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Atonement -- 1 Samuel 1:4-20, Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25, Mark 13:1-8, Psalm 113 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - B
Contents A Story to Live By: "Atonement"
Faithfulness -- Psalm 24:3-4a -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - B
ContentsA Story to Live By: "Faithfulness"
Reason To Doubt -- Acts 2:14a, 22-32, 1 Peter 1:3-9, John 20:19-31, Psalm 16 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Second Sunday of Easter - A
Contents What's Up This Week A Story to Live By: "Reason to Doubt"
God's Filling Me -- Isaiah 63:7-9, Hebrews 2:10-18, Matthew 2:13-23, Psalm 148 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- First Sunday after Christmas Day - A
StoryShare Edited by John Sumwalt and Jo Perry-Sumwalt
To Bind Up The Brokenhearted -- Isaiah 61:1-3b -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Third Sunday of Advent - B
Sharing Visions: "To Bind Up the Brokenhearted" by Roy Nelson
Like Sheep With A Shepherd -- Mark 6:34 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - B
ContentsA Story to Live By: "Like Sheep with a Shepherd"
With Advocates Like This... -- Acts 17:22-31, John 14:15-21, 1 Peter 3:13-22, Psalm 66:8-20 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A
Contents What's Up This Week
A Mother Forced To Choose -- Isaiah 49:1-7, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, John 1:29-42, Psalm 40:1-11 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Epiphany 2 | Ordinary Time 2 - A
Contents What's Up This Week
We Shall Meet Again! -- Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12, Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Epiphany of the Lord - A
StoryShare Edited by John Sumwalt and Jo Perry-Sumwalt
What Is God Saying? -- Luke 1:28-29 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Fourth Sunday of Advent - B
Contents Sharing Visions: "What Is God Saying?" by Susan D. Jamison
A Sign Of God's Love -- Psalm 19:1, Exodus 20:12 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Third Sunday in Lent - B
ContentsSharing Visions: "A Sign of God's Love" by Marie Regine Redig, SSND
Here's Mud In Your Eye -- 1 Samuel 16:1-13, John 9:1-41, Ephesians 5:8-14, Psalm 23 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A
Contents What's Up This Week A Story to Live By: "Here's Mud in Your Eye"
Radiant At Baptism -- Isaiah 42:1-9, Acts 10:34-43, Matthew 3:13-17, Psalm 29 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- The Baptism of our Lord | Epiphany 1 | Ordinary Time 1 - A
Contents What's Up This Week A Story to Live By: "Radiant at Baptism"
Christmas Communion -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- The Nativity of our Lord - B
Contents Sharing Visions: "Christmas Communion" by John E. Sumwalt
The Real Presence Of Christ -- Acts 1:3, Acts 1:1-11, Luke 24:44-53 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - B
ContentsA Story to Live By: "The Real Presence of Christ"
Secrets -- Genesis 21:8-21, Romans 6:1b-11, Matthew 10:24-39 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - A
Contents What's Up This Week A Story to Live By: "Secrets"
Seeing Clearly -- Matthew 17:1-9, 2 Peter 1:16-21, Exodus 24:12-18, Psalm 99 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Transfiguration Sunday - A
Contents What's Up This Week A Story to Live By: "Seeing Clearly"
Good Work -- Malachi 3:1-4, Luke 1:68-79, Philippians 1:3-11, Luke 3:1-6 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Second Sunday of Advent - C
Contents StoryShare Archives A Story to Live By: "Good Work"
Whirlwind -- Acts 2:4, Acts 2:1-2 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Day of Pentecost - B
ContentsA Story to Live By: "Whirlwind"
A Time To Weep -- Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28, Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32, Genesis 45:1-15, Psalm 133 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 15 | Ordinary Time 20 - A
Contents What's Up This Week A Story to Live By: "The Sound of a Man Forgiving"
Still Learning Not To Wobble -- Matthew 4:1-11, Romans 5:12-19, Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7, Psalm 32 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- First Sunday in Lent - A
Contents What's Up This Week
Guilty! -- Zephaniah 3:14-20, Isaiah 12:2-6, Philippians 4:4-7, Luke 3:7-18 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Third Sunday of Advent - C
Contents StoryShare Archives
My Father's Voice -- John 3:8 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - B
Father's Day, June 15, 2003Edited by John Sumwalt and Jo Perry-Sumwalt
A Dishonest Painter -- Proverbs 31:10-31, Psalm 1, James 3:13--4:3, 7-8a, Mark 9:30-37 -- John E. Sumwalt And Jo Perry-sumwalt -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - B
Contents Post-9/11 Comfort
A Steady God In An Unsteady World -- John 11:32-44, Revelation 21:1-6a, Isaiah 25:6-9, Psalm 24 -- Stan Purdum, C. David Mckirachan -- All Saints Day - B
ContentsWhat's Up This Week
UPCOMING WEEKS
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Proper 21 | OT 26 | Pentecost 19
32 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
21 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
2 – Pastor's Devotions
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Proper 22 | OT 27 | Pentecost 20
31 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
30 – Commentary / Exegesis
2 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Proper 23 | OT 28 | Pentecost 21
30 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
29 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
2 – Pastor's Devotions
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Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
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New & Featured This Week

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: I had the youngest children in the group participate. When I came to the part of the story where Jesus asked the little children to come to him, I had the youngest come and sit closest to me. If you think it is possible with your group, when you ask how little children act when they receive a gift, actually ask your youngest children what they think the answer is. Do the same with the older children when you ask about how older people act.

* * *

The Immediate Word

Dean Feldmeyer
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
Christopher Keating
George Reed
Katy Stenta
For October 6, 2024:

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
I heard a sad story today about a pastor whose church essentially had to close as a result of a scandal surrounding his associate. The pastor himself knew nothing about his associate’s behavior, he was as blindsided by it as the rest of the church family was. But it led to such disruption and division in the church, that they shuttered their doors. And now, a friend told me, that innocent pastor is looking for a new ministry, but he carries with him this black mark that he doesn’t deserve.
Bill Thomas
Bonnie Bates
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Job 1:1; 2:1-10

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels.  But someone has testified somewhere, ‘What are humans that you are mindful of them or mortals that you care for them? You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor’ (vv. 5-7)

Angels are popular in American culture.

SermonStudio

Christopher Keating
Copied on the front of the bulletin were verses from Gerard Manley Hopkins’ poem, “Charged with Grandeur.” A globe was placed on a table near the front, emphasizing human’s place in the world. Video footage from NASA accompanied the sermon in order to reinforce how we are called to claim our vocation as stewards of creation. Images of an old car and glimpses of the Earth from space were also used as visuals.
Robert G. Beckstrand
Vindicate me, O LORD,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
Prove me, O LORD, and try me,
test my heart and mind.
For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in faithfulness to you.
-- Psalm 26:1-3

Theme: A pledge of, and a plea for, loyalty

Outline
1-3 -- He pleads for God to give recognition to his integrity and single-hearted devotion.
4-8 -- Evidence of this is in his past conduct and his present joy in worship.
Wesley T. Runk
Object: a clock

Mark Ellingsen
Theme of the Day
Reflections on the love of God.

Collect of the Day
Addressing the sovereign God who created us to live in loving community, petitions are raised by the faithful to be formed in faith to trust like children and so reflect Christ's image. Justification and Sanctification are again emphasized.

Psalm of the Day
Psalm 26
* A prayer for deliverance from personal enemies; a lament traditionally attributed to David.
Donna E. Schaper
We find Job on the edge of town, his money gone, his children dead, picking at his innumerable sores and scabs. In the Joni Mitchell version of his sorrow, Job speaks of how the children of the wicked frisk like deer while his are dead and gone. In her version, we are also told that Job sees the diggers waiting, leaning on their spades, at the site of his grave. Job's three friends, Eliphas, Bildad, and Zophar show up to comfort him but they do so in a way that only pours iodine on his wounds. God is just, they say, therefore, Job must have done something wrong.
John R. Brokhoff
Robert W. Stackel
When William Jennings Bryan went to the father of the young woman whom he loved to ask her hand in marriage, he remembered that the father was a strong religious believer, so he quoted a proverb of Solomon from the Bible: "He who finds a wife finds a good thing." But the father surprised him by responding with a quote from St.
William G. Carter
We have a problem today. Here we are, gathered at worship as the household of God. Through baptism we belong to a worldwide community of faith. Each time we gather, we have an opportunity to pray together and recommit ourselves to peace. Now that we are here, we have to deal with a troublesome and potentially divisive text from the Gospel of Mark. Some Pharisees put Jesus to the test by asking him what he thought about divorce. His response, in turn, has always put a peace-loving church to the test.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus said, "What God has joined together, let no one separate." In our service today, let us consider our responsibilities to the whole of creation.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, we have not always cared about our environment.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, we have not always taken our responsibilities to animals seriously.
Christ, have mercy.

Special Occasion

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