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Proper 21

Preaching
Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
Elizabeth Achtemeier
Preaching And Reading The Old Testament Lessons
With an Eye to the New
As referred to in 9:20--22 in our text, Esther is a book that celebrates Jewish deliverance from persecution. It is not a religious book, and the name of God is never mentioned in it. Nevertheless it found its place in the canon of scripture as the reading for the Festival of Purim which falls on the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the month of Adar (= February/March; 9:21), according to the postexilic Jewish calendar. The name "Purim" comes from the Hebrew word pur, which refers to the "lot" that the wicked Haman cast to single out which Jews should be killed (3:7; 9:26, 28).
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 While the Prodigal Son was still far off, his father saw him, ran to him, put his arms around him and kissed him. In our worship today, let us turn to God so that he may run to us, put his arms around and kiss us.

Invitation to confession:

 Jesus, for the times when we run away from you,

Lord, have mercy.

 Jesus, for the times when we have wasted our inheritance on dissolute living,

Christ, have mercy.

 Jesus, when we return to you,

Lord, have mercy.

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