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▶Janice Scott ... The Village Shepherd

After being ordained in 1994 with the first wave of women priests, Janice became curate in a large city centre parish in Norwich and from there, moved to South Norfolk in 1999 as Rector of a rural benefice of six parishes. After completing her MA in Pastoral Theology with the Cambridge Theological Foundation in 2008 she was appointed Honorary Canon of Norwich Cathedral. Janice now lives with her husband Ian just outside Norwich. In addition to her diocesan work and writing "The Village Shepherd," she is a freelance writer for Redemptorist Publications in the UK. She has also written and broadcasts "Pause For Thought" on a local radio station and has written several novels, all with a church background.

Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A

Children's Liturgy and Story

Matthew 18:21-35

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus told his disciples that it was of the utmost importance that they learned to forgive fully and freely, but real forgiveness is not easy for human beings. In our worship today, let us consider those whom we need to forgive and our own need for forgiveness.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes other people hurt me so badly that they forfeit my forgiveness.
Lord, have mercy.

Children's Story

Matthew 18:21-35

Janice B. Scott
"Where's Ruth?" asked Jamie's mother.

Jamie scowled. "I hate Ruth," she muttered angrily.

"You do?" said Jamie's mother, surprised. About an hour ago Jamie and Ruth had been best friends. "What happened?" she added.

Jamie's eyes filled with tears. Wordlessly, she took her mother's hand and led her out into the back garden. Jamie's mum gasped with horror. There on the back lawn was Frisky, lying on his back with his little paws in air. Jamie's mum quickly bent down and gently picked up the tiny hamster. He was still warm but very stiff, and Jamie's mum knew he was dead.

"What happened?" she asked again.

Intercession

Matthew 18:21-35

Janice B. Scott
Prayers usually include these concerns and may follow this sequence:

The Church of Christ

Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

The local community

Those who suffer

The communion of saints


These responses may be used:


Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

Sermon

Matthew 18:21-35

Janice B. Scott
I once knew an elderly lady who had been a churchgoer all her life, but who hadn't spoken to her only sister for the last 40 years. I can't remember what had happened between the two of them, only that this lady entirely blamed her sister for the trouble and forty years later, was still waiting for her sister to apologise. The two of them never met again, and both died with their differences unreconciled.

Sermon

Romans 14:1-12

Janice B. Scott
Originally published in 2002.

For the past year, since September 11th, peace in our world has been at best, uneasy. The United Nations, led by America, declared war on terrorism and set out to hunt down those responsible for the appalling atrocity perpetrated on Americans in New York and Washington. There were some terrifying bombing raids, much of Afghanistan was razed, and many people were killed. But it's difficult to tell whether or not that action really succeeded in its intent, for terrorists hide away in small cells in many different countries and are difficult to identify. Hence our society has tended to become increasingly suspicious of anyone from the Middle East, and to judge all Muslims as evil suicide bombers.

Sermon

Exodus 14:19-31

Janice B. Scott
Perhaps one of the harder lessons which Christians have to learn is that bad things happen to everybody. Just because we are Christians doesn't mean that our lives are always full of joy and delight and happiness. For Christians just as much as for anyone else, awful things can occur apparently out of the blue and throw our lives into turmoil.

What is The Village Shepherd?

The Village Shepherd offers sermons, bible stories, children's stories and prayers based on the Revised Common Lectionary. These inspirational sermons, stories, and prayers are sure to touch your heart, because they reflect the simple virtues and tranquil serenity that characterize Reverend Scott's English countryside pastorate. The questions "Where is God in this particular situation?" and "Where does the Gospel story cross our own human story?" are always at the heart of these meditations -- but rather than finding overt answers, instead you will be gently led to make your own connections and discover the powerful ways in which God works. Janice Scott has the unique ability to find interesting details in ordinary life that illuminate scripture, while still challenging even the most intellectual reader. And that gift is precisely what also makes her an outstanding communicator with children.

Most weeks include:

  • Sermon based on the Gospel reading
  • Sermon based on the Epistle reading
  • Sermon based on the First reading
  • Children's stories linked with the Gospel readings
  • Children's liturgy and story (a different story than mentioned above)
  • An intercessory prayer

New & Featured This Week

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Coffin
As the school year has begun and the autumn has churches back into their routines, these texts raise the question of what God has for practicing Christian faith or discipleship in the year to come. N.T. Wright has been writing volumes to suggest that the end game of the Christian life is not merely obtaining salvation or being made with God, then waiting out our years until we die and go up to heaven. The God who delivers Israel and Christians has much more for Christians to accomplish as stewards and co-creators for God’s eternal purposes.
Anger is like a volcano. Deep in many of us there is a lake of pain, pure molten hurt. From the outside no one sees it, usually. We cover it over so well. But one day the heat rises, and the dam breaks, and the cork blows, and anger erupts like an explosion. And dogs get kicked. And triggers get pulled. And wives get beaten. And missiles get launched.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
"Where's Ruth?" asked Jamie's mother.

Jamie scowled. "I hate Ruth," she muttered angrily.

"You do?" said Jamie's mother, surprised. About an hour ago Jamie and Ruth had been best friends. "What happened?" she added.

StoryShare

John E. Sumwalt
Anne Le Bas
Steve Philip
Steven Fortney
Sue D'alessio
Contents
What's Up This Week: "When the Big One Hits"
A Story to Live By: "What's God Up To?"
Sermon Starters: "In the Wake of the Storm" by John Sumwalt
"The Storm Voice and the Voice of God" by Anne Le Bas
Modern Epistle: "Dispatch from the Front" by Steve Philip
Scrap Pile: "The Tremendum of Whirlwinds" by Steven Fortney
"Response to the Poem from a Friend" by Sue D'Alessio


What's Up This Week

When the Big One Hits
Frank Ramirez
John E. Sumwalt
Contents
What's Up This Week
"The Unsecret Weapon" by Frank Ramirez
"The Unknown Churchgoers" by John Sumwalt


What's Up This Week

SermonStudio

Jerry L. Schmalenberger
Seasonal Theme
The teaching and ministry of Jesus the Christ.

Theme For The Day
Making right decisions for Christian behavior.

Old Testament Lesson
Exodus 14:19-31
Parting Of The Sea
Carlos Wilton
This alternate psalm follows immediately after this morning's Old Testament Lesson, the story of the parting of the Red Sea. It contains two ancient hymns -- known, respectively, as the Song of Moses and the Song of Miriam.

Of the two, the Song of Miriam is unquestionably the oldest. It is composed of just two lines -- lines which have been incorporated into the opening of the longer Song of Moses: "Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider he has thrown into the sea" (v. 21).
Stan Purdum
This psalm falls into four cantos. Verses 1-2 refer to Israel's foundation story and most importantly, to how God selected that nation as a dwelling place. Verses 3-4 explain that God's presence with Israel had an effect on the actual workings of nature. Verses 5-6 revel in the wonder of how the earth responded obediently to God's presence in Israel. Verses 7-8 are a summons for the rest of creation and the other nations to feel the power of God's presence as well.
Russell F. Anderson
BRIEF COMMENTARY ON THE LESSONS

Lesson 1: Exodus 14:19--31 (C)
The presence of the Lord in the pillar of fire, that normally went ahead of the people to lead them, moved to the rear of the community as an obscuring cloud, a kind of buffer between them and the army of the Pharaoh. The Lord caused a strong wind to dry up a pathway through the sea so that the Hebrews passed to the other side. The pursuing Egyptians became mired in the mud and the waters closed in upon them. Thus, the Lord delivered his people from their enemies.
Larry Lange
Once upon a time, in a garage in the ancient city of Rome, a man developed a computer operating system that became the digital lingua franca for the ancient world. How his operating system defeated its competitor is one of the great mysteries of all time. There must have been something about its ugly, utilitarian appearance and its proclivity toward redundancy that appealed to the brutal bureaucrats who established the Roman Empire.
Tempe Fussell
Curtis Fussell
I suppose when we hear this passage about the parting of the Reed Sea, many of us cannot help but recall that scene in the movie The Ten Commandments. There is Moses, played by Charlton Heston, in a flowing black robe, long hair blowing in the wind, and his arms lifted up with one hand holding the staff that God had given him. The sea suddenly heaves and parts, creating a path with rolling walls of water on either side. Then, Israel marches through on dry land, barely ahead of the pursuing Egyptian army.
William J. Carl, III
What we have in our passage is the contrast between a theology of grace and a theology of keeping score. The first is the one Jesus espouses in this text. The second is the one Peter is pushing and, by the way, the one our world has bought into for centuries.
John R. Brokhoff
In 1988 former Texas governor, John Connally, auctioned off his personal belongings ranging from saddles to paintings for $2.75 million. This was only a fraction of the almost 50 million he owed because of failure in real estate and oil holdings.
Tom M. Garrison
While I was still in seminary, I thought it would be good to go back to my roots and try to understand a little more about my past and myself. There were things that I faintly remembered from my childhood. There were, however, large chunks of the past that completely escaped my awareness. So I took a trip to Samantha, Alabama, to see my great aunt Sally Boone who was already in her seventies. I vividly remember the visit. The day as I remember it was hot; she had opened all the doors and windows to let in a little breeze.
Stan Purdum
French author Victor Hugo has a short story titled, "93." In the midst of this tale a ship at sea is caught in a terrific storm. Buffeted by the waves, the boat rocks to and fro, when suddenly the crew hears an awesome crashing sound below deck. They know what it is. A cannon they are carrying has broken loose and is smashing into the ship's sides with every list of the ship. Two brave sailors, at the risk of their lives, manage to go below and fasten it again, for they know that the heavy cannon on the inside of their ship is more dangerous to them than the storm on the outside.

CSSPlus

Good morning! Did anyone feel this week like someone else was present even though you couldn't see or hear him? If you did, it was me. I thought and prayed about all of you this week, and I tried to tell each one of you how much I love you. When praying, I tried to picture you in my mind. I pictured Sally with her long hair and Mike with his big muscles. (give more examples) You seemed so real when I was praying that I thought maybe you knew I was right there with you.
Good morning, boys and girls. Here we are to celebrate another great Sunday. I am so happy you are here that I asked the organist to play something special just for you. (have the organist play a short fanfare) Wow! Now do you believe how happy I am to see you? Sunday is a very special day for all of us.

Special Occasion

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