Proper 22
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III, Cycle C
The Church Year Theological Clue
In many parts of the Christian church, this Sunday will be remembered and, in some places, celebrated as Reformation Sunday, depending on the lectionary followed and the calendar year. Observation of Reformation Day, October 31, is basically limited to schools and seminaries, mostly Lutheran, at that. But the festival itself is undergoing a kind of transformation, emphasizing what God is doing in the present rather than stressing what God did in the past. The whole church is caught up in the spirit of post-Vatican II, demonstrating in ecumenical discussions, worship, and other activities, how God is renewing the church today. "The Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy" could be seen as a document stemming from the same Word that inspired the Reformation; it allows the Spirit of God to speak to the whole church today. Dialogue between the several Christian denominations has led to understanding and concord, so that ecumenical worship is almost a common phenenomenon, at least on and around Reformation Sunday; some of the churches are even able to join one another at the table of the Lord.
It is, therefore, almost impossible to prepare a sermon and the worship for this Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost without allowing the Reformation festival to influence what will be said and done. The Reformation reminds the church of the centrality of the Word of God in the life of the church and the importance of proclaiming that Word as life-giving gospel of the Lord. It also reminds the church that Jesus Christ is the free gift of God to all of his people, received by faith alone. The Reformation leads people to join the disciples, who in the Gospel for the Day implored Jesus, "Lord, increase our faith!" As that happens, the church is truly renewed and prepared for its mission in the world today.
The Prayer Of The Day
The classic (Lutheran) collect for this Sunday has been transformed into a contemporary prayer. It reads this way: "Almighty God, gracious Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit upon your faithful people. Keep them steadfast in your Word, protect and comfort them in all temptations, defend them against all their enemies, and bestow on the church your saving peace; through your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever." It might be read after the Prayer of the Day, which speaks to the need of Christians and the church for renewal: "Our Lord Jesus Christ, you have endured the doubts and foolish questions of every generation. Forgive us for trying to be judge over you, and grant us the confident faith to acknowledge you as Lord."
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 37:3-10 (E) - The longer version of this psalm is intended to be sung at Morning Prayer, while this shorter selection is appointed as the responsory to the first reading in the celebration of the Eucharist. It is an exhortation to trust the Lord when one has reason to be jealous of another's good fortune (or over against one's lack of good fortune). The faithful person does not worry and "fret" about such matters, but puts his trust in the Lord while continuing to live according to the will and commands of the Lord God. Those who trust the Lord and do good, according to the Psalmist will be blessed ("and possess the land," in the psalm).
Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9 (RC); 95:6-11 (L) - The liturgically familiar Venite finds multiple use as a responsory to the first reading in the several lectionaries. The "liturgically familiar" will recognize these six verses as belonging to the Venite that has been sung at Morning Prayer, or Matins. The first part of the psalm forms an invitatory; the second part is an injunction to the people to "bow down and bend the knee, and kneel before the Lord our Maker" - not simply in thanksgiving but in repentance. Within the last half of the psalm is an exhortation to the people: "Harden not your hearts, as your forebears did in the wildernessn at Meribah, and on that day at Massah, when they tempted me." At the very conclusion, Yahweh says, "So I swore in my wrath, 'they (who had tested him and disobeyed his cornmandments) shall not enter into my rest.... Most liturgical churches do not include the last four and a half verses in the Venite, which may be why the Roman ORDO omits verses 3-5 and assigns verses 6-9 as the major part of the responsory psalm.
Psalm prayer (37 - LBW) - "Lord Jesus, you bless the poor with the kingdom of heaven. Teach us to put our trust in the Father and to seek his kingdom rather than to imitate the powerful or envy the rich; so may we serve you now and forever."
The psalm prayer for Psalm 95 has a similar theme, but with something of the exodus context (LBW) - "Almighty God, neither let us go astray as did those who murmured in the desert, nor let us be torn apart by discord. With Jesus as our shepherd, bring us to enjoy the unity for which he prays; and to you be the glory and the praise now and forever."
The Readings
Habakkuk 1:1-6 (7-11) 12-17 (E); 1:1-3; 2:1-4 (L); 1:2-3; 2:2-4 (RC) - The whole Hebrew nation, which has been living lawlessly, is in trouble and is being conquered by the armies of the savage Chaldeans. In the midst of this, the prophet has a vision, which he is commanded to relate to the people who are tempted to believe that God has abandoned them. God tells him, in the vision, that his people are to trust him, because he will come to their aid and rescue, even release, them when he is ready. In the meantime, they are to observe and obey his commands - live according to his law rather than abandon his commands. The more inclusive (chapter 1) reading of The Book Of Common Prayer articulates the plight of God's people in more detail and spells out their lament more fully than the other (Roman Catholic and Lutheran) first readings. Since it is confined to chapter 1, it omits the key verse of the other two selections, "Behold, he whose soul is not upright in him shall fail, but the righteous shall live by his faith."
Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 (C) - The shepherd-turned-prophet really is issuing a call to repentance to the people of God, who have become recalcitrant sinners committed to luxurious living, on the one hand, and oppressors of the poor, on the other. Their greed is accompanied by outright evil; they will do just about anything ("take a bribe") to gain the material blessings that they want. So, Amos implores them to "seek the Lord," to "love good" and to "hate evil," and to "establish justice" in their world. When they do, he believes that "the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph." If they don't return to the Lord and "seek the Lord," they will surely experience his wrath "like fire in the house of Joseph," which will devour them because no one will be able to extinguish it. He understands that the just live by faith, and that faith demands that his people return to him, obey his commands, renounce their evil ways, and do the works of justice in the world.
2 Timothy 1:1-14 (C); 1:3-14 (L); 1:(1-5) 6-14 (E); 1:6-8, 13-14 (RC) - Once more, in this reading, Paul charges Timothy to be faithful in his ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He has received the gift of faith, and he, and all other Christians, have to hold on to that gift so that they can be effective witnesses and ministers of the gospel. Paul exhorts Timothy to "rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands ..." Many scholars point to this passage as the beginning of apostolic succession at ordination through the laying on of the hands of the bishop; this is evidence that someone other than Paul, but of the Pauline school and mind, actually wrote this letter to Timothy. If so, it certainly was written in the style of Paul and with his understanding of the gospel as it pertains to Christian ministry.
Luke 17:5-10 (RC, E, L, C) - As usual, the several lectionaries agree on the selection of the Gospel for the Day; they choose the same chapter and exactly the same verses. The request from the disciples to Jesus, "Increase our faith!", is underlined by the similar emphasis upon faith in the first reading (Habakkuk) and the second reading from 2 Timothy 1; it comes from the lips of the disciples in response to Jesus' teachings about "temptations to sin" and especially the parable in the latter portion of the Gospel for the Day. The cry for increased faith, therefore, is said in the context of the doctrine of justification by faith through grace, rejecting any doctrine of salvation by works, no matter how good and faithful, as martyrs, they are. This gospel selection, taken in this context and with the other readings, is quite suitable for the celebration of Reformation Day in this day and age when the entire Christian church is experiencing the desire for reformation and renewal. When one preaches from this perspective, the reformation may be made contemporary in the Holy Catholic Church.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
Luke 17:5-10 (RC, E, L, C) - "The Key To Renewal." - A few weeks ago, I was sitting near a relative by marriage when he suffered a cardiac arrest; without warning, as he and I sat a few feet apart on a curved sofa watching the playoff of the U.S. Open golf tournament, his heart simply stopped beating. For all intents and purposes, he was dead then and there, and had it not been that his daughter, who teaches CPR was home and immediately began giving him artificial respiration, as well the swift response of the paramedics who responded to the 911 call, he would probably be dead today. When the ambulance left for the hospital, the last of the paramedics left the house and said to my wife, "That really was a Code Blue." At another time, and in other circumstances, he would not have had a chance.
As several of us stood by helplessly, I was struck by the reaction of the man's wife. She remained relatively calm, her lips moving silently in a whisper; she was busy praying for her husband's life. Later, in the hospital, she said, "I know that his life is in the hands of the Lord, and I believe that all will be well." Throughout the entire ordeal, which was complicated by an aneurism that required surgery two days after the cardiac arrest, she held up remarkably well; her faith in God did not waver a bit. On seeing this phenomenon, one wanted to cry out to the Lord with the disciples, "Lord, increase my faith!"
1. The church in the world today is in trouble. It has many internal conflicts and tends to be ignored by many people. Critics call it irrelevant, impotent to do anything that will be meaningful and deal effectively with contemporary life. Some people see the church standing by the side of the road, wringing its hands, as the world speeds by oblivious to it and its attempted ministry. A troubled church desperately needs renewal.
2. The church needs to be renewed so that it can perform its role for Christ more effectively. A close friend and former parishioner recently asked me about the evangelism effort of my denomination (he belongs to another denomination now). He questioned, "What is the motivation for evangelism? Is it simply to preserve the church, or is its purpose to proclaim the gospel to the unchurched for their salvation?" When told that the denomination is prompting evangelism primarily to discharge its responsibility to the Lord and fulfill its ministry to him and to witness to the unchurched, he said, "But isn't preservation at the center of it?" The church needs to be renewed for Christ's sake and so that the gospel may be known in the world, not simply to save and preserve a religious institution.
3. The church dare not be guilty of over-simplifying the problems of this world, which are many and complex and even threaten the future of life on earth. (For example, today's paper carried a story about the destruction of one of the most important rain forests in the Northern hemisphere; at the rate it is being destroyed, it may be gone by 2000 A.D.) Does religion play any part in the resolution of such problems? Aren't many of the problems today religious, as well as scientific, social, political, and economic?
4. The church must learn to pray once again, "Lord, increase our faith!" Without that foundation, the church will be unable to resolve internal problems, nor will it be relevant to speak to the needs of this world in a meaningful manner. "Increase our faith!" and enable us and the church to be faithful to Christ and speak words of life to a wounded and, perhaps, dying world. The gospel is the reason for and the key to renewal in the church.
(Note: Those who are celebrating Reformation Day on this Sunday may want to add historical details, but these suggestions should fit into liturgical and homiletical planning for a Reformation service.)
Habakkuk 1:1-6 (7-11) 12-17 (E); 1:1-3; 2:1-4 (L); 1:6-8, 13-14 (RC) - "The Righteous And Their Faith."
1. Righteous people, that is, people of faith, may well be tempted when God seems to be distant and out of touch, unable or unwilling to do anything about the trouble in their lives.
2. One real problem is that the righteous may easily become self-righteous, because they believe that they have earned God's attention and response to their plight. People of faith often believe, unmistakenly, that they have earned God's blessings and should be rewarded for their faith.
3. Righteous people live by faith; they do not depend upon works they have done and demands they might wish to place before God. True faith gives them patience and trust in the Lord; they know that God will act in his good time, as he always has and does.
4. Whatever befalls them, they live patiently and faithfully, and praying, "Increase our faith!" He does.
Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 (C) - "A Prophet Revisited."
1. Sage counsel, even today: "Seek the Lord and live."
2. Recognize and repent of your sins.
3. Love the good and God and reject temptation and the evil - hate it - in the world.
4. Work for justice and peace and expect the gracious God to bless your work done in his and Jesus' name.
2 Timothy 1:1-14 (C); 1:(1-5) 6-14 (E); 1:3-14 (L); 1:6-8, 13-14 (RC) - "The Gift Rekindled."
1. Faith in Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, is a precious gift of God offered to all people.
2. Faith needs constant renewal and deepening; "Paul" calls for "rekindling" God's gift that is "within you."
3. Pray for the renewal of the Spirit that came to all of us - not just those ordained by the "laying on of hands" for full-time gospel ministry - in Holy Baptism.
4. Renewed by the Spirit and with "rekindled" faith witness boldly, unashamedly, to the gospel of Jesus' death, resurrection, and promised return. God will smile on such efforts!
In many parts of the Christian church, this Sunday will be remembered and, in some places, celebrated as Reformation Sunday, depending on the lectionary followed and the calendar year. Observation of Reformation Day, October 31, is basically limited to schools and seminaries, mostly Lutheran, at that. But the festival itself is undergoing a kind of transformation, emphasizing what God is doing in the present rather than stressing what God did in the past. The whole church is caught up in the spirit of post-Vatican II, demonstrating in ecumenical discussions, worship, and other activities, how God is renewing the church today. "The Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy" could be seen as a document stemming from the same Word that inspired the Reformation; it allows the Spirit of God to speak to the whole church today. Dialogue between the several Christian denominations has led to understanding and concord, so that ecumenical worship is almost a common phenenomenon, at least on and around Reformation Sunday; some of the churches are even able to join one another at the table of the Lord.
It is, therefore, almost impossible to prepare a sermon and the worship for this Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost without allowing the Reformation festival to influence what will be said and done. The Reformation reminds the church of the centrality of the Word of God in the life of the church and the importance of proclaiming that Word as life-giving gospel of the Lord. It also reminds the church that Jesus Christ is the free gift of God to all of his people, received by faith alone. The Reformation leads people to join the disciples, who in the Gospel for the Day implored Jesus, "Lord, increase our faith!" As that happens, the church is truly renewed and prepared for its mission in the world today.
The Prayer Of The Day
The classic (Lutheran) collect for this Sunday has been transformed into a contemporary prayer. It reads this way: "Almighty God, gracious Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit upon your faithful people. Keep them steadfast in your Word, protect and comfort them in all temptations, defend them against all their enemies, and bestow on the church your saving peace; through your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever." It might be read after the Prayer of the Day, which speaks to the need of Christians and the church for renewal: "Our Lord Jesus Christ, you have endured the doubts and foolish questions of every generation. Forgive us for trying to be judge over you, and grant us the confident faith to acknowledge you as Lord."
The Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 37:3-10 (E) - The longer version of this psalm is intended to be sung at Morning Prayer, while this shorter selection is appointed as the responsory to the first reading in the celebration of the Eucharist. It is an exhortation to trust the Lord when one has reason to be jealous of another's good fortune (or over against one's lack of good fortune). The faithful person does not worry and "fret" about such matters, but puts his trust in the Lord while continuing to live according to the will and commands of the Lord God. Those who trust the Lord and do good, according to the Psalmist will be blessed ("and possess the land," in the psalm).
Psalm 95:1-2, 6-9 (RC); 95:6-11 (L) - The liturgically familiar Venite finds multiple use as a responsory to the first reading in the several lectionaries. The "liturgically familiar" will recognize these six verses as belonging to the Venite that has been sung at Morning Prayer, or Matins. The first part of the psalm forms an invitatory; the second part is an injunction to the people to "bow down and bend the knee, and kneel before the Lord our Maker" - not simply in thanksgiving but in repentance. Within the last half of the psalm is an exhortation to the people: "Harden not your hearts, as your forebears did in the wildernessn at Meribah, and on that day at Massah, when they tempted me." At the very conclusion, Yahweh says, "So I swore in my wrath, 'they (who had tested him and disobeyed his cornmandments) shall not enter into my rest.... Most liturgical churches do not include the last four and a half verses in the Venite, which may be why the Roman ORDO omits verses 3-5 and assigns verses 6-9 as the major part of the responsory psalm.
Psalm prayer (37 - LBW) - "Lord Jesus, you bless the poor with the kingdom of heaven. Teach us to put our trust in the Father and to seek his kingdom rather than to imitate the powerful or envy the rich; so may we serve you now and forever."
The psalm prayer for Psalm 95 has a similar theme, but with something of the exodus context (LBW) - "Almighty God, neither let us go astray as did those who murmured in the desert, nor let us be torn apart by discord. With Jesus as our shepherd, bring us to enjoy the unity for which he prays; and to you be the glory and the praise now and forever."
The Readings
Habakkuk 1:1-6 (7-11) 12-17 (E); 1:1-3; 2:1-4 (L); 1:2-3; 2:2-4 (RC) - The whole Hebrew nation, which has been living lawlessly, is in trouble and is being conquered by the armies of the savage Chaldeans. In the midst of this, the prophet has a vision, which he is commanded to relate to the people who are tempted to believe that God has abandoned them. God tells him, in the vision, that his people are to trust him, because he will come to their aid and rescue, even release, them when he is ready. In the meantime, they are to observe and obey his commands - live according to his law rather than abandon his commands. The more inclusive (chapter 1) reading of The Book Of Common Prayer articulates the plight of God's people in more detail and spells out their lament more fully than the other (Roman Catholic and Lutheran) first readings. Since it is confined to chapter 1, it omits the key verse of the other two selections, "Behold, he whose soul is not upright in him shall fail, but the righteous shall live by his faith."
Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 (C) - The shepherd-turned-prophet really is issuing a call to repentance to the people of God, who have become recalcitrant sinners committed to luxurious living, on the one hand, and oppressors of the poor, on the other. Their greed is accompanied by outright evil; they will do just about anything ("take a bribe") to gain the material blessings that they want. So, Amos implores them to "seek the Lord," to "love good" and to "hate evil," and to "establish justice" in their world. When they do, he believes that "the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph." If they don't return to the Lord and "seek the Lord," they will surely experience his wrath "like fire in the house of Joseph," which will devour them because no one will be able to extinguish it. He understands that the just live by faith, and that faith demands that his people return to him, obey his commands, renounce their evil ways, and do the works of justice in the world.
2 Timothy 1:1-14 (C); 1:3-14 (L); 1:(1-5) 6-14 (E); 1:6-8, 13-14 (RC) - Once more, in this reading, Paul charges Timothy to be faithful in his ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He has received the gift of faith, and he, and all other Christians, have to hold on to that gift so that they can be effective witnesses and ministers of the gospel. Paul exhorts Timothy to "rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands ..." Many scholars point to this passage as the beginning of apostolic succession at ordination through the laying on of the hands of the bishop; this is evidence that someone other than Paul, but of the Pauline school and mind, actually wrote this letter to Timothy. If so, it certainly was written in the style of Paul and with his understanding of the gospel as it pertains to Christian ministry.
Luke 17:5-10 (RC, E, L, C) - As usual, the several lectionaries agree on the selection of the Gospel for the Day; they choose the same chapter and exactly the same verses. The request from the disciples to Jesus, "Increase our faith!", is underlined by the similar emphasis upon faith in the first reading (Habakkuk) and the second reading from 2 Timothy 1; it comes from the lips of the disciples in response to Jesus' teachings about "temptations to sin" and especially the parable in the latter portion of the Gospel for the Day. The cry for increased faith, therefore, is said in the context of the doctrine of justification by faith through grace, rejecting any doctrine of salvation by works, no matter how good and faithful, as martyrs, they are. This gospel selection, taken in this context and with the other readings, is quite suitable for the celebration of Reformation Day in this day and age when the entire Christian church is experiencing the desire for reformation and renewal. When one preaches from this perspective, the reformation may be made contemporary in the Holy Catholic Church.
Sermon Suggestions, Synopses, Sketches, Stories
Luke 17:5-10 (RC, E, L, C) - "The Key To Renewal." - A few weeks ago, I was sitting near a relative by marriage when he suffered a cardiac arrest; without warning, as he and I sat a few feet apart on a curved sofa watching the playoff of the U.S. Open golf tournament, his heart simply stopped beating. For all intents and purposes, he was dead then and there, and had it not been that his daughter, who teaches CPR was home and immediately began giving him artificial respiration, as well the swift response of the paramedics who responded to the 911 call, he would probably be dead today. When the ambulance left for the hospital, the last of the paramedics left the house and said to my wife, "That really was a Code Blue." At another time, and in other circumstances, he would not have had a chance.
As several of us stood by helplessly, I was struck by the reaction of the man's wife. She remained relatively calm, her lips moving silently in a whisper; she was busy praying for her husband's life. Later, in the hospital, she said, "I know that his life is in the hands of the Lord, and I believe that all will be well." Throughout the entire ordeal, which was complicated by an aneurism that required surgery two days after the cardiac arrest, she held up remarkably well; her faith in God did not waver a bit. On seeing this phenomenon, one wanted to cry out to the Lord with the disciples, "Lord, increase my faith!"
1. The church in the world today is in trouble. It has many internal conflicts and tends to be ignored by many people. Critics call it irrelevant, impotent to do anything that will be meaningful and deal effectively with contemporary life. Some people see the church standing by the side of the road, wringing its hands, as the world speeds by oblivious to it and its attempted ministry. A troubled church desperately needs renewal.
2. The church needs to be renewed so that it can perform its role for Christ more effectively. A close friend and former parishioner recently asked me about the evangelism effort of my denomination (he belongs to another denomination now). He questioned, "What is the motivation for evangelism? Is it simply to preserve the church, or is its purpose to proclaim the gospel to the unchurched for their salvation?" When told that the denomination is prompting evangelism primarily to discharge its responsibility to the Lord and fulfill its ministry to him and to witness to the unchurched, he said, "But isn't preservation at the center of it?" The church needs to be renewed for Christ's sake and so that the gospel may be known in the world, not simply to save and preserve a religious institution.
3. The church dare not be guilty of over-simplifying the problems of this world, which are many and complex and even threaten the future of life on earth. (For example, today's paper carried a story about the destruction of one of the most important rain forests in the Northern hemisphere; at the rate it is being destroyed, it may be gone by 2000 A.D.) Does religion play any part in the resolution of such problems? Aren't many of the problems today religious, as well as scientific, social, political, and economic?
4. The church must learn to pray once again, "Lord, increase our faith!" Without that foundation, the church will be unable to resolve internal problems, nor will it be relevant to speak to the needs of this world in a meaningful manner. "Increase our faith!" and enable us and the church to be faithful to Christ and speak words of life to a wounded and, perhaps, dying world. The gospel is the reason for and the key to renewal in the church.
(Note: Those who are celebrating Reformation Day on this Sunday may want to add historical details, but these suggestions should fit into liturgical and homiletical planning for a Reformation service.)
Habakkuk 1:1-6 (7-11) 12-17 (E); 1:1-3; 2:1-4 (L); 1:6-8, 13-14 (RC) - "The Righteous And Their Faith."
1. Righteous people, that is, people of faith, may well be tempted when God seems to be distant and out of touch, unable or unwilling to do anything about the trouble in their lives.
2. One real problem is that the righteous may easily become self-righteous, because they believe that they have earned God's attention and response to their plight. People of faith often believe, unmistakenly, that they have earned God's blessings and should be rewarded for their faith.
3. Righteous people live by faith; they do not depend upon works they have done and demands they might wish to place before God. True faith gives them patience and trust in the Lord; they know that God will act in his good time, as he always has and does.
4. Whatever befalls them, they live patiently and faithfully, and praying, "Increase our faith!" He does.
Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 (C) - "A Prophet Revisited."
1. Sage counsel, even today: "Seek the Lord and live."
2. Recognize and repent of your sins.
3. Love the good and God and reject temptation and the evil - hate it - in the world.
4. Work for justice and peace and expect the gracious God to bless your work done in his and Jesus' name.
2 Timothy 1:1-14 (C); 1:(1-5) 6-14 (E); 1:3-14 (L); 1:6-8, 13-14 (RC) - "The Gift Rekindled."
1. Faith in Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, is a precious gift of God offered to all people.
2. Faith needs constant renewal and deepening; "Paul" calls for "rekindling" God's gift that is "within you."
3. Pray for the renewal of the Spirit that came to all of us - not just those ordained by the "laying on of hands" for full-time gospel ministry - in Holy Baptism.
4. Renewed by the Spirit and with "rekindled" faith witness boldly, unashamedly, to the gospel of Jesus' death, resurrection, and promised return. God will smile on such efforts!
