Sermon Illustrations for Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 (2020)
Illustration
Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18 and Psalm 90:1-8, (9-11), 12
Modern progressive preachers don’t like to talk about sin. We leave that for the “hell-fire and brimstone” preachers, as my husband calls them. Yet, in both of these passages, we are reminded by the prophet and the psalmist that we sin – we turn from God, from his commands, and we sin. The anger of God is expressed in these readings, not so much the love we like to hope for. Yet, anger can also be a sign of love. Think back to the last time you were angry at a spouse or a child. I don’t think the anger had anything to do with you not loving them. In fact, it may have been about protection or a calling of them back into relationship with you – or it may have been about your own fear and anxiety. I don’t think God has anxiety, but I do think God fears we don’t or won’t want to be in relationship with God. As we turn back toward God, the psalmist reminds us of a prayer to God, “teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” May it be so.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Judges 4:1-7
The story of Deborah’s leadership certainly calls our attention to the role of women in society, and the role of others who have been marginalized. Yes, we have a black woman ready to become Vice-President, but it is still the case that according to 2018 U.S. Census Bureau data, white women only make $.79 for every dollar earned by a white man. And black women only make $.62 to the dollar earned by the same white man. Of course some of that difference is a function of racism, as U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that in the first quarter of 2020, white full-time workers earned an average of $979 per week to $775 per week for the black laborer (a difference of $10,000 over the course of a year)! What can or should the church say or do? Our politicians certainly did not say much about it in their campaigns this year. Holding up the leadership of women like Deborah is a start. According to Liberation Theologian Gustavo Gutierrez, The Bible seems to teach that there is “a divine propensity to advocate for the interests of the poor, necessitating a similar ethic for Christians” (Frontiers of Theology in Latin America, pp. 8-9). John Calvin, describing the views of the early church, offers a powerful statement of what the church should be doing for those on the margins. Give the marginalized everything, he says:
The Church has gold not to keep but to pay out, and to relieve distress... what the same man [Ambrose] said in another place we see to be very true: “Whatever, then the Church has was for the support of the needy.” (Institutes [Westminster Press ed.], p.1076)
Regarding women’s equality, modern Sudanese author Leila Aboulela hauntingly expresses women’s equality (and the equality of all of us):
All through life there were distinctions - toilets for men, toilets for women; clothes for men, clothes for women - then, at the end, [all] the graves are identical.
Mark E.
* * *
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
In 1943, Eleanor Roosevelt toured the battle-scarred island of Guadalcanal. With remorse she viewed the endless field of grave markers. The first lady reflecting on her visit wrote, “On the island of Guadalcanal there is a cemetery, and as you look on the crosses row on row, you think of the women’s hearts buried here as well.”
Ron L.
* * *
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
We know a lot about what happened to Paul after he became a Christian. Indeed, at one point he lists all the terrible things that have happened to him as a result of following Jesus. Yet we know so little of Paul’s personal life, his birth and upbringing. He doesn’t think it important enough to tell us. Yet some of the language in the Corinthian correspondence, referring to the question of marrying and not marrying, seem to indicate that Paul was married, and was therefore likely a widower. He may well have also had children that he did not feel important enough to mention. These children may have been left with his late wife’s family, or they may have been adults at that time with lives of their own.
All this is prelude to the acknowledgement that while Paul himself certainly didn’t experience labor pains, but when he writes that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (quoting Jesus here), and that when people think at last we have entered an age of peace and security “…sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape!)” (1 Thessalonians 5:3) He may well be speaking from experience as a father, when his wife went suddenly into labor. Considering the high mortality rates that took both child and mother, one wonders if either or both his wife and child died in this sudden, traumatic incident, for this description of labor has an edge of disaster to it.
Frank R.
* * *
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
I’m a fan of the Marvel movies and when Avengers: Infinity War came out, I was one of the first to see it. Now, as a Marvel fan, I saw it more than once and with a different group of people each time. Infinity War is more than two and a half hours long and has a surprise ending. I was seeing it for the second time with a group that hadn’t seen it before. When the end came, they were stunned and gasped. I didn’t. They asked me later why I hadn’t been surprised. I had to confess to them that I’d seen it before and knew what was coming.
In this passage, Paul is telling the Christians in Thessalonica about the coming day of the Lord. He tells them that he doesn’t need to write to them about seasons or times. They know it is coming. He tells them in verses four and five, “But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. “He lets them know that this day should not surprise them. They know what’s coming and so do we.
May the day of the Lord’s return not surprise us as the ending of Infinity War surprised my friends. I knew what was coming at the movie theater. We who know Jesus also know who is coming back.
Bill T.
* * *
Matthew 25:14-30
A lot of passages in scripture remind us to “fear the Lord.” Often these words are translated as to be in awe of, admit the vastness of, the greatness of God. This parable though, speaks to the wasting of what has been given from the master, that is God. The master leaves his workers with talents, various amounts. A talent, in this instance, refers to a unit of measurement, often used to weigh out silver or gold. As we read, two of the workers utilize their talents in ways that increase their value. One is afraid and does not do anything with their talent. The one who chooses fear, who ignores the talent in favor of fear, is punished. So, what does this have to do with us in the 21st century? Well, my friends, we have all been given talents, maybe not gold and silver, but talents and gifts from God. Are we using them, multiplying the gifts we have been given by God, or are we afraid to use them, afraid to make a mistake? Take the gifts God has given you and use them for the good of the world, for your good, for the good of the church, and to the glory of God.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Matthew 25:14-30
Americans are not very good at using our resources. A Penn State University study found that the average American family wastes nearly one-third (31.9%) of the food it purchases – an estimated $1,866 per household annually. The average American family lives paycheck-to-paycheck but spends one percent of its income on alcohol and several hundred dollars per year on the lottery. We also average spending (wasting) five hours per day on our smart phones (including Facebook) and television.
Martin Luther nicely applies this text to these survey findings:
So it will be with us. To us has been given as a talent what we are able to do, our ability. For all that we are capable of in connection with external, internal, and intermediate goods we have not from ourselves, but from God. And in all this we are required to do to our neighbor what we are able to do. (Luther’s Works, Vol.51, p.8)
Would we do better with our resources, use them more wisely, if we realized that they are not ours, like Luther says? Our income and time are not our own but belong to God.
Famed modern theologian Karl Barth sees this lesson as a word of urgency, for we (the
church) dare not waste a moment in getting around to sharing our talents — the gifts of the gospel and the Holy Spirit. He wrote:
Before His [Christ’s] departure, however, He has given His community the care and control of His goods... In all its manifold tasks, the Church has the duty of turning this property to profitable use. What is entrusted is His Gospel and His Spirit. The interval between the Resurrection and the parousia is the time of Jesus because it is the time of the community and its service... The Spirit given to it seeks new dwelling-places and evolves new witnesses. This is the whole purpose of the witnessing time, the time of the Church. (Church Dogmatics, Vol.III/2, p.506)
The church and her members need to quit wasting time on social events and building or fellowship programs, remembering their real talent is spreading the word about Jesus. And that applies to the other talents we have. It’s urgent we get to work right away, and to prod the executive branch, the new congress, and our state governments to do the right thing.
Mark E.
Modern progressive preachers don’t like to talk about sin. We leave that for the “hell-fire and brimstone” preachers, as my husband calls them. Yet, in both of these passages, we are reminded by the prophet and the psalmist that we sin – we turn from God, from his commands, and we sin. The anger of God is expressed in these readings, not so much the love we like to hope for. Yet, anger can also be a sign of love. Think back to the last time you were angry at a spouse or a child. I don’t think the anger had anything to do with you not loving them. In fact, it may have been about protection or a calling of them back into relationship with you – or it may have been about your own fear and anxiety. I don’t think God has anxiety, but I do think God fears we don’t or won’t want to be in relationship with God. As we turn back toward God, the psalmist reminds us of a prayer to God, “teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart.” May it be so.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Judges 4:1-7
The story of Deborah’s leadership certainly calls our attention to the role of women in society, and the role of others who have been marginalized. Yes, we have a black woman ready to become Vice-President, but it is still the case that according to 2018 U.S. Census Bureau data, white women only make $.79 for every dollar earned by a white man. And black women only make $.62 to the dollar earned by the same white man. Of course some of that difference is a function of racism, as U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that in the first quarter of 2020, white full-time workers earned an average of $979 per week to $775 per week for the black laborer (a difference of $10,000 over the course of a year)! What can or should the church say or do? Our politicians certainly did not say much about it in their campaigns this year. Holding up the leadership of women like Deborah is a start. According to Liberation Theologian Gustavo Gutierrez, The Bible seems to teach that there is “a divine propensity to advocate for the interests of the poor, necessitating a similar ethic for Christians” (Frontiers of Theology in Latin America, pp. 8-9). John Calvin, describing the views of the early church, offers a powerful statement of what the church should be doing for those on the margins. Give the marginalized everything, he says:
The Church has gold not to keep but to pay out, and to relieve distress... what the same man [Ambrose] said in another place we see to be very true: “Whatever, then the Church has was for the support of the needy.” (Institutes [Westminster Press ed.], p.1076)
Regarding women’s equality, modern Sudanese author Leila Aboulela hauntingly expresses women’s equality (and the equality of all of us):
All through life there were distinctions - toilets for men, toilets for women; clothes for men, clothes for women - then, at the end, [all] the graves are identical.
Mark E.
* * *
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
In 1943, Eleanor Roosevelt toured the battle-scarred island of Guadalcanal. With remorse she viewed the endless field of grave markers. The first lady reflecting on her visit wrote, “On the island of Guadalcanal there is a cemetery, and as you look on the crosses row on row, you think of the women’s hearts buried here as well.”
Ron L.
* * *
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
We know a lot about what happened to Paul after he became a Christian. Indeed, at one point he lists all the terrible things that have happened to him as a result of following Jesus. Yet we know so little of Paul’s personal life, his birth and upbringing. He doesn’t think it important enough to tell us. Yet some of the language in the Corinthian correspondence, referring to the question of marrying and not marrying, seem to indicate that Paul was married, and was therefore likely a widower. He may well have also had children that he did not feel important enough to mention. These children may have been left with his late wife’s family, or they may have been adults at that time with lives of their own.
All this is prelude to the acknowledgement that while Paul himself certainly didn’t experience labor pains, but when he writes that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night (quoting Jesus here), and that when people think at last we have entered an age of peace and security “…sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape!)” (1 Thessalonians 5:3) He may well be speaking from experience as a father, when his wife went suddenly into labor. Considering the high mortality rates that took both child and mother, one wonders if either or both his wife and child died in this sudden, traumatic incident, for this description of labor has an edge of disaster to it.
Frank R.
* * *
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
I’m a fan of the Marvel movies and when Avengers: Infinity War came out, I was one of the first to see it. Now, as a Marvel fan, I saw it more than once and with a different group of people each time. Infinity War is more than two and a half hours long and has a surprise ending. I was seeing it for the second time with a group that hadn’t seen it before. When the end came, they were stunned and gasped. I didn’t. They asked me later why I hadn’t been surprised. I had to confess to them that I’d seen it before and knew what was coming.
In this passage, Paul is telling the Christians in Thessalonica about the coming day of the Lord. He tells them that he doesn’t need to write to them about seasons or times. They know it is coming. He tells them in verses four and five, “But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. “He lets them know that this day should not surprise them. They know what’s coming and so do we.
May the day of the Lord’s return not surprise us as the ending of Infinity War surprised my friends. I knew what was coming at the movie theater. We who know Jesus also know who is coming back.
Bill T.
* * *
Matthew 25:14-30
A lot of passages in scripture remind us to “fear the Lord.” Often these words are translated as to be in awe of, admit the vastness of, the greatness of God. This parable though, speaks to the wasting of what has been given from the master, that is God. The master leaves his workers with talents, various amounts. A talent, in this instance, refers to a unit of measurement, often used to weigh out silver or gold. As we read, two of the workers utilize their talents in ways that increase their value. One is afraid and does not do anything with their talent. The one who chooses fear, who ignores the talent in favor of fear, is punished. So, what does this have to do with us in the 21st century? Well, my friends, we have all been given talents, maybe not gold and silver, but talents and gifts from God. Are we using them, multiplying the gifts we have been given by God, or are we afraid to use them, afraid to make a mistake? Take the gifts God has given you and use them for the good of the world, for your good, for the good of the church, and to the glory of God.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Matthew 25:14-30
Americans are not very good at using our resources. A Penn State University study found that the average American family wastes nearly one-third (31.9%) of the food it purchases – an estimated $1,866 per household annually. The average American family lives paycheck-to-paycheck but spends one percent of its income on alcohol and several hundred dollars per year on the lottery. We also average spending (wasting) five hours per day on our smart phones (including Facebook) and television.
Martin Luther nicely applies this text to these survey findings:
So it will be with us. To us has been given as a talent what we are able to do, our ability. For all that we are capable of in connection with external, internal, and intermediate goods we have not from ourselves, but from God. And in all this we are required to do to our neighbor what we are able to do. (Luther’s Works, Vol.51, p.8)
Would we do better with our resources, use them more wisely, if we realized that they are not ours, like Luther says? Our income and time are not our own but belong to God.
Famed modern theologian Karl Barth sees this lesson as a word of urgency, for we (the
church) dare not waste a moment in getting around to sharing our talents — the gifts of the gospel and the Holy Spirit. He wrote:
Before His [Christ’s] departure, however, He has given His community the care and control of His goods... In all its manifold tasks, the Church has the duty of turning this property to profitable use. What is entrusted is His Gospel and His Spirit. The interval between the Resurrection and the parousia is the time of Jesus because it is the time of the community and its service... The Spirit given to it seeks new dwelling-places and evolves new witnesses. This is the whole purpose of the witnessing time, the time of the Church. (Church Dogmatics, Vol.III/2, p.506)
The church and her members need to quit wasting time on social events and building or fellowship programs, remembering their real talent is spreading the word about Jesus. And that applies to the other talents we have. It’s urgent we get to work right away, and to prod the executive branch, the new congress, and our state governments to do the right thing.
Mark E.
