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John E. Sumwalt

John E. Sumwalt is the lead pastor of Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church in suburban Milwaukee and the author of nine books, to be released by CSS in 2007. John and his wife, Jo Perry-Sumwalt, served for three years as co-editors of StoryShare. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary (UDTS), Sumwalt received the Herbert Manning Jr. award for parish ministry from UDTS in 1997.
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In The Midst Of An Attack, A Transformation -- Luke 18:1-8 -- John E. Sumwalt, Connie Hays Coddington -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - C -- 2003
The telephone rang in my motel room in El Salvador.
A Call To Ministry -- Acts 11:1-8 -- John E. Sumwalt, Nancy Nichols -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2003
I joined the church when I was in junior high school.
You Don't Depend On People -- Psalm 65 -- John E. Sumwalt, Larry Winebrenner -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - C -- 2003
Names and places in the following account have been changed to protect the guilty.
God's Prodding Fork -- Acts 16:9-15 -- John E. Sumwalt, Kay Boone Stewart -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - C -- 2003
A silver dining fork hangs against dark blue, crushed velvet in an antique, gold box frame in my off
Dreams -- Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 -- John E. Sumwalt, Gail C. Ingle -- Proper 24 | Ordinary Time 29 - C -- 2003
Several times in my life I have had precognitive dreams.
Seeing The Light -- Isaiah 60:1-6 -- John E. Sumwalt -- Epiphany of the Lord - C -- 2003
Much of my Christian experience has come through the "School of Hard Knocks," better known as prison
Feeling God's Peace -- Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 -- John E. Sumwalt, Penny Mccanles -- Proper 25 | Ordinary Time 30 - C -- 2003
I have a place I think of when I meditate.
The Call Of God -- Luke 4:14-21 -- John E. Sumwalt, Roy H. Nelson -- Epiphany 3 | Ordinary Time 3 - C -- 2003
I had been struggling with the call to the ordained ministry for several years.
A Narrow Escape -- Isaiah 12 -- John E. Sumwalt, Jo Perry-Sumwalt -- Proper 26 | Ordinary Time 31 - C -- 2003
I was savoring one of those rare winter weekends when I am able to get away, on my own, to our littl
How Can I Do This? -- Jeremiah 1:4-10 -- John E. Sumwalt, Kai M. Mcclinton -- Epiphany 4 | Ordinary Time 4 - C -- 2003
In 1995, at the age of 25, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
A Prayer For Help -- Psalm 5:1-8 -- John E. Sumwalt, Patricia C. Joyce -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C -- 2003
On May 3, 2002, I was engaged to narrate the historical Williamsburg tour.
I Saw The Lord -- Isaiah 6:1-8, 9-13 -- John E. Sumwalt, Bill Penaz -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - C -- 2003
In 1965, I attended a Lenten worship service at my church.
An Offer Of Comfort -- Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20 -- John E. Sumwalt, Lori Hetzel -- Proper 6 | Ordinary Time 11 - C -- 2003
Not more than two months after my mother passed away, and I had my vision, I went to the grave of my
God Stories -- 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50 -- John E. Sumwalt, Judy Snyder Stout -- Epiphany 7 | Ordinary Time 7 - C -- 2003
My father was my life, and in 1989 he and Mom came to live with me, literally to die.
Healing -- Psalm 30 -- John E. Sumwalt, Robert Murdock -- Proper 7 | Ordinary Time 12 - C -- 2003
In the fall of 1999, I went into the hospital, supposedly for just a couple of days, only to find ou
The Silver Wolf -- Colossians 1:1-14 -- John E. Sumwalt -- Proper 8 | Ordinary Time 13 - C -- 2003
It was June 16, 1998.
Is It Possible To Forgive After Murder? -- Luke 23:32-49 -- John E. Sumwalt, Aba Gayle -- Good Friday - C -- 2003
The first time I walked into the visiting room for death row inmates at San Quentin State Prison was
The Presence Of Angels -- Genesis 18:1-10a -- John E. Sumwalt, Jeanne Jones -- Proper 9 | Ordinary Time 14 - C -- 2003
Several years ago, before we moved to Wisconsin, I was an honorary nanny for our pastor's son, Jonat
Angel, You Are -- Psalm 91 -- John E. Sumwalt, Kerri Sherwood -- First Sunday in Lent - C -- 2003
It's not that I ever feel that my brother is far away.
Have No Anxiety -- Philippians 4:4-9 -- John E. Sumwalt, Marjorie K. Evans -- Thanksgiving Day - C -- 2003
Many years ago, when my little son, David, was 28 months old and my baby, Charles, was three months
Deliverance -- Psalm 27 -- John E. Sumwalt, Laura Hoff -- Second Sunday in Lent - C -- 2003
There was a time when my husband and I were very poor.
A Vision Of Light -- 2 Corinthians 3:12--4:2, Luke 9:28-36 -- John E. Sumwalt, Mary Downing -- Transfiguration Sunday - C -- 2003
It was a summer evening in the year 2000 when four of us, friends through church for more than twent
Sound Grace -- Psalm 63:1-8 -- John E. Sumwalt, Lucinda Alwa -- Third Sunday in Lent - C -- 2003
Twenty-four years ago, my younger sister Charlotte died.
When The Spirit Of Truth Comes -- John 16:12-15 -- John E. Sumwalt, Elaine Scrivens -- Trinity Sunday | 1st Sunday after Pentecost - C -- 2003
I am a wife and mother of three boys.
A New Creation -- 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 -- John E. Sumwalt, Debi Lyerly Lawson -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - C -- 2003
I cannot remember a time when God wasn't the source of all that I am.
UPCOMING WEEKS
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Easter 4
28 – Sermons
160+ – Illustrations / Stories
33 – Children's Sermons / Resources
23 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 5
33 – Sermons
140+ – Illustrations / Stories
34 – Children's Sermons / Resources
30 – Worship Resources
35 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Easter 6
30 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
32 – Children's Sermons / Resources
23 – Worship Resources
31 – Commentary / Exegesis
5 – Pastor's Devotions
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As a local church pastor, I was often asked if I would baptize a child whose family were not members of the church. Some churches rebelled against this, but I remember this scripture — the hunger for understanding and inclusion of the Eunuch and Philp’s response — to teach and share and baptize in the name of our God. How could we turn anyone away from the rite of baptism?

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“Dad, I think you worked a miracle.” Rolf slowly walked around the tree. “After that windstorm, I assumed this tree was as good as gone.”

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Object: A live plant that produces fruit, and a broken branch from that plant. I used a tomato plant from a local greenhouse. Ideally, find a plant with blossoms or small fruit already growing. If you use a different kind of fruit-producing plant, just change the script to fit.

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Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent!

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Jesus is the vine, we are the branches. In our service today, let us absorb from the vine all the nourishment we need.

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We will meet Psalm 22 in its entirety on Good Friday, but here the lectionary designates just verses 23-31. The lectionary psalms generally illuminate the week's First Lesson, which in this case is about the covenant initiated by God with Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 17. The nine verses from this psalm, while not inappropriate, nonetheless leave us looking for an obvious connection with the First Lesson.

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I think some people are natural-born gardeners. Our Lord grew up in a society that was familiar with agriculture. The images that he used to explain the ways of his Father in heaven are familiar to his audience. Growing up, my closest experience to agriculture was living in, "the Garden State." Most people, when they pass through New Jersey, are surprised to see that expression on the license plates of vehicles registered in New Jersey. Most folks traveling through New Jersey experience the megalopolis, the corridor between New York City and Washington DC.
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A pastor in Indiana went to visit an 87-year-old man named Ermil, who was a hospital patient. A member of his church told the pastor about this old man who was an acquaintance. "He's not a believer, but he is really in need," the church member said. "I met him at the county home for the elderly. He's a lonely old man with no family and no money."

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"Love is a many splendored thing...." Or so we heard Don Cornwall and the Four Aces sing time and again. Of course you or I might have other words to describe love, depending on our situation.

Love. "I love you." "I love to play golf." "I just love pistachio lush!" "It's tough to love some people." "Jesus loves me, this I know."

Love.

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