If You Have Ears To Hear
Stories
Object:
Contents
What's Up This Week
A Story to Live By: "What Goes Around..."
Shining Moments: "A Light to My Path" by Linda Harper
Sermon Starter: "If You Have Ears to Hear" by John Sumwalt
Scrap Pile: "Learning to Preach Without a Manuscript" by Amy Yarnall
What's Up This Week
Summertime, and the living is easy... it is a good time to tell a joke or two in the Sunday sermon. "What Goes Around..." in this week's Story to Live By is an oldie but a goodie and a good lead-in to the Romans text. If you are preaching on the Gospel, you will enjoy John's retelling of the Parable of the Sower in the Sermon Starter.
A Story to Live By
What Goes Around...
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
Romans 8:5-6
A priest was being honored at his retirement dinner after 25 years in the parish. A prominent businessman and member of the congregation was chosen to make the presentation and give a little speech at the dinner. He was delayed, so the priest decided to say a few words while they waited.
"I got my first impression of the parish from the very first confession I heard here. I thought I had been assigned to a terrible place. The very first person who entered my confessional told me he had stolen a television set, and when stopped by the police had almost murdered the officer. He had stolen money from his parents, embezzled from his place of business, had an affair with his boss's wife, and taken illegal drugs. I was appalled. But as the days went on I knew that my people were not all like that and I had indeed come to a fine parish full of good and loving people."
Just as the priest finished his talk the prominent businessman arrived, full of apologies for being late. He immediately began to make the presentation and give his talk. "I'll never forget the first day our parish priest arrived," he said. "In fact, I had the honor of being the very first one to go to him in confession."
Sooner or later our sin always catches up to us...
Shining Moments
A Light to My Path
by Linda Harper
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105
I was 27 years old and very active in our United Methodist church. I had taught Sunday school, had been on the administrative board, was president of the United Methodist Women, and sang in the choir -- maybe not all at the same time, but I spent enough time at church to feel it was a second home.
One weekend, our church held a lay witness mission. Laypersons came to share their faith with us. One wonderful man who was a witness stayed in our home. I knew from the first time I met him there was something different about Don. He had something I lacked and wanted. All the years of service in my church had not brought me satisfaction.
On that Sunday, we were invited to come forward to the altar and accept Jesus as our personal savior. My friend and I came down from the choir loft and knelt to pray the prayer of salvation. I didn't see or feel any "special effects." I just made a choice -- the best one of my life. That was November 20, 1972, the same day our new friend, Don, had accepted Jesus years before.
My husband bought me a Living Bible that day. I began reading, devouring the scriptures. I couldn't get enough of the Word. Later, I recognized this as the work of the Holy Spirit.
A few weeks later, I began to have doubts about my salvation. I asked God for reassurance -- a sign -- and he gave me one I shall never forget. As I was reading his word, Ephesians 2:8-10 leapt out at me. I saw the words as big, bright, and bold as a neon sign. The small letters of my Bible were replaced with inch-high ones so I could not miss the message. It said that I was saved by GRACE, not by works, so I could not boast. God taught me, instantly, that his grace saved me, not all of the volunteer work I was doing.
God is so gracious to give us what we need, when we need it, as we trust him.
Linda Harper was raised on a dairy farm in southwest Wisconsin. She is the mother of two adult children. Linda and her husband, Bob, are retired and live in Casa Grande, Arizona, where they attend the First Assembly of God Church. Her personal story was published recently in an anthology dedicated to survivors of cancer.
Sermon Starter
If You Have Ears to Hear
by John Sumwalt
And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow... Let anyone with ears listen."
Matthew 13:3, 9
There is a sign on the street in front of one of the houses in our neighborhood which reads: "Caution: Deaf Child at Play." A child lives in that house who has ears but cannot hear. The sign is there to remind drivers to be extra careful, to watch out for and help care for this child who cannot hear.
Our text today is for all of us who have ears to hear -- and usually do hear but rarely understand.
It begins with a parable about a farmer planting seed, a familiar image in the rural landscape in which Jesus conducted much of his ministry. I am a farmer's son, and so when I first heard this parable of the sower as a small boy in Sunday school, I found it a bit confusing. I couldn't understand how anyone could be so foolish as to plant seed where it wouldn't grow. Good farmers don't do that, at least not intentionally. They do everything they can to prepare the soil, to give the seed the best possible conditions for growing. Modern farmers buy hybrid seed that is engineered for the growing conditions in their climate and is guaranteed to pollinate. They sow only under the best conditions, to ensure maximum return for the money and time invested.
I saw an inspirational video recently about preparing the "soil" of our lives. A potato farmer in Idaho explained how carefully they prepare the seed and the soil. He said that the ideal way to prepare for a good potato crop is a thousand years of sagebrush and one year of potatoes. He added that since that kind of crop rotation is impossible, they do everything else they can to ensure a bountiful harvest.
Jesus understood the farming conditions of his day. When he describes seed falling on the path, on rocky ground, among thorns, and on good soil, he was painting a word picture that made perfect sense to his listeners.
If we were to retell this story for our own time, it might go something like this:
Listen! A farmer is among you, planting seeds. Some of the seed will fall on the highway, where cars and trucks will come along and crush it. Some of the seed will fall on construction sites, where it will sprout quickly and begin to grow, but will be smothered when the workers pour the foundations. Some of the seed will fall in sports stadiums, where it will be trampled by athletes and cheering crowds. And some of the seed will fall into fertile fields and gardens, where it will be cultivated, fertilized, and watered. It will grow to maturity and yield bushels and bushels of fruit.
If you have ears to hear, then hear.
Scrap Pile
Learning to Preach Without a Manuscript
by Amy Yarnall
When I was serving my second appointment, I served in a community with a strong tradition of United Methodist churches worshiping together on special occasions. One of these times was Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday.
I am of Euro-American heritage, and the worship service was hosted by an African-American church family. Since all of the area clergy would be present, it was understood that each would have some role in the service. Having served an African-American congregation as part of my first appointment, I was comfortable with spur-of-the-moment worship organization, and felt comfortable stepping into whatever role was assigned to me.
However, I did not expect to be one of the preachers! When I arrived at church that day, I found that the pastor had decided to invite each guest pastor to make a few "remarks" after the Scripture was read. This was his way of living out part of the black church tradition of being respectful of all clergy present. Whether he intended these remarks to become small sermons or not I will never know, but by the time it was my turn, several clergy had preached short (and not so short) sermons.
So I prayed for God to fill me with words to say, and I stepped into the pulpit. It has been six years since that happened, and I no longer have any clear memory of what I said. God used that time to show me that the Spirit has gifted me with the ability to preach without a manuscript.
It was another year before I preached every week without a manuscript. It took me a while to learn to trust the gift and to use it well. Now I preach from an outline, which I print for the community of faith to follow with me.
Preaching in this way makes me keenly aware of the Spirit's presence and guidance. It makes me open to new leading and insight in the midst of the sermon. And it opens up opportunities for connection with people in ways that a manuscript cannot.
Amy Yarnall is a United Methodist pastor in the Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference, serving in Chesapeake City, Maryland. She is married to a wonderful husband, Ray, and they are blessed to have two children, Shannon and Jacob.
**********************************************
New Book
The third book in the vision series, Shining Moments: Visions of the Holy in Ordinary Lives (edited by John Sumwalt), is now available from CSS Publishing Company. (Click on the title for information about how to order.) Among the 60 contributing authors of these Chicken Soup for the Soul-like vignettes are Ralph Milton, Sandra Herrmann, Pamela J. Tinnin, Richard H. Gentzler Jr., David Michael Smith, Anne Sunday, Nancy Nichols, William Lee Rand, Gail Ingle, and Rosmarie Trapp, whose family story was told in the classic movie The Sound of Music. The stories follow the lectionary for Cycle A.
Other Books by John & Jo Sumwalt
Sharing Visions: Divine Revelations, Angels, and Holy Coincidences
Vision Stories: True Accounts of Visions, Angels, and Healing Miracles
Life Stories: A Study in Christian Decision Making
Lectionary Stories: Forty Tellable Tales for Cycle A
Lectionary Stories: Forty Tellable Tales for Cycle B
Lectionary Stories: Forty Tellable Tales for Cycle C
Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit: 62 Stories for Cycle B
**************
About the Editors
John E. Sumwalt is the pastor of Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church in Milwaukee, and is the author of eight books for CSS. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary (UDTS), John received the Herbert Manning Jr. award for Parish Ministry from UDTS in 1997. John is known in the Milwaukee area for his one-minute radio spots which always include a brief story. He concludes each spot by saying, "I'm John Sumwalt with 'A Story to Live By' from Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church."
John has done numerous storytelling events for civic, school, and church groups, as well as on radio and television. He has performed at a number of fundraisers for the homeless, the hungry, Habitat for Humanity, and women's shelters. Since the fall of 1999, when he began working on the Vision Stories series, he has led seminars and retreats around the themes "A Safe Place to Tell Visions," "Vision Stories in the Bible and Today," and coming this spring: "Soul Growth: Discovering Lost Spiritual Dimensions." To schedule a seminar or a retreat, write to jsumwalt@naspa.net or phone 414-257-1228.
Joanne Perry-Sumwalt is director of Christian Education at Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church in Milwaukee. Jo is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, with a degree in English and writing. She has co-authored two books with John, Life Stories: A Study In Christian Decision Making and Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit: 62 Stories For Cycle B. Jo writes original curriculum for church classes. She also serves as the secretary of the Wisconsin chapter of the Christian Educators Fellowship (CEF), and is a member of the National CEF.
Jo and John have been married since 1975. They have two grown children, Kathryn and Orrin. They both love reading, movies, long walks with Chloe (their West Highland Terrier), and working on their old farmhouse in southwest Wisconsin.
**********************************************
StoryShare, July 10, 2005, issue.
Copyright 2005 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., P.O. Box 4503, Lima, Ohio 45802-4503.
What's Up This Week
A Story to Live By: "What Goes Around..."
Shining Moments: "A Light to My Path" by Linda Harper
Sermon Starter: "If You Have Ears to Hear" by John Sumwalt
Scrap Pile: "Learning to Preach Without a Manuscript" by Amy Yarnall
What's Up This Week
Summertime, and the living is easy... it is a good time to tell a joke or two in the Sunday sermon. "What Goes Around..." in this week's Story to Live By is an oldie but a goodie and a good lead-in to the Romans text. If you are preaching on the Gospel, you will enjoy John's retelling of the Parable of the Sower in the Sermon Starter.
A Story to Live By
What Goes Around...
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
Romans 8:5-6
A priest was being honored at his retirement dinner after 25 years in the parish. A prominent businessman and member of the congregation was chosen to make the presentation and give a little speech at the dinner. He was delayed, so the priest decided to say a few words while they waited.
"I got my first impression of the parish from the very first confession I heard here. I thought I had been assigned to a terrible place. The very first person who entered my confessional told me he had stolen a television set, and when stopped by the police had almost murdered the officer. He had stolen money from his parents, embezzled from his place of business, had an affair with his boss's wife, and taken illegal drugs. I was appalled. But as the days went on I knew that my people were not all like that and I had indeed come to a fine parish full of good and loving people."
Just as the priest finished his talk the prominent businessman arrived, full of apologies for being late. He immediately began to make the presentation and give his talk. "I'll never forget the first day our parish priest arrived," he said. "In fact, I had the honor of being the very first one to go to him in confession."
Sooner or later our sin always catches up to us...
Shining Moments
A Light to My Path
by Linda Harper
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105
I was 27 years old and very active in our United Methodist church. I had taught Sunday school, had been on the administrative board, was president of the United Methodist Women, and sang in the choir -- maybe not all at the same time, but I spent enough time at church to feel it was a second home.
One weekend, our church held a lay witness mission. Laypersons came to share their faith with us. One wonderful man who was a witness stayed in our home. I knew from the first time I met him there was something different about Don. He had something I lacked and wanted. All the years of service in my church had not brought me satisfaction.
On that Sunday, we were invited to come forward to the altar and accept Jesus as our personal savior. My friend and I came down from the choir loft and knelt to pray the prayer of salvation. I didn't see or feel any "special effects." I just made a choice -- the best one of my life. That was November 20, 1972, the same day our new friend, Don, had accepted Jesus years before.
My husband bought me a Living Bible that day. I began reading, devouring the scriptures. I couldn't get enough of the Word. Later, I recognized this as the work of the Holy Spirit.
A few weeks later, I began to have doubts about my salvation. I asked God for reassurance -- a sign -- and he gave me one I shall never forget. As I was reading his word, Ephesians 2:8-10 leapt out at me. I saw the words as big, bright, and bold as a neon sign. The small letters of my Bible were replaced with inch-high ones so I could not miss the message. It said that I was saved by GRACE, not by works, so I could not boast. God taught me, instantly, that his grace saved me, not all of the volunteer work I was doing.
God is so gracious to give us what we need, when we need it, as we trust him.
Linda Harper was raised on a dairy farm in southwest Wisconsin. She is the mother of two adult children. Linda and her husband, Bob, are retired and live in Casa Grande, Arizona, where they attend the First Assembly of God Church. Her personal story was published recently in an anthology dedicated to survivors of cancer.
Sermon Starter
If You Have Ears to Hear
by John Sumwalt
And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow... Let anyone with ears listen."
Matthew 13:3, 9
There is a sign on the street in front of one of the houses in our neighborhood which reads: "Caution: Deaf Child at Play." A child lives in that house who has ears but cannot hear. The sign is there to remind drivers to be extra careful, to watch out for and help care for this child who cannot hear.
Our text today is for all of us who have ears to hear -- and usually do hear but rarely understand.
It begins with a parable about a farmer planting seed, a familiar image in the rural landscape in which Jesus conducted much of his ministry. I am a farmer's son, and so when I first heard this parable of the sower as a small boy in Sunday school, I found it a bit confusing. I couldn't understand how anyone could be so foolish as to plant seed where it wouldn't grow. Good farmers don't do that, at least not intentionally. They do everything they can to prepare the soil, to give the seed the best possible conditions for growing. Modern farmers buy hybrid seed that is engineered for the growing conditions in their climate and is guaranteed to pollinate. They sow only under the best conditions, to ensure maximum return for the money and time invested.
I saw an inspirational video recently about preparing the "soil" of our lives. A potato farmer in Idaho explained how carefully they prepare the seed and the soil. He said that the ideal way to prepare for a good potato crop is a thousand years of sagebrush and one year of potatoes. He added that since that kind of crop rotation is impossible, they do everything else they can to ensure a bountiful harvest.
Jesus understood the farming conditions of his day. When he describes seed falling on the path, on rocky ground, among thorns, and on good soil, he was painting a word picture that made perfect sense to his listeners.
If we were to retell this story for our own time, it might go something like this:
Listen! A farmer is among you, planting seeds. Some of the seed will fall on the highway, where cars and trucks will come along and crush it. Some of the seed will fall on construction sites, where it will sprout quickly and begin to grow, but will be smothered when the workers pour the foundations. Some of the seed will fall in sports stadiums, where it will be trampled by athletes and cheering crowds. And some of the seed will fall into fertile fields and gardens, where it will be cultivated, fertilized, and watered. It will grow to maturity and yield bushels and bushels of fruit.
If you have ears to hear, then hear.
Scrap Pile
Learning to Preach Without a Manuscript
by Amy Yarnall
When I was serving my second appointment, I served in a community with a strong tradition of United Methodist churches worshiping together on special occasions. One of these times was Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday.
I am of Euro-American heritage, and the worship service was hosted by an African-American church family. Since all of the area clergy would be present, it was understood that each would have some role in the service. Having served an African-American congregation as part of my first appointment, I was comfortable with spur-of-the-moment worship organization, and felt comfortable stepping into whatever role was assigned to me.
However, I did not expect to be one of the preachers! When I arrived at church that day, I found that the pastor had decided to invite each guest pastor to make a few "remarks" after the Scripture was read. This was his way of living out part of the black church tradition of being respectful of all clergy present. Whether he intended these remarks to become small sermons or not I will never know, but by the time it was my turn, several clergy had preached short (and not so short) sermons.
So I prayed for God to fill me with words to say, and I stepped into the pulpit. It has been six years since that happened, and I no longer have any clear memory of what I said. God used that time to show me that the Spirit has gifted me with the ability to preach without a manuscript.
It was another year before I preached every week without a manuscript. It took me a while to learn to trust the gift and to use it well. Now I preach from an outline, which I print for the community of faith to follow with me.
Preaching in this way makes me keenly aware of the Spirit's presence and guidance. It makes me open to new leading and insight in the midst of the sermon. And it opens up opportunities for connection with people in ways that a manuscript cannot.
Amy Yarnall is a United Methodist pastor in the Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference, serving in Chesapeake City, Maryland. She is married to a wonderful husband, Ray, and they are blessed to have two children, Shannon and Jacob.
**********************************************
New Book
The third book in the vision series, Shining Moments: Visions of the Holy in Ordinary Lives (edited by John Sumwalt), is now available from CSS Publishing Company. (Click on the title for information about how to order.) Among the 60 contributing authors of these Chicken Soup for the Soul-like vignettes are Ralph Milton, Sandra Herrmann, Pamela J. Tinnin, Richard H. Gentzler Jr., David Michael Smith, Anne Sunday, Nancy Nichols, William Lee Rand, Gail Ingle, and Rosmarie Trapp, whose family story was told in the classic movie The Sound of Music. The stories follow the lectionary for Cycle A.
Other Books by John & Jo Sumwalt
Sharing Visions: Divine Revelations, Angels, and Holy Coincidences
Vision Stories: True Accounts of Visions, Angels, and Healing Miracles
Life Stories: A Study in Christian Decision Making
Lectionary Stories: Forty Tellable Tales for Cycle A
Lectionary Stories: Forty Tellable Tales for Cycle B
Lectionary Stories: Forty Tellable Tales for Cycle C
Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit: 62 Stories for Cycle B
**************
About the Editors
John E. Sumwalt is the pastor of Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church in Milwaukee, and is the author of eight books for CSS. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary (UDTS), John received the Herbert Manning Jr. award for Parish Ministry from UDTS in 1997. John is known in the Milwaukee area for his one-minute radio spots which always include a brief story. He concludes each spot by saying, "I'm John Sumwalt with 'A Story to Live By' from Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church."
John has done numerous storytelling events for civic, school, and church groups, as well as on radio and television. He has performed at a number of fundraisers for the homeless, the hungry, Habitat for Humanity, and women's shelters. Since the fall of 1999, when he began working on the Vision Stories series, he has led seminars and retreats around the themes "A Safe Place to Tell Visions," "Vision Stories in the Bible and Today," and coming this spring: "Soul Growth: Discovering Lost Spiritual Dimensions." To schedule a seminar or a retreat, write to jsumwalt@naspa.net or phone 414-257-1228.
Joanne Perry-Sumwalt is director of Christian Education at Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church in Milwaukee. Jo is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, with a degree in English and writing. She has co-authored two books with John, Life Stories: A Study In Christian Decision Making and Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit: 62 Stories For Cycle B. Jo writes original curriculum for church classes. She also serves as the secretary of the Wisconsin chapter of the Christian Educators Fellowship (CEF), and is a member of the National CEF.
Jo and John have been married since 1975. They have two grown children, Kathryn and Orrin. They both love reading, movies, long walks with Chloe (their West Highland Terrier), and working on their old farmhouse in southwest Wisconsin.
**********************************************
StoryShare, July 10, 2005, issue.
Copyright 2005 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., P.O. Box 4503, Lima, Ohio 45802-4503.
