in law enforcement, crime investigation, counterterrorism, and dignitary protection. I would highly recommend seeing it!
Hebrews 11 has been called the "Hall of Faith" for good reason. Like the RCMP Heritage Centre, Hebrews 11 takes us through the roots of our faith, highlighting great men and women who became great not because of their prowess in battle or their rise to power, but because of their trust in an unseen, yet very present God.
Craig K.
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Joanne had been away from the church for too many years. She enjoyed the youth group while in high school, but when she left for college she stopped attending. In fact she stopped thinking about God and matters of faith. Years later a friend from work invited he to attend her church. Joanne found the Sunday school class discussion both inviting and intriguing. She became part of this class. It was during this time that the embers of faith began to flame in her life.
There were Sundays after a difficult week or bad weather when she was tempted to stay home. It was the whisper of the Holy Spirit that nudged her to attend. Eventually she discovered that the class was important to her and made the extra effort to attend. It was those days when she wanted to stay home that she was most blessed. "I came way uplifted and refreshed," she explained. The time spent with other believers restored her faith in the God who loves her.
The author of the book of Hebrews uses the example of Abraham and Sarah as persons of great faith. They willingly left their home and relatives to embark on a journey of faith. "For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God."
Tim S.
Luke 12:32-40
It should not have happened! The technology was the most advanced of the time. Its design was created by experience engineers with the best degrees. The safety features were extensive from top to bottom and yet the Olympic-class passenger liner owned by the White Star Line and built at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast sank shortly before midnight on April 14, 1912. The Titanic struck an iceberg and sank two hours and forty minutes later on April 15, 1912 resulting in the deaths of 1,517 of the 2,223 people on board making it one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history.
A number of unrelated causes contributed to the deaths of so many people that fateful night almost a hundred years ago. People failed to be alert to the items that later led to those deaths.
* The number of lifeboats was inadequate for the number of people on board. The total capacity for all the lifeboats was 1,178 and yet the Titantic could hold well over 3,000 people and on that dark evening there were 2,223 people on board. Additionally many of lifeboats were inadequately stowed.
* The ignoring of the "non-essential" message from the steamer Amerika that warned that large icebergs lay in the Titanic's path and also the failure to heed the warning from the Mesaba by the two wireless radio operators on board the Titanic.
* Though flares were shot off and Morse code lamps were used they were also ignored.
So many other items contributed to the sinking, but the number one reason for their sinking is that few were alert to the dangerous circumstances surrounding them.
If we are not alert spiritually and to the dangerous circumstances that surround us through temptation we too could sink. Let's keep alert!
Derl K.
Luke 12:32-40
Expecting parents have to be careful when it comes near their child's due date. The child could come at any time! Mothers-to-be may pack a bag of things to take to the hospital so that they can be ready at a moment's notice. They must be careful when traveling, even if it is just to the next town over. Being prepared is the key. A baby may come days early, or it may not arrive until days late. Thankfully, however, the window of possibility for delivering a baby is far narrower than the window of possibility discussed in today's reading from Luke! Expecting parents will only be on alert for a few weeks at most -- followers of Christ must be alert at all times of the year, every year.
Leah T.
