Fourth Sunday In Lent
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III, Cycle C
The Church Year Theological Clue
The Fourth Sunday in Lent used to go by two names. The first came from the Introit for the Day - Laetare, or "Rejoicing" Sunday; it meant that the faithful pilgrims, who were keeping Lent, were halfway to their goal, the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord. This Sunday also became known as "Refreshment" Sunday, because the Lenten fast was more than half completed and the two-week period of the Passion of our Lord was only one week away. It might have been called "Recharge" Sunday, when those who were earnestly participating in the discipline of Lent had their "spiritual batteries" recharged in preparation for the final approach to Holy Week, the cross of Good Friday, and the empty tomb of Easter. Although there is no introit to announce a "theme-name" for the Sunday, the very name of the day, the Fourth Sunday in Lent, should continue to remind every Christian that the week of the Passion of our Lord and Easter will soon be here and that realization should cause rejoicing among the faithful. The Fourth Sunday in Lent was, and always will be, "rejoicing Sunday" for the church. The Gospel for the Day informs and reinforces the reality of Jesus' death and resurrection, and what he accomplished for all people - reconciliation between God and his children.
The Prayer Of The Day
The classic collect for the Fourth Sunday in Lent in Cycle C is more thematically appropriate for use with the revised lectionaries and liturgies than the contemporary prayers that have been prepared for this Sunday. With modernized language, it would read this way, pointing to and anticipating the Gospel for the Day, Luke 15, "the Parable of the Loving Father," as Helmut Thielicke called it, or, as more familiarly known, "the Parable of the Prodigal Son:" "Grant, we pray you, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds really deserve to be punished, may rejoice in the knowledge of your grace and mercy; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen."
(Note: Pastors in churches which might permit the substitution of rewritten or newly-composed "prayers for the day," might want to consider the preparation of such collects for some of the Sundays of the year when the themes of the collects do not harmonize with the gospel theme/story for the Sunday.)
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 32 (L) - This is one of the "penitential psalms" that most liturgical churches employed during the season of Lent. It is most appropriate for the Fourth Sunday in Lent, because it echoes the predicament of sinners spelled out on Ash Wednesday, renews the call for repentance, and ends on a note of rejoicing: "Be glad you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; shout for joy, all who are true of heart." Were it used as an introit, rather than as a responsory to the first reading, it would make an incisive announcement about the "rejoicing" character of this Sunday.
Psalm 34:1-6 (RC); 34:1-8 (E) - One could very well employ this psalm in "liturgical tandem" with Psalm 32, because it gives voice to the joy that the faithful know on this Sunday in Lent with specific mention of the "glory of the Lord." The contemporary person who worships faithfully during Lent, aware of God's deliverance, can join the Psalmist in praising God for his goodness and blessing him for his mercy. The penitent Christian may sing with him, "I called in my affliction, and the Lord heard me and saved me from all my troubles." The Episcopal extension of the Psalm (vv. 7, 8) adds a note of invitation, "Taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are they who trust in him!"
Psalm prayer (Psalm 32 - LBW) - "Lord God, you desired to keep from us your wrath and so did not spare your holy servant Jesus Christ, who was wounded for our sins. We are your prodigal children, but we come back to you confessing our sins. Embrace us, that we may rejoice in your mercy together with your beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
Psalm 34 (LBW) - "Lord God, through your Son you made the heavens and earth; through him you continue to accomplish the intentions of your heart. Make your chosen people witnesses to your truth among the nations and heralds of your glory in the heavens; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Readings
Joshua 5:9-12 (RC, E, C) (The BCE lists Joshua 4:19-24 as alternate reading) - This is one of only two readings from Joshua that the ORDO, BCP, and the Common lectionary use; the Lutheran lectionary has only one selection from Joshua (the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost; Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time [RC], Proper 15 [E, C]). This selection tells the story of how, at long last, the diet of the children of Israel was altered by God when they reached and dwelt in the land of Gilgal and ate of the harvest in that place. They celebrated Passover there, and from that time on there was no more manna. God had seen them through that long 40-year journey and now they would have to support and feed themselves. They did. The eucharist, after Jesus' death and resurrection, replaced the passover meal, and it will continue until the end-time, when Christ will come into his kingdom and take over control of all things. There is only a remote connection in all of this to the gospel-parable of the father and his two sons, which is why the Lutheran lectionary has a different first reading.
Isaiah 12:1-6 (L) - Although this is the work of the "first Isaiah," it celebrates the return of God's people from their exile with a song that parallels the "exodus song" of Moses and the people of Israel in Exodus 15 . It might very well have been the song of the "wayward son," who was received so graciously and treated so royally by his father when he returned from his self-imposed exile. It is indeed a song of exodus from exile, and it should be directed to those who gather around the font and the table of the Lord and are aware of the presence of the Lord in his sacraments. It reminds them that Easter is almost upon them, as it is every Sunday, and to begin their song of praise: "Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."
1 Corinthians 1:18-31; or 1:18, 22-25 (L) - The Lutheran lectionary continues to be "odd person out" in its lectionary selections for this Fourth Sunday in Lent, at least as far as the first two readings are concerned. The Roman, Lutheran, and Common lectionaries assign most of the alternate reading to the Third Sunday in Lent, Year/Cycle B. To the mostly Gentile congregation, which, in typically Greek fashion, wanted an intellectual interpretation of the gospel, Paul opens up the very heart of the gospel, telling them that the "foolish-ness of God," the cross of Christ is "wiser than the wisdom of people." He contrasts the "wisdom" sought by the Greeks in the gospel with the "signs" - miracles - desired by the Jews as proof that Jesus is the Messiah. The cross is God's answer to both groups and to us.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (RC, E); 5:16-21 (C) - In this reading, Paul is telling the Corinthians congregation who and what they are and what their business, as Christians, really is. They have been made "new creatures" and are reconciled to God the Father through Jesus' death and resurrection; that is their identity as restored human beings. Their Christian work is to become "reconcilers" of others; that is, to do the same thing for others that Jesus did for them. To do this, of course, their "newness" has to be restored every day of their existence, so that they might have the power to be faithful witnesses to the gospel of their Lord Jesus Christ. This reading, if used as a preaching text, might be read from the pulpit just before the sermon, because from one perspective it completes the gospel story about the first son who was so lovingly welcomed home by his father; he was restored and, from that point on, whether he knew it, he should have been at the task of doing for others the sort of thing his father did for him. For Christians, this is a matter of "show and tell."
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 (RC, L, C); 15:11-32 (E) - Three of the four lectionaries begin this reading with verses 1-3, which provide the setting for what is actually called "the Parable of the Prodigal Son;" the BCP lectionary launches right into the familiar story, omitting the background which prompted Jesus to tell the parable. The parable clearly gives a picture of God as "The Waiting Father," as Helmut Thielicke interprets the parable in the well-known sermon of this that bears the title (as does his collection of sermons, too). But the parable shows what God is doing for sinners in Jesus Christ; like the father of the parable, he has given his children their "inheritance," and they have surely misused it and thereby, sinned against the heavenly Father. But he is always ready to welcome back any and all of his lost and lonely people, causing the cross of Christ to be planted in the earth as a sign that his arms are eternally open to embrace those who return to him in repentance, faith, and love. As for the second son, who stayed home and served his father in good faith, Jesus was telling the Pharisees and the scribes, who are so much like self-righteous Christians toward "sinners" and outsiders, that they really don't know God or the faith and that they had better "get with it" before it was too late. That his story fell on deaf ears, at least, they didn't accept what he had to say is obvious in their rejection of Jesus and their intention to get rid of him once and for all, as they thought they did by having him put to death.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 (RC, L, C); 15:11-32 (E) - "Two Brothers - And Their Loving Father." - Note: Helmut Thielicke devotes two sermons to this parable, one on verses 1-24 about the prodigal and the father and the other on verses 25-32 about the son who stayed home faithfully serving his father. If we were to separate the parable in two, and if we were to be faithful to the three-year lectionary, our two sermons would be three years apart! Our task is to attempt to combine them into a single homily on the parable.
At the beginning of his first sermon, which he calls "The Parable of the Prodigal Son, Part I," Thielicke writes that he once placed his young son in front of a large mirror. For a period of time, the son enjoyed watching the image, but he did not recognize himself. Suddenly the young child recognized himself and his expression changed. He appeared to say to himself: "That's me." Thielicke's sermon points out that the same thing happens to many people when the prodigal story is read. The prodigal story is interesting, but suddenly we recognize ourselves in the story. "For as long as we fail to recognize ourselves in these people, we fail to recognize the Lord," says Thielicke. That ought to make us sit up, listen, and think a bit, shouldn't it?
1. We believe that God is really like that "Waiting Father;" he really loves us, despite our sins and waywardness, and he is always ready to welcome us home with open arms. Jesus' cross tells us that about God.
2. We see ourselves in one or the other of these two brothers, when the parable begins to come into focus. But when we really hear it, we become aware that all of us are like the younger brother ("for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God") and that too many of us are like the older, stay-at-home brother, and look down our spiritual noses at those we think do not deserve God's forgiveness.
3. And maybe it is better to be like the younger brother, who knew two things: 1. that he was guilty of a sin against his father; and 2. that his father was a just and merciful man. He knew that he really needed his father, that he was a sinner in need of forgiveness. And he received it! His father, like Jesus, was willing to eat with sinners.
4. But too many of us are self-righteous; wasn't that the elder brother's problem? He believed that he should be Number One in his father's eyes, because he was a faithful son. He had earned everything he had and he deserved more than this awful brother of his. That's why he said what he said, and why he wasn't out there with his father, welcoming the lost brother home again. He didn't really know his father as a gracious and loving person."
5. So, you see, this parable reveals our own image to us as one or the other of the brothers or, maybe we even see something of ourselves in both. But we also ought to see Jesus standing there before us, ready to receive us for the Father with open arms saying, "God loves you. Welcome home. Welcome back."
Joshua 5:9-12 (RC, C, E) (4:19-24 is optional in the BCP) - "A New Diet."
1. Forty years of eating manna every day was a bit "much" for the people of God; they got a new diet at Gilgal, on the other side of the Jordan.
2. Despite the hardship of their wilderness travels, they, a new generation, celebrated the passover, according to the tradition. They remembered what God had done for them, regardless of what they went through!
3. The "Gilgal Passover" marked the end of the manna provided by God; now they were on their own and God gave them a new diet - "unleavened cakes and parched grain" - the "fruit of the land of Canaan."
4. They knew once and for all that God really is faithful and as good as his word. That's enough for us, isn't it? And he feeds us, too, with word, bread and wine.
Isaiah 12:1-6 (L) - "A New Song." - Note: When one reads and studies the two Old Testament readings for this Sunday, one has the feeling that both ought to be read, and in the above order. One might be tempted to delete the second reading from First or Second Corinthians in favor of reading both Joshua 5 and Isaiah 12. The Isaiah text almost begs to be combined into the above sermon, at least as the last part of it.
1. This is the song sung by the Hebrews when they returned from their exile and captivity; it could have been the song of the prodigal son; it could be ours.
2. But it can only be sung with feeling and meaning by those who really know what God the Father is like, and who are truly grateful for all he has done for them.
3. It is a song sung by those who, in worship and work, know themselves to be in the presence of God, through the word of the living Lord and the Holy Spirit.
4. And it is a song that is sung - deliberately and clearly - so that the whole world might hear, know God's blessings in Jesus, and join in this song of thanksgiving and praise which we sing in his holy house.
1 Corinthians 1:18-31, or 1:18, 22-25 (L) (1:22-25 is the second reading for the Third Sunday in Lent, Year Cycle B - RC, L, C. A sermon suggestion may be found in Lectionary Preaching Workbook III, Cycle B. The following story might just fit into it.) - Two young friends recently visited my wife and me; both of them are intellectuals. One is a Doctor of Medicine, while the other is a Doctor of Philosophy in philosophy. They have one thing in common; both were "born" and reared in the Christian faith, and both of them managed to tell us that they were still, as they have been since beginning college, agnostics, if not atheists. The Ph.D. person was interviewed for a position at the college where her father had taught; she said, "I told them up front that I am an agnostic. I wanted to get their reaction. One, the dean of the college, seemed to be saying, 'I can live with that.' " I wanted to give each of them this reading from St. Paul but my wife and I also wanted to "keep he door open," so I didn't. Some day ... And then they may see themselves for the Greeks they are, and just might work through all of this "foolishness" of the cross.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (C); 5:17-21 (RC, E) - "A New Creation?"
1. That's certainly what we need - a new creation - a new world! The old world we live in is getting pretty beat up!
2. That's not going to happen very easily, because there are too many "old creatures" living in this old world. They have to change and become new before the world will be renewed. First, people have to become "a new creation" - and then the world might have a chance.
3. "A new creation" - in Paul's theology - is Easter talk! He's talking about the ramifications of the resurrection of Jesus for baptized believers. Christians are changed people, renewed, restored, reconciled to God and to each other. And they live new lives.
4. Such people will serve the Lord, tell of his goodness and love, and help to save his world and the people in it.
The Fourth Sunday in Lent used to go by two names. The first came from the Introit for the Day - Laetare, or "Rejoicing" Sunday; it meant that the faithful pilgrims, who were keeping Lent, were halfway to their goal, the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord. This Sunday also became known as "Refreshment" Sunday, because the Lenten fast was more than half completed and the two-week period of the Passion of our Lord was only one week away. It might have been called "Recharge" Sunday, when those who were earnestly participating in the discipline of Lent had their "spiritual batteries" recharged in preparation for the final approach to Holy Week, the cross of Good Friday, and the empty tomb of Easter. Although there is no introit to announce a "theme-name" for the Sunday, the very name of the day, the Fourth Sunday in Lent, should continue to remind every Christian that the week of the Passion of our Lord and Easter will soon be here and that realization should cause rejoicing among the faithful. The Fourth Sunday in Lent was, and always will be, "rejoicing Sunday" for the church. The Gospel for the Day informs and reinforces the reality of Jesus' death and resurrection, and what he accomplished for all people - reconciliation between God and his children.
The Prayer Of The Day
The classic collect for the Fourth Sunday in Lent in Cycle C is more thematically appropriate for use with the revised lectionaries and liturgies than the contemporary prayers that have been prepared for this Sunday. With modernized language, it would read this way, pointing to and anticipating the Gospel for the Day, Luke 15, "the Parable of the Loving Father," as Helmut Thielicke called it, or, as more familiarly known, "the Parable of the Prodigal Son:" "Grant, we pray you, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds really deserve to be punished, may rejoice in the knowledge of your grace and mercy; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen."
(Note: Pastors in churches which might permit the substitution of rewritten or newly-composed "prayers for the day," might want to consider the preparation of such collects for some of the Sundays of the year when the themes of the collects do not harmonize with the gospel theme/story for the Sunday.)
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 32 (L) - This is one of the "penitential psalms" that most liturgical churches employed during the season of Lent. It is most appropriate for the Fourth Sunday in Lent, because it echoes the predicament of sinners spelled out on Ash Wednesday, renews the call for repentance, and ends on a note of rejoicing: "Be glad you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; shout for joy, all who are true of heart." Were it used as an introit, rather than as a responsory to the first reading, it would make an incisive announcement about the "rejoicing" character of this Sunday.
Psalm 34:1-6 (RC); 34:1-8 (E) - One could very well employ this psalm in "liturgical tandem" with Psalm 32, because it gives voice to the joy that the faithful know on this Sunday in Lent with specific mention of the "glory of the Lord." The contemporary person who worships faithfully during Lent, aware of God's deliverance, can join the Psalmist in praising God for his goodness and blessing him for his mercy. The penitent Christian may sing with him, "I called in my affliction, and the Lord heard me and saved me from all my troubles." The Episcopal extension of the Psalm (vv. 7, 8) adds a note of invitation, "Taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are they who trust in him!"
Psalm prayer (Psalm 32 - LBW) - "Lord God, you desired to keep from us your wrath and so did not spare your holy servant Jesus Christ, who was wounded for our sins. We are your prodigal children, but we come back to you confessing our sins. Embrace us, that we may rejoice in your mercy together with your beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
Psalm 34 (LBW) - "Lord God, through your Son you made the heavens and earth; through him you continue to accomplish the intentions of your heart. Make your chosen people witnesses to your truth among the nations and heralds of your glory in the heavens; for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Readings
Joshua 5:9-12 (RC, E, C) (The BCE lists Joshua 4:19-24 as alternate reading) - This is one of only two readings from Joshua that the ORDO, BCP, and the Common lectionary use; the Lutheran lectionary has only one selection from Joshua (the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost; Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time [RC], Proper 15 [E, C]). This selection tells the story of how, at long last, the diet of the children of Israel was altered by God when they reached and dwelt in the land of Gilgal and ate of the harvest in that place. They celebrated Passover there, and from that time on there was no more manna. God had seen them through that long 40-year journey and now they would have to support and feed themselves. They did. The eucharist, after Jesus' death and resurrection, replaced the passover meal, and it will continue until the end-time, when Christ will come into his kingdom and take over control of all things. There is only a remote connection in all of this to the gospel-parable of the father and his two sons, which is why the Lutheran lectionary has a different first reading.
Isaiah 12:1-6 (L) - Although this is the work of the "first Isaiah," it celebrates the return of God's people from their exile with a song that parallels the "exodus song" of Moses and the people of Israel in Exodus 15 . It might very well have been the song of the "wayward son," who was received so graciously and treated so royally by his father when he returned from his self-imposed exile. It is indeed a song of exodus from exile, and it should be directed to those who gather around the font and the table of the Lord and are aware of the presence of the Lord in his sacraments. It reminds them that Easter is almost upon them, as it is every Sunday, and to begin their song of praise: "Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."
1 Corinthians 1:18-31; or 1:18, 22-25 (L) - The Lutheran lectionary continues to be "odd person out" in its lectionary selections for this Fourth Sunday in Lent, at least as far as the first two readings are concerned. The Roman, Lutheran, and Common lectionaries assign most of the alternate reading to the Third Sunday in Lent, Year/Cycle B. To the mostly Gentile congregation, which, in typically Greek fashion, wanted an intellectual interpretation of the gospel, Paul opens up the very heart of the gospel, telling them that the "foolish-ness of God," the cross of Christ is "wiser than the wisdom of people." He contrasts the "wisdom" sought by the Greeks in the gospel with the "signs" - miracles - desired by the Jews as proof that Jesus is the Messiah. The cross is God's answer to both groups and to us.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (RC, E); 5:16-21 (C) - In this reading, Paul is telling the Corinthians congregation who and what they are and what their business, as Christians, really is. They have been made "new creatures" and are reconciled to God the Father through Jesus' death and resurrection; that is their identity as restored human beings. Their Christian work is to become "reconcilers" of others; that is, to do the same thing for others that Jesus did for them. To do this, of course, their "newness" has to be restored every day of their existence, so that they might have the power to be faithful witnesses to the gospel of their Lord Jesus Christ. This reading, if used as a preaching text, might be read from the pulpit just before the sermon, because from one perspective it completes the gospel story about the first son who was so lovingly welcomed home by his father; he was restored and, from that point on, whether he knew it, he should have been at the task of doing for others the sort of thing his father did for him. For Christians, this is a matter of "show and tell."
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 (RC, L, C); 15:11-32 (E) - Three of the four lectionaries begin this reading with verses 1-3, which provide the setting for what is actually called "the Parable of the Prodigal Son;" the BCP lectionary launches right into the familiar story, omitting the background which prompted Jesus to tell the parable. The parable clearly gives a picture of God as "The Waiting Father," as Helmut Thielicke interprets the parable in the well-known sermon of this that bears the title (as does his collection of sermons, too). But the parable shows what God is doing for sinners in Jesus Christ; like the father of the parable, he has given his children their "inheritance," and they have surely misused it and thereby, sinned against the heavenly Father. But he is always ready to welcome back any and all of his lost and lonely people, causing the cross of Christ to be planted in the earth as a sign that his arms are eternally open to embrace those who return to him in repentance, faith, and love. As for the second son, who stayed home and served his father in good faith, Jesus was telling the Pharisees and the scribes, who are so much like self-righteous Christians toward "sinners" and outsiders, that they really don't know God or the faith and that they had better "get with it" before it was too late. That his story fell on deaf ears, at least, they didn't accept what he had to say is obvious in their rejection of Jesus and their intention to get rid of him once and for all, as they thought they did by having him put to death.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 (RC, L, C); 15:11-32 (E) - "Two Brothers - And Their Loving Father." - Note: Helmut Thielicke devotes two sermons to this parable, one on verses 1-24 about the prodigal and the father and the other on verses 25-32 about the son who stayed home faithfully serving his father. If we were to separate the parable in two, and if we were to be faithful to the three-year lectionary, our two sermons would be three years apart! Our task is to attempt to combine them into a single homily on the parable.
At the beginning of his first sermon, which he calls "The Parable of the Prodigal Son, Part I," Thielicke writes that he once placed his young son in front of a large mirror. For a period of time, the son enjoyed watching the image, but he did not recognize himself. Suddenly the young child recognized himself and his expression changed. He appeared to say to himself: "That's me." Thielicke's sermon points out that the same thing happens to many people when the prodigal story is read. The prodigal story is interesting, but suddenly we recognize ourselves in the story. "For as long as we fail to recognize ourselves in these people, we fail to recognize the Lord," says Thielicke. That ought to make us sit up, listen, and think a bit, shouldn't it?
1. We believe that God is really like that "Waiting Father;" he really loves us, despite our sins and waywardness, and he is always ready to welcome us home with open arms. Jesus' cross tells us that about God.
2. We see ourselves in one or the other of these two brothers, when the parable begins to come into focus. But when we really hear it, we become aware that all of us are like the younger brother ("for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God") and that too many of us are like the older, stay-at-home brother, and look down our spiritual noses at those we think do not deserve God's forgiveness.
3. And maybe it is better to be like the younger brother, who knew two things: 1. that he was guilty of a sin against his father; and 2. that his father was a just and merciful man. He knew that he really needed his father, that he was a sinner in need of forgiveness. And he received it! His father, like Jesus, was willing to eat with sinners.
4. But too many of us are self-righteous; wasn't that the elder brother's problem? He believed that he should be Number One in his father's eyes, because he was a faithful son. He had earned everything he had and he deserved more than this awful brother of his. That's why he said what he said, and why he wasn't out there with his father, welcoming the lost brother home again. He didn't really know his father as a gracious and loving person."
5. So, you see, this parable reveals our own image to us as one or the other of the brothers or, maybe we even see something of ourselves in both. But we also ought to see Jesus standing there before us, ready to receive us for the Father with open arms saying, "God loves you. Welcome home. Welcome back."
Joshua 5:9-12 (RC, C, E) (4:19-24 is optional in the BCP) - "A New Diet."
1. Forty years of eating manna every day was a bit "much" for the people of God; they got a new diet at Gilgal, on the other side of the Jordan.
2. Despite the hardship of their wilderness travels, they, a new generation, celebrated the passover, according to the tradition. They remembered what God had done for them, regardless of what they went through!
3. The "Gilgal Passover" marked the end of the manna provided by God; now they were on their own and God gave them a new diet - "unleavened cakes and parched grain" - the "fruit of the land of Canaan."
4. They knew once and for all that God really is faithful and as good as his word. That's enough for us, isn't it? And he feeds us, too, with word, bread and wine.
Isaiah 12:1-6 (L) - "A New Song." - Note: When one reads and studies the two Old Testament readings for this Sunday, one has the feeling that both ought to be read, and in the above order. One might be tempted to delete the second reading from First or Second Corinthians in favor of reading both Joshua 5 and Isaiah 12. The Isaiah text almost begs to be combined into the above sermon, at least as the last part of it.
1. This is the song sung by the Hebrews when they returned from their exile and captivity; it could have been the song of the prodigal son; it could be ours.
2. But it can only be sung with feeling and meaning by those who really know what God the Father is like, and who are truly grateful for all he has done for them.
3. It is a song sung by those who, in worship and work, know themselves to be in the presence of God, through the word of the living Lord and the Holy Spirit.
4. And it is a song that is sung - deliberately and clearly - so that the whole world might hear, know God's blessings in Jesus, and join in this song of thanksgiving and praise which we sing in his holy house.
1 Corinthians 1:18-31, or 1:18, 22-25 (L) (1:22-25 is the second reading for the Third Sunday in Lent, Year Cycle B - RC, L, C. A sermon suggestion may be found in Lectionary Preaching Workbook III, Cycle B. The following story might just fit into it.) - Two young friends recently visited my wife and me; both of them are intellectuals. One is a Doctor of Medicine, while the other is a Doctor of Philosophy in philosophy. They have one thing in common; both were "born" and reared in the Christian faith, and both of them managed to tell us that they were still, as they have been since beginning college, agnostics, if not atheists. The Ph.D. person was interviewed for a position at the college where her father had taught; she said, "I told them up front that I am an agnostic. I wanted to get their reaction. One, the dean of the college, seemed to be saying, 'I can live with that.' " I wanted to give each of them this reading from St. Paul but my wife and I also wanted to "keep he door open," so I didn't. Some day ... And then they may see themselves for the Greeks they are, and just might work through all of this "foolishness" of the cross.
2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (C); 5:17-21 (RC, E) - "A New Creation?"
1. That's certainly what we need - a new creation - a new world! The old world we live in is getting pretty beat up!
2. That's not going to happen very easily, because there are too many "old creatures" living in this old world. They have to change and become new before the world will be renewed. First, people have to become "a new creation" - and then the world might have a chance.
3. "A new creation" - in Paul's theology - is Easter talk! He's talking about the ramifications of the resurrection of Jesus for baptized believers. Christians are changed people, renewed, restored, reconciled to God and to each other. And they live new lives.
4. Such people will serve the Lord, tell of his goodness and love, and help to save his world and the people in it.
