Proper 11
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series VII Cycle C
Seasonal Theme
Jesus' acts of compassion and teaching ministry.
Theme For The Day
Acceptance of each other with different temperaments and making time for Jesus in our lives.
Old Testament Lesson
Amos 8:1-12
A Fourth Vision
Amos' fourth vision is a basket of summer fruit (v. 1). Instead of the end of the harvest, Amos says, this is the end of Israel. Last week's announcement of the exhausted patience of God with the plumb line vision has resulted in doom. Then in verses 4-14 we have Amos announcing the elements of judgment day. In verses 4-6 he tells of the ways merchants exploit the people. They come right from religious ceremonies and do their cheating with undersized measures and overweight shekels to balance the customer's silver. In verse 8 we have the threat or prediction of earthquake.
Verses 10 to 14 have the language of mourning -- except for baldness in verse 10b! Then comes mourning for an only son and famine. See Deuteronomy 14:1.
One might put together the four visions of Amos and preach a prophetic sermon for our day.
1. First vision:
Locust plague
7:1-3 God's warning
2. Second vision:
Supernatural Fire
7:4-6 Amos says, "Cease"
3. Third vision:
The plumb line
7:7-9 Israel, God's wall is out of whack
4. Fourth vision:
A basket of summer fruit
8:1-3 The exhausted patience of God results in a sentence of doom
New Testament Lesson
Colossians 1:15-28
Christ, The Head Of The Body
This passage was probably a hymn (vv. 15-20) in which the author wanted to make the point that baptism into Christ means freedom from any other rulers in the universe and participation in Christ's kingdom. Christ's image is expansive:
1. He is God's image (v. 15).
2. All things were created through him (v. 16).
3. He holds all things together (v. 17).
4. He is the head of the church, his body (v. 18).
5. God's fullness is in him (v. 19).
6. Through him God reconciled all things (v. 20).
7. The renewal of life's wholeness and wholesomeness empower us to stand before God as shameless! (vv. 21-22).
8. The inclusiveness of our God's atoning work is claimed (v. 23). Then comes joy. This is characteristically Pauline. See Romans 5:3-11.
9. Preachers are given a marvelous task to do: proclaim Christ so that all our hearers might mature in their faith (v. 28).
The Gospel
Luke 10:38-42
Mary And Martha Visited
In just a few words Luke records this clash of personalities. It took place in Bethany in the home Jesus often visited when having business in Jerusalem or when he just wanted some peace and quiet. These two sisters were of very different temperaments. They both loved Jesus and both tried to demonstrate their love for him but in different ways. Mary, the quiet type, simply sat at his feet and listened (v. 39). Martha, one of those dynamos of action, wanted to put on a feast, and she felt she needed Mary's help to do so.
I don't think we ought be judgmental about either of the sisters. They loved Jesus in the way they knew best. Martha just didn't understand that at that time in Jesus' life he most needed quiet and understanding. And Martha also made the mistake of criticizing her sister for not helping in her perceived busyness.
The story pleads for understanding of each other's temperament and for not allowing the busyness of our religious practice to crowd out or spoil the actual presence of Christ with us.
I wonder if Dr. Luke put this story here right after the one about being neighbor to illustrate that we can also love in different ways: by sitting quietly, listening and learning, or by using our God-given abilities to help by serving. It will preach.
Preaching Possibilities
As is almost always the case when the texts in the readings are read "in continuum," they just don't connect together at all, and I believe it is a mistake to try. However, today we have three really strong readings any one of which will provide for good preaching.
A. The Amos prophecy, if not yet dealt with, can be a solid sermon using the four visions as suggested above. The theme can be "The Patience of God." The plumb-line provides for a visual aid in the sermon. Or we can use it for a children's sermon on this day.
B. For the Second Reading, I have already suggested a series of moves in the optional series on the book of Colossians and called it "The Supremacy of Christ." It's a chance to do a teaching sermon about who Jesus is (vv. 15-18) and what he has done for us (vv. 22, 25b, and 27b). Then a good conclusion is to tell your listeners that this information is for us to tell others (v. 28). The frame of the sermon could be: Jesus shows us what God is like and he is the head of the church. He makes things okay between us and God, and gives us our hope and his glory. All this we ought to share with others. And in the sharing of it, we will own it even better.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
Let's go with the Gospel for today and do a sermon based on how people listen to preaching.*
A. Build a fire: Tell of a time when you got all wrapped up in the preparation for an event and then really missed the richness of the event itself.
B. The bridge: Now go to the Mary/Martha story and show how Martha did the same thing. Then bridge to the fact that many of us are Marthas and we need to slow down and set priorities.
C. The point: We must respect each other's temperaments and we must consider giving our presence as well as the products of our busyness to Christ and others.
D. An example: Would be the fact that our spouse and/or children need quality time with us. Another, would be the danger of getting so busy with church work we miss out on the presence of Christ in our daily lives.
E. Your witness: Confess how in your life and ministry busyness crowds out the teaching and the presence of Jesus, the Christ.
F. So what: Give some concrete examples of how you will try to make changes in your lifestyle so you can, like Mary, sit at Jesus' feet and listen.
1. A regular time each day for prayer and meditation.
2. The setting of priorities which put devotion and learning in the first place.
3. The acceptance of people of other temperaments as also serving, in their way, the Christ.
G. Frame: Return to your fire and the description of a time when you were too busy with the details. You might read again the Gospel as a conclusion.
Prayer For The Day
Help us, dear God, not to miss Jesus' presence and teaching because we are so busy. Give us the way to a more peaceful and sane lifestyle and also an accepting attitude toward those unlike us in temperament and in daily priorities. And come into our homes this week with your understanding peace. In the name of Jesus, the one who visited Mary and Martha's home, we ask it. Amen.
Possible Metaphors And Stories
When a little, parentless Batak girl, now fourteen, found out I was returning to the guesthouse in Penatang-Siantar, Sumatra, she planted a "welcome garden" near the front door. Then she patiently watered and waited for my arrival.
The just-ready-to-bloom flowers were beautiful, most of all because of her preparation and anticipation of my return. Santi did what she knew best to express her love and welcome. It was touching.
On Samosir Island at Lake Toba, Sumatra, there is a sign in Indonesian over a restaurant door which reads: "Sederhana." It means a modest restaurant, not complicated. It's what Jesus was asking Martha for in Bethany that day he visited her home.
According to Peter Jennings on ABC News, television has what they call "appointment shows," which means people arrange their lives so they don't miss them. An example would be 60 Minutes on Sunday evening. Jesus had come to Mary and Martha's home, and it should have been an "appointment" visit for the sisters. Mary understood that.
Allen So, a young Chinese Christian mother on my Friends in Christ e-mail newsletter wrote the following greeting to the other global students: "I would like to pray to God to help everyone of us really come out from the world of things and go into Jesus."
____________
*For an explanation of this homiletical technique, see my book, The Preacher's Edge, (Lima, Ohio: CSS Publishing Company, 1996).
Jesus' acts of compassion and teaching ministry.
Theme For The Day
Acceptance of each other with different temperaments and making time for Jesus in our lives.
Old Testament Lesson
Amos 8:1-12
A Fourth Vision
Amos' fourth vision is a basket of summer fruit (v. 1). Instead of the end of the harvest, Amos says, this is the end of Israel. Last week's announcement of the exhausted patience of God with the plumb line vision has resulted in doom. Then in verses 4-14 we have Amos announcing the elements of judgment day. In verses 4-6 he tells of the ways merchants exploit the people. They come right from religious ceremonies and do their cheating with undersized measures and overweight shekels to balance the customer's silver. In verse 8 we have the threat or prediction of earthquake.
Verses 10 to 14 have the language of mourning -- except for baldness in verse 10b! Then comes mourning for an only son and famine. See Deuteronomy 14:1.
One might put together the four visions of Amos and preach a prophetic sermon for our day.
1. First vision:
Locust plague
7:1-3 God's warning
2. Second vision:
Supernatural Fire
7:4-6 Amos says, "Cease"
3. Third vision:
The plumb line
7:7-9 Israel, God's wall is out of whack
4. Fourth vision:
A basket of summer fruit
8:1-3 The exhausted patience of God results in a sentence of doom
New Testament Lesson
Colossians 1:15-28
Christ, The Head Of The Body
This passage was probably a hymn (vv. 15-20) in which the author wanted to make the point that baptism into Christ means freedom from any other rulers in the universe and participation in Christ's kingdom. Christ's image is expansive:
1. He is God's image (v. 15).
2. All things were created through him (v. 16).
3. He holds all things together (v. 17).
4. He is the head of the church, his body (v. 18).
5. God's fullness is in him (v. 19).
6. Through him God reconciled all things (v. 20).
7. The renewal of life's wholeness and wholesomeness empower us to stand before God as shameless! (vv. 21-22).
8. The inclusiveness of our God's atoning work is claimed (v. 23). Then comes joy. This is characteristically Pauline. See Romans 5:3-11.
9. Preachers are given a marvelous task to do: proclaim Christ so that all our hearers might mature in their faith (v. 28).
The Gospel
Luke 10:38-42
Mary And Martha Visited
In just a few words Luke records this clash of personalities. It took place in Bethany in the home Jesus often visited when having business in Jerusalem or when he just wanted some peace and quiet. These two sisters were of very different temperaments. They both loved Jesus and both tried to demonstrate their love for him but in different ways. Mary, the quiet type, simply sat at his feet and listened (v. 39). Martha, one of those dynamos of action, wanted to put on a feast, and she felt she needed Mary's help to do so.
I don't think we ought be judgmental about either of the sisters. They loved Jesus in the way they knew best. Martha just didn't understand that at that time in Jesus' life he most needed quiet and understanding. And Martha also made the mistake of criticizing her sister for not helping in her perceived busyness.
The story pleads for understanding of each other's temperament and for not allowing the busyness of our religious practice to crowd out or spoil the actual presence of Christ with us.
I wonder if Dr. Luke put this story here right after the one about being neighbor to illustrate that we can also love in different ways: by sitting quietly, listening and learning, or by using our God-given abilities to help by serving. It will preach.
Preaching Possibilities
As is almost always the case when the texts in the readings are read "in continuum," they just don't connect together at all, and I believe it is a mistake to try. However, today we have three really strong readings any one of which will provide for good preaching.
A. The Amos prophecy, if not yet dealt with, can be a solid sermon using the four visions as suggested above. The theme can be "The Patience of God." The plumb-line provides for a visual aid in the sermon. Or we can use it for a children's sermon on this day.
B. For the Second Reading, I have already suggested a series of moves in the optional series on the book of Colossians and called it "The Supremacy of Christ." It's a chance to do a teaching sermon about who Jesus is (vv. 15-18) and what he has done for us (vv. 22, 25b, and 27b). Then a good conclusion is to tell your listeners that this information is for us to tell others (v. 28). The frame of the sermon could be: Jesus shows us what God is like and he is the head of the church. He makes things okay between us and God, and gives us our hope and his glory. All this we ought to share with others. And in the sharing of it, we will own it even better.
Possible Outline Of Sermon Moves
Let's go with the Gospel for today and do a sermon based on how people listen to preaching.*
A. Build a fire: Tell of a time when you got all wrapped up in the preparation for an event and then really missed the richness of the event itself.
B. The bridge: Now go to the Mary/Martha story and show how Martha did the same thing. Then bridge to the fact that many of us are Marthas and we need to slow down and set priorities.
C. The point: We must respect each other's temperaments and we must consider giving our presence as well as the products of our busyness to Christ and others.
D. An example: Would be the fact that our spouse and/or children need quality time with us. Another, would be the danger of getting so busy with church work we miss out on the presence of Christ in our daily lives.
E. Your witness: Confess how in your life and ministry busyness crowds out the teaching and the presence of Jesus, the Christ.
F. So what: Give some concrete examples of how you will try to make changes in your lifestyle so you can, like Mary, sit at Jesus' feet and listen.
1. A regular time each day for prayer and meditation.
2. The setting of priorities which put devotion and learning in the first place.
3. The acceptance of people of other temperaments as also serving, in their way, the Christ.
G. Frame: Return to your fire and the description of a time when you were too busy with the details. You might read again the Gospel as a conclusion.
Prayer For The Day
Help us, dear God, not to miss Jesus' presence and teaching because we are so busy. Give us the way to a more peaceful and sane lifestyle and also an accepting attitude toward those unlike us in temperament and in daily priorities. And come into our homes this week with your understanding peace. In the name of Jesus, the one who visited Mary and Martha's home, we ask it. Amen.
Possible Metaphors And Stories
When a little, parentless Batak girl, now fourteen, found out I was returning to the guesthouse in Penatang-Siantar, Sumatra, she planted a "welcome garden" near the front door. Then she patiently watered and waited for my arrival.
The just-ready-to-bloom flowers were beautiful, most of all because of her preparation and anticipation of my return. Santi did what she knew best to express her love and welcome. It was touching.
On Samosir Island at Lake Toba, Sumatra, there is a sign in Indonesian over a restaurant door which reads: "Sederhana." It means a modest restaurant, not complicated. It's what Jesus was asking Martha for in Bethany that day he visited her home.
According to Peter Jennings on ABC News, television has what they call "appointment shows," which means people arrange their lives so they don't miss them. An example would be 60 Minutes on Sunday evening. Jesus had come to Mary and Martha's home, and it should have been an "appointment" visit for the sisters. Mary understood that.
Allen So, a young Chinese Christian mother on my Friends in Christ e-mail newsletter wrote the following greeting to the other global students: "I would like to pray to God to help everyone of us really come out from the world of things and go into Jesus."
____________
*For an explanation of this homiletical technique, see my book, The Preacher's Edge, (Lima, Ohio: CSS Publishing Company, 1996).
