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Prayer: A Way Of Life

Sermon
Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - B
James 5:13-20
Richard E. Gribble, CSC
Sermons on the Second Readings
Series II, Cycle B
Once there was a monastery in the woods that had fallen upon hard times. In the past it had been a thriving community that was well known and respected throughout the region, but over the last generation the monks had died one by one and there were no new vocations to replace them. Besides this, the monks did not seem to be as friendly to each other. Something just wasn't right. The Father Abbot was quite concerned about the future of his monastery, now consisting of himself and three brothers and, thus, he sought counsel from the local rabbi who was known to be a great sage.

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The Immediate Word

Christopher Keating
Mary Austin
George Reed
Dean Feldmeyer
Bethany Peerbolte
Thomas Willadsen
Few things are more illustrative than a juicy, tightly phrased nugget of hyperbole or literary exaggeration. From Monty Python to Cicero, literature is filled with these leg-pulling and eye rolling tidbits. To wit:

“You were lucky. We lived for three months in a brown paper bag in a septic tank. We used to have to get up at six o’clock in the morning, clean the bag, eat a crust of stale bread, go to work down at the mill for 14 hours a day and when we got home, our Dad would thrash us to sleep with his belt!​” (Monty Python).

“Busier than a pig on ice.”

StoryShare

C. David Mckirachan
Frank Ramirez
Contents
“Hoisted On Their Own Petard” by C. David McKirachan
“Who’s Responsible?” by C. David McKirachan
“Good for What?” by Frank Ramirez


Hoisted On Their Own Petard
by C. David McKirachan
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22

CSSPlus

Arley K. Fadness
“Salt is good; (v. 50a)

Good morning boys and girls,

How are you this morning? Are you feeling sunny or cloudy? Stormy or balmy? Using weather talk how would you describe yourself. For me, I'm feeling _____________.

I have a question.

And I have some surprising good news. Are you ready? (children respond) The question is: have you ever eaten food without salt? Did you ever eat french fries without salt? Have you ever eaten potato chips without salt? Without salt food can be tasteless and unappetizing.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Bonnie Bates
Bob Ove
Bill Thomas
Frank Ramirez
Ron Love
Mark Ellingsen
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
The 14th Day of Adar, the feast of Purim, commemorates a time when the Jewish people were saved during the Persian Empire. Tribal genocide was proposed by Haman; his desire was to annihilate the whole nation of Israel. Esther, you will remember, was encouraged by Mordecai to stand up for her people with the king of Persia. Risking her life, Esther goes before the king and advocates for justice.

Frank Ramirez
Esther is not just the winner of a beauty contest. She, like us, has the potential to rise to the unexpected occasion! She turns out to be greater than we, and she, thought she was.

According to the most practical book of the New Testament, the letter of James, prayer is more than simply the channel for our hopes. Prayer is the practical avenue  for getting things done with God, and should be treated seriously. Prayer is more than you think.

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
The chairman of our local district council has just been ordained. For the first year he will be a deacon, then in a year's time should be ordained priest in accordance with Church of England tradition. In an article in the local paper he said, "One woman told me that she got a lot from my sermons and prayers because she felt like she was leaning on a garden gate talking to God."

That seems to me to be such a good description of prayer, to be leaning on a garden gate talking to God. It conjures up a feeling

SermonStudio

Steven E. Albertin
Several years ago at my previous congregation I remember a discussion I had with the church council. It was very revealing of the kind of distorted vision of ministry that is very much afoot in the church these days.

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