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Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C

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Emphasis Preaching Journal

There are many commendable characteristics... -- Luke 7:1-10 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
There are many commendable characteristics of the Centurion, but one of the greatest was his trust i
In the mid-1800s, an... -- 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
In the mid-1800s, an African-American slave took this scripture seriously and in narratives of his e
According to an old... -- 1 Samuel 16:14-23 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
According to an old rabbinical legend, the harp of David hung over his couch.
Here is the classic... -- 1 Samuel 16:14-23 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Here is the classic case of, “Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast.” (Notice, not
Preparing for ordination was... -- 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Preparing for ordination was a very crucial experience for me.
What a loving and gracious... -- Luke 7:1-10 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
What a loving and gracious Lord we have in Jesus Christ! He truly seeks to minister to our needs.
Visiting on the beach one... -- 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Visiting on the beach one afternoon, I observed with some interest two children who were totally abs
Working with ceramics has become... -- 1 Corinthians 15:51-58 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Working with ceramics has become a fascinating hobby for many people.
Long before the time... -- 1 Samuel 16:14-23 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Long before the time of Christ, the great philosopher Plato knew the spiritual powers of music
The sixteenth century artist Paolo... -- Luke 7:1-10 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
The sixteenth century artist Paolo Veronese has his painting of "Christ and the Centurion" hanging i
In his Telling the Truth... -- Galatians 1:1-10 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
In his Telling the Truth, Frederick Buechner describes the preacher's routine ascent to his p
The Reverend Joe Keiller... -- Deuteronomy 5:12-15 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
The Reverend Joe Keiller was a good, hard-working minister.
When I was in Israel... -- Luke 9:11-17 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
When I was in Israel, I visited the Church of the Multiplication, which was built in the third centu
Grudgingly we have to acknowledge... -- Galatians 1:1-10 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Grudgingly we have to acknowledge Sun Myung Moon's success with young people.
It seems like centuries... -- Deuteronomy 5:12-15 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
It seems like centuries ago; but it was really only three or four decades back that my father
Jesus feeds the hungry. This... -- Luke 9:11-17 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Jesus feeds the hungry.
Hear for a moment what... -- Galatians 1:1-10 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Hear for a moment what can only be described as pure fantasy.
In the Catholic Church... -- Deuteronomy 5:12-15 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
In the Catholic Church is a ritual called litany of the hours.
Paul admonishes the Galatians for... -- Galatians 1:1-10 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Paul admonishes the Galatians for not remaining faithful to the true Gospel.
Clovis Chappell tells about the... -- Luke 6:39-49 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Clovis Chappell tells about the cranky old Scotch minister who one day stopped to get his shoes shin
It is interesting and... -- Deuteronomy 5:12-15 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
It is interesting and important to notice that, according to the Jewish tradition, the day beg
Paul Pruyzer of the Menninger... -- Galatians 1:1-10 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
Paul Pruyzer of the Menninger Foundation made a telling observation in a talk to the clergy of Topek
Can a blind man lead... -- Luke 6:39-49 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
"Can a blind man lead a blind man?" Jesus asked. I guess they really can, if they take turns.
The amusing story is... -- Exodus 24:3-8 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
The amusing story is often told of a mother who returned from her shopping to find her childre
A popular way to spread... -- Galatians 1:1-10 -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - C
A popular way to spread the Good News is to use helium-filled balloons with a Bible passage tucked i

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Easter 4
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New & Featured This Week

Emphasis Preaching Journal

David Kalas
In the sometimes-tiresome debate over science and scripture with respect to creation, it’s easy to become distracted. While the argument typically requires a focus on the how, we may lose sight of the what. And so, for just a moment, let me invite us to think for a moment about what God created.
Mark Ellingsen
Frank Ramirez
Bonnie Bates
Bill Thomas
Acts 8:26-40
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?

StoryShare

Peter Andrew Smith
“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.”

“We just needed to give the branches time to heal and come back,” Michael replied.

 “I know, but so many of them were battered and broken I figured that it couldn’t recover. Now though it looks just like it did before the storm.” Rolf paused. “Do you think it will bear any fruit this summer?”

CSSPlus

John Jamison
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.

* * *

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

The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Mary Austin
Elena Delhagen
Dean Feldmeyer
Quantisha Mason-Doll
For April 28, 2024:
  • On The Way To Gaza by Chris Keating based on Acts 8:26-40. On the way to Gaza, Philip discovers the startling ways the Spirit of God moves across borders, boundaries, customs, and traditions.
  • Second Thoughts: Abiding by Katy Stenta based on John 15:1-8.
  • Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Tom Willadsen, Elena Delhagen, Dean Feldmeyer.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

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

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes our branches become cut off from the vine.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes our branches are withered.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we fail to produce good fruit.
Lord, have mercy.

SermonStudio

Stan Purdum
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.

John S. Smylie
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.
Ron Lavin
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."

Paul E. Robinson
"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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