From charles.wohlers at verizon.net  Sun Nov  1 22:51:35 2009
From: charles.wohlers at verizon.net (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:51:35 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the TWENTY_THIRD SUNDAY after PENTECOST
Message-ID: <00A2B68240C147489DA9D192E58E482C@cranmer>

The following are the readings for the Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost, 
November 12, (Proper 27, ECUSA; Proper 32, Roman Catholic) according to the 
Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Church of England, 
and Canadian (BAS) Lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised 
Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, 
Canadian (but not the C of E) lectionaries are identical to the RCL this 
Sunday.



OLD TESTAMENT   Ruth 31 - 5, 4 13 - 17   (RCL)

Ruth 31 (NRSV) Na'omi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, I need to 
seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. 2 Now here is 
our kinsman Bo'az, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is 
winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Now wash and anoint 
yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor; 
but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and 
drinking. 4 When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and 
uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do." 5 She said 
to her, "All that you tell me I will do."

13 So Bo'az took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the 
LORD made her conceive, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to 
Na'omi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without 
next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a 
restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law 
who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him." 16 Then 
Na'omi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. 17 
The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born 
to Na'omi." They named him O'bed; he became the father of Jesse, the father 
of David.


1 Kings 17: 8 - 16   (alt. for RCL)
1 Kings 17: 10 - 16   (Roman Catholic)

1Kin 178 (NRSV) Then the word of the LORD came to him [Elijah], saying, 9 
"Go now to Zar'ephath, which belongs to Si'don, and live there; for I have 
commanded a widow there to feed you." 10 So he set out and went to 
Zar'ephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there 
gathering sticks; he called to her and said, "Bring me a little water in a 
vessel, so that I may drink." 11 As she was going to bring it, he called to 
her and said, "Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." 12 But she said, 
"As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in 
a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so 
that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, 
and die." 13 Eli'jah said to her, "Do not be afraid; go and do as you have 
said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and 
afterwards make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the 
LORD the God of Israel The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of 
oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth." 15 
She went and did as Eli'jah said, so that she as well as he and her 
household ate for many days. 16 The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did 
the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by 
Eli'jah.


Jonah 3: 1 - 5, 10   (C of E)

Jona 3:1 (NRSV) The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2 
"Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that 
I tell you." 3 So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word 
of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days' walk 
across. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's walk. And he cried 
out, "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" 5 And the people of 
Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, 
put on sackcloth.

10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God 
changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon 
them; and he did not do it.


PSALM 127   (RCL)

Psal 1271 (NRSV) Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD guards the city,
the guard keeps watch in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives sleep to his beloved.
3 Sons are indeed a heritage from the LORD,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the sons of one's youth.
5 Happy is the man who has
his quiver full of them.
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.


Psalm 146: 7 - 10   (Roman Catholic)
Psalm 146 (alt. for RCL)

Psal 1461 (NRSV) Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
3 Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;
8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The LORD will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the LORD!


Psalm 62: 5 - 12   (C of E)

Psal 62:5 (NRSV) For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. [Selah]
9 Those of low estate are but a breath,
those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
10 Put no confidence in extortion,
and set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
11 Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God, 12 and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
For you repay to all
according to their work.


NEW TESTAMENT   Hebrews 9 24 - 28

Hebr 924 (NRSV) For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a 
mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear 
in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself again 
and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with 
blood that is not his own; 26 for then he would have had to suffer again and 
again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once 
for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 
And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the 
judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, 
will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are 
eagerly waiting for him.


GOSPEL   Mark 12: 38 - 44   (RCL)
                    Mark 12: (38 - 40) 41 - 44   (Roman Catholic)

Mark 1238 (NRSV) As he taught, he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to 
walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the 
marketplaces, 39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of 
honor at banquets! 40 They devour widows' houses and for the sake of 
appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."
41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money 
into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 A poor widow came 
and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43 Then he 
called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow 
has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44 For 
all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her 
poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."


Mark 1: 14 - 20   (C of E)

Mark 1:14 (NRSV) Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, 
proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and 
the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."
16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother 
Andrew casting a net into the sea-for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said 
to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." 18 And immediately 
they left their nets and followed him. 19 As he went a little farther, he 
saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat 
mending the nets. 20 Immediately he called them; and they left their father 
Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.


Chad Wohlers
Woodbury, Vermont &
East Bridgewater, Mass.   USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu




From robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com  Sat Nov  7 00:01:15 2009
From: robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com (Robert P Morrison)
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 21:01:15 -0800
Subject: [Propertalk] Proper 27 b rcl
Message-ID: <1396564591.1257570075810.JavaMail.root@mp10>

Here's what is staring at the editor, etc, this evening and tomorrow.

May you have joy in Jesus humourous company!

Bob



--
Robert P. Morrison
The Episcopal Parish of St James,
PO Box 789
Lincoln City, Oregon, 97367

541-994-2426 (Church)




From robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com  Sat Nov  7 00:01:34 2009
From: robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com (Robert P Morrison)
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 21:01:34 -0800
Subject: [Propertalk] Proper 27 b rcl
Message-ID: <12989637.1257570094345.JavaMail.root@mp10>

Here's what is staring at the editor, etc, this evening and tomorrow.

May you have joy in Jesus humourous company!

Bob
THE EPISCOPAL PARISH OF ST. JAMES, LINCOLN CITY          PROPER 27 B RCL
RUTH 3:1-5; 4:13-17                      	    8th NOVEMBER, 2009
HEBREWS 9:24-28	                         PSALM 127
MARK 12:38-44				

	The lessons this morning contain several things that can be glossed over, perhaps because of our pre-wired brain patterns, or perhaps because we simply don?t think about the details. When I stopped to go over these details, though, the first thing that struck me was the way that Jesus and the disciples were standing at such a place that they could actually see exactly how much everyone was putting in the offering plate.
	Imagine if the ushers this morning ? should I ask them to do it? ? imagine if the ushers stopped at each pew and called out, ?Jane Doe: $20. John Smith: $14 and some change.?
	I can?t speak for you, but that would make me INCREDIBLY uncomfortable. Nevertheless, maybe from the sound of those small coins everyone could tell what the woman in the story gave to God?s ministry through the Temple treasury. And possibly from her dress, never mind her standing in the community, everyone could tell what sort of a gift it was that she made. She gave everything she had because she trusted ? trusted in two things. First, she trusted absolutely in God. God, for centuries, had said that every need would be met. This formed the backbone of Judaism, the backbone of the faith we profess today. God CAN be trusted. No matter how desperate, how difficult, how frightened, how depressed we may be, God CAN be trusted.
	Remember the second chapter of last week?s sermon? The pain and the loneliness brought on by the death of Elizabeth Kaeton?s daughter caught up with her and paralysed her, until she decided she HAD to get to Mass, somewhere, anywhere, even if she wouldn?t be able to take Communion. And, behold, she WAS given what she called the Mysterium Grandum. In her emptiness, her heart, her soul and her body were filled through the Presence of God, as Fr.  Ed Hines pressed the broken Body of Jesus into her open hand.
	In so many ways that we may not even recognise the gifts, God DOES provide.
	Second, the woman to whom Jesus drew the disciples? attention trusted absolutely in her community.
	Nothing was said about it, not directly anyway, but that woman placed herself not only in God?s hands, but in the hands of everyone in her worship group. Yes, it WAS the law of God. Absolutely no one, regardless of who or what they were, absolutely no one was to go unfed and unsheltered. And anyone who abused another in any way was to be condemned instantly. Anyone who took advantage of the crisis in another?s life, the accident that produced pain, or illness, or hardship of any kind, anyone who ignored distress or, worse yet, who increased it somehow, that person was to be corrected right away.
	Life is sacred. It?s a gift from God. Therefore it?s to be cherished everywhere, among everyone, by everyone.
	THAT?S why that woman put all she had into the offering plate. It was remarkably simple, actually. Everything would be covered ? IF things were done right.
	It?s the same story from the reading from the book of Ruth. Naomi and her daughter-in-law came back home after the men in the family died, and managed to make ends meet, panhandling ? well, not quite. They were able to keep alive and reasonably healthy because of that same law of Judaism which said that you couldn?t hog the crop. It HAD to be shared.
	But Naomi kept thinking of her foreign-born daughter-in-law, and cooked up an arranged marriage so that Ruth would be cared for for the rest of her life. All based on the laws of hospitality and compassion.
	Again, whatever you and I may think of Naomi?s methods, she was looking out for the other person so that Ruth wouldn?t have to worry.
	So how does this play out right here and now? How do we feel about trust? WHOM do we trust? 
	Last week I quoted from the book we?re discussing on Wednesday mornings. 1 The author, Tracy Kidder, talks about Dr. Paul Framer?s first sight of Cange, in the central Plateau of Haiti. There were ?clouds of grayish dust ? dust in (Farmer?s) hair, dust up his nose, dust adhering to his sweaty skin ? an utterly changed landscape, with scarcely any trees, colored in shades of brown and white, a landscape he would remember as ?amazingly, biblically, dry and barren.? 
	?Most of the dwellings were crude wooden lean-tos with dirt floors ? (with) roofs made of banana-bark thatch ?. Most of the adults he saw and talked to were clearly dejected. It was as if, he thought, the people who had built these miserable lean-tos weren?t convinced that they?d ever live in anything better., indeed expected things to get worse. ? Haiti had already redefined poverty for (Farmer). Cange redefined it again.? 2
	What on earth does ?trust? look like in that sort of a setting? In whom or in what does one expect to find the slightest hint of hope on to which trust can be built?
	Yet even in the midst of the most abject poverty, there IS something on which to build life, and trust, and hope. And it comes from what may sound like the least likely source. Farmer found the native Haitians living out liberation theology, which he defined as ?A powerful rebuke to the hiding away of poverty.? In the midst of their apparent misery the peasants told farmer that ?Everybody else hates us, but God loves the poor more. And our cause is just.? Yet this wasn?t ?the cult of resignation? and the peasants countered the question of whether a just God could permit great misery with the proverb, ??God gives but doesn?t share.? This meant, as Farmer would later explain it, ?God gives us humans everything we need to flourish, but he?s not the one who?s supposed to divvy up the loot. That charge was laid upon us.?? 3
	And that seems to place things back in Boaz? winnowing floor, and the temple precincts with Jesus, and all the businesses along Highway 101. Somehow, each of the people involved down through the past ? all the saints whose lives we brought to the forefront of our memories last week as members of the congregation read from ?A? to ?Z? ? each of our ancestors AND we ourselves have to try to summon up hope that somehow, things WILL come together. Maybe they won?t look quite as we thought they?d look, or when we thought that vision might appear, but they WILL come about. And that?s the hope to which we all have to cling, regardless of who we are, because ALL of us face challenges.
The problem for me, though, lies back in what Naomi and Ruth faced as they claimed the right to glean in Boaz? fields, and to inveigle marriage for Ruth to Boaz. They trusted that Sacred Law would be lived out, and no one would cheat another, or neglect another, or abuse another. The joyful act of that widow in the Temple Treasury was that she too believed, long before Social Security was a gleam in anyone?s mind, that she could expect that she would be cared for.
Did this work? Well, according to the story, after a long and arduous journey, Ruth and Naomi were cared for. And as far as the widow was concerned, we don?t know. But here?s the down side. So often, far TOO often in the estimation of Jesus, the widows, the orphans, the physically differentiated were NOT cared for.
It?s been said, in our own day, ?that societies are judged by the way that they treat their very old and their very young.? 4 You might say the same about economic distinctions also, and social ones, and ethnic ones, and sexual ones. In fact, NONE of this should matter one bit. What SHOULD matter is that every single human being should be able to devote her or his entire energy to giving everything for the work of enriching God?s reign right before our very eyes, without having to worry about having a home, or food, or medication ? or, for that matter, friends.
The scary part is that this says nothing at all about wisdom, or courage, or any of the other categories we might name as a ?virtue?. We ALL have the right to make mistakes, and to follow our own dreams in developing the gifts with which God has blessed us.
No one here has the right to prevent us from opening another latt? establishment, or art gallery, or whatever in Lincoln City. We must all decide for ourselves where to put our resources and talents. But ? and I see this as a huge proviso ? but we must ALL take responsibility for one another, no matter who we are or what we?ve done. And if we DON?T take care of the widows, who?ve given their all to the burnishing of part of God?s creation, if we allow people to get physically ill, or mentally ill, or spiritually ill, because we don?t say, ?I?m going to be here to help you, no matter what?; if we DON?T understand that God gives us the rules, but doesn?t ever force us to follow them; if we don?t understand that our society right here in Lincoln City, and in this congregation, will be defined by how we divvy up the resources; if we DON?T understand this, then we fail to see what is a major part of the message of Jesus. 
	This past week I came across an interesting article based on a programme on the Discovery Channel on TV. Researchers have discovered that ?It takes wolves a year or two to learn how to hunt, but their ferociousness doesn't last long.
	?According to a new study, most wolves lose their prowess by age 3, just halfway through their lives. After that, they have to rely on younger members of the pack to catch the majority of their meals.? 5
	They live in a society in which each assumes responsibility to care for the other. Maybe we can learn to find hope in this for ourselves ? setting aside the ferociousness, of course, unless it describes the way in which we assume an absolute trust in God and an absolute commitment to one another.
The sad thing is that it seems that even in the beginnings of reconstruction after the darkest places of the recession, the sad thing is that we can see glimpses that show the way that we?re allowing the old systems of greed, and deceit, and cheating, and general immorality to creep in once again. To our condemnation, we?re allowing these to be the standards by which reconstruction, and assurance, and hope are gauged. And, in God?s name, we simply CANNOT, we simply MUST not allow that to happen. Naomi, and Ruth, and the nameless, incredibly generous and brave widow, are all crying out to us to centre our lives on trust. And their prayer continues that religious institutions and places of worship not only commit themselves to living without fear, but offer some sort of concrete sign to their communities that hope and trust in God and Jesus? followers are NOT misplaced. For once, it may be fair to say that our currency hits it right on the nail: ?In God we trust.?

NOTES:
 	?Mountains beyond Mountains? by Tracy Kidder ? 2004 Random House Trade Paperback Edition. ? 2003 John Tracy Kidder. 
2	Kidder, Op. cit. Pages 76 ? 77
3	Kidder, Op. cit, Pages 78 - 79
4	Quoted, for instance in ?Gentlecare: Changing the Experience of Alzheimer?s in a positive way? by Moyra Jones. Published by Hartley & Marks, Point Roberts, Washington, and Vancouver, British Columbia. ? 1999 Moyra Jones Resources Ltd.
 5	?Middle-Aged Wolves Retire From the Hunt? by Emily Sohn, Discovery News http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/11/03/wolves-hunt.html


--
Robert P. Morrison
The Episcopal Parish of St James,
PO Box 789
Lincoln City, Oregon, 97367

541-994-2426 (Church)




From robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com  Sat Nov  7 00:01:36 2009
From: robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com (Robert P Morrison)
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 21:01:36 -0800
Subject: [Propertalk] Proper 27 b rcl
Message-ID: <1420980712.1257570096958.JavaMail.root@mp10>

Here's what is staring at the editor, etc, this evening and tomorrow.

May you have joy in Jesus humourous company!

Bob
THE EPISCOPAL PARISH OF ST. JAMES, LINCOLN CITY          PROPER 27 B RCL
RUTH 3:1-5; 4:13-17                      	    8th NOVEMBER, 2009
HEBREWS 9:24-28	                         PSALM 127
MARK 12:38-44				

	The lessons this morning contain several things that can be glossed over, perhaps because of our pre-wired brain patterns, or perhaps because we simply don?t think about the details. When I stopped to go over these details, though, the first thing that struck me was the way that Jesus and the disciples were standing at such a place that they could actually see exactly how much everyone was putting in the offering plate.
	Imagine if the ushers this morning ? should I ask them to do it? ? imagine if the ushers stopped at each pew and called out, ?Jane Doe: $20. John Smith: $14 and some change.?
	I can?t speak for you, but that would make me INCREDIBLY uncomfortable. Nevertheless, maybe from the sound of those small coins everyone could tell what the woman in the story gave to God?s ministry through the Temple treasury. And possibly from her dress, never mind her standing in the community, everyone could tell what sort of a gift it was that she made. She gave everything she had because she trusted ? trusted in two things. First, she trusted absolutely in God. God, for centuries, had said that every need would be met. This formed the backbone of Judaism, the backbone of the faith we profess today. God CAN be trusted. No matter how desperate, how difficult, how frightened, how depressed we may be, God CAN be trusted.
	Remember the second chapter of last week?s sermon? The pain and the loneliness brought on by the death of Elizabeth Kaeton?s daughter caught up with her and paralysed her, until she decided she HAD to get to Mass, somewhere, anywhere, even if she wouldn?t be able to take Communion. And, behold, she WAS given what she called the Mysterium Grandum. In her emptiness, her heart, her soul and her body were filled through the Presence of God, as Fr.  Ed Hines pressed the broken Body of Jesus into her open hand.
	In so many ways that we may not even recognise the gifts, God DOES provide.
	Second, the woman to whom Jesus drew the disciples? attention trusted absolutely in her community.
	Nothing was said about it, not directly anyway, but that woman placed herself not only in God?s hands, but in the hands of everyone in her worship group. Yes, it WAS the law of God. Absolutely no one, regardless of who or what they were, absolutely no one was to go unfed and unsheltered. And anyone who abused another in any way was to be condemned instantly. Anyone who took advantage of the crisis in another?s life, the accident that produced pain, or illness, or hardship of any kind, anyone who ignored distress or, worse yet, who increased it somehow, that person was to be corrected right away.
	Life is sacred. It?s a gift from God. Therefore it?s to be cherished everywhere, among everyone, by everyone.
	THAT?S why that woman put all she had into the offering plate. It was remarkably simple, actually. Everything would be covered ? IF things were done right.
	It?s the same story from the reading from the book of Ruth. Naomi and her daughter-in-law came back home after the men in the family died, and managed to make ends meet, panhandling ? well, not quite. They were able to keep alive and reasonably healthy because of that same law of Judaism which said that you couldn?t hog the crop. It HAD to be shared.
	But Naomi kept thinking of her foreign-born daughter-in-law, and cooked up an arranged marriage so that Ruth would be cared for for the rest of her life. All based on the laws of hospitality and compassion.
	Again, whatever you and I may think of Naomi?s methods, she was looking out for the other person so that Ruth wouldn?t have to worry.
	So how does this play out right here and now? How do we feel about trust? WHOM do we trust? 
	Last week I quoted from the book we?re discussing on Wednesday mornings. 1 The author, Tracy Kidder, talks about Dr. Paul Framer?s first sight of Cange, in the central Plateau of Haiti. There were ?clouds of grayish dust ? dust in (Farmer?s) hair, dust up his nose, dust adhering to his sweaty skin ? an utterly changed landscape, with scarcely any trees, colored in shades of brown and white, a landscape he would remember as ?amazingly, biblically, dry and barren.? 
	?Most of the dwellings were crude wooden lean-tos with dirt floors ? (with) roofs made of banana-bark thatch ?. Most of the adults he saw and talked to were clearly dejected. It was as if, he thought, the people who had built these miserable lean-tos weren?t convinced that they?d ever live in anything better., indeed expected things to get worse. ? Haiti had already redefined poverty for (Farmer). Cange redefined it again.? 2
	What on earth does ?trust? look like in that sort of a setting? In whom or in what does one expect to find the slightest hint of hope on to which trust can be built?
	Yet even in the midst of the most abject poverty, there IS something on which to build life, and trust, and hope. And it comes from what may sound like the least likely source. Farmer found the native Haitians living out liberation theology, which he defined as ?A powerful rebuke to the hiding away of poverty.? In the midst of their apparent misery the peasants told farmer that ?Everybody else hates us, but God loves the poor more. And our cause is just.? Yet this wasn?t ?the cult of resignation? and the peasants countered the question of whether a just God could permit great misery with the proverb, ??God gives but doesn?t share.? This meant, as Farmer would later explain it, ?God gives us humans everything we need to flourish, but he?s not the one who?s supposed to divvy up the loot. That charge was laid upon us.?? 3
	And that seems to place things back in Boaz? winnowing floor, and the temple precincts with Jesus, and all the businesses along Highway 101. Somehow, each of the people involved down through the past ? all the saints whose lives we brought to the forefront of our memories last week as members of the congregation read from ?A? to ?Z? ? each of our ancestors AND we ourselves have to try to summon up hope that somehow, things WILL come together. Maybe they won?t look quite as we thought they?d look, or when we thought that vision might appear, but they WILL come about. And that?s the hope to which we all have to cling, regardless of who we are, because ALL of us face challenges.
The problem for me, though, lies back in what Naomi and Ruth faced as they claimed the right to glean in Boaz? fields, and to inveigle marriage for Ruth to Boaz. They trusted that Sacred Law would be lived out, and no one would cheat another, or neglect another, or abuse another. The joyful act of that widow in the Temple Treasury was that she too believed, long before Social Security was a gleam in anyone?s mind, that she could expect that she would be cared for.
Did this work? Well, according to the story, after a long and arduous journey, Ruth and Naomi were cared for. And as far as the widow was concerned, we don?t know. But here?s the down side. So often, far TOO often in the estimation of Jesus, the widows, the orphans, the physically differentiated were NOT cared for.
It?s been said, in our own day, ?that societies are judged by the way that they treat their very old and their very young.? 4 You might say the same about economic distinctions also, and social ones, and ethnic ones, and sexual ones. In fact, NONE of this should matter one bit. What SHOULD matter is that every single human being should be able to devote her or his entire energy to giving everything for the work of enriching God?s reign right before our very eyes, without having to worry about having a home, or food, or medication ? or, for that matter, friends.
The scary part is that this says nothing at all about wisdom, or courage, or any of the other categories we might name as a ?virtue?. We ALL have the right to make mistakes, and to follow our own dreams in developing the gifts with which God has blessed us.
No one here has the right to prevent us from opening another latt? establishment, or art gallery, or whatever in Lincoln City. We must all decide for ourselves where to put our resources and talents. But ? and I see this as a huge proviso ? but we must ALL take responsibility for one another, no matter who we are or what we?ve done. And if we DON?T take care of the widows, who?ve given their all to the burnishing of part of God?s creation, if we allow people to get physically ill, or mentally ill, or spiritually ill, because we don?t say, ?I?m going to be here to help you, no matter what?; if we DON?T understand that God gives us the rules, but doesn?t ever force us to follow them; if we don?t understand that our society right here in Lincoln City, and in this congregation, will be defined by how we divvy up the resources; if we DON?T understand this, then we fail to see what is a major part of the message of Jesus. 
	This past week I came across an interesting article based on a programme on the Discovery Channel on TV. Researchers have discovered that ?It takes wolves a year or two to learn how to hunt, but their ferociousness doesn't last long.
	?According to a new study, most wolves lose their prowess by age 3, just halfway through their lives. After that, they have to rely on younger members of the pack to catch the majority of their meals.? 5
	They live in a society in which each assumes responsibility to care for the other. Maybe we can learn to find hope in this for ourselves ? setting aside the ferociousness, of course, unless it describes the way in which we assume an absolute trust in God and an absolute commitment to one another.
The sad thing is that it seems that even in the beginnings of reconstruction after the darkest places of the recession, the sad thing is that we can see glimpses that show the way that we?re allowing the old systems of greed, and deceit, and cheating, and general immorality to creep in once again. To our condemnation, we?re allowing these to be the standards by which reconstruction, and assurance, and hope are gauged. And, in God?s name, we simply CANNOT, we simply MUST not allow that to happen. Naomi, and Ruth, and the nameless, incredibly generous and brave widow, are all crying out to us to centre our lives on trust. And their prayer continues that religious institutions and places of worship not only commit themselves to living without fear, but offer some sort of concrete sign to their communities that hope and trust in God and Jesus? followers are NOT misplaced. For once, it may be fair to say that our currency hits it right on the nail: ?In God we trust.?

NOTES:
 	?Mountains beyond Mountains? by Tracy Kidder ? 2004 Random House Trade Paperback Edition. ? 2003 John Tracy Kidder. 
2	Kidder, Op. cit. Pages 76 ? 77
3	Kidder, Op. cit, Pages 78 - 79
4	Quoted, for instance in ?Gentlecare: Changing the Experience of Alzheimer?s in a positive way? by Moyra Jones. Published by Hartley & Marks, Point Roberts, Washington, and Vancouver, British Columbia. ? 1999 Moyra Jones Resources Ltd.
 5	?Middle-Aged Wolves Retire From the Hunt? by Emily Sohn, Discovery News http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/11/03/wolves-hunt.html


--
Robert P. Morrison
The Episcopal Parish of St James,
PO Box 789
Lincoln City, Oregon, 97367

541-994-2426 (Church)




From robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com  Sat Nov  7 00:05:22 2009
From: robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com (Robert P Morrison)
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 21:05:22 -0800
Subject: [Propertalk] Rats!
Message-ID: <1717643249.1257570322939.JavaMail.root@mp10>

I had no intention to send you two copies and a short, unsermonised, e-mail.

My apologies!

Bob
--
Robert P. Morrison
The Episcopal Parish of St James,
PO Box 789
Lincoln City, Oregon, 97367

541-994-2426 (Church)





From charles.wohlers at verizon.net  Sun Nov  8 21:34:48 2009
From: charles.wohlers at verizon.net (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:34:48 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST
Message-ID: <E147911327BA4164B6646522CBE1E50B@cranmer>

The following are the readings for the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost, 
November 15, (Proper 28, RCL; Proper 33, Roman Catholic) according to the 
Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Church of England, 
and Canadian (BAS) Lectionaries. Unless otherwise noted, readings for ECUSA 
are identical to the RCL for this Sunday. All readings are taken from the 
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible.



OLD TESTAMENT   1 Samuel 1: 4 - 20   (RCL)

1Sam 1:4 (NRSV) On the day when Elka'nah sacrificed, he would give portions 
to his wife Penin'nah and to all her sons and daughters; 5 but to Hannah he 
gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her 
womb. 6 Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the 
LORD had closed her womb. 7 So it went on year by year; as often as she went 
up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept 
and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elka'nah said to her, "Hannah, why do you 
weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than 
ten sons?"
9 After they had eaten and drunk at Shi'loh, Hannah rose and presented 
herself before the LORD. Now E'li the priest was sitting on the seat beside 
the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. 10 She was deeply distressed and 
prayed to the LORD, and wept bitterly. 11 She made this vow "O LORD of 
hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, 
and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, 
then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death. He 
shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his 
head."
12 As she continued praying before the LORD, E'li observed her mouth. 13 
Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not 
heard; therefore E'li thought she was drunk. 14 So E'li said to her, "How 
long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine." 15 
But Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have 
drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul 
before the LORD. 16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I 
have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time." 17 
Then E'li answered, "Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you 
have made to him." 18 And she said, "Let your servant find favor in your 
sight." Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, 
and her countenance was sad no longer.
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD; then they 
went back to their house at Ra'mah. Elka'nah knew his wife Hannah, and the 
LORD remembered her. 20 In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She 
named him Samuel, for she said, "I have asked him of the LORD."


Daniel 12: 1 - 3   (Roman Catholic, C of E, alt. for RCL)

Dani 12:1 (NRSV) "At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of 
your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has 
never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time 
your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. 2 
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to 
everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who 
are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many 
to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.


Daniel 7: 9 - 14   (Can. BAS)

Dani 7:9 (NRSV) {Judgment before the Ancient One} As I watched,
thrones were set in place,
and an Ancient One {Aram [an Ancient of Days] } took his throne,
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames,
and its wheels were burning fire.
10 A stream of fire issued
and flowed out from his presence.
A thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him.
The court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened. 11 I watched then because of the noise of the 
arrogant words that the horn was speaking. And as I watched, the beast was 
put to death, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. 
12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their 
lives were prolonged for a season and a time. 13 As I watched in the night 
visions,
I saw one like a human being {Aram [one like a son of man] }
coming with the clouds of heaven.
And he came to the Ancient One {Aram [the Ancient of Days] }
and was presented before him.
14 To him was given dominion
and glory and kingship,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not pass away,
and his kingship is one
that shall never be destroyed.


PSALM (or CANTICLE in this case)  1 Samuel 2: 1 - 10   (RCL)

1Sam 2:1 (NRSV) Hannah prayed and said,
"My heart exults in the LORD;
my strength is exalted in my God.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in my victory.
2 "There is no Holy One like the LORD,
no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so very proudly,
let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the LORD is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the feeble gird on strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry are fat with spoil.
The barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.
6 The LORD kills and brings to life;
he brings down to She'ol and raises up.
7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low, he also exalts.
8 He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's,
and on them he has set the world.
9 "He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness;
for not by might does one prevail.
10 The LORD! His adversaries shall be shattered;
the Most High will thunder in heaven.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king,
and exalt the power of his anointed."


Psalm 16   (C of E, alt. for RCL)
Psalm 16: 5, 8 - 11   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 16:1 (NRSV) Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you."
3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble,
in whom is all my delight.
4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names upon my lips.
5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
I have a goodly heritage.
7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
my body also rests secure.
10 For you do not give me up to She'ol,
or let your faithful one see the Pit.
11 You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.


PSALM 145   Exaltabo te, Deus   (Can. BAS)

8   The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, *
  slow to anger and of great kindness.

9   The Lord is loving to everyone *
  and his compassion is over all his works.

10   All your works praise you, O Lord, *
  and your faithful servants bless you.

11   They make known the glory of your kingdom *
  and speak of your power;

12   That the peoples may know of your power *
  and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13   Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; *
  your dominion endures throughout all ages.

14   The LORD is faithful in all his words *
  and merciful in all his deeds.


NEW TESTAMENT   Hebrews 10: 11 - 14 (15 - 18) 19 - 25   (RCL, C of E)
                                     Hebrews 10: 11 - 18   (Can. BAS)
                                     Hebrews 10: 11 - 14, 18   (Roman 
Catholic)

Hebr 10:11 (NRSV) And every priest stands day after day at his service, 
offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. 
12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, "he 
sat down at the right hand of God," 13 and since then has been waiting 
"until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet." 14 For by a 
single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15 
And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,
16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, says the Lord
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds,"
17 he also adds,
"I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for 
sin.
19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by 
the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us 
through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21 and since we have a 
great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with a true heart in 
full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil 
conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast to the 
confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is 
faithful. 24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good 
deeds, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but 
encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.


GOSPEL   Mark 13: 1 - 8   (RCL, C of E)

Mark 13:1 (NRSV) As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to 
him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" 2 Then 
Jesus asked him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be 
left here upon another; all will be thrown down."
3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, 
James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4 "Tell us, when will this be, 
and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be 
accomplished?" 5 Then Jesus began to say to them, "Beware that no one leads 
you astray. 6 Many will come in my name and say, "I am he!' and they will 
lead many astray. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be 
alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8 For nation 
will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be 
earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the 
beginning of the birth pangs.


Mark 13: 24 - 32   (Can. BAS, Roman Catholic)

Mark 13: 24 (NRSV) "But in those days, after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
25 and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
26 Then they will see "the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and 
glory. 27 Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the 
four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
28 "From the fig tree learn its lesson as soon as its branch becomes tender 
and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when 
you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very 
gates. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all 
these things have taken place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my 
words will not pass away.
32 "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, 
nor the Son, but only the Father.



Chad Wohlers
East Bridgewater, Mass.   USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu




From chadwohl at satucket.com  Sun Nov 15 17:44:50 2009
From: chadwohl at satucket.com (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:44:50 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the LAST SUNDAY after PENTECOST
Message-ID: <8073BCC57622441D86BFBA8C23DD88B7@ThinkpadT60CCW>

The following are the readings for the Last Sunday after Pentecost, November 22, (Proper 29, RCL; Proper 34, Roman Catholic) according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Church of England, and Canadian (BAS) Lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA and Canadian (but not the C of E) lectionaries are identical to the RCL this Sunday. 



OLD TESTAMENT  2 Samuel 23: 1 - 7   (RCL)

2Sam 23:1 (NRSV) Now these are the last words of David 
The oracle of David, son of Jesse, 
the oracle of the man whom God exalted, 
the anointed of the God of Jacob, 
the favorite of the Strong One of Israel 
2 The spirit of the LORD speaks through me, 
his word is upon my tongue. 
3 The God of Israel has spoken, 
the Rock of Israel has said to me 
One who rules over people justly, 
ruling in the fear of God, 
4 is like the light of morning, 
like the sun rising on a cloudless morning, 
gleaming from the rain on the grassy land. 
5 Is not my house like this with God? 
For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, 
ordered in all things and secure. 
Will he not cause to prosper 
all my help and my desire? 
6 But the godless are all like thorns that are thrown away; 
for they cannot be picked up with the hand; 
7 to touch them one uses an iron bar 
or the shaft of a spear. 
And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot. 


Daniel 7: 13 - 14   (Roman Catholic)
Daniel 7: 9 - 10, 13 - 14   (C of E, alt. for RCL)

Dani 7:9 (NRSV) As I watched, 
thrones were set in place, 
and an Ancient One took his throne, 
his clothing was white as snow, 
and the hair of his head like pure wool; 
his throne was fiery flames, 
and its wheels were burning fire. 
10 A stream of fire issued 
and flowed out from his presence. 
A thousand thousands served him, 
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. 
The court sat in judgment, 
and the books were opened. 

13 As I watched in the night visions, 
I saw one like a human being 
coming with the clouds of heaven. 
And he came to the Ancient One 
and was presented before him. 
14 To him was given dominion 
and glory and kingship, 
that all peoples, nations, and languages 
should serve him. 
His dominion is an everlasting dominion 
that shall not pass away, 
and his kingship is one 
that shall never be destroyed. 


Jeremiah 23: 1 - 6   (Can. BAS)

Jere 23:1 (NRSV) {Restoration after Exile} Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the LORD. 2 Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the LORD. 3 Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the LORD. 
5 {The Righteous Branch of David} The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness." 


PSALM 132: 1 - 12 (13 - 18)   (RCL)

Psal 132:1 (NRSV) O LORD, remember in David's favor 
all the hardships he endured; 
2 how he swore to the LORD 
and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, 
3 "I will not enter my house 
or get into my bed; 
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes 
or slumber to my eyelids, 
5 until I find a place for the LORD, 
a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob." 
6 We heard of it in Eph'rathah; 
we found it in the fields of Ja'ar. 
7 "Let us go to his dwelling place; 
let us worship at his footstool." 
8 Rise up, O LORD, and go to your resting place, 
you and the ark of your might. 
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, 
and let your faithful shout for joy. 
10 For your servant David's sake 
do not turn away the face of your anointed one. 
11 The LORD swore to David a sure oath 
from which he will not turn back 
"One of the sons of your body 
I will set on your throne. 
12 If your sons keep my covenant 
and my decrees that I shall teach them, 
their sons also, forevermore, 
shall sit on your throne." 
13 For the LORD has chosen Zion; 
he has desired it for his habitation 
14 "This is my resting place forever; 
here I will reside, for I have desired it. 
15 I will abundantly bless its provisions; 
I will satisfy its poor with bread. 
16 Its priests I will clothe with salvation, 
and its faithful will shout for joy. 
17 There I will cause a horn to sprout up for David; 
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one. 
18 His enemies I will clothe with disgrace, 
but on him, his crown will gleam." 

Verse numbering in your Psalter may differ from the above.


Psalm 93   (C of E, Can. BAS, alt. for RCL)
Psalm 93: 1, 2, 5   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 93:1 (NRSV) The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty; 
the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength. 
He has established the world; it shall never be moved; 
2 your throne is established from of old; 
you are from everlasting. 
3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, 
the floods have lifted up their voice; 
the floods lift up their roaring. 
4 More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, 
more majestic than the waves of the sea, 
majestic on high is the LORD! 
5 Your decrees are very sure; 
holiness befits your house, 
O LORD, forevermore. 


NEW TESTAMENT  Revelation 1: 4b - 8   (RCL, C of E)
                                    Revelation 1: 5 - 8   (Roman Catholic)

Reve 1:4 (NRSV) Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. 
To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 
7 Look! He is coming with the clouds; 
every eye will see him, 
even those who pierced him; 
and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. 
So it is to be. Amen. 
8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. 


GOSPEL   John 18: 33 - 37   (all)

John 18:33 (NRSV) Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" 34 Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?" 35 Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?" 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here." 37 Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." 

Note the Roman Catholic lectionary omits the first part of v. 33.

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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Mon Nov 16 16:07:14 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:07:14 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fw: SermonWriter: Nov. 22 (Reign of Christ B) John
	18:33-37
Message-ID: <C4B66E1D32DE467B98657986DCC4666F@YOUR264F1833C5>

The following are SermonWriter materials for Nov. 22 (Reign of Christ B).
They focus on John 18:33-37, where Pilate asks Jesus, "Are you the King of
the Jews?"


NO PASSWORD REQUIREMENT: We are posting these materials on the web with no
password.  To access those files, you MUST use the following links.  If
clicking on the link fails to work, copy the link and paste it in the
address window near the top of your browser.  Then hit the ENTER key or
click GO.

Microsoft Word file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-22iJ/John.18.33-37.doc

HTML file (web page):
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-22iJ/John.18.33-37.htm

WordPerfect file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-22iJ/John.18.33-37.wpd


A TIP: If you want the Word or WordPerfect files, LEFT-CLICK on the link and
see what happens.  That should bring up a dialog box that asks if you want
to open the file or save it.  Choose OPEN.  Then save it wherever you like
on your hard drive.

If that doesn't work, RIGHT-CLICK on the link.  You should get a sub-menu.
Hopefully, "Save Target As" will be one of the options.  Click on that.
Then save the file wherever you want on your hard drive.


<>
Dick Donovan


A THOUGHT ON PREACHING:  "I've heard a lot of sermons in the past ten years
or so that make me want to get up and walk out.  They're secular,
psychological, self-help sermons.  Friendly, but of no use.  They didn't
make you straighten up.  They didn't give you anything hard.... At some
point and in some way, a sermon has to direct people toward the death of
Christ and the campaign that God was waged over the centuries to get our
attention." Garrison Keillor


TITLE:  A Life Worth Living


SERMON IN A SENTENCE:  When you make Christ the King of your life, he won't
promise to make you rich -- but he will give you a life worth living.


SCRIPTURE:  John 18:33-37

<>
SERMON:

<>
 In the U.S., we claim not to have a king, but in fact we have lots of them:

- NBC has a show entitled Kings.
- We have a basketball team called the Sacramento Kings.
- And a hockey team called the L.A. Kings.
- There are several Kings Colleges scattered around the country.
- Seattle is located in Kings County on the west coast.
- And so is Brooklyn on the east coast.
- Brooklyn's sister county is called Queens County --or just Queens.
- One of our favorite fast food chains is known as Burger King.

<>

Louis Evans was the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Hollywood -- a
large, dynamic congregation.  One of his church members was a surgeon who
experienced a call to the mission field.  After struggling with his
decision, he resigned his practice and went to Korea to establish a medical
clinic there.  In those days, Korea was still quite a primitive place, so it
was a considerable sacrifice.

When Pastor Evans was traveling in the Far East, he stopped to visit his
surgeon friend.  He observed as the good doctor prepared to operate on a
little girl.  After three hours in the makeshift operating room, the surgeon
stepped out and announced that the little girl would be OK.

Pastor Evans asked, "How much would you have received for that operation
back in the States?"  The surgeon answered, "Oh, $500 to $750 is the going
rate, I guess."  Keep in mind that this was many years ago, when most people
would have considered $500 a good monthly wage.

Pastor Evans asked, "How much for this one?"  The surgeon answered, "Oh, a
few cents-a few cents and the smile of God."

And then he put his hand on Pastor Evans' shoulder and added, "But man, this
is living!"

When you make Christ the King of your life, he won't promise to make you
rich -- but he will give you a life worth living.  Amen.


FOR MORE SERMONS ON THIS TEXT, GO TO:

http://www.lectionary.org/SermLinks/NT/NT04_John.htm

Scroll down to John 18.  There are two sermons on this text posted there.



THOUGHT PROVOKERS:

We find the Kingdom of God with Jesus
when we enter into community with the poor,
the sick, the sorrowing, and the guilty,
recognizing them as fellow members of the Kingdom....
If we want to speak in a Christian manner
of the kingdom of God and his lordship,
then we must look to Jesus alone and not to ourselves,
to his history and not to our own.

Jurgen Moltmann, Hope for the Church

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Wherever God rules over the human heart as King,
there is the Kingdom of God established.

Paul W. Harrison

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Kings and kingdoms all pass away --
Nothing on earth endures.
But the love of God who sent His son
Is forever and ever yours.

Helen Steiner Rice, "I Do Not Go Alone"

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Greatness in the kingdom of God
is measured in terms of obedience.

John Stott in Authentic Christianity

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

To want all that God wants,
always to want it,
for all occasions and without reservations,
this is the Kingdom of God which is all within.

Francois Fenelon

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

<>
HYMN STORY:  Rejoice, the Lord is King

Charles Wesley found the inspiration to write this hymn in Paul's admonition
to the church at Philippi, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say,
Rejoice" (Philippians 4:4).

Paul was an unlikely candidate for rejoicing, because his life as a
Christian was difficult.  As he went about spreading the gospel, people did
all sorts of things to try to stop him.  They beat him.  On five occasions
he suffered the forty lashes that had the potential to kill a man.  People
stoned him and left him for dead.  He was in a shipwreck (see 2 Corinthians
11:23-28).  But he knew what Jesus had to offer people, and he felt happy
that God had chosen him to tell others about Jesus.  Paul was a joyful
Christian, and he encouraged other Christians to be joyful too.

Charles Wesley and his brother, John, were also unlikely candidates for
rejoicing.  Their lives were hard, too.  As they went about spreading the
gospel they encountered violent opposition too.  On one occasion, a mob
nearly destroyed the house where they were staying and drove their horses
into a pond.  The people whom they converted were often harassed and
persecuted.  But they found great joy in serving Christ and called other
Christians to do the same.  Charles Wesley wrote these joyful words,
"Rejoice, the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore" -- words that came out
of his joyful life.

There will be times when we, too, will be unlikely candidates for rejoicing.
Most of us at some time will experience hardships -- that's just part of
life. But we can decide whether we want to be crabby Christians or joyful
Christians -- we have that choice.  If we choose to be joyful in spite of
our problems, we will find that joy is its own blessing -- that we can be
happy in spite of difficulties.  We will also find that our joy is a
blessing to others as well, because genuine joy spreads joy.

An old Sunday school song said, "Brighten the corner where you are!"  If we
choose to be joyful Christians, we will do that -- we will brighten the
corner where we are.  Then we will not only live in the light, but we will
also find ourselves bringing light to the lives of other people as well.

NOTE:  See other hymn stories at http://www.lectionary.org/hymnstories.htm


<>
www.sermonwriter.com

www.lectionary.org





From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Mon Nov 16 16:08:50 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:08:50 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fw: SermonWriter: Nov. 22 (Reign B) 2 Sam 23 & Dan 7
Message-ID: <950A4CC40E5F4071A7061C2B00788633@YOUR264F1833C5>

The following are links to materials for the FIRST READING for Nov. 22:

2 Samuel 23:1-7 (RCL SemiContinuous Reading)
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 (RCL Paired Reading & Catholic Reading)

NO PASSWORD REQUIREMENT: We are posting these materials on the web with no 
password.
To access those files, you MUST use the following links.

IF CLICKING ON THE LINK FAILS TO WORK, copy the link and paste it in the 
address window near the top of your browser.
Then hit the ENTER key or click GO.

OR YOU CAN USE YOUR USERNAME AND PASSWORD to access the files elsewhere on 
my web site.  See below for instructions.


2 SAMUEL 23:1-7 (RCL SemiContinuous Reading)
These materials include the exegesis + link to one sermon + a hymn list:

Microsoft Word file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-22iJ/2_Sam_23.1-7.doc

HTML file (web page):
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-22iJ/2_Sam_23.1-7.htm

WordPerfect file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-22iJ/2_Sam_23.1-7.wpd



DANIEL 7:9-10, 13-14 (RCL Paired Reading & Catholic Reading)
These materials include the exegesis + link to one sermon + a hymn list:

Microsoft Word file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-22iJ/Daniel_07.9-10_13-14.doc

HTML file (web page):
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-22iJ/Daniel_07.9-10_13-14.htm

WordPerfect file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-22iJ/Daniel_07.9-10_13-14.wpd


REVELATION 1:4b-8 (RCL Epistle)
(Link to one sermon -- No exegesis)

http://www.lectionary.org/SermLinks/NT/NT27_Rev.htm


A TIP: If you want the Word or WordPerfect files, LEFT-CLICK on the link and 
see what happens.
That should bring up a dialog box that asks if you want to open the file or 
save it.
Choose OPEN.  Then save it wherever you like on your hard drive.

If that doesn't work, RIGHT-CLICK on the link.  You should get a sub-menu.
Hopefully, "Save Target As" will be one of them.  Click on that.
Then save the file wherever you want on your hard drive.


WWW.LECTIONARY.ORG

<>
Dick Donovan




From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Mon Nov 16 16:16:49 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:16:49 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] SermonWriter materials for Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving)
Message-ID: <8F516BB9BE384628892F2AAEFDCE41F0@YOUR264F1833C5>

The following are SermonWriter materials for Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving). They 
focus on Matthew 6:25-33, where Jesus says, "Do not worry about your life."

These materials consist of the exegesis of Matthew 6:25-33, links to several 
Thanksgiving sermons, and several Thought Provokers.

Dick Donovan


SCRIPTURE:  Matthew 6:25-33


<>
SERMONS:

I have several Thanksgiving sermons posted on my web site at 
www.lectionary.org.  While only one is on this text, you can find ideas for 
your sermon in the Thanksgiving sermons for other texts as well.

TO SEE THESE THANKSGIVING SERMONS, go to http://www.lectionary.org/

Then click on the "Sermons" link on the left side of the page (in the blue).

Then click on the "Special Days and Occasions" link.

Then scroll down to Thanksgiving, which will be near the end of the page.


I AM ASKING YOU TO GO THROUGH THESE STEPS to make you aware of the many 
sermons for various Special Days and Occasions that I have posted on 
www.lectionary.org.  You will probably find them helpful on some occasion in 
the future.

If you prefer, you can go directly to the one sermon on this text by 
clicking the following link:

http://www.lectionary.org/Sermons/Stray/Matt/Matt%2006.25-34,%20NotPlatitudes.htm


THOUGHT PROVOKERS:

Thank God every morning when you get up
that you have something to do that day which  must be done,
whether you like it or not.

James Russell Lowell

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

If only the people who worry about their liabilities
would think about the riches they do possess,
they would stop worrying.
Would you sell both your eyes for a million dollars.
or your two legs.or your hands.or your hearing?
Add up what you do have,
and you'll find that you won't sell them for all the gold in the world.
The best things in life are yours, if you can appreciate yourself.
That's the way to stop worrying -- and start living!

Dale Carnegie

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

We should spend as much time in thanking God for His benefits
as we do in asking Him for them.

Vincent de Paul

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

If anyone would tell you the shortest, surest way to happiness and all 
perfection,
he must tell you to make it a rule to yourself
to thank and praise God for everything that happens to you.
For it is certain that whatever seeming calamity happens to you,
if you thank and praise God for it, you turn it into a blessing.

William Law

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

The best way in which we can say, "Thank You, God,"
is to live that way in our relationship to him and to our fellow man,
to live graciously and winsomely in our everyday experience
so that this world will be a better world because we live in it.

A. Reuben Gornitzka

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *



<>

HYMN STORY:  Now Thank We All Our God

Martin Rinckart (1586-1649 A.D.) was born in Eilenburg, Germany -- a small 
city near Leipzig, which in the 20th century ended up behind the Iron 
Curtain in East Germany for several decades.

Rinckart studied for the Lutheran ministry, and was called to serve as 
pastor of the church at Eilenburg, his home town.   He arrived there just 
before the beginning of the Thirty Years War, a war that devastated Germany 
in general and Eilenburg in particular.  Being a walled city, Eilenburg 
became a place of refuge and soon became badly overcrowded, rendering it 
susceptible to disease.  The plague of 1637 decimated the town, killing 
8,000 people, including Rinckart's wife.  Rinckart often conducted forty or 
fifty funerals a day for plague victims.

It seems incongruous that a hymn like "Now Thank We All Our God" should come 
out of such circumstances.  However, Rinckart wrote the first two stanzas, 
not as a hymn for public worship, but as a table grace for his family.  At 
the end of the war, his hymn was sung to celebrate the signing of the Peace 
of Westphalia -- the treaty that ended the war.

But we would know nothing of this hymn except for the good work of Catherine 
Winkworth, an English woman who translated many German hymns into English --  
this hymn and "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" being the best known.

NOTE:  See additional hymn stories at 
http://www.lectionary.org/hymnstories.htm


<>
www.sermonwriter.com

www.lectionary.org

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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Mon Nov 16 20:56:47 2009
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (joeparrish at compuserve.com)
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:56:47 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Sermons for Thanksgiving:
Message-ID: <8CC35405B349F63-1200-1302@angweb-usm020.sysops.aol.com>


Sermons for Thanksgiving:
 
     Ephesians 5:20 ? ?In All Things Be Thankful? 
     Matthew 6:25-33 ? ?A Squirrely Holiday? by Leonard Sweet
 
Ephesians 5, the sermon titled "In All Things Be Thankful"
 
Ephesians 5: Back during the dark days of 1929, a group of ministers in the Northeast, all graduates of the Boston School of Theology, gathered to discuss how they should conduct their Thanksgiving Sunday services. Things were about as bad as they could get, with no sign of relief. The bread lines were depressingly long, the stock market had plummeted, and the term Great Depression seemed an apt description for the mood of the country. The ministers thought they should only lightly touch upon the subject Thanksgiving in deference to the human misery all about them. After all, there was to be thankful for. But it was Dr. William L. Stiger, pastor of a large congregation in the city that rallied the group. This was not the time, he suggested, to give mere passing mention to Thanksgiving, just the opposite. This was the time for the nation to get matters in perspective and thank God for blessings always present, but perhaps suppressed due to intense hardship.
 
I suggest to you the ministers struck upon something. The most intense moments of thankfulness are not found in times of plenty, but when difficulties abound. Think of the Pilgrims that first Thanksgiving. Half their number dead, men without a country, but still there was thanksgiving to God. Their gratitude was not for something but in something. It was that same sense of gratitude that lead Abraham Lincoln to formally establish the first Thanksgiving Day in the midst of national civil war, when the butcher?s list of casualties seemed to have no end and the very nation struggled for survival.
 
Perhaps in your own life, right now, intense hardship. You are experiencing your own personal Great Depression. Why should you be thankful this day? May I suggest three things?
 
1. We must learn to be thankful or we become bitter.
2. We must learn to be thankful or we will become discouraged.
3. We must learn to be thankful or we will grow arrogant and self-satisfied.
 
The rest of this sermon following the outline above can be obtained by joining www.eSermons.com.

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From robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com  Mon Nov 16 23:47:48 2009
From: robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com (Robert P Morrison)
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:47:48 -0800
Subject: [Propertalk] Last Pentecost b RCL
Message-ID: <37283668.1258433269002.JavaMail.root@mp09>

We go to our diocesan convention this Thursday and begin elections for a new bishop on Friday - prayers requested! 8 - )

The whole shindig ends on Saturday, so I got to this early, although it should be polished a bit as the week goes on.

Comments, etc, will be considered with thanks 8 - ]

Bob


THE EPISCOPAL PARISH OF ST. JAMES, LINCOLN CITY              PROPER 29 B RCL
2 SAMUEL 23:1-7          THE LAST SUNDAY OF PENTECOST ? CHRIST THE KING
REVELATION 1:4b-8	                      	 22nd NOVEMBER, 2009
JOHN 18:33-37	                        	 PSALM 32:1-19

	Lane Denson wrote, a couple of weeks ago, ?One of the reassurances in the wake and celebration for Ted Kennedy has not only been the reminders of his loss and his remarkable family and their leadership. But even more importantly as a friend of mine said, that ?he not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, but to be remembered simply as a good and decent man who saw wrong and made it right.?
	?Her insight affirms that in his absence as a lawmaker it is also the inherent rights of the poor and the marginalized built in to the very fabric of our country for which and for whom we must also grieve. There have never been as many champions of the poor as there are those who in the blindness of their bootstrap economics simply don't give a damn. Welfare is always held in disdain, save when it is the corporate welfare about which we look the other way. Take for example the millions made off fighting wars and the economic status of those who fight them and die for them. No wonder we avoid a national draft.
	?All this is only one more illustration of the irony by which we claim to be a Christian nation and all the while practice a morality inconsistent with the Gospel essential to such a claim.? 1
	There?s always a terrific tendency to exaggerate. On the one hand, the memory of a person or a situation is possessed by everything confusing, and frustrating, even evil, so that there?s no room for any sort of light in which to think of the person?s achievements. On the other hand, we may tend to be absorbed only by the things that intrigued, or enthused, or paralleled our own thinking and desires.
	So many factors can lock us in to one opinion or another. How old we are; what part of the country nurtured us; who our parents and their peers were; what was happening locally and globally. All of these can leave such an imprint that we may never even think of leaving the political party; or religious affiliation; even the geographic location of those who sheltered and socialised us. On the other hand, maybe something happened, either decades ago or within much more recent times, to make us move far from the comfort zones of our childhood and youth.
	It IS OK to change! Or not!
	Either way, it?s incumbent on us NOT simply to lean on the commonplace sayings and feelings that circulate for fact. Whatever one may think, for instance, of the late Ted Kennedy, if you and I are going to talk about him, we have to read what he wrote, and examine what he did, and then decide for ourselves. What someone else may say about him MAY be interesting, or inflammatory. But it can?t take the place of going back to the source to examine motivation, guiding principles, and the sorts of things the person did or said when she or he didn?t think anyone was looking or listening. And, really, I believe that Kennedy would be the last person to seek even minor deification for himself. If people were to seek anything to remember, he would say, look at the bills, the acts, the structures and look at the people whom these have impacted.  Let THAT be what you bring to mind.
NOT to engage in deification, but that?s precisely how Jesus is reported to have lived His life and ended His sojourn here on earth.
??King? is your word. My task is to bear witness to the truth. For this I was born; for this I came into the world,?
	If you and I had to come up with three or four succinct, descriptive phrases of and about Jesus we?d probably include something like, ?The reign of God is already in your midst?; ?unless you become like children?; ?if you did it to one of the least you did it to me?; ?God so loved the world ??.
	All of these point away from Himself. Jesus, even in the most incredible moments of healing and renewal, in the heart of pain and discomfort, Jesus never drew attention to Himself. He pointed away, first to the God who brought everything into being; and second to those who were impoverished in body, mind and spirit.
	Jesus, therefore, ought ?not (to) be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, but to be remembered ?.? How?  As someone who put others way ahead of Himself. When we say and hear the words ?Do this in remembrance of me?, not only do we see Jesus lifted high. We also see Jesus torn apart. And in both of these views we?re drawn closer to discover that the exaltation and the sundering of Jesus? Body was ? is ? for us.
	This is the King we acknowledge and worship today, as we come to the end of another year.
	Even as we celebrate Jesus? majesty, however, we?re brought face to face with the task of re-ordering our thoughts and our priorities. We?re forced to deal with our comforts and discomforts. We?re confronted with our prejudices, good and bad ? at least we?re invited to try to distinguish what is good and what is bad.
	Once again, Jesus stands the world on its head. Everything we?ve been brought up to trust, to seek, to honour, to cherish ? absolutely everything is put under the scrutiny of the majestic glass through which the true Light shines.
	Jesus talks about leadership and what God expects of a leader. Jesus talks about social life and structure, and what God expects in them. Jesus talks about pain, and suffering, and uncertainty, and about how God views them.
	In every single one of these ? and countless others besides ? Jesus demonstrates how wrong the standards of the world have been ordered. It all has to start with God and with the impoverished ? who, actually, stand together. Everything else is built upon them. Therefore, anything or anyone who?d do or say anything to bring disrespect, or discredit, or disillusion to God or the impoverished of the world is attacking the foundation upon which Truth is built.
	And note where this discussion, this revelation, takes place: in the official court hearing room of the Roman Governor, an extension of Rome itself. In the very place where order, and pomp, and legalism were centred and enforced, stood Jesus, jousting verbally with Pilate on the deadly serious subject of authority and allegiance. Jesus is trying to witness to Pilate, as much as to us, of the need for us all to become ?other-worldly?.
	We?re not talking here about forgetting what?s happening outside the doors of this building. This isn?t a call to isolationism ? something I fear we?re all guilty of doing when times get tough.  Far from it. But the ?other world? to which Jesus points when he talks about belonging, is one which encompasses all the people, all the institutions which exist yet which operates under completely different principles.
	This is right-up-to-the-minute news about individual congregation members here. It?s a direct message to the Vestry; to the Convocation; to the Diocese ? yes, the Diocese which just elected **** as Bishop of Oregon! This dialogue between Pilate and Jesus, with the ending of which we?re all fully aware, this dialogue says that it?s never supposed to be ?business as usual?.
	When money gets tight what do people do? They cut way back on their discretionary purchases. They limit the trips they take. They may stop pledges to Public Radio, or political causes ? to Churches? Yes, to their congregation also.
	Just before His death, though, Jesus engages Pilate. He talks to the person with all the power over Israel, the person representing all the power in the western world. Jesus pleads with Pilate to think about where the governor?s life and his habits and his devotion are leading him.
	The whole point of the Gospel is to be there when things are on their last legs; when people feel they have nowhere to turn; when oppression, and abuse, and callousness seem to have a stranglehold on both individuals and the societies of which they?re a part.
	When the market is high; when social security is, well, secure; when health isn?t a factor at the front of our minds; we might be forgiven for not dwelling too much on the Gospel as the Daily Word of God for us. Certainly, it?s there, and it should guide us in our dealings with other human beings. Yet it?s when we face all sorts of challenges and struggles, when people would threaten us, or dismiss us, or cause us harm ? it?s when we face heart-dropping moments of crises that we find the Gospel speaking out even stronger, and saying ? don?t allow the values and means of the world to control you.
	I thought, the other day, about whether there?s a tie-in between this Gospel moment in the Roman court and the scene at the Temple treasury. The widow gracefully gave away all she had for God?s ministry through the Temple. Jesus was about to give away, literally, all that He had for God?s ministry in bringing reconciliation and hope in the midst of despair.
	The Gospel, the Bible, isn?t a clean book. It?s a work in which God?s Spirit shows us how to cope when we?re evicted from our normal way of living and forced to live on the streets without what the world might like to refer to as the ?comforts of home?. The untidy Gospel, dealing as it does with people like us who have aches, and pains, and worries about all sorts of issues, the untidy Gospel is a message of hope that doesn?t deny pain. It simply denies the final authority of pain.
	So, beginning with God and the however-impoverished at the centre of our vision, we turn this morning, barely two days after the election of a Bishop for this Diocese, to see where this congregation and this Diocese may be headed. 
	We face enormous challenges. Money ? of course; confidence ? yes, to a fair degree; vision ? well, it could be better. People ? no worries there at all. God?s people are all around. It?s simply a matter of engaging them, of finding our focus, of getting rid of everything which tries to kill our spirits.
	For some reason last week my mind was caught by Mark Antony?s speech in Shakespeare?s tragedy, not so much by the opening, but by the closing lines. Antony, asking his hearers to give him a moment, uttered the wonderful request,
	 ?Bear with me;
	My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
      And I must pause till it come back to me.  2
	Jesus stands to raise us out of the coffins that try to encase our hope, our energy, our spirits ? not just at the end of our earthly lives, but right now. What good news for this Diocese and ****, our Bishop! What good news for this congregation! What good news for you, and for me! All that we need to do is to bear witness to the truth ? that?s all! 

NOTES:
1	?Out of Nowhere? by Lane Denson. Monday 9th November, 2009     oon at covpubs.org
2	Mark Antony in ?The Tragedy of Julius Caesar? by William Shakespeare, Act III, scene 2.  See a comparison of the original text with a contemporary paraphrase at http://lklivingston.tripod.com/caesar/


--
Robert P. Morrison
The Episcopal Parish of St James,
PO Box 789
Lincoln City, Oregon, 97367

541-994-2426 (Church)




From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Tue Nov 17 10:45:10 2009
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (joeparrish at compuserve.com)
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:45:10 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: Christ the King Sermon Resources - Part 1 of 2
In-Reply-To: <8CC35B37C5F8483-1144-113B@angweb-usm012.sysops.aol.com>
Message-ID: <8CC35B4148CABC3-1144-113F@angweb-usm012.sysops.aol.com>






Forwarded:
 
Sermon for Christ the King:
 
     John 18:33-37 ? ?Kingdoms in Conflict? 
 
John 18, the sermon titled "Kingdoms in Conflict"
 
Perhaps you have heard this story. It's a great story:  Many years ago, when Hitler's forces occupied Denmark, the order came that all Jews in Denmark were to identify themselves by wearing armbands with yellow stars of David. The Danes had seen the extermination of Jews in other countries and guessed that this was the first step in that process in their countries. The King did not defy the orders. He had every Jew wear the star and he himself wore the Star of David. He told his people that he expected every loyal Dane to do the same. The King said, "We are all Danes. One Danish person is the same as the next." He wore his yellow star when going into Copenhagen every day in order to encourage his people. The King of Denmark identified with his people, even to the point of putting his own life on the line.
 
It's a wonderful story with a powerful point. The only problem is it isn't true. It's an urban legend. It's been around for a long time and told thousands of times over. And now with the internet we are getting a lot of these legendary stories retold. Too bad! What an image for a king, identifying with his people. 
 
"Are you the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked. "Is that your idea," Jesus said to him, "or did others talk to you about me?" That's how these legends get started. Other people talking about what other people have said. Jesus was essentially crucified on gossip and rumor. An urban legend had developed around his ministry that he was going to lead a revolt against Rome.
 
In his conversation with Pilate, Jesus finally does imply that he is a king. "My kingdom," he explains, "is not of this world." Not of this world. That's what it takes. That's what it takes to find a King who identifies with his people. A King of heaven, a King of kings from some place other than this world.
 
Pilate and Jesus. Kingdoms in conflict. There are great lessons found in the tension between these two. Let's take a look at...
 
1. The Kingdoms of this World.
2. The Kingdom not of this World.
3. And the Truth we learn from the conflict of the two.
 
The rest of this sermon following the outline above can be obtained by joining www.eSermons.com.
_______________________
 
What Pilate Believes
 
In the NIV, the first part of v. 37 is a declaration by Pilate: "You are a king, then!" In the NRSV (and my Greek text) it is a question: "So you are a king?"
 
In some ways, this is another wrong question. Jesus turns it around: "You are saying that I am a king." With that statement is Jesus again putting Pilate on trial: "You have said it, but is it what you believe?"
 
Here is a story that illustrates what is going on in this dialogue between Jesus and Pilate:
An Amish man was once asked by an enthusiastic young evangelist whether he had been saved, and whether he had accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior?
 
The gentleman replied, "Why do you ask me such a thing? I could tell you anything. Here are the names of my banker, my grocer, and my farm hands. Ask them if I've been saved."
 
Jesus could tell Pilate anything. What is important is what Pilate believes.
 
Brian Stoffregen, Exegetical Notes
__________________
 
Ordinary People
 
In the story of the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus we do not have a rascally, villainous cast of characters. We have ordinary soldiers, policemen, officials, priests, magistrates, and citizens - all doing what soldiers, police, officials, priests, and zealous citizens do every day. It is the usual "morality play," with a suspected criminal, arresting officers, prosecutors, a trial, and sentencing. With the exception of Jesus, none of the actors appear to be sterling characters. They are ordinary human beings, with a fair measure of hypocrisy and callousness. But each carries out with fidelity the role that society has assigned to him or her.
 
"The fundamental reason why Jesus has to die makes the question of responsibility for his assassination pointless. Every society, Jewish or Gentile, that is founded on money, power, and law, condemns him. He puts people first, making economics and politics less important than men and women. In contrast, society, even when it says the opposite, deceiving others as well as itself, considers individuals simply as a means." (Sulivan, Morning Light, p. 75)
 
John C. Purdy, God with a Human Face
________________________________________
 Part of the Ritual
 
The story is told about the baptism of King Aengus by St. Patrick in the middle of the fifth century. Sometime during the rite, St. Patrick leaned on his sharp-pointed staff and inadvertently stabbed the king's foot. After the baptism was over, St. Patrick looked down at all the blood, realized what he had done, and begged the king's forgiveness. Why did you suffer this pain in silence, the Saint wanted to know. The king replied, "I thought it was part of the ritual."
 
I am here to tell you that your king was stabbed in the foot . . . and the hand, and the side and the head and that WAS part of the ritual. And, you and I are the ones who held the staff. I ask you. Will you beg the King's forgiveness?
 
Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com
 
_______________
 
Jesus Wins
 
George III of England, America's enemy in the Revolutionary War, felt terrible about the loss of the colonies. It was said, in fact, that for the rest of his life, he could not say the word "independence" without tripping over it. He was an odd duck in many ways, but he had good insights. When the fighting in America stopped, King George and all his royal cronies in Europe were sure that George Washington would have himself crowned "Emperor of the New World." That's what they would have done. When he was told, on the contrary, that Washington planned to surrender his military commission and return to farming at Mt. Vernon, George III said, "Well, if he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world." There is power in giving up power, in emptying oneself. Jesus knew it, Pilate didn't. 
 
Jesus wins, Pilate loses. 
 
William R. Boyer, A Confusion of the Heart
_________________
 
 




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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Tue Nov 17 10:45:41 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:45:41 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: Christ the King Sermon Resources - Part 2 of 2
Message-ID: <FA2FD09A76A7416D9479EF6BC8FF614B@YOUR264F1833C5>

They Write Better Than They Know

It is the accepted wisdom of priests and soldiers alike that one who possesses power always uses it for his own advantage. Why be a king if you cannot prove it by spectacular demonstrations of force and might? For Jesus these mocking words must bring back the echo of an earlier time when he is standing on the pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem and hears the voice of the Tempter: "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here" (Luke 4:9). He resists such a temptation then, and resists it yet again. But the criminal evidently sees in Jesus' refusal to bend to the demands of his powerful tormentors an authority which is not compelled to prove itself. Is there a greater act of authority, courage, and dignity than to refuse to save oneself in order to save others? The criminal, with great effort, turns his head and looks again at the inscription on the central cross. "This is the King of the Jews." Perhaps he thinks, "They write better than they know."

J. Will Ormond, Good News among the Rubble, CSS Publishing
____________________

Prose

What kind of a Kingdom has Jesus? No castle nor palace has he.  No congress nor parliament sitting, deciding what laws there will be. Perhaps he has need of but two laws: Love God and your neighbor as well. To obey them is all that is needed, as all of the saintly can tell.

He has neither army nor navy, no air force to guard the frontiers to keep out the strangers unwanted and maintain the enemy's fears. Immigration he seems to encourage, of some quite disreputable, like fishermen, publicans, sinners. To such he is hospitable.

It seems there's no revenue service or taxes we must calculate. He surely cannot run a kingdom on what we put into the plate! No 1040 form comes in April to fill out before the fifteenth, with penalties charged for nonpayment, beginning upon the sixteenth.

No currency's here with his picture, no coinage engraved with his name. And where are the posters and slogans proclaiming his power and fame? And I see no trappings of kingship, no robes made of velvet and fur, no crown made of gold set with diamonds, to befit our supreme arbiter.

Jesus said that his kingdom was really not what Pilate had thought it had been. It was not of this world. And its glory was not of the kind to be seen. For those of us here in his kingdom, there is one other thing we have known: of the kingdoms around in his lifetime, it's the only one left with a throne.

Andrew Daughters, The Kingdom of Jesus, CSS Publishing.
______________________

Freedom Riders

Recently I heard someone tell a story about the experiences of the Freedom Riders in the American South during the '50s and '60s and their struggle for civil rights. The story was a vivid illustration of how life changes when Jesus has the last word, when Jesus is King.

When the Freedom Riders traveled through the South staging their sit-ins and marches and protests, they were often arrested and jailed. The guardians of racial segregation and the status quo were not going to let them have the last word. While in jail the Freedom Riders were often treated poorly and brutally in order to break their spirits. They were deprived of food or given lousy food. Noise was blasted and lights were flashed all day and night to keep them from resting. Sometimes even some of their mattresses were removed in order that all would not have a place to sleep.

For a while it seemed to work. Their spirits were drained and discouraged, but never broken. It happened more than once and in more than one jail. Eventually the jail would begin to rock and swing to sounds of gospel singing. What began as a few weak voices would grow into a thundering and defiant chorus. The Freedom Riders would sing of their faith and their freedom. Sometimes they would even press their remaining mattresses out of their cells between the bars as they shouted, "You can take our mattresses, but you can't take our souls!"

The Freedom Riders were behind bars in jail, but they were really free. They were supposed to be guilty, but they were really innocent. They were supposedly suffering, but they were actually having a great time. They were supposedly defeated but they were actually victorious.

Why? They may not have said it, but they could have: because Jesus has the last word, because Christ is King!

Steven E. Albertin, Against the Grain -- Words for a Politically Incorrect Church, CSS Publishing

_____________________

History of Christ the King Sunday

This is actually a pretty new festival in the church year. Its roots go back only to the late 1800's, when the world's great empires--British, American, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Japanese--were all at war or about to go to war somewhere.

The man who was the pope of the Roman Catholic Church at the time wrote a letter in which he dedicated the world to Christ the King. In the letter, he reminded the empires that God is present with the whole human race, even with those who do not know God.

After World War I, another pope designated the last Sunday in October as Christ the King Sunday, a day to remember that Christ received power and honor from God and was thereby made ruler of the universe. Eventually, Catholics moved Christ the King Sunday to the last Sunday of the church year, when they were already accustomed to reflecting on Christ's return at the end of time to rule over all creation, a theme which echoes throughout Revelation, the last book of the Bible. 

David W. Miller, Reign of Truth

______________________

Gandhi's Strength

In the published diaries of Joseph Goebbels, the infamous Nazi Propagandist, there are two or three references to Mahatma Gandhi. Goebbels believed that Gandhi was a fool and a fanatic. If Gandhi had the sense to organize militarily, Goebbels thought, he might hope to win the freedom of India. He was certain that Gandhi couldn't succeed following a path of non-resistance and peaceful revolution. Yet as history played itself out, India peacefully won her independence while the Nazi military machine was destroyed. What Goebbels regarded as weakness actually turned out to be strength. What he thought of as strength turned out to be weakness. 

Kevin M. Pleas, Sufficient Grace 

______________________

King and Kingdom

Ironically, it is not so much the priestly or prophetic aspect of the work of Christ which John highlights in his narrative of the crucifixion. Rather it is the kingly role of Christ as the dying Savior which dominates John's account of our Lord's final hours.

I say ironic because John's gospel does not feature the kingdom of God; nor does he focus upon Christ's claim to be the coming king-until chapter 18. Whereas Matthew, Mark and Luke from the very beginning of their gospels describe Jesus proclaiming the imminence of the kingdom of heaven-the miracles of Christ as signs of the kingdom breaking-in to history-the parables (which are completely absent from John's gospel)-as parables of the kingdom, John only mentions the words "king" and "kingdom" six times prior to chapter 18. The kingdom of God and the kingship of Christ are written boldly over the first three gospels.

The conclusion to this illustration and for many additional illustrations and sermons for Christ the King, as well as Thanksgiving, can be accessed at www.Sermons.com.
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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Tue Nov 17 10:40:55 2009
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (joeparrish at compuserve.com)
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:40:55 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: Christ the King Sermon Resources
In-Reply-To: <8CC35B35A718B23-1144-113A@angweb-usm012.sysops.aol.com>
Message-ID: <8CC35B37C5F8483-1144-113B@angweb-usm012.sysops.aol.com>





Forwarded:

Sermon for Christ the King:
 
     John 18:33-37 ? ?Kingdoms in Conflict? 
 
John 18, the sermon titled "Kingdoms in Conflict"
 
Perhaps you have heard this story. It's a great story:  Many years ago, when Hitler's forces occupied Denmark, the order came that all Jews in Denmark were to identify themselves by wearing armbands with yellow stars of David. The Danes had seen the extermination of Jews in other countries and guessed that this was the first step in that process in their countries. The King did not defy the orders. He had every Jew wear the star and he himself wore the Star of David. He told his people that he expected every loyal Dane to do the same. The King said, "We are all Danes. One Danish person is the same as the next." He wore his yellow star when going into Copenhagen every day in order to encourage his people. The King of Denmark identified with his people, even to the point of putting his own life on the line.
 
It's a wonderful story with a powerful point. The only problem is it isn't true. It's an urban legend. It's been around for a long time and told thousands of times over. And now with the internet we are getting a lot of these legendary stories retold. Too bad! What an image for a king, identifying with his people. 
 
"Are you the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked. "Is that your idea," Jesus said to him, "or did others talk to you about me?" That's how these legends get started. Other people talking about what other people have said. Jesus was essentially crucified on gossip and rumor. An urban legend had developed around his ministry that he was going to lead a revolt against Rome.
 
In his conversation with Pilate, Jesus finally does imply that he is a king. "My kingdom," he explains, "is not of this world." Not of this world. That's what it takes. That's what it takes to find a King who identifies with his people. A King of heaven, a King of kings from some place other than this world.
 
Pilate and Jesus. Kingdoms in conflict. There are great lessons found in the tension between these two. Let's take a look at...
 
1. The Kingdoms of this World.
2. The Kingdom not of this World.
3. And the Truth we learn from the conflict of the two.
 
The rest of this sermon following the outline above can be obtained by joining www.eSermons.com.
_______________________
 
What Pilate Believes
 
In the NIV, the first part of v. 37 is a declaration by Pilate: "You are a king, then!" In the NRSV (and my Greek text) it is a question: "So you are a king?"
 
In some ways, this is another wrong question. Jesus turns it around: "You are saying that I am a king." With that statement is Jesus again putting Pilate on trial: "You have said it, but is it what you believe?"
 
Here is a story that illustrates what is going on in this dialogue between Jesus and Pilate:
An Amish man was once asked by an enthusiastic young evangelist whether he had been saved, and whether he had accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior?
 
The gentleman replied, "Why do you ask me such a thing? I could tell you anything. Here are the names of my banker, my grocer, and my farm hands. Ask them if I've been saved."
 
Jesus could tell Pilate anything. What is important is what Pilate believes.
 
Brian Stoffregen, Exegetical Notes
__________________
 
Ordinary People
 
In the story of the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus we do not have a rascally, villainous cast of characters. We have ordinary soldiers, policemen, officials, priests, magistrates, and citizens - all doing what soldiers, police, officials, priests, and zealous citizens do every day. It is the usual "morality play," with a suspected criminal, arresting officers, prosecutors, a trial, and sentencing. With the exception of Jesus, none of the actors appear to be sterling characters. They are ordinary human beings, with a fair measure of hypocrisy and callousness. But each carries out with fidelity the role that society has assigned to him or her.
 
"The fundamental reason why Jesus has to die makes the question of responsibility for his assassination pointless. Every society, Jewish or Gentile, that is founded on money, power, and law, condemns him. He puts people first, making economics and politics less important than men and women. In contrast, society, even when it says the opposite, deceiving others as well as itself, considers individuals simply as a means." (Sulivan, Morning Light, p. 75)
 
John C. Purdy, God with a Human Face
________________________________________
 Part of the Ritual
 
The story is told about the baptism of King Aengus by St. Patrick in the middle of the fifth century. Sometime during the rite, St. Patrick leaned on his sharp-pointed staff and inadvertently stabbed the king's foot. After the baptism was over, St. Patrick looked down at all the blood, realized what he had done, and begged the king's forgiveness. Why did you suffer this pain in silence, the Saint wanted to know. The king replied, "I thought it was part of the ritual."
 
I am here to tell you that your king was stabbed in the foot . . . and the hand, and the side and the head and that WAS part of the ritual. And, you and I are the ones who held the staff. I ask you. Will you beg the King's forgiveness?
 
Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com
 
_______________
 
Jesus Wins
 
George III of England, America's enemy in the Revolutionary War, felt terrible about the loss of the colonies. It was said, in fact, that for the rest of his life, he could not say the word "independence" without tripping over it. He was an odd duck in many ways, but he had good insights. When the fighting in America stopped, King George and all his royal cronies in Europe were sure that George Washington would have himself crowned "Emperor of the New World." That's what they would have done. When he was told, on the contrary, that Washington planned to surrender his military commission and return to farming at Mt. Vernon, George III said, "Well, if he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world." There is power in giving up power, in emptying oneself. Jesus knew it, Pilate didn't. 
 
Jesus wins, Pilate loses. 
 
William R. Boyer, A Confusion of the Heart
_________________
 
They Write Better Than They Know
 
It is the accepted wisdom of priests and soldiers alike that one who possesses power always uses it for his own advantage. Why be a king if you cannot prove it by spectacular demonstrations of force and might? For Jesus these mocking words must bring back the echo of an earlier time when he is standing on the pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem and hears the voice of the Tempter: "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here" (Luke 4:9). He resists such a temptation then, and resists it yet again. But the criminal evidently sees in Jesus' refusal to bend to the demands of his powerful tormentors an authority which is not compelled to prove itself. Is there a greater act of authority, courage, and dignity than to refuse to save oneself in order to save others? The criminal, with great effort, turns his head and looks again at the inscription on the central cross. "This is the King of the Jews." Perhaps he thinks, "They write better than they know."
 
J. Will Ormond, Good News among the Rubble, CSS Publishing
____________________
 
Prose
 
What kind of a Kingdom has Jesus? No castle nor palace has he.  No congress nor parliament sitting, deciding what laws there will be. Perhaps he has need of but two laws: Love God and your neighbor as well. To obey them is all that is needed, as all of the saintly can tell.
 
He has neither army nor navy, no air force to guard the frontiers to keep out the strangers unwanted and maintain the enemy?s fears. Immigration he seems to encourage, of some quite disreputable, like fishermen, publicans, sinners. To such he is hospitable.
 
It seems there?s no revenue service or taxes we must calculate. He surely cannot run a kingdom on what we put into the plate! No 1040 form comes in April to fill out before the fifteenth, with penalties charged for nonpayment, beginning upon the sixteenth.
 
No currency?s here with his picture, no coinage engraved with his name. And where are the posters and slogans proclaiming his power and fame? And I see no trappings of kingship, no robes made of velvet and fur, no crown made of gold set with diamonds, to befit our supreme arbiter.
 
Jesus said that his kingdom was really not what Pilate had thought it had been. It was not of this world. And its glory was not of the kind to be seen. For those of us here in his kingdom, there is one other thing we have known: of the kingdoms around in his lifetime, it?s the only one left with a throne.
 
Andrew Daughters, The Kingdom of Jesus, CSS Publishing.
______________________
 
Freedom Riders
 
Recently I heard someone tell a story about the experiences of the Freedom Riders in the American South during the '50s and '60s and their struggle for civil rights. The story was a vivid illustration of how life changes when Jesus has the last word, when Jesus is King.
 
When the Freedom Riders traveled through the South staging their sit-ins and marches and protests, they were often arrested and jailed. The guardians of racial segregation and the status quo were not going to let them have the last word. While in jail the Freedom Riders were often treated poorly and brutally in order to break their spirits. They were deprived of food or given lousy food. Noise was blasted and lights were flashed all day and night to keep them from resting. Sometimes even some of their mattresses were removed in order that all would not have a place to sleep.
 
For a while it seemed to work. Their spirits were drained and discouraged, but never broken. It happened more than once and in more than one jail. Eventually the jail would begin to rock and swing to sounds of gospel singing. What began as a few weak voices would grow into a thundering and defiant chorus. The Freedom Riders would sing of their faith and their freedom. Sometimes they would even press their remaining mattresses out of their cells between the bars as they shouted, "You can take our mattresses, but you can't take our souls!"
 
The Freedom Riders were behind bars in jail, but they were really free. They were supposed to be guilty, but they were really innocent. They were supposedly suffering, but they were actually having a great time. They were supposedly defeated but they were actually victorious.
 
Why? They may not have said it, but they could have: because Jesus has the last word, because Christ is King!
 
Steven E. Albertin, Against the Grain -- Words for a Politically Incorrect Church, CSS Publishing
 
_____________________
 
History of Christ the King Sunday
 
This is actually a pretty new festival in the church year. Its roots go back only to the late 1800's, when the world's great empires--British, American, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Japanese--were all at war or about to go to war somewhere.
 
The man who was the pope of the Roman Catholic Church at the time wrote a letter in which he dedicated the world to Christ the King. In the letter, he reminded the empires that God is present with the whole human race, even with those who do not know God.
 
After World War I, another pope designated the last Sunday in October as Christ the King Sunday, a day to remember that Christ received power and honor from God and was thereby made ruler of the universe. Eventually, Catholics moved Christ the King Sunday to the last Sunday of the church year, when they were already accustomed to reflecting on Christ's return at the end of time to rule over all creation, a theme which echoes throughout Revelation, the last book of the Bible. 
 
David W. Miller, Reign of Truth
 
______________________
 
Gandhi's Strength
 
In the published diaries of Joseph Goebbels, the infamous Nazi Propagandist, there are two or three references to Mahatma Gandhi. Goebbels believed that Gandhi was a fool and a fanatic. If Gandhi had the sense to organize militarily, Goebbels thought, he might hope to win the freedom of India. He was certain that Gandhi couldn?t succeed following a path of non-resistance and peaceful revolution. Yet as history played itself out, India peacefully won her independence while the Nazi military machine was destroyed. What Goebbels regarded as weakness actually turned out to be strength. What he thought of as strength turned out to be weakness. 
 
Kevin M. Pleas, Sufficient Grace 
 
______________________
 
King and Kingdom
 
Ironically, it is not so much the priestly or prophetic aspect of the work of Christ which John highlights in his narrative of the crucifixion. Rather it is the kingly role of Christ as the dying Savior which dominates John's account of our Lord's final hours.
 
I say ironic because John's gospel does not feature the kingdom of God; nor does he focus upon Christ's claim to be the coming king?until chapter 18. Whereas Matthew, Mark and Luke from the very beginning of their gospels describe Jesus proclaiming the imminence of the kingdom of heaven?the miracles of Christ as signs of the kingdom breaking-in to history?the parables (which are completely absent from John's gospel)?as parables of the kingdom, John only mentions the words "king" and "kingdom" six times prior to chapter 18. The kingdom of God and the kingship of Christ are written boldly over the first three gospels?
 
The conclusion to this illustration and for many additional illustrations and sermons for Christ the King, as well as Thanksgiving, can be accessed at www.Sermons.com.
 



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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Wed Nov 18 10:57:28 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:57:28 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Off lectionary sermon for Nov. 22 - Reign of Christ -
	Year B
Message-ID: <34902D5BF44D4524ACFBDD1CBE6BFFFD@YOUR264F1833C5>

The Rev. Dr. Bill Self is pastor of Johns Creek Baptist Church in Alpharetta, GA, a member of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

What Do You Want with Me, Jesus?
Mark 5:1-17
Reign of Christ - Year B
November 22, 2009
http://day1.org/1581-what_do_you_want_with_me_jesus
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 21 18:26:26 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:26:26 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Sermon quotes for John 18:33-37 - Nov. 22 - Part 1
Message-ID: <295A6B8469D3447FAE01DB136F545726@YOUR264F1833C5>

He who asks seriously the question of the truth that liberates, is already on his way to liberation. He may still be in the bondage of dogmatic self-assurance but he has begun to be free from it. He may still be in the bondage of cynical despair, but he has already started to emerge from it. He may still be in the bondage of unconcern about the truth that matters, but his unconcern is already shaken. 

http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=375&C=21

Paul Tillich, 1955
- - - - -

Thus we find that Jesus, Lord of all, is hidden, yet present as he dies on the cross.  And with our eyes thus opened, we are able to see much more of what our God has hidden and planted in our world: peace, justice and life for us to harvest and manifest in our lives.  

http://www.predigten.uni-goettingen.de/predigt.php?id=145&kennung=20070406en

Luke Bouman, 2007
- - - - -

...a quiet voice spoke back to Sam's inner spirit:  "No deals, Sam.  No deals.  No manipulations.  I rule over you in all times of your life." 
So here we were at this banquet, and Sam went on to say:  "God has called me to be his servant in my turf, the National Football League.  He rules over all aspects of my life, when winning or losing, in triumphs and tragedies.  How about you?  Where is your turf?  Does God rule you there in your turf, in your situation?  Not just when you're winning, but when you are losing.  Not just during the triumphs but during the tragedies of your life?  Does God rule you then?"  ...  There was silence, a profound silence, echoing the silence from the book of Job.  No, this was no "jock for Jesus" speech. ...  Does God rule in our losing?  In our tragedies?  

<>

...one day his [East Berlin] school principal confronted him, "Mr. Offeldt, communism teaches that there is no God, that God is a figment of our imagination."  To which Dietrich replied,  "God is not the figment of my imagination.  God created my imagination and yours."  

<>

Yes, Jesus is Lord.  He holds the sun and the moon, the earth and the stars, the girls and the boys, and the little bitty babies in his hand. 

http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_christ_the_king.htm

Edward F. Markquart
- - - - -

 I get tears in my eyes every time I remember the memorial in Neuendettelsau, Germany, to the retarded people who were taken from this Lutheran city of refuge to the gas chambers by the Nazis because they made no meaningful contribution to society and probably created problems for it! In more educated societies, we like to think we are free from this. However, without becoming politically radical, you and I can name peoples and individuals who, within the last two years, have been scapegoated by our government and our society in general because we have been unwilling to address some of the causes for evil in our world which lie not outside us, but within our very selves. 

http://www.predigten.uni-goettingen.de/archiv-7/050325-8-e.html

David Zersen, 2005
- - - - -

In spite of the harassment to which she was subjected, she worked at presenting proposals that would improve the quality of life in the town.  As she drew attention the problems, even people outside her district became more aware of the inefficiency of the town council. When the next election came around, people in other areas came forth to challenge the "old timers." Eventually the town council became more representative of the community and the woman who started it all became the mayor.

http://www.agreeley.com/hom03/nov23.htm

Mary Durkin
- - - - -

Pilate says to Jesus' response, "So then you are a king." In the Greek text, this can be a statement of affirmation (as my translation) or a question (as in the RSV and NRSV). Once again it would appear that Jesus accepts Pilate's words as a statement and not a question as Jesus affirms to Pilate "You say that I am a king" (18:37).

Jesus' witness brings the text to a crescendo witness: "For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice" (18:37). The scene between Jesus and Pilate is the height of the gospel's irony as Pilate does not question Jesus' kingship or guilt of the charges brought before him. Pilate rather affirms Jesus' kingship as his title on the cross witnesses and his resolve against the chief priests not to change the title in Hebrew (Aramaic), Latin and Greek: "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews" (19:19-22).

http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=11/22/2009&tab=4

Paul S. Berge, 2009
- - - - -
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 21 19:29:54 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:29:54 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Sermon quotes for John 18:33-37 - Nov. 22 - Part 2
Message-ID: <31FD8080FD22430B8AE466D7A6C2B984@YOUR264F1833C5>

Pilate picks up on Jesus words "my kingdom". Jesus is king of "truth" (v. 37); his subjects are those who belong to the truth. He was "born" and "came into the world" to establish the kingdom of God, the ultimate truth.

http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/archive/bpr34m.shtml

Chris Haslam 
- - - - -

18:37: "'You say that I am a king'": Pilate and Jesus mean different things by kingship, so a direct answer is not possible. [Sanders, J.N. 1968]

18:37: "the truth": For Jesus' testimony to "the truth", see 5:32; 8:40, 45, 46. 8:44 tells us that the Jews have rejected "the truth". The disciples have received it from Jesus: see 14:6; 17:17, 19. [Brown, Raymond E., et al., 1995 ] Here, it means reality. [Sanders, J.N. 1968]

http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/archive/bpr34l.shtml

Chris Haslam 
- - - - -

We have come to the end of another liturgical year, and Dianne Bergant explains that we observe the feast of Christ the King here, at that end, because "it celebrates the realization of all of our theology. It is not only the goal toward which our Sunday meditations have been taking us, Christ's enthronement is the omega point toward which all of history has been moving." The wise reign we look forward to, and sometimes experience in the here and now, "is a kingdom of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice and peace," and this king is one we can approach without fear, knowing that we belong to this gentle and loving shepherd king.

There is no need, then, for fear. Words like king and kingdom and kingship are our ways of trying to describe this shepherd king who carries us and leads us and calls us home. 

http://i.ucc.org/StretchYourMind/OpeningtheBible/WeeklySeeds/tabid/81/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/252/A-Wise-Reign-Nov-1622.aspx

Kate Huey, 2009
- - - - -

Pilate mocks the Jewish authorities throughout, exposing their powerlessness. He relents only when they convert to become defenders of the emperor. The situation is bizarre. Pilate emerges as pathetic and weak. The Jewish authorities emerge as traitors to their faith. It is a narrative spun out of some strands of history woven within the fabric of contemporary conflict in which inner Jewish tension has erupted into mutual accusation and recrimination between those who follow Jesus and those who do not.

http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/MkChristtheKing.htm

William Loader
- - - - -

We should also remember, as Malina and Rohrbaugh (Social-Science Commentary on the Gospel of John) point out:
To speak here of a "trial" of Jesus, so common in Western scholarly literature, is out of place. Rigidly hierarchical societies such as those under Roman imperial rule in the ancient Mediterranean world do not allow for trials of social inferiors; instead they have accusations and punishments. [p. 256]

http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/john18x33.htm

Brian Stoffregen
- - - - -

 In its simplest terms, the kingdom of God that Jesus announced and embodied is what life would be like on earth, here and now, if God were king and the rulers of this world were not (Borg, Crossan). Imagine if God ruled the nations, and not Obama, Medvedev, Kim Jong-il, Mugabe, or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Every aspect of personal and communal life would experience a radical reversal. The political, economic, and social subversions would be almost endless-peace-making instead of war mongering, liberation not exploitation, sacrifice rather than subjugation, mercy not vengeance, care for the vulnerable instead of privileges for the powerful, generosity instead of greed, humility rather than hubris, embrace rather than exclusion, etc. 

http://www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20091116JJ.shtml

Daniel B. Clendenin, 2009
- - - - -

The Judean authorities want Jesus gone, and not without reason.  Jesus' attacks on the Temple elite had been scathing.  One notes, however, that in all four gospels, Jesus was careful not to criticize the Romans directly.  His rare jibes at the Romans were oblique and indirect.  This was politically deft.  You don't take on the most powerful aspect of the power structure, which would be the Roman Army, but rather its weakest component, which was the Temple elite, especially when that elite is already under suspicion and held in low regard.  

http://www.progressiveinvolvement.com/progressive_involvement/2009/11/lectionary-blogging-christ-the-king-john-18-3337.html

John Petty, 2000
- - - - -
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 21 21:10:57 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:10:57 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Sermon quotes for John 18:33-37 - Nov. 22 - Part 3
Message-ID: <C4582A7E0B33446EBC7D50C1C76F6EE1@YOUR264F1833C5>

Verse 34. A low status person would not reply to a superior's question with a question. So Jesus' response to Pilate indicates that Jesus does not accept Pilate as a social superior. His question to Pilate in effect asks, "Have you been following my career yourself? Do you have first-hand knowledge about me?" Pilate, of course, would only be following the career of superiors, upon whose shifting loyalties and rank his own life and privileges would depend.

Verse 35. Pilate's reply would be heard as a loss of honour because he accepts - and answers - Jesus' question, "I am not a Judean." Having failed to get Jesus to plead "Guilty as charged," Pilate now demands that Jesus make a confession, "What have you done?" 

http://www.holytextures.com/2009/10/john-18-33-37-year-b-pentecost-29-34-reign-of-christ-the-king-sermon.html

David Ewart
- - - - -

 "Long Live Christ the King!" The year was 1925 when a young Mexican priest shouted that cry as he was being executed for treason. The Mexican government at that time was hostile to the Church. The Church in Mexico was disenfranchised and its property seized and appropriated by the state. Seminaries were forced to operate underground. Priests were arrested for conducting services and for administering the sacraments. Everything had to be done under cover. Even on his way to make sick calls, Father Miguel Pro took precautions. If he felt he was being followed, the priest walked with a young lady to avoid suspicion. He was finally caught and sentenced to death. The charge against him was that he had been an accomplice in an assassination attempt. They said he had been seen at a park within four miles of a bombing. He was led to execution in the police courtyard. With arms outstretched like a cross, he shouted this cry as the volley of bullets tore into his body: VIVA CHRISTO REY! Long live Christ the King! That same year in 1925, Pius XI proclaimed the feast day of Christ the King as a witness against the destructive forces that forever seemed to rear their ugly heads in the story of nations. 

http://www.crossings.org/theology/2009/theolo756.shtml

Norb E. Kabelitz, 2009
- - - - -

As a feast, it is quite recent.  It was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925, to remind Christians of their true allegiance in the face of virulent Communist and Fascist ideologies that claimed to create earthly paradises that would fulfill every human need, while exerting absolute dominion over their populations.

http://gospelforgays.com/?p=591&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+GospelForGays+(Gospel+For+Gays)

Jeremiah Bartram, 2009
- - - - -

Pilate was one of those people who wanted to remain neutral, who didn't want to become involved.  He wasn't for Jesus nor was he against Jesus.  Pilate was the man in the middle and he wanted to remain the middle where he thought he could save his skin.
There is one basic lesson to be learned from Pilate:  Before the cross of Christ, there is no neutrality.  The cross of Christ always demands a decision.  

http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_christ_the_king_ga.htm

Edward F. Markquart
- - - - -

I wonder and worry that people perceive Christ's rule to be similar to the queen of England's rule. Do we view Christ as one surrounded with the art and beauty of a tradition that is more antique than active? Do we see this figure of salvation as hopelessly outdated and practically mute in these postmodern times?

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_23_120/ai_111114179/

Mary W. Anderson, 2003
- - - - -

As Roman governor of Judea, Pilate was judge and jury in capital cases. His question was direct: "Do you claim to be king of the area I govern in the name of Caesar?" An affirmative answer would have sealed the fate of Jesus, since he would be branded as a political revolutionary. 

http://www.word-sunday.com/Files/b/King-b/A-King-b.html

Larry Broding
- - - - -

It frightens us to hear such open talk about truth. We are more concerned with how to live in a world where there is a plurality of truths-and with how to do so without killing each other-than we are with truth. Pilate himself was trying to deal with this problem of pluralism. It was difficult enough keeping Jews in their place-with their Sadducees, Pharisees and Essenes-without a young Nazarene claiming to be the truth. Pilate's response to Jesus' claim was to try to get him into a philosophical discussion about truth. And then, when this rabbi refused to enter the discussion-refused to be rational-he had him killed.
http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=64

William Willimon, 1987
- - - - -






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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 21 22:56:23 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:56:23 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Sermon quotes for John 18:33-37 - Nov. 22 - Part 4
Message-ID: <0ADBE930EDB44516A40E04793969338F@YOUR264F1833C5>

The suspicion lies to hand that had Jesus come among us today instead of two thousand years ago, chances are that he would be imprisoned - if not executed.
<>
When I was a theological student, I traveled one summer with the seminary choir. We stopped at the state prison in Deer Lodge, Montana, to sing for the prisoners. In our program one of us always told why he had decided to go into the ministry. The lot fell to me. I never felt quite so foolish as I did telling those stony-faced felons and murderers and rapists why I wanted to be a preacher. My discomfort was wiped away by another member of the choir, who was chosen to preach a brief sermon. Peter McKenzie told how Jesus came from working-class people in a small town. How he never held a steady job. How he was betrayed by a friend and given a shoddy trial. How he was summarily executed. As Peter spoke, I watched the faces of the prisoners. It seemed to me that Jesus' experience was closer to theirs than to my own.

http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=435&C=321

John C. Purdy, 1993
- - - - -

As he does many times in this Gospel, Jesus maintains authority over events that seem to be spiraling dangerously out of control.


He orders Peter to put away his sword (18:11)

Under questioning by the high priest he answers openly and demands witnesses (18:20-23)

He takes a similar in-your-face approach to Pilate (18:33-38)

http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=4/10/2009&tab=4

Audrey West, 2009
- - - - -

Jesus is much more talkative in John during the trial, usually in a way which gives expression to central themes of Johannine faith and reflects its own history of conflict. The Jews - doubtless fellow Jews for most of John's readers - are exposed as betraying their own people and almost hailing the Emperor as a god. It is a cruel portrait and reflects the enmity present in John 8. It becomes dynamite when taken from being an inner Jewish conflict and made to serve anti-Semitism. No, 'the Jews' did not kill Jesus! The historical collusion probably included temple authorities, but not 'the Jews' - we need to tell our people that.

http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/MkGoodFriday.htm

William Loader
- - - - -

John wants only one thing for his intended readers: 
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
John 20:30-31 NRSV (Emphasis added.)
Note the author's direct, personal, address to the reader - "you." John wants YOU to believe. And as M&R emphasize, not just "believe," as in, "have an opinion about," But "believe into," become bonded with Jesus, become his disciple, become a loyal, trusting and trustworthy follower of Jesus. And not just that even. John wants YOU to have the life that is in Jesus. 

http://www.holytextures.com/2009/04/john-18-1-19-42-good-friday.html

David Ewart, 2009
- - - - -

One of the many things this story tells us is that Jesus was not brought down by atheism and anarchy. He was brought down by law and order allied with religion, which is always a deadly mix. Beware of those who claim to know the mind of God and who are prepared to use force, if necessary, to make others conform. Beware of those who cannot tell God's will from their own. 

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=642

Barbara Brown Taylor, 1998
- - - - -

A potent symbol of the whole trial is that of kingship, a theme that emerges as Pilate begins to interrogate Jesus (18:33-38). Pilate represents political might symbolized in the emperor's crown. But Jesus' sovereignty is not "of this world," that is, it represents a very different sort of power--one that gives life. As the prologue of the Gospel had already proclaimed in poetic fashion (1:1-18) Jesus came into the world to proclaim the ultimate truth of God's love--those who hear the voice of Jesus know God's truth and live it out in their lives (8:47). The truth of God's love--and not brute, oppressive force--is the source of Jesus' power. 

http://www.cptryon.org/xpipassio/passio/john/3pilatec.html

Donald Senior
- - - - -
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 21 22:56:51 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:56:51 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Sermon quotes for John 18:33-37 - Nov. 22 - Part 5
Message-ID: <C92867ACEBDF46EBA387FA1A55D97012@YOUR264F1833C5>

John's gospel does not feature the kingdom of God; nor does he focus upon Christ's claim to be the coming king-until chapter 18. Whereas Matthew, Mark and Luke from the very beginning of their gospels describe Jesus proclaiming the imminence of the kingdom of heaven-the miracles of Christ as signs of the kingdom breaking-in to history-the parables (which are completely absent from John's gospel)-as parables of the kingdom, John only mentions the words "king" and "kingdom" six times prior to chapter 18. The kingdom of God and the kingship of Christ are written boldly over the first three gospels. But John's gospel is remarkable for few references to this theme-until chapter 18; and then, in the short space of two chapters, the words "king" and "kingdom" literally explode on the page.

http://www.kerux.com/documents/KeruxV5N2A2.asp

James T. Dennison, Jr.
- - - - -

...Jesus qualifies his reply to make clear to Pilate that he is no political revolutionary: his kingdom is not of this world. This recalls Jesus' prayer concerning his disciples in 17:11 and 16: both he and his disciples are in the world, but are not of the world. Jesus' kingdom is a heavenly kingdom; it does not arise from the world but breaks in from outside the world, just as Jesus himself came down from heaven on a mission from the Father (cf. 1:14, 3:17, 16:28, etc.).

http://bible.org/seriespage/exegetical-commentary-john-18

W. Hall Harris, III
- - - - -

Pilate was listening carefully to what Jesus said. He drew the correct inference: "So then, you really are a King!" Jesus replies in a way that clearly indicates this is true: "You say that I am a King ." In more contemporary terminology, we would say, "You said it!" The Lord's meaning is therefore something like this: "You are absolutely right that I am a King!" His "kingdom" is centered around revelation, not revolution; around truth, not treason. Jesus was a teacher, not a traitor. This was the purpose for His incarnation; this was His mission in life-to testify to the truth. And everyone who embraces Him as the promised Messiah (who "belongs to the truth") listens to His voice.

http://bible.org/seriespage/jesus-pilate-part-i-john-1828-38

Robert Deffinbaugh 
- - - - - 

John's account of the trial and crucifixion of our Lord depicts the sin and guilt of Pilate, the Roman soldiers, the Jews, and even (to some degree) the disciples-especially Peter. The purpose of this lesson is to consider the condemnation of Jesus as John portrays it, so that we see the guilt of Jews and Gentiles alike. No one but our Lord comes out of this looking good.

http://bible.org/seriespage/jesus-pilate-part-ii-john-182882111916

Robert Deffinbaugh 
- - - - - 
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sun Nov 22 03:10:29 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:10:29 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Christ the King - John 18:33-37 - Sermon for Nov. 22
Message-ID: <82B38BBC76724DEAB855179530879AEC@YOUR264F1833C5>

Here http://tiny.cc/QlEEZ is our sermon for Christ the King Sunday entitled, "Who is in charge, anyway?"
Peace and blessings,
Joe
St. John's Episcopal Church, Elizabeth, NJ
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From charles.wohlers at verizon.net  Sun Nov 22 21:22:28 2009
From: charles.wohlers at verizon.net (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:22:28 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the FIRST SUNDAY of ADVENT
Message-ID: <1C67F40B8AC44895B9077936084459ED@cranmer>

The following are the readings for the First Sunday of Advent, November 29, 
according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, 
Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. 
Unless noted otherwise, the lectionaries of ECUSA, Canada and the C of E are 
identical to the RCL this Sunday. The NRSV translation is used.

Starting this Sunday, we are in Year C.


OLD TESTAMENT  Jeremiah 33: 14 - 16   (RCL, Roman Catholic)

Jere 33:14 (NRSV) The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will 
fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 
In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up 
for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In 
those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this 
is the name by which it will be called "The LORD is our righteousness."


PSALM  25: 1 - 10   (RCL)
Psalm 25: 1 - 4, 8 - 10, 14   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 25:1 (NRSV) To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
6 Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for your goodness' sake, O LORD!
8 Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

14 The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear hin,
and he makes his covenant known to them.

Note: Verse numbering may differ in your Psalter.


NEW TESTAMENT   1 Thessalonians 3: 9 - 13   (RCL)

1The 3:9 (NRSV) How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the 
joy that we feel before our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray 
most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is 
lacking in your faith.
11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to 
you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one 
another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. 13 And may he so 
strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God 
and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.


1 Thessalonians 3: 12 - 4: 2   (Roman Catholic)

1The 3:12 (NRSV) And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for 
one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. 13 And may he so 
strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God 
and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. 4:1 Finally, 
brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you 
learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you 
are doing), you should do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions 
we gave you through the Lord Jesus.


GOSPEL   Luke 21: 25 - 36   (RCL)
                   Luke 21: 25 - 28, 34 - 36   (Roman Catholic)

Luke 21:25 (NRSV) "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, 
and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea 
and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is 
coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then 
they will see "the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. 
28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, 
because your redemption is drawing near."
29 Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 
as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that 
summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, 
you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this 
generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven 
and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
34 "Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation 
and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you 
unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face 
of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the 
strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand 
before the Son of Man."



Chad Wohlers
East Bridgewater, Mass.   USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu




From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Fri Nov 27 21:34:33 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:34:33 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Advent 1 (C) in Textweek
Message-ID: <B2EE4190816843CFABBC866855DD73F4@YOUR264F1833C5>

http://www.textweek.com/yearc/adventc1.htm
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Fri Nov 27 21:40:55 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:40:55 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Day1 Sermon - Advent 1 (C)
Message-ID: <397F9000E6594F4B94717E1597A47DFB@YOUR264F1833C5>

The Rev. Dr. J. Barney Hawkins IV is the vice president for institutional advancement at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, VA, and the associate dean for the Center for Anglican Communion Studies. 
Advent: Waiting and Working for the Kingdom
Jeremiah 33:14-16; Luke 21:25-36
First Sunday in Advent - Year C
November 29, 2009
http://day1.org/1609-advent_waiting_and_working_for_the_kingdom

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From robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com  Fri Nov 27 21:41:03 2009
From: robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com (Robert P Morrison)
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:41:03 -0800
Subject: [Propertalk] Advent 1 (C) in Textweek
Message-ID: <528438804.1259376063577.JavaMail.root@mp10>

Thanks, Joe.

I get the Sunday off. I've been visiting my daughter and son-in-law and grandchildren in Pennsylvania since Monday morning and don't plan on leaving till the 1st December!

I get to sit, listen, worship and give thanks.

Have fun apocalyptising!

Bob

 --
Robert P. Morrison
The Episcopal Parish of St James,
PO Box 789
Lincoln City, Oregon, 97367

541-994-2426 (Church)





From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Fri Nov 27 22:04:02 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:04:02 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fw: Sermons Resources for Nov. 29th
Message-ID: <F07CDBB7066C406A86CF0D99FEF02728@YOUR264F1833C5>

Sermons for Advent 1:
 

     Luke 21:25-36 - "Lift Up Your Heads" 

     1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 - "If This Is Your Faith, Tell Me Your Stories" by Leonard Sweet

 

Luke 21 - sermon titled "Lift Up Your Heads"] 

 

A. J. Gordon was the great Baptist pastor of the Clarendon Church in Boston, Massachusetts. One day he met a young boy in front of the sanctuary carrying a rusty cage in which several birds fluttered nervously. Gordon inquired, "Son, where did you get those birds?" The boy replied, "I trapped them out in the field." "What are you going to do with them?" "I'm going to play with them, and then I guess I'll just feed them to an old cat we have at home." When Gordon offered to buy them, the lad exclaimed, "Mister, you don't want them, they're just little old wild birds and can't sing very well." Gordon replied, "I'll give you $2 for the cage and the birds." "Okay, it's a deal, but you're making a bad bargain." The exchange was made and the boy went away whistling, happy with his shiny coins. Gordon walked around to the back of the church property, opened the door of the small wire coop, and let the struggling creatures soar into the blue. The next Sunday he took the empty cage into the pulpit and used it to illustrate his sermon about Christ's coming to seek and to save the lost -- paying for them with His own precious blood. "That boy told me the birds were not songsters," said Gordon, "but when I released them and they winged their way heavenward, it seemed to me they were singing, 'Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed!'"

This is Advent. And the message of these times is the song of those wild birds. It's the song sung in every carol this season: Redeemed! It's the meaning behind every gift given under the tree: Redeemed! It's the Word the shepherds heard: Redeemed! It's the assurance Mary received: Redeemed! It's the star the Wisemen followed: Redeemed! [Depending on your style you might omit the repetition of "Redeemed" at the end of each sentence but allowing it at the end of this paragraph.] You and I have been trapped by sin, but Christ has purchased our pardon. He who has this hope in his heart will sing, and you know the song: "Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed!"

Will YOU hear the song this season? Will YOU see the signs this Christmas? You can, if you will stand up and lift up your heads. It is all around. Don't you know that.

1. Our Redemption Is Written in the Heavens.
2. Our Redemption Is Witnessed on Earth.
3. Our Redemption Is Wrapped in Our Hearts.

 

The rest of this sermon following the outline above can be obtained by joining www.eSermons.com.

_______________________

 

1 Thessalonians - sermon titled "If This Is Your Faith, Tell Me Your Stories" 

 

We are used to dividing time into two different eons: "B.C." and "A.D." or as the secular world now calls them, "BCE" and "CE." To say we live in 2009 A.D. or C.E. gives us a sense of the passage of time, a feeling of where we stand in the flow of events. But such designations don't distinguish much else about the changes the centuries have brought. 

 

After a fearsome November storm season across North America it seems one designation that might help describe the changes time has brought is to divide life "B.E." and "A.E." - "Before Electricity" and "After Electricity." There is nothing like an extended power outage to remind us just how dependent we are on the power grid for our life-styles and livelihoods.

 

When the power goes out everything is work. Making a cup of coffee requires a fire, a cast iron kettle, a lot of time, and gives sad, gritty results.  Creating a whole meal can take a whole day. 

 

But there are other changes that occur when the power is out that aren't all bad. Without the TV, computer, video games, and music downloads, families who are hunkered down against a storm have to find something else to do. Off-the-grid days are the days when we drag out the old board games, find a deck of cards, start a giant jigsaw puzzle. As soon as the batteries run out on the iPod and the cell phone, talking to each other are the only voices that we have to listen to.

 

That is why in "B.E." time the most important members of a community were the storytellers. The storytellers were revered for their wisdom and honored for their knowledge. The storytellers were responsible for telling people who they were, where they stood in the world, how they came to be, and what they should be doing.

 

Even in these "A.E." days, the things we learn as stories stick with us become a part of us, far more than any lesson we learn by rote. Read a paragraph about unemployment and poverty rates and you might nod off. Hear the story of "The Grasshopper and the Ant," and you never forget why we all must work for a living. 

 

But stories only live on when they are told and re-told. Each new generation must learn the stories of its people, its family, its nation, and its faith, or the stories are lost forever.

 

Just inside the main entrance to Harrods, the great London department store, there is a statue of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed (whose father owns Harrods). As my twelve-year-old daughter and I stood in front of it, Soren innocently asked, "Who is Princess Diana?" The woman who had been the most recognized icon of the eighties and nineties was a complete mystery to her, an unknown nobody, because Soren had never heard her story.

 

In the same way all of the Christian faith is always just one generation away from extinction--unless we tell our stories. No one is "born" a Christian. Christians can only be "born again" after they hear and inhabit the stories that tell of God's love for the world.

 

The rest of Leonard Sweet's sermon can be obtained by joining www.Sermons.com 

___________________________

 

An Advent Promise: Goodness and Mercy Will Win

 

As some of you know, Fiorello LaGuardia was mayor of New York during the Depression, and he was quite a character. He would ride the city fire trucks, take entire orphanages to baseball games and whenever the city newspapers went on strike, he would get on the radio and read the Sunday "funnies" to the children.

At any rate, one bitter cold winter's night in 1935, Mayor LaGuardia turned up in a night court that served the poorest ward in the city, dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench himself. After he heard a few cases, a tattered old woman was brought before him, accused of stealing a loaf of bread.

She told LaGuardia that her daughter's husband had deserted her, her daughter was sick and her grandchildren were starving. But the shopkeeper, from whom the bread was stolen, insisted on pressing charges. "My store is in a very bad neighborhood, your honor," he said. "She's got to be punished in order to teach other people a lesson."

The mayor sighed. He turned to the old woman and said, "I've got to punish you," he said. "The law makes no exception - ten dollars or ten days in jail."

But even as he spoke, LaGuardia was reaching into his pocket and pulling out a ten dollar bill. "Here is the woman's fine," he said, "and furthermore, I'm going to fine everyone in this court room fifty cents for living in a city where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Baliff, collect the fines and give them to the defendant."

The following day, the New York Times reported that $47.50 was turned over to the bewildered old woman. It was given by the red-faced store owner, some seventy petty criminals, people with traffic violations and city policemen - and they all gave their mayor a standing ovation as they handed over their money.

That's how it will be with God's world. Just when it seems that all hope is lost, and goodness and mercy shall never win, the Great Judge will come to set things right, deciding for the hungry and the meek of the earth. Yes, there is also an Advent promise for the nations of the world in perplexity and distress: "Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
 
Erskine White, Together in Christ, CSS Publishing Company 


_______________________________________

A Bit of Contrast

 

A bit of a contrast, isn't it? The sweet strains of "Away in a Manger" followed by "...distress among nations...the roaring of the sea...People will faint from fear and foreboding...the powers of the heavens will be shaken." Ho, ho, ho! Where is Santa when we need him? So why in the world would the church choose a Gospel lesson such as this to begin Advent and our preparation for the coming of the Christ child? 

Good reason. The sad truth that all of us who are old enough knows is we do not live in a "Santa Claus" world. Children's visions of sugar plums are washed away with the hot tears of grown-up disappointment and despair. Disease and death are constant companions. The fear and foreboding of which Jesus spoke greet us at every turn. Somehow we need to be reminded that this misery is not the end of the story. 

 

David E. Leininger, Eyes Up!

________________________

 

The Hope of a New Birth

 

Unfortunately, our gospel lesson doesn't at first seem to instill us with any sense of hope at all. In fact, after reading this passage, we can be overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness. This passage sounds a bit like the one we heard two Sundays ago, only this one has more doom and gloom, more destruction, more chaos and catastrophe. We hear of these mysterious signs in the sun, moon and stars. There are images of people fainting. Heaven and earth pass away, there is talk of a trap, and our hope for escape, and by the end of the reading, it seems the walls are closing in on us. 

 

And yet, in the midst of the chaos of this reading, if you look closely enough, calmly enough, there are some words of hope in the midst of the confusion. Jesus says, "when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near . . . when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near." He speaks of fig trees, an image which may not communicate much to us, but his hearers in that time knew that the fig tree was a symbol of life out of death, a symbol of the hope that comes after the winter, the hope of new birth.

 

Beth Quick, Ready or Not..

 

________________________________________

 

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Peace: Good Is Not Far Away

 

What anxious people need more than anything is peace, especially peace of mind. On Black Friday I went into a Fossil store that sells watches. The store was crowded and I could barely make my way to the counter. I was on a mission. I had a fossil watch that needed a battery. I was certain that the last thing any clerk wanted to do on the busiest shopping day of the year was to install a new battery in a watch. Much to my surprise the man said he would be glad to put in a new battery. I could leave it and pick it up later. When I came back, again much to my surprise, he only charged me $5. In the midst of all that craziness I experienced the reality that life goes on and the simplest of things continue in spite of all the craziness. I gratefully left the store, watch in hand, ticking along, marking time for years to come. I felt a sense of peace that God is still in the midst of all the chaos.

What this all says to me is that no matter how anxious the times we live in, God is not far away. The problem is that we are so afraid we miss God's presence. We let those who use scare tactics mislead us. We allow doom and darkness to dominate our lives rather than hope and light. Jesus is telling us that "to understand the world's troubles as omens of doom is to misread them. The world's tribulations and our personal trials can be understood as reasons for us to remain faithful, hopeful and optimistic." (Homiletics, December, 2006, pg. 33)

 

Keith Wagner, Hope for the Overwhelmed

 

____________________________

 

Keeping Spiritually Dressed

 

When Eisenhower was president of the United States, he once visited Denver. His attention was called to a letter in the local newspaper saying that a six-year-old boy dying with cancer expressed a wish to see the president. One Sunday morning a black limousine pulled up in front of the boy's house. Ike stepped out of his car and knocked on the front door. The father, Donald Haley, opened the door wearing faded jeans, an old shirt, and a day's old beard. Standing behind him was the boy. Ike said, "Paul, I understand you want to see me. Glad to see you." Then he took the boy to the limousine to show it to him, shook hands, and left. The family and neighbors talked about the President's visit for a long time before the father always remembered it with regret because of the way he was dressed. He lamented, "What a way to meet the President of the United States." If we keep in fellowship with God through prayer, we will keep ourselves spiritually dressed for Christ's coming at any time.

 

John R. Brokhoff, Wrinkled Wrappings, CSS Publishing Company. 

 

__________________

 

When Everything Becomes "Merely"

 

Virginia Owens in her book, And The Trees Clap Their Hands, suggests that we lose the wonder of it all, because along the way everything becomes "merely." Things are "merely" stars, sunset, rain, flowers, and mountains. Their connection with God's creation is lost. During this Advent season many things are just "merely." It becomes "merely" Bethlehem, a stable, a birth -- we have no feeling of wonder or mystery. That is what familiarity can do to us over the years.

 

Owens goes on to say that it is this "merely" quality of things that leads to crime. It is "merely" a thing -- I'll take it. It is "merely" an object -- I'll destroy it. It is this "merely" quality of things and life that leads to war. We shall lose "merely" a few thousand men, but it will be worth it. Within the Advent narrative nothing is "merely." Things are not "merely" things, but are part of God's grand design. Common things, such as motherhood, a birth, a child, now have new meaning. This is not "merely" the world, but a world that is charged with the beauty and grandeur of God's design. It is a world so loved by God that God gave his only Son. What is so great about the Advent season is that everything appears charged with the beauty and grandeur of God. 

 

John A. Stroman, God's Downward Mobility, CSS Publishing.

 

________________

 

Exchanging Our Eschatological Heritage

 

Neill Hamilton, who taught at Drew University for many years, once observed how people in our time lose hope for the future. It happens whenever we let our culture call the shots on how the world is going to end. At this stage of technological advancement, the only way the culture can make sense of the future is through the picture of everything blowing up in a nuclear holocaust. The world cannot know what we know, that everything has changed in the death and resurrection of Jesus, that the same Christ is coming to judge the world and give birth to a new creation. And so, people lose hope. As Hamilton puts it: This substitution of an image of nuclear holocaust for the coming of Christ is a parable of what happens to Christians when they cease to believe in their own eschatological heritage. The culture supplies its own images for the end when we default by ceasing to believe in biblical images of God's triumph at the end.

 

The good news of the gospel is this: when all is said and done, God is going to win.

 

William G. Carter, No Box Seats in the Kingdom, CSS Publishing.

 

___________________

   

Sound Theology

 

In the Peanuts comic strip, Linus and Lucy are standing at the window looking out at the rain falling. Lucy says to Linus, "Boy, look at it rain...What if it floods the earth?" Linus, the resident biblical scholar for the Peanuts, answers, "It will never do that...in the ninth chapter of Genesis, God promised Noah that would never happen again, and the sign of the promise is the rainbow." With a smile on her face, Lucy replies, "Linus, you've taken a great load off my mind." To which Linus responds, "Sound theology has a way of doing that."

 

Charles Schultz, Peanuts, adapted by David E. Leininger

 

___________________________

 

Second Coming and Faithfulness

 

During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with the story of Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives:   On May 19th, 1780 the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared the end was at hand. Quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, "The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought." Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful till Christ returns. Instead of fearing the dark, we're to be lights as we watch and wait.

 

Harry Heintz 

 

__________________

 

Preparation for Christ's Coming

 

Maybe you've heard the story of the little boy who decided to write a letter to God one Christmas. He started out by writing: "Dear God, I've been a really good boy this year." Unfortunately, he remembered that God was all knowing and all seeing and he decided that he couldn't lie to God. So, he crumpled up that letter and started over. This time he wrote: "Dear God, I know I haven't done everything I should have, but I really tried to be good." He stopped and crumpled up that letter, too. It was obvious that he was struggling with what to write to God.

 

As he sat there thinking he looked up and saw his mother's favorite piece of sculpture on the mantel. It was a beautiful rendition of the Madonna, the mother of Christ. The boy perked up and ran out of the room. He came back with a towel and a shoebox. He walked over, carefully picked up the Madonna, gently wrapped it in the towel, carefully put it in the shoebox and then hid it in the closet. He immediately went back to the table and wrote: "Dear God, if you ever want to see your mother again . . ."

 

It's time the Church took back Christmas. And we do. Every year we take it back and bring back the meaning and the purpose. The world tries to hold it for ransom each year, with its multiplicity of gadgets and this year's list of must have toys; the world tries to make demands and hold Christmas for ransom but it never works. The birth of the Christ child is just too powerful, even for Wall Street. The sight and the sounds and the remembrance of this child born so long ago changes all the rules. His very presence makes the glitter of our Christmas presents pale in comparison.

 

Billy D. Strayhorn, Stay On Your Toes

 

__________________

 

Luther on Signs of Christ's Coming

 

I do not wish to force any one to believe as I do; neither will I permit anyone to deny me the right to believe that the last day is near at hand. These words and signs of Christ compel me to believe that such is the case. For the history of the centuries that have passed since the birth of Christ nowhere reveals conditions like those of the present. There has never been such building and planting in the world. There has never been such gluttonous and varied eating and drinking as now. Wearing apparel has reached its limit in costliness. Who has ever heard of such commerce as now encircles the earth? There have arisen all kinds of art and sculpture, embroidery and engraving, the like of which has not been seen during the whole Christian era. 

 

The conclusion to this illustration and for many additional illustrations and sermons for Advent 1 can be accessed at www.Sermons.com.

 
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Fri Nov 27 22:14:40 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:14:40 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fw: SermonWriter:  Nov. 29 (Advent 1C) Luke 21:25-36
Message-ID: <429EF14A09E8450D8CEC43E977784F01@YOUR264F1833C5>

The following are SermonWriter materials for Nov. 29 (Advent 1C). They focus on Luke 21:25-36, where Jesus talks about his Second Coming.


NO PASSWORD REQUIREMENT: We are posting these materials on the web with no password.  To access those files, you MUST use the following links.  If clicking on the link fails to work, copy the link and paste it in the address window near the top of your browser.  Then hit the ENTER key or click GO.

Microsoft Word file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-29be/Luke_21.25-36.doc

HTML file (web page):
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-29be/Luke_21.25-36.htm

WordPerfect file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-29be/Luke_21.25-36.wpd


A TIP: If you want the Word or WordPerfect files, LEFT-CLICK on the link and see what happens.  That should bring up a dialog box that asks if you want to open the file or save it.  Choose OPEN.  Then save it wherever you like on your hard drive.

If that doesn't work, RIGHT-CLICK on the link.  You should get a sub-menu.  Hopefully, "Save Target As" will be one of the options.  Click on that.  Then save the file wherever you want on your hard drive.


<>
Dick Donovan


A THOUGHT ON PREACHING:  Life with Christ is an alternative, not a complement, to other so-called "lifestyles." The Christian life demands amendment of life precisely because it incorporates people into God's life, first gaining their trust through the forgiveness of sin. (Ellen Charry -- courtesy of Fr. Charles Hoffacker)


TITLE:  Your Redemption Draweth Nigh!


SERMON IN A SENTENCE:  Jesus' promise is that, for the faithful, his Second Coming will be a great moment of redemption -- a setting right of a world gone wrong.

<>
SERMON:

In 1898, H.G. Wells published a science fiction novel entitled The War of the Worlds.  It depicted an invasion of England by Martians -- octopus-like creatures -- equipped with ray guns which they used to incinerate people who went out to meet them.

Forty years later (1939), Orson Welles adapted the idea for radio.  Instead of a regular radio drama, Welles envisioned the broadcast as a regular program interrupted by news bulletins about a Martian invasion at Grover's Mill, New Jersey.  These fake news bulletins told of tentacled Martians incinerating people with Heat-Rays.

The governor called out the state militia, which found itself hopelessly outclassed by the Martians.  A news reporter told of the Martians invading New York City, and said that poison gas was spreading across the city and people were "falling like flies."  Then his voice went silent as he succumbed to the gas.  Finally, a ham radio operator was heard saying, "2X2L calling CQ.  Isn't there anyone on the air?  Isn't there anyone on the air?  Isn't there... anyone?"

Many listeners, who tuned in too late to hear the beginning of the program, thought that they were listening to a real newscast describing a real Martian invasion.  People panicked, especially in New Jersey and New York City -- the focus of the attacks.

However, panic also spread across the country.  In the little town of Concrete, Washington, an electrical substation exploded with a bang and flash of light, plunging the town into darkness.  People who had been listening to the program gathered their families and headed for the hills.  One Catholic man decided that he had to get absolution from his priest in Bellingham.  He went to the gas station to fill his tank and drove off without paying, telling the attendant that it wouldn't make any difference, because "everyone is going to die."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(radio)#Public_reaction

I tell that story, because it captures the mood that people most often associate with Jesus' Second Coming -- a mood of disaster and panic.

<>
FOR MORE SERMONS ON THIS TEXT, GO TO:
http://www.lectionary.org/SermLinks/NT/NT03luke.htm

Scroll down to the correct chapter and verse.


THOUGHT PROVOKERS:

We are not a post-war generation,
but a pre-peace generation.
Jesus is coming.

Corrie ten Boom

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Christ designed that the day of his coming
should be hid from us,
that being in suspense,
we might be as it were upon the watch.

Martin Luther

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

The primitive church thought more about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ
than about death or about heaven.
The early Christians were looking
not for a cleft in the ground called a grave,
but for a cleavage in the sky called Glory.
They were watching not for the "undertaker"
but for the "Uppertaker."

Alexander Maclaren

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

On being told that the end of the world was coming, Ralph Waldo Emerson replied, "The end of the world will not affect me; I can live without it."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

The immense step from the Babe at Bethlehem
to the living, reigning triumphant Lord Jesus,
returning to earth for his own people --
that is the glorious truth proclaimed throughout Scripture.
As the bells ring out the joys of Christmas,
may we also be alert for the final trumpet that will announce his return,
when we shall always be with him.

Alan Redpath

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

HYMN STORY:  Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

The origins of this hymn are lost in the haze of antiquity.  It probably comes from the fifth century and probably originated in the Orthodox churches -- but those are simply our best guesses.
<>
NOTE:  See other hymn stories at http://www.lectionary.org/hymnstories.htm


<>
www.sermonwriter.com

www.lectionary.org

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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Fri Nov 27 22:18:50 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:18:50 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fw: Sermons Resources for Nov. 29th - Part 1
Message-ID: <ECDACD4D55A04D5CB5B559DC9F32DC59@YOUR264F1833C5>

Sermons for Advent 1:
 

     Luke 21:25-36 - "Lift Up Your Heads" 

     1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 - "If This Is Your Faith, Tell Me Your Stories" by Leonard Sweet

 

Luke 21 - sermon titled "Lift Up Your Heads"] 

 

A. J. Gordon was the great Baptist pastor of the Clarendon Church in Boston, Massachusetts. One day he met a young boy in front of the sanctuary carrying a rusty cage in which several birds fluttered nervously. Gordon inquired, "Son, where did you get those birds?" The boy replied, "I trapped them out in the field." "What are you going to do with them?" "I'm going to play with them, and then I guess I'll just feed them to an old cat we have at home." When Gordon offered to buy them, the lad exclaimed, "Mister, you don't want them, they're just little old wild birds and can't sing very well." Gordon replied, "I'll give you $2 for the cage and the birds." "Okay, it's a deal, but you're making a bad bargain." The exchange was made and the boy went away whistling, happy with his shiny coins. Gordon walked around to the back of the church property, opened the door of the small wire coop, and let the struggling creatures soar into the blue. The next Sunday he took the empty cage into the pulpit and used it to illustrate his sermon about Christ's coming to seek and to save the lost -- paying for them with His own precious blood. "That boy told me the birds were not songsters," said Gordon, "but when I released them and they winged their way heavenward, it seemed to me they were singing, 'Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed!'"

This is Advent. And the message of these times is the song of those wild birds. It's the song sung in every carol this season: Redeemed! It's the meaning behind every gift given under the tree: Redeemed! It's the Word the shepherds heard: Redeemed! It's the assurance Mary received: Redeemed! It's the star the Wisemen followed: Redeemed! [Depending on your style you might omit the repetition of "Redeemed" at the end of each sentence but allowing it at the end of this paragraph.] You and I have been trapped by sin, but Christ has purchased our pardon. He who has this hope in his heart will sing, and you know the song: "Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed!"

Will YOU hear the song this season? Will YOU see the signs this Christmas? You can, if you will stand up and lift up your heads. It is all around. Don't you know that.

1. Our Redemption Is Written in the Heavens.
2. Our Redemption Is Witnessed on Earth.
3. Our Redemption Is Wrapped in Our Hearts.

 

The rest of this sermon following the outline above can be obtained by joining www.eSermons.com.

_______________________



1 Thessalonians - sermon titled "If This Is Your Faith, Tell Me Your Stories" 

 

We are used to dividing time into two different eons: "B.C." and "A.D." or as the secular world now calls them, "BCE" and "CE." To say we live in 2009 A.D. or C.E. gives us a sense of the passage of time, a feeling of where we stand in the flow of events. But such designations don't distinguish much else about the changes the centuries have brought. 

 

After a fearsome November storm season across North America it seems one designation that might help describe the changes time has brought is to divide life "B.E." and "A.E." - "Before Electricity" and "After Electricity." There is nothing like an extended power outage to remind us just how dependent we are on the power grid for our life-styles and livelihoods.

 

When the power goes out everything is work. Making a cup of coffee requires a fire, a cast iron kettle, a lot of time, and gives sad, gritty results.  Creating a whole meal can take a whole day. 

 

But there are other changes that occur when the power is out that aren't all bad. Without the TV, computer, video games, and music downloads, families who are hunkered down against a storm have to find something else to do. Off-the-grid days are the days when we drag out the old board games, find a deck of cards, start a giant jigsaw puzzle. As soon as the batteries run out on the iPod and the cell phone, talking to each other are the only voices that we have to listen to.

 

That is why in "B.E." time the most important members of a community were the storytellers. The storytellers were revered for their wisdom and honored for their knowledge. The storytellers were responsible for telling people who they were, where they stood in the world, how they came to be, and what they should be doing.

 

Even in these "A.E." days, the things we learn as stories stick with us become a part of us, far more than any lesson we learn by rote. Read a paragraph about unemployment and poverty rates and you might nod off. Hear the story of "The Grasshopper and the Ant," and you never forget why we all must work for a living. 

 

But stories only live on when they are told and re-told. Each new generation must learn the stories of its people, its family, its nation, and its faith, or the stories are lost forever.

 

Just inside the main entrance to Harrods, the great London department store, there is a statue of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed (whose father owns Harrods). As my twelve-year-old daughter and I stood in front of it, Soren innocently asked, "Who is Princess Diana?" The woman who had been the most recognized icon of the eighties and nineties was a complete mystery to her, an unknown nobody, because Soren had never heard her story.

 

In the same way all of the Christian faith is always just one generation away from extinction--unless we tell our stories. No one is "born" a Christian. Christians can only be "born again" after they hear and inhabit the stories that tell of God's love for the world.

 

The rest of Leonard Sweet's sermon can be obtained by joining www.Sermons.com 

___________________________

 

An Advent Promise: Goodness and Mercy Will Win

 

As some of you know, Fiorello LaGuardia was mayor of New York during the Depression, and he was quite a character. He would ride the city fire trucks, take entire orphanages to baseball games and whenever the city newspapers went on strike, he would get on the radio and read the Sunday "funnies" to the children.

At any rate, one bitter cold winter's night in 1935, Mayor LaGuardia turned up in a night court that served the poorest ward in the city, dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench himself. After he heard a few cases, a tattered old woman was brought before him, accused of stealing a loaf of bread.

She told LaGuardia that her daughter's husband had deserted her, her daughter was sick and her grandchildren were starving. But the shopkeeper, from whom the bread was stolen, insisted on pressing charges. "My store is in a very bad neighborhood, your honor," he said. "She's got to be punished in order to teach other people a lesson."

The mayor sighed. He turned to the old woman and said, "I've got to punish you," he said. "The law makes no exception - ten dollars or ten days in jail."

But even as he spoke, LaGuardia was reaching into his pocket and pulling out a ten dollar bill. "Here is the woman's fine," he said, "and furthermore, I'm going to fine everyone in this court room fifty cents for living in a city where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Baliff, collect the fines and give them to the defendant."

The following day, the New York Times reported that $47.50 was turned over to the bewildered old woman. It was given by the red-faced store owner, some seventy petty criminals, people with traffic violations and city policemen - and they all gave their mayor a standing ovation as they handed over their money.

That's how it will be with God's world. Just when it seems that all hope is lost, and goodness and mercy shall never win, the Great Judge will come to set things right, deciding for the hungry and the meek of the earth. Yes, there is also an Advent promise for the nations of the world in perplexity and distress: "Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
 
Erskine White, Together in Christ, CSS Publishing Company 


_______________________________________

A Bit of Contrast

 

A bit of a contrast, isn't it? The sweet strains of "Away in a Manger" followed by "...distress among nations...the roaring of the sea...People will faint from fear and foreboding...the powers of the heavens will be shaken." Ho, ho, ho! Where is Santa when we need him? So why in the world would the church choose a Gospel lesson such as this to begin Advent and our preparation for the coming of the Christ child? 

Good reason. The sad truth that all of us who are old enough knows is we do not live in a "Santa Claus" world. Children's visions of sugar plums are washed away with the hot tears of grown-up disappointment and despair. Disease and death are constant companions. The fear and foreboding of which Jesus spoke greet us at every turn. Somehow we need to be reminded that this misery is not the end of the story. 

 

David E. Leininger, Eyes Up!

________________________

 

The Hope of a New Birth

 

Unfortunately, our gospel lesson doesn't at first seem to instill us with any sense of hope at all. In fact, after reading this passage, we can be overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness. This passage sounds a bit like the one we heard two Sundays ago, only this one has more doom and gloom, more destruction, more chaos and catastrophe. We hear of these mysterious signs in the sun, moon and stars. There are images of people fainting. Heaven and earth pass away, there is talk of a trap, and our hope for escape, and by the end of the reading, it seems the walls are closing in on us. 

 

And yet, in the midst of the chaos of this reading, if you look closely enough, calmly enough, there are some words of hope in the midst of the confusion. Jesus says, "when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near . . . when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near." He speaks of fig trees, an image which may not communicate much to us, but his hearers in that time knew that the fig tree was a symbol of life out of death, a symbol of the hope that comes after the winter, the hope of new birth.

 

Beth Quick, Ready or Not..

 
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Fri Nov 27 22:18:56 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:18:56 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fw: Sermons Resources for Nov. 29th - Part 2
Message-ID: <0C45BF4BC9F14FD0A5AB0E39106A974E@YOUR264F1833C5>

Fw: Sermons Resources for Nov. 29th - Part 2

Peace: Good Is Not Far Away

What anxious people need more than anything is peace, especially peace of mind. On Black Friday I went into a Fossil store that sells watches. The store was crowded and I could barely make my way to the counter. I was on a mission. I had a fossil watch that needed a battery. I was certain that the last thing any clerk wanted to do on the busiest shopping day of the year was to install a new battery in a watch. Much to my surprise the man said he would be glad to put in a new battery. I could leave it and pick it up later. When I came back, again much to my surprise, he only charged me $5. In the midst of all that craziness I experienced the reality that life goes on and the simplest of things continue in spite of all the craziness. I gratefully left the store, watch in hand, ticking along, marking time for years to come. I felt a sense of peace that God is still in the midst of all the chaos.

What this all says to me is that no matter how anxious the times we live in, God is not far away. The problem is that we are so afraid we miss God's presence. We let those who use scare tactics mislead us. We allow doom and darkness to dominate our lives rather than hope and light. Jesus is telling us that "to understand the world's troubles as omens of doom is to misread them. The world's tribulations and our personal trials can be understood as reasons for us to remain faithful, hopeful and optimistic." (Homiletics, December, 2006, pg. 33)

 

Keith Wagner, Hope for the Overwhelmed

 

____________________________

 

Keeping Spiritually Dressed

 

When Eisenhower was president of the United States, he once visited Denver. His attention was called to a letter in the local newspaper saying that a six-year-old boy dying with cancer expressed a wish to see the president. One Sunday morning a black limousine pulled up in front of the boy's house. Ike stepped out of his car and knocked on the front door. The father, Donald Haley, opened the door wearing faded jeans, an old shirt, and a day's old beard. Standing behind him was the boy. Ike said, "Paul, I understand you want to see me. Glad to see you." Then he took the boy to the limousine to show it to him, shook hands, and left. The family and neighbors talked about the President's visit for a long time before the father always remembered it with regret because of the way he was dressed. He lamented, "What a way to meet the President of the United States." If we keep in fellowship with God through prayer, we will keep ourselves spiritually dressed for Christ's coming at any time.

 

John R. Brokhoff, Wrinkled Wrappings, CSS Publishing Company. 

 

__________________

 

When Everything Becomes "Merely"

 

Virginia Owens in her book, And The Trees Clap Their Hands, suggests that we lose the wonder of it all, because along the way everything becomes "merely." Things are "merely" stars, sunset, rain, flowers, and mountains. Their connection with God's creation is lost. During this Advent season many things are just "merely." It becomes "merely" Bethlehem, a stable, a birth -- we have no feeling of wonder or mystery. That is what familiarity can do to us over the years.

 

Owens goes on to say that it is this "merely" quality of things that leads to crime. It is "merely" a thing -- I'll take it. It is "merely" an object -- I'll destroy it. It is this "merely" quality of things and life that leads to war. We shall lose "merely" a few thousand men, but it will be worth it. Within the Advent narrative nothing is "merely." Things are not "merely" things, but are part of God's grand design. Common things, such as motherhood, a birth, a child, now have new meaning. This is not "merely" the world, but a world that is charged with the beauty and grandeur of God's design. It is a world so loved by God that God gave his only Son. What is so great about the Advent season is that everything appears charged with the beauty and grandeur of God. 

 

John A. Stroman, God's Downward Mobility, CSS Publishing.

 

________________

 

Exchanging Our Eschatological Heritage

 

Neill Hamilton, who taught at Drew University for many years, once observed how people in our time lose hope for the future. It happens whenever we let our culture call the shots on how the world is going to end. At this stage of technological advancement, the only way the culture can make sense of the future is through the picture of everything blowing up in a nuclear holocaust. The world cannot know what we know, that everything has changed in the death and resurrection of Jesus, that the same Christ is coming to judge the world and give birth to a new creation. And so, people lose hope. As Hamilton puts it: This substitution of an image of nuclear holocaust for the coming of Christ is a parable of what happens to Christians when they cease to believe in their own eschatological heritage. The culture supplies its own images for the end when we default by ceasing to believe in biblical images of God's triumph at the end.

 

The good news of the gospel is this: when all is said and done, God is going to win.

 

William G. Carter, No Box Seats in the Kingdom, CSS Publishing.

 

___________________

   

Sound Theology

 

In the Peanuts comic strip, Linus and Lucy are standing at the window looking out at the rain falling. Lucy says to Linus, "Boy, look at it rain...What if it floods the earth?" Linus, the resident biblical scholar for the Peanuts, answers, "It will never do that...in the ninth chapter of Genesis, God promised Noah that would never happen again, and the sign of the promise is the rainbow." With a smile on her face, Lucy replies, "Linus, you've taken a great load off my mind." To which Linus responds, "Sound theology has a way of doing that."

 

Charles Schultz, Peanuts, adapted by David E. Leininger

 

___________________________

 

Second Coming and Faithfulness

 

During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with the story of Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives:   On May 19th, 1780 the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared the end was at hand. Quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, "The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought." Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful till Christ returns. Instead of fearing the dark, we're to be lights as we watch and wait.

 

Harry Heintz 

 

__________________

 

Preparation for Christ's Coming

 

Maybe you've heard the story of the little boy who decided to write a letter to God one Christmas. He started out by writing: "Dear God, I've been a really good boy this year." Unfortunately, he remembered that God was all knowing and all seeing and he decided that he couldn't lie to God. So, he crumpled up that letter and started over. This time he wrote: "Dear God, I know I haven't done everything I should have, but I really tried to be good." He stopped and crumpled up that letter, too. It was obvious that he was struggling with what to write to God.

 

As he sat there thinking he looked up and saw his mother's favorite piece of sculpture on the mantel. It was a beautiful rendition of the Madonna, the mother of Christ. The boy perked up and ran out of the room. He came back with a towel and a shoebox. He walked over, carefully picked up the Madonna, gently wrapped it in the towel, carefully put it in the shoebox and then hid it in the closet. He immediately went back to the table and wrote: "Dear God, if you ever want to see your mother again . . ."

 

It's time the Church took back Christmas. And we do. Every year we take it back and bring back the meaning and the purpose. The world tries to hold it for ransom each year, with its multiplicity of gadgets and this year's list of must have toys; the world tries to make demands and hold Christmas for ransom but it never works. The birth of the Christ child is just too powerful, even for Wall Street. The sight and the sounds and the remembrance of this child born so long ago changes all the rules. His very presence makes the glitter of our Christmas presents pale in comparison.

 

Billy D. Strayhorn, Stay On Your Toes

 

__________________

 

Luther on Signs of Christ's Coming

 

I do not wish to force any one to believe as I do; neither will I permit anyone to deny me the right to believe that the last day is near at hand. These words and signs of Christ compel me to believe that such is the case. For the history of the centuries that have passed since the birth of Christ nowhere reveals conditions like those of the present. There has never been such building and planting in the world. There has never been such gluttonous and varied eating and drinking as now. Wearing apparel has reached its limit in costliness. Who has ever heard of such commerce as now encircles the earth? There have arisen all kinds of art and sculpture, embroidery and engraving, the like of which has not been seen during the whole Christian era. 

 

The conclusion to this illustration and for many additional illustrations and sermons for Advent 1 can be accessed at www.Sermons.com.

 
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 28 08:53:57 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:53:57 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fw: SermonWriter: Nov. 29 (Advent 1C) Jeremiah 33:14-16
Message-ID: <AF70D0928E254B18B4078F31EAE8D99C@YOUR264F1833C5>

The following are links to materials for the FIRST READING for Nov. 29 
(Advent 1C) for Luke 21:25-36:


NO PASSWORD REQUIREMENT: We are posting these materials on the web with no 
password.
To access those files, you MUST use the following links.

IF CLICKING ON THE LINK FAILS TO WORK, copy the link and paste it in the 
address window near the top of your browser.
Then hit the ENTER key or click GO.

OR YOU CAN USE YOUR USERNAME AND PASSWORD to access the files elsewhere on 
my web site.  See below for instructions.


JEREMIAH 33:14-16:

These materials include the exegesis + links to two sermons + a hymn list:

Microsoft Word file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-29be/Jer.33.14-16.doc

HTML file (web page):
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-29be/Jer.33.14-16.htm

WordPerfect file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-29be/Jer.33.14-16.wpd


1 THESSALONIANS 3:9-13 (RCL Epistle)
(Link to one sermon -- No exegesis)

http://www.lectionary.org/SermLinks/NT/NT13_Thess.htm


A TIP: If you want the Word or WordPerfect files, LEFT-CLICK on the link and 
see what happens.
That should bring up a dialog box that asks if you want to open the file or 
save it.
Choose OPEN.  Then save it wherever you like on your hard drive.

If that doesn't work, RIGHT-CLICK on the link.  You should get a sub-menu.
Hopefully, "Save Target As" will be one of them.  Click on that.
Then save the file wherever you want on your hard drive.
<>

WWW.LECTIONARY.ORG
<>
Dick Donovan





From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 28 13:01:39 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:01:39 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Quotes for Luke 21:25-36 for 1 Advent - Part 1
Message-ID: <AE795F4292494F5F97512BB12240F51D@YOUR264F1833C5>

In the Revised Common Lectionary, the season of Advent (Latin for coming to) begins with a look to the future coming (???????? - parousia in Greek) of the Son of Man. (NOTE: the phrase "second coming" doesn't occur in scriptures!) The subsequent Sundays in Advent focus on the past coming of Jesus as a baby in Bethlehem.

<>

These signs "in the sun and moon and stars" allude back to the prophets.

 

Isaiah 13:9-10

            See, the day of the LORD comes,

                        cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,

            to make the earth a desolation,

                        and to destroy its sinners from it.

            For the stars of the heavens and their constellations

                        will not give their light;

            the sun will be dark at its rising,

                        and the moon will not shed its light.

 

Ezekiel 32:7-8

            When I blot you out, I will cover the heavens,

                        and make their stars dark;

            I will cover the sun with a cloud,

                        and the moon shall not give its light.

            All the shining lights of the heavens

                        I will darken above you,

                        and put darkness on your land,

                                    says the Lord GOD.

 

Joel 2:30-31

I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.



These heavenly signs do not just point forward to the coming, but also backwards as fulfillment of the prophets' word. 

<>

Apocalyptic literature is written primarily to give hope and assurance to people in the midst of suffering. 



http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/luke21x25.htm



Brian Stoffregen

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Whereas Mark seems to tie these events to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, Luke - writing nearly two decades later - distances the promised end of history and the Temple's destruction. Luke is, in fact, down right vague about when Jesus will return, refusing to offer any hint of a timetable. 



http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=11/29/2009&tab=4



David Lose, 2009



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Then there will be "wars and insurrections" (v. 9), but "the end will not follow immediately" (as people expected). Disastrous natural phenomena, cause for great distress, will occur (v. 11), and when Jerusalem is surrounded by armies (v. 20), the city will soon fall: either physically or spiritually. Again the end will be delayed: the killing and deportation of citizens will continue "until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (v. 24), i.e. until non-Jews have had the opportunity to come to Christ.



http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/archive/cadv1m.shtml



Chris Haslam

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Verse 27: "they will see 'the Son of Man coming ...'": Daniel 7:13 says "As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him." 

<>

Verses 34-36: <> The terminology is so akin to Paul's that perhaps Luke is using a fragment from some lost epistle written by Paul or one of his disciples: for v. 34, see 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3; for v. 34a, see 1 Thessalonians 5:7; for v. 36, see 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10, 18. Even the rare Greek word agrypneo appears here and in 1 Thessalonians.

http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/archive/cadv1l.shtml

Chris Haslam

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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 28 13:57:19 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:57:19 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Quotes for Luke 21:25-36 for 1 Advent - Part 2
Message-ID: <F9E920611C564BBD9966BBF3F92ACD00@YOUR264F1833C5>

The warnings in 21:34-36 easily transfer into the contemporary setting. We may not be weighed down with drunkenness and debauchery, but our self-indulgence and the vested interest in sustaining our lifestyles at the expense of peoples trapped in poverty lives itself out in equal irresponsibility - both locally and on a global scale. 

http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/LkAdvent1.htm

William Loader
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 When we recall that the sun was the symbol of Rome itself, while the moon and the stars represented the empire's client kings clustered around it, we can better understand that, when Luke is talking about the "powers of the heavens" being shaken, it's a kind of code: "It is not the end of the cosmos, as Mark has it, but the shaking of the earthly principalities and powers that is referenced here," William Herzog writes in New Proclamation 2006.
<>
Richard Swanson reminds preachers that there are children in our congregations (and not there, too) who know well what it feels like for "the sun and the stars" to fall from the sky because of parental abuse and neglect; in their small worlds, their parents are the sun and the moon and the stars (Provoking the Gospel of Luke). 
<>
For further reflection:
Georgia O'Keeffe, 20th century: 
No one sees a flower, not really. To look at a flower takes time, like having a friend takes time.

J?rgen Moltmann, 20th century: 
I tried to present the Christian hope no longer as such an "opium of the beyond" but rather as the divine power that makes us alive in this world.

Augustine, 5th century: 
God without us will not; we without God cannot.



http://www.ucc.org/worship/samuel/november-29.html

Kate Huey 
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Too many preachers waste time in the pulpit trying to counter this cultural tide. Arguing against the Christmas shopping schedule or radio stations playing "The Twelve Days of Christmas" up until Christmas and then playing no Christmas songs during the actual twelve days of Christmastide is spitting into the holiday wind. Instead of either/or, preachers need to help congregations experience both/and. 
<>
Two types of sermon strategies that present this type of theological claim come to mind. Both begin by contrasting (not criticizing) the difference between the sounds and looks of secular Christmas in the mall and liturgical Advent in the church. In the first approach, the preacher plays up the contrast as if the mall is behind the times. The world is starting Christmas while the church is already celebrating the New Year. This twist can be used then to back up to Advent beginning at the End.

In the second use of the contrast, the preacher might even seem to favor the already-ness of the secular Christmas in the beginning but move to a "but this can't be all there is" stance to finally defining Christian hope for "more." In other words, the sermon can move from bemoaning (not too strongly) the already to celebrating the not-yet in true eschatological fashion. Hope for things given and received under the Christmas tree is nice enough, but hope that the whole world will have food to eat, clothes to wear, safe environments to live in, meaningful relationships in which to participate, and a sense of God's grace in their lives is something else altogether.

http://www.goodpreacher.com/shareit/readreviews.php?cat=28

O. Wesley Allen, Jr.
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Apocalyptic is a style of literature that tends to flourish during difficult times.  In the ancient near east, the heyday of apocalyptic was between 300 BC and AD 100, which were times of particular turbulence in Israel.  In 300 BC, Israel was dealing with the "culture war" brought on by the spread of Greek culture in the wake of Alexander's conquest.  By AD 100, a subsequent occupying army had destroyed the holy city of Jerusalem.  In between were all manner of rebellions, terrorism, and war.
<>

 I was once at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, held each summer in my fair city, and noticed a street preacher at the corner of 3rd and Milwaukee.  His exhortations were to get right with God because Jesus was coming soon.  An old man was walking by about this time, walking with a cane and moving slowly.  When he heard the message of the street preacher, he straightened up and said, "What in blazes are you talking about?  He's already here."
<>
Quote of the Day
In 1987, at a White House dinner hosted by Ronald Reagan, Miles Davis was seated next to a Washington matron who asked him what he had done that was so special.  Davis replied, "Well, I've changed music five or six times.  Now tell me, what have you done of any importance other than be white?" 

http://www.progressiveinvolvement.com/progressive_involvement/2009/11/lectionary-blogging-luke-21-2536.html

John Petty, 2009 
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 28 15:04:17 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:04:17 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Quotes for Luke 21:25-36 for 1 Advent - Part 3
Message-ID: <3A2AF11812CD4FAB8E4CD2AA4D01455D@YOUR264F1833C5>

The purpose of these sayings of Jesus is not so much to prompt a reading of signs, but rather a renewing of faith. There are a number of motivators for the Christian life, and the return of Christ is one of the more powerful.
      The danger we face in our Christian walk is that of secularization. Both the believer and the church can get caught up in the "anxieties of life." This is particularly so today for the church, faced as we are with declining attendees and constricting budgets. It's very easy to rely on pragmatics rather than theology, easy to rely on marketing and management programs rather than faith in God's sovereign grace.

http://www.lectionarystudies.com/studyg/advent1cg.html

Bryan Findlayson
- - - - -

-Praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, We Christians are people of prayer, praying for the strength to be alert and not weighed down by the anxieties of life. We also pray for strength and patient endurance to handle the nastiness of life. 
-And to stand before the Son of Man.' Someday, we will also face the final judgment. The Son of Man is coming to judge the living and the dead. This is the issue. This is the last statement of Jesus in Luke's little apocalypse. We are all going to stand in judgment before the Son of Man. In Jesus' previous teachings during his lifetime, we repeatedly heard that the Son of Man was coming at the End of history to judge. After the Second Coming, we will finally stand in front of the judge, the Son of Man.

http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_eschataological_discourse.htm

Edward F. Markquart
- - - - -

Hands up, who spent today expecting, anticipating, being alert for the coming of the Son of Man? Being alert for the fulfillment of God's promises? For the coming of God's will being done on earth as it is in heaven?
Hmm. I wonder what it means when many, perhaps most, of us no longer live in anticipation of the fulfillment of God's promises in our lifetime? But this is precisely the God-sized anticipation that the Season of Advent calls us to re-new and rehearse.

http://www.holytextures.com/2009/11/luke-21-25-36-year-c-advent-1-sermon.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+typepad/davidewart/textures+(Holy+Textures)

David Ewart, 2009
- - - - - 

"Be alert at all times."  Be alert.
But to what?

The reading seems to focus on the big stuff, the signs of the end time - and we don't suffer from a shortage of signs in 2009.

In fact, two of our global issues are far larger than what Hardy terms "the familiar vicissitudes of history".  I'm thinking of the growing environmental crisis, and continued nuclear proliferation.  Either has the potential to end life as we know it on this planet; and both are wholly of human making.

http://gospelforgays.com/?p=607&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+GospelForGays+(Gospel+For+Gays)

Jeremiah Bartram, 2009
- - - - -

..."be alert"; these are not merely bits of
moral advice from a great teacher. They are God's word to all to whom the promises have been
given, to encourage us to hope, prayer, endurance, testimony, and faithful obedience in the
knowledge that our lives have a place in the cosmic purposes of God as those have been
decisively worked out in Jesus Christ. The birth of Christ in itself never saved anyone, but in the
whole career of Jesus-his birth, teachings, deeds, crucifixion, and resurrection-the God of
heaven and earth has drawn near to redeem us, and this work is being carried to completion even
now.

http://www.luthersem.edu/word&world/Archives/11-4_Confirmation/11-4_Kolden.pdf

Marc Kolden, 1991, Page 417
- - - - -

Kolden: Bonhoeffer writes that Advent is like sitting in a prison cell waiting for someone
to open the door, waiting for the word which will release you from prison.

http://www.luthersem.edu/word&world/Archives/8-4_Feminism/8-4_Grindal.pdf

Gracia Grindal, 1988
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 28 17:41:18 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:41:18 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Quotes for Luke 21:25-36 for 1 Advent - Part 4
Message-ID: <4A7445F61F3F42F7B007325B000B5075@YOUR264F1833C5>

Today's cosmologists put up fascinating & compelling scenarios (scary, too!) for the way things may one day end. In a frontispiece to his 'God & the New Physics' (reprinted in Penguin, '90) Paul Davies quotes Einstein's saying: 'Religion without science is blind. Science without religion is lame.' Those of us who preach do well to take that on board, and with it the 'signs' such physicists read in those same skies Jesus talks of. 

http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/laterallyluke/LLK212538ADV1.html

Brian McGowan
- - - - -

Justice and Righteousness show up in all manner of guises. Here we are faced with an image of Jesus on a cloud with Power and Glory [a reference to Moses and Elijah from Mt. Transfiguration?]. Another way to speak of this would be one who appeared with energy to do something about which one has a perspective. Even though the Greek has these both to be feminine nouns, we might yet translate them as Justice and Righteousness.

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2006/12/first-sunday-of-advent-c4.html

Wesley White, 2006
- - - - -

Today, at the start of the Liturgical Year the church invites us to set out on a great journey - to follow the footstep of Christ in all of his mysteries so that we can live as he lived. St. Luke gives us the last address of his public ministry where Jesus is clearly fretful about the future as he paints a bleak picture of the end of the world. There is talk of nations in fear and of people dying in agony. Yet Jesus' advice is "Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen." In Jesus' view there is a far side to disaster. The good news is that final liberation and resurrection comes out of the disaster. 

Like the prophets before him Jesus is painting a grim view of the future in order to influence the present. He does not want to paralyze them with fear but to energize them into action. The real purpose of speaking about the last days is to affect the present ones. Be awake, look reality in the eye and then act accordingly.

http://www.bible.claret.org/liturgy/daily/sundays_pierse/cycleC/C_1stSunAdv.htm

Gerry Pierse
- - - - -
"Christmas is coming!" What is your reaction when those words come from the mouths of children? Do you see the joy of the season? Or do you see the red of mounting debt? (Honestly, most of us see both!)...When Jesus pointed to his coming, he realized there would be anxiety. But he wanted anticipation. He wanted his people to stand tall and raise their heads. He wanted them to have hope.


http://www.word-sunday.com/Files/c/1Advent-c/A-1Advent-c.html

Larry Broding
- - - - -

We live in between the first coming of Jesus Christ and his second coming, and most of us feel a lot better about the first one. Christmas is about a baby, after all, and that makes everything easier. We know about babies, and so we know how to domesticate Christmas. 
<>
If you are a woman in modern India (it doesn't matter what caste you belong to) and your husband or fianc? doesn't think your family has come up with a big enough dowry, and if he locks you in a closet for three months or calls up his buddies and threatens to have them rape you and then kill you -- I say, if you are a modern Indian woman in such a predicament, you want redemption from wicked sexism, and you want it with every fiber of your being.
<>
According to a story that Os Guinness tells, 220 years ago the Connecticut House of Representatives was in session on a bright day in May, and the delegates were able to do their work by natural light. But then something happened that nobody expected. Right in the middle of debate, there was an eclipse of the sun and everything turned to darkness. Some legislators thought it was the second coming. So a clamor arose. People wanted to adjourn. People wanted to pray. People wanted to prepare for the coming of the Lord.

But the speaker of the House had a different idea. He was a Christian believer, and he rose to the occasion with good logic and good faith. We are all upset by the darkness, he said, and some of us are afraid. But "the Day of the Lord is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. And if the Lord is returning, I, for one, choose to be found doing my duty. I therefore ask that candles be brought."

And men who expected Jesus went back to their desks and resumed their debate.

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2020

Cornelius Plantinga Jr., 2000
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 28 18:37:04 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:37:04 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Quotes for Luke 21:25-36 for 1 Advent - Part 5
Message-ID: <AEA1E0643CEE49579D2E00D829638197@YOUR264F1833C5>

Although we Christians may have pensioned off apocalyptic rhetoric, social scientists, AIDs researchers and a swarm of journalists and commentators are employing it. They warn us that as the collapse of the earth's ecosystems accelerates, our overstressed social structures will begin to pop like rivets on the doomed Titanic. Consider the disintegration of nation-states, the irreparable degradation of the environment and the reversion to tribal savagery. We are sinking into an abyss.

In fact, there are many places where biblically shaped imagination can already discern the end of our world: precious rain forests, the size of entire countries, gone forever in a few days; 50,000 bodies, many headless and limbless, float into Lake Victoria as Christians kill Christians in Rwanda; suburban kids in Reeboks and t-shirts methodically heat a teenager to death on the steps of St. Cecilia's Church in Abingdon, Pennsylvania (dead at 16 on the steps of the church where he had been an altar boy).

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_n32_v114/ai_20016441/

James F. Kay, 1997
- - - - -

"There will always be a tomorrow," some must have begun to say. "After all, there have been about 29,000 tomorrows since Jesus told us that he would return for us." The once-taut church relaxed, settling down into the everydayness of things.
But to live as if there will always be a tomorrow is to live like a fool. One of the best-selling religious books of all time is a rather shoddy piece of rehashed millennialism called The late, Great Planet Earth. Fifty million people paid good money to read Hal Lindsey's view of the end. It is not only people like Lindsey or Jerry Falwell or James Watt who think about the end. With the ecological crisis, the threat of nuclear war, and international monetary problems, everyone is thinking in apocalyptic terms -- except the liberal, contented church, which long ago made its peace with the present and trusted in tomorrow.
<>

When I was serving a little church in rural Georgia, one of my members' relatives died, and my wife and I went to the funeral as a show of support for the family. It was held in a small, hot, crowded, independent Baptist country church. They wheeled the coffin in and the preacher began to preach. He shouted, fumed, flailed his arms.
"It's too late for Joe," he screamed. "He might have wanted to do this or that in life, but it's too late for him now. He's dead. It's all over for him. He might have wanted to straighten his life out, but he can't now. It's over."

What a comfort this must be to the family, I thought. "But it ain't too late for you! People drop dead every day. So why wait? Now is the day for decision. Now is the time to make your life count for something. Give your life to Jesus!"

It was the worst thing I had ever heard. "Can you imagine a preacher doing that kind of thing to a grieving family?" I asked my wife on the way home. "I've never heard anything so manipulative, cheap and inappropriate. I would never preach a sermon like that."

She agreed with me that it was tacky, manipulative, callous. "Of course," she added, "the worst part of all is that it was true."

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1079

William Willimon, 1986
- - - - -

...apocalypse. The word means "unveiling" -- specifically, the unveiling of things to come. 
<>
Apocalyptic has a foreshortened sense of time. It anticipates a final war between the powers of Good and Evil. 
<>
As the philosopher Gunther Anders put it, we move into an apocalyptic mode when we no longer find ourselves asking "How shall we live?" and ask instead, "Will we live?" The normal eschatological situation, which gives life urgency by facing us with the inevitability of our own death, the hunger for meaning, and the fear of suffering and loss, becomes apocalyptic when it appears that there is no longer time for normal urgency. Time collapses. The Time of the End becomes the End of Time... Anders wrote in the midst of the nuclear terror in 1962....the miracle we got came about because people like the physician Helen Caldicott refused to accept nuclear annihilation. But she did it by forcing her hearers to visualize the consequences of their inaction.
<>
If we are in the midst of the sixth great extinction, as scientists tell us we are, our response has in no way been commensurate with the danger. We Homo sapiens are witnessing the greatest annihilation of species in the last 65 million years, and our children may live to witness ecocide with their own eyes. 
<>
Eschatology is a line stretching out to the distant, possibly infinite, future. That is the horizon of hope, possibility and becoming. Apocalyptic, on the other hand, is a detour, caused by an immediate crisis threatening whole societies. Negative apocalyptic paralyzes us into inaction; positive apocalyptic challenges us to transcend ourselves, opening to the unexpected possibilities thrust upon us. Usually, when the crisis passes, normal eschatology is reinstated. But in our day, the apocalyptic crisis may not pass.

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2208

Walter Wink, 2001
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 28 21:09:01 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:09:01 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Quotes for Luke 21:25-36 for 1 Advent - Part 6
Message-ID: <FD196D62888F4B8A843FFF83CFCD0B59@YOUR264F1833C5>

We get ready for Christmas because Christmas is our redemption drawing near to us. Christmas, the birth of Jesus, is not judgment, but our redemption. Jesus is born to redeem us, to buy us back, to free us from the measuring of our lives. Jesus comes, not to measure or judge, but to forgive the wrong doers, to forgive those who have done evil, to forgive those who do not love God and fear God more than all other things. Jesus is doing a new thing with us. Instead of judging, he has mercy. Instead of condemning, he has mercy. Instead of accusing us he marks us with his love. 

Jesus comes to be judged. Jesus comes to be condemned in our place. Jesus comes to die for us, in our place, taking that judgment that is coming and making it happen ahead of schedule. He suffers all of God's judgment and then God, out of love for us and for Jesus, raised up Jesus to life. God thereby lifted up Jesus above judgment. God has put mercy over measuring, forgiveness over condemnation. 

Look at the signs of this coming. Look at the leaves of the trees. Look at the leaves of mercy, seen in all the times we receive the Lord's Supper, the meal of mercy for us. Look at the leaves of forgiveness, sprouting here amongst us each Sunday, sprouting here amongst us in our own words of forgiveness to one another. Look at the leaves of service, of time given to help one another. 

http://www.predigten.uni-goettingen.de/archiv-9/061203-7-e.html

Timothy J. Hoyer, 2006
- - - - -

Over the summer I had the opportunity to see bits and pieces of "Three Moons Over Milford," a television series in which the moon had been hit by an asteroid and shattered into pieces, which were predicted to decay in orbit and strike the earth in the future. People in the show, predictably, reacted in different ways. Some went out to enjoy life to the fullest before the day of doom. Some tried to figure out how to escape. Others went about their lives oblivious. Still others became super religious, or at least "spiritual," in some sense. The drama unfolds as people begin to live each day as though it were their last. Lives are shattered and values collapse for some in the face of the impending doom. A realtor who goes about business as usual is in a state of tragi-comic denial. None of the responses seem, in the end, faithful.
One has a sense that the living "denial of death" of our culture, and the various reactions of people to their life's end, admit it or not, are more similar than we would like to admit to the characters in this fictional drama. 

http://www.predigten.uni-goettingen.de/archiv-9/061203-9-e.html

Luke Bouman, 2006
- - - - -

Barbara Kingsolver has a new book of essays called "Small Wonder," and it is a poetic proclamation of the power of hope. It is also a stinging diatribe against the hubris of self-centered America. Taking a sharp look at the wars, the natural disasters, the political violence of the 21st century, she writes a modern translation of Luke's little apocalypse. By the end of the book, we know more than we need to know about the wastefulness of our beef consumption, the natural disasters caused by genetic crop engineering, the distortion of patriotism that blind flag-waving can produce, the barbarity of war and capital punishment. But she ends with soaring words of hope--a call to self-discipline and compassion and tolerance and moral living--a vision that matches the energy of Jesus' words to us today.

http://day1.org/488-a_gods_eye_view

Susan Andrews, 2003 
- - - - -

 Advent and  Christmas represent a very special intervention of God in the human condition, a revolution indeed because it revealed to us just how much God loves us, one that, as G.K. Chesterton said, turned the world upside down and, astonishingly, when viewed from that perspective the world made sense. God, in the words of the Irish Dominican poet, Paul Murray, loves us so much that if we should cease to exist, he would die of sadness. 

http://www.agreeley.com/hom09/nov29.htm

Andrew M. Greeley, 2006 
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 28 21:09:36 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:09:36 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Quotes for Luke 21:25-36 for 1 Advent - Part 7
Message-ID: <52D81A4917504FFCBEE11DE04D9D32CB@YOUR264F1833C5>

 Who is this passage of Scripture addressed to today? It must be the old people, everyone who is sixty and over, receiving ARP advertisements, on social security or getting ready to die. Those people think more about mortality and death; these Bible verses are for them. 
I don't think so. Life changes so quickly. The totality of life moves by so quickly. .  I look at an infant, and the infant today is a two year old tomorrow.  And you blink and the child is thirteen.  And you blink, where did time go, and the kid is now a young adult. I blink my eyes again and you are now married.  I blink my eyes again and you have children.  I blink my eyes again and those children are gone and you have an empty nest. I blink my eyes again and you are grandparents. I blink my eyes again and you are a widow or widower. I blink my eyes again and you are ready to die. That's the way life is. 

http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_suddenly.htm

Edward Markquart
- - - - -

Our enemy was easy to identify when our enemy was communism or the nazis. The enemy was easy to identify when it was pornography or sexual violence. It is much harden to identify the enemy around us and within us when the enemy is comfort, materialism, pleasure seeking hedonism. So we say to ourselves in America, "We can relax. There are no big problems around us and the church. There are no thieves out there trying to destroy the lives of our people. We can relax, slump back and fall asleep." The number one sin of a watchman has always been to fall asleep and not be alert to the enemy around us; that was a problem two thousand years ago and it is a problem today. 
<>
This is not a time for apathy when 89% of the children in the Highline School District do not have their original mother and father living in their home. This is not the time for apathy when an average person watches 10,000 murders a year on television. This is not the time for apathy when 90% of all sexual relationships for young people is outside the marriage covenant. This is not the time for apathy when recent studies tell us that in a survey of three hundred men, these men spend only an average of seven and a half minutes per weeks with their sons. This is not the time for apathy when the population of the state of Washington is increasing by double digit increases and meanwhile, the population of church membership is decreasing in the same area. These are time when all kinds of enemies are around us; there are thieves out there.  There are thieves out there who are trying to rob couples of good marriages. I mean, 89% of the children in a neighboring school district do not the have their original mother and father living with them. There are thieves out there, trying to rob people of good marriages. 

http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_wake_up.htm

Edward Markquart
- - - - -

I love the quotation from Peter Pan: "Death is going to be an awfully big adventure." 
<>
Do you what the last prayer in the Bible is?  It is the second to the last line of the book of Revelation.  Revelation, chapter 22: verse 20.  "Amen. Come Lord Jesus.  Amen. So be it.  Let it happen.  Amen.  Come Lord Jesus."  That is our insistent, our persistent, our consistent prayer.  "Amen.  Come Lord Jesus.  Please come.  Come with your love.  Come with your compassion.  Come with your wisdom and strength.  Lord Jesus. It is time. I need you to come." 
The word, "come," occurs 1462 times in the Bible. It refers to God's coming to us; but it also refers to us coming to God. 

http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_a_coming.htm

Edward Markquart
- - - - -

For me, one of the most interesting films about the future was T.B.X. 1138, 4.E.B. by George Lucas when he was a student at Stanford University. In that film, you don't see any blood, gore and guts like you would in movies today. The film is not a "scare-you" thriller. In the film, what you see are thousands upon thousands of miles of tunnel. The human beings are now living like ants, living in tunnels underneath the earth. One person comes up from the tunnel, out from the ground, peeking through a metal lid. He peeks his head out into the air, and the Geiger counter on his helmet goes "tick, tick, tick, tick, tick." The crust of the earth has been incinerated by nuclear fire and is radioactive. With the crust of the earth being radioactive, the human race has gone underground and is now living in tunnels, like ants. 

http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_c_futurologists_and_their_vision_for_the_future.htm

Edward Markquart
- - - - -

No matter what "take" we have on the eschatological texts of the gospels, the injunction to be watchful and prayerful is perpetually relevant.  When crisis and turmoil are rocking the world - when war and injustice is destroying persons - the faithful have their sight firmly fixed on the One who is to come with justice and peace.
The roaring sea and the warring nations point to natural and political powers that govern our lives - the teaching of Christ is that no power is greater than the power of God.  When the Son of Man comes with "power and great glory" - all other powers will be vacated. 

http://www.lectionarysermons.com/decem_0300.htm

John Jewell, 2000
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 28 21:21:17 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:21:17 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Stats on the Second Coming
Message-ID: <BEF65CB48FFD48D5AAB9D533A43CB6AD@YOUR264F1833C5>

      From:
      Rocky Mountain Rev.
      November 24, 2009
     






      Just thought I would share with you some stats I
      found on the Bible.org website of illustrations
      regarding the Second Coming of Christ: "One
      scholar has estimated that there are 1,845
      references to Christ's second coming in the Old
      Testament, where 17 books give it prominence. In
      the 260 chapters of the New Testament, there are
      318 references to the second advent of Christ-an
      amazing 1 out of every 30 verses. Twenty-three of
      the 27 New Testament books refer to this great
      event. For every prophecy in the Bible concerning
      Christ's first advent, there are 8 which look
      forward to His second!"
      I am figuring that the answer to the question, Why
      such prominence/importance?" might just make
      my sermon.

      http://www.desperatepreacher.com/bodyii.htm 
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sun Nov 29 05:11:56 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:11:56 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] End Times - Luke 21:25-36, ! Advent (C)
Message-ID: <195AE094095F4C649ABB780C8E35A430@YOUR264F1833C5>

http://tiny.cc/XcBVF is a sermon about end times, for the First Sunday of Advent, based on Luke 21:25-36.
Peace and blessings,
Joe
St. John's, Elizabeth, NJ
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From ptl at prwebs.com  Sun Nov 29 09:29:28 2009
From: ptl at prwebs.com (TL)
Date: Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:29:28 -0600
Subject: [Propertalk] End Times - Luke 21:25-36, ! Advent (C)
In-Reply-To: <195AE094095F4C649ABB780C8E35A430@YOUR264F1833C5>
References: <195AE094095F4C649ABB780C8E35A430@YOUR264F1833C5>
Message-ID: <000f01ca7100$5c892170$159b6450$@com>

I had this thought to expand on what Brian says about blue elephants. This
is how I worked it into my sermon:

 

 

Pr. Brian Stoffregen suggests telling people to not worry about something is
like saying "don't think about blue elephants." Or their scarcity and
impending extinction. But what are you thinking about right now. Of course
it now has something to do with blue elephants, even though they do not
exist. The solution is to never mention blue elephants in the first place or
at least to be sure we know they never have existed.

But the reasons to be fearful of the future do exist. Denying the truth of
our situation as a human species is a large part of what gets us,
continually, into such terrible trouble.

The Gospel for today calls us, not to deny that the end of the world is
impending. NO. In fact it calls attention to the signs that are all around
us. But then it directs us not to panic. Not to follow false leaders who
think they can name the date and time, or for that matter any leader who
leads us away from following Jesus the Christ, whom we know from our
forbearers of faith from their record of Christ handed on to us in
Scriptures.

In the Gospel for today, and in many places throughout each of the Gospels,
the Word of God calls us to keep our wits about us, to trust most firmly in
the Word of God, and to face the future with assurance of God's redemption
of us. This Redemption is both freedom from bondage to sin now until forever
and it is freedom from the destruction of the coming end of the world.

 

 

 

The idea is not about blue elephants, but that not speaking about them or
about real reasons to fear the future is not what the Gospel leads us to.

Rather we discern which threats are real, speak clearly about them AND speak
clearly about God's promise for us in the midst of such threats.

 

To throw it back into old language with a wide berth, true faith is not to
be an opiate of the people. That would be losing ourselves to dissipation.
True faith is simply the clearest perspective on reality, God's reality.
Threats will still lead to the end of time, but we know this is our
redemption. For this we have waited since our baptisms!

 

So there you have my thought(s). If they help someone, good. If they hurt .
Vezeihung im voraus.

 

Rev. Tim Lofstrom

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From charles.wohlers at verizon.net  Mon Nov 30 09:08:16 2009
From: charles.wohlers at verizon.net (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:08:16 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the SECOND SUNDAY of ADVENT
Message-ID: <A410A655B46941ED9DF3DBC71CAA1851@cranmer>

The following are the readings for the Second Sunday of Advent, December 6, 
according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, 
Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. 
Unless noted otherwise, the lectionaries of ECUSA, Canada and the C of E are 
identical to the RCL this Sunday. The NRSV translation is used.


OLD TESTAMENT   Baruch 5: 1 - 9   (all)

5:1 (NRSV) Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem,
and put on forever the beauty of the glory from God.
2 Put on the robe of the righteousness that comes from God;
put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting;
3 for God will show your splendor everywhere under heaven.
4 For God will give you evermore the name,
"Righteous Peace, Godly Glory."

5 Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height;
look toward the east,
and see your children gathered from west and east
at the word of the Holy One,
rejoicing that God has remembered them.
6 For they went out from you on foot,
led away by their enemies;
but God will bring them back to you,
carried in glory, as on a royal throne.
7 For God has ordered that every high mountain
   and the everlasting hills be made low
and the valleys filled up, to make level ground,
so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God.
8 The woods and every fragrant tree
have shaded Israel at God's command.
9 For God will lead Israel with joy,
in the light of his glory,
with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.


Malachi 3 1 - 4   (alt. for RCL)

Mala 3:1 (NRSV) See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, 
and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger 
of the covenant in whom you delight--indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of 
hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he 
appears?
For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap; 3 he will sit as a 
refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi 
and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the 
LORD in righteousness. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be 
pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.



PSALM   Luke 1: 68 - 79   (RCL)

Luke 1:68 (NRSV) "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a mighty savior for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate 
us.
72 Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and has remembered his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us 74 that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
by the forgiveness of their sins.
78 By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Note: The C of E would use the version in Common Worship; the ACC would use 
this or the one of the versions in the Canadian BAS and ECUSA would use one 
of the canticles in the BCP (Benedictus, or the Song of Zechariah - see 
Canticle 16 below)


Psalm 126   (Roman Catholic, Can. BAS)

Psal 126:1 (NRSV) When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion
we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
3 The LORD has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.
4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the watercourses in the Neg'eb.
5 May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their sheaves.


16   The Song of Zechariah     Benedictus Dominus Deus   (ECUSA RCL)

   Luke 1: 68-79

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
   he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
   born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies, *
   from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
   and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
   to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, *
   holy and righteous in his sight
   all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
   for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation *
   by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
   the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness
                           and the shadow of death, *
   and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.  Amen.

Note: Canticle 4 may be used instead.


NEW TESTAMENT  Philippians 1: 3 - 11  (RCL)
                                    Philippians 1: 4 - 6, 8 - 11   (Roman 
Catholic)

Phil 1:3 (NRSV) I thank my God every time I remember you, 4 constantly 
praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, 5 because of 
your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am confident of 
this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to 
completion by the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to think this 
way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you 
share in God's grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and 
confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I long for all of 
you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer, that your 
love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight 10 to help 
you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure 
and blameless, 11 having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes 
through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.


GOSPEL   Luke 3: 1 - 6   (all)

Luke 3:1 (NRSV) In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tibe'rius, 
when Pon'tius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Her'od was ruler of Galilee, 
and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Iturae'a and Trachoni'tis, and 
Lysa'nias ruler of Abile'ne, 2 during the high priesthood of An'nas and 
Ca'iaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechari'ah in the wilderness. 
3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of 
repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of 
the words of the prophet Isai'ah,
"The voice of one crying out in the wilderness
"Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"




From charles.wohlers at verizon.net  Sun Nov  1 22:51:35 2009
From: charles.wohlers at verizon.net (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:51:35 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the TWENTY_THIRD SUNDAY after PENTECOST
Message-ID: <00A2B68240C147489DA9D192E58E482C@cranmer>

The following are the readings for the Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost, 
November 12, (Proper 27, ECUSA; Proper 32, Roman Catholic) according to the 
Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Church of England, 
and Canadian (BAS) Lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised 
Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, 
Canadian (but not the C of E) lectionaries are identical to the RCL this 
Sunday.



OLD TESTAMENT   Ruth 31 - 5, 4 13 - 17   (RCL)

Ruth 31 (NRSV) Na'omi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, I need to 
seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. 2 Now here is 
our kinsman Bo'az, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is 
winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Now wash and anoint 
yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor; 
but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and 
drinking. 4 When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and 
uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do." 5 She said 
to her, "All that you tell me I will do."

13 So Bo'az took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the 
LORD made her conceive, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to 
Na'omi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without 
next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a 
restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law 
who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him." 16 Then 
Na'omi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. 17 
The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born 
to Na'omi." They named him O'bed; he became the father of Jesse, the father 
of David.


1 Kings 17: 8 - 16   (alt. for RCL)
1 Kings 17: 10 - 16   (Roman Catholic)

1Kin 178 (NRSV) Then the word of the LORD came to him [Elijah], saying, 9 
"Go now to Zar'ephath, which belongs to Si'don, and live there; for I have 
commanded a widow there to feed you." 10 So he set out and went to 
Zar'ephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there 
gathering sticks; he called to her and said, "Bring me a little water in a 
vessel, so that I may drink." 11 As she was going to bring it, he called to 
her and said, "Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." 12 But she said, 
"As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in 
a jar, and a little oil in a jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so 
that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, 
and die." 13 Eli'jah said to her, "Do not be afraid; go and do as you have 
said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and 
afterwards make something for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the 
LORD the God of Israel The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of 
oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth." 15 
She went and did as Eli'jah said, so that she as well as he and her 
household ate for many days. 16 The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did 
the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by 
Eli'jah.


Jonah 3: 1 - 5, 10   (C of E)

Jona 3:1 (NRSV) The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2 
"Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that 
I tell you." 3 So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word 
of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days' walk 
across. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's walk. And he cried 
out, "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" 5 And the people of 
Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, 
put on sackcloth.

10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God 
changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon 
them; and he did not do it.


PSALM 127   (RCL)

Psal 1271 (NRSV) Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD guards the city,
the guard keeps watch in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives sleep to his beloved.
3 Sons are indeed a heritage from the LORD,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the sons of one's youth.
5 Happy is the man who has
his quiver full of them.
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.


Psalm 146: 7 - 10   (Roman Catholic)
Psalm 146 (alt. for RCL)

Psal 1461 (NRSV) Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
3 Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;
8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The LORD will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the LORD!


Psalm 62: 5 - 12   (C of E)

Psal 62:5 (NRSV) For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. [Selah]
9 Those of low estate are but a breath,
those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
10 Put no confidence in extortion,
and set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
11 Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God, 12 and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
For you repay to all
according to their work.


NEW TESTAMENT   Hebrews 9 24 - 28

Hebr 924 (NRSV) For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a 
mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear 
in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself again 
and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with 
blood that is not his own; 26 for then he would have had to suffer again and 
again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once 
for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 
And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the 
judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, 
will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are 
eagerly waiting for him.


GOSPEL   Mark 12: 38 - 44   (RCL)
                    Mark 12: (38 - 40) 41 - 44   (Roman Catholic)

Mark 1238 (NRSV) As he taught, he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to 
walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the 
marketplaces, 39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of 
honor at banquets! 40 They devour widows' houses and for the sake of 
appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."
41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money 
into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 A poor widow came 
and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43 Then he 
called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow 
has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44 For 
all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her 
poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."


Mark 1: 14 - 20   (C of E)

Mark 1:14 (NRSV) Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, 
proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and 
the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."
16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother 
Andrew casting a net into the sea-for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said 
to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." 18 And immediately 
they left their nets and followed him. 19 As he went a little farther, he 
saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat 
mending the nets. 20 Immediately he called them; and they left their father 
Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.


Chad Wohlers
Woodbury, Vermont &
East Bridgewater, Mass.   USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu




From robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com  Sat Nov  7 00:01:15 2009
From: robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com (Robert P Morrison)
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 21:01:15 -0800
Subject: [Propertalk] Proper 27 b rcl
Message-ID: <1396564591.1257570075810.JavaMail.root@mp10>

Here's what is staring at the editor, etc, this evening and tomorrow.

May you have joy in Jesus humourous company!

Bob



--
Robert P. Morrison
The Episcopal Parish of St James,
PO Box 789
Lincoln City, Oregon, 97367

541-994-2426 (Church)




From robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com  Sat Nov  7 00:01:34 2009
From: robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com (Robert P Morrison)
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 21:01:34 -0800
Subject: [Propertalk] Proper 27 b rcl
Message-ID: <12989637.1257570094345.JavaMail.root@mp10>

Here's what is staring at the editor, etc, this evening and tomorrow.

May you have joy in Jesus humourous company!

Bob
THE EPISCOPAL PARISH OF ST. JAMES, LINCOLN CITY          PROPER 27 B RCL
RUTH 3:1-5; 4:13-17                      	    8th NOVEMBER, 2009
HEBREWS 9:24-28	                         PSALM 127
MARK 12:38-44				

	The lessons this morning contain several things that can be glossed over, perhaps because of our pre-wired brain patterns, or perhaps because we simply don?t think about the details. When I stopped to go over these details, though, the first thing that struck me was the way that Jesus and the disciples were standing at such a place that they could actually see exactly how much everyone was putting in the offering plate.
	Imagine if the ushers this morning ? should I ask them to do it? ? imagine if the ushers stopped at each pew and called out, ?Jane Doe: $20. John Smith: $14 and some change.?
	I can?t speak for you, but that would make me INCREDIBLY uncomfortable. Nevertheless, maybe from the sound of those small coins everyone could tell what the woman in the story gave to God?s ministry through the Temple treasury. And possibly from her dress, never mind her standing in the community, everyone could tell what sort of a gift it was that she made. She gave everything she had because she trusted ? trusted in two things. First, she trusted absolutely in God. God, for centuries, had said that every need would be met. This formed the backbone of Judaism, the backbone of the faith we profess today. God CAN be trusted. No matter how desperate, how difficult, how frightened, how depressed we may be, God CAN be trusted.
	Remember the second chapter of last week?s sermon? The pain and the loneliness brought on by the death of Elizabeth Kaeton?s daughter caught up with her and paralysed her, until she decided she HAD to get to Mass, somewhere, anywhere, even if she wouldn?t be able to take Communion. And, behold, she WAS given what she called the Mysterium Grandum. In her emptiness, her heart, her soul and her body were filled through the Presence of God, as Fr.  Ed Hines pressed the broken Body of Jesus into her open hand.
	In so many ways that we may not even recognise the gifts, God DOES provide.
	Second, the woman to whom Jesus drew the disciples? attention trusted absolutely in her community.
	Nothing was said about it, not directly anyway, but that woman placed herself not only in God?s hands, but in the hands of everyone in her worship group. Yes, it WAS the law of God. Absolutely no one, regardless of who or what they were, absolutely no one was to go unfed and unsheltered. And anyone who abused another in any way was to be condemned instantly. Anyone who took advantage of the crisis in another?s life, the accident that produced pain, or illness, or hardship of any kind, anyone who ignored distress or, worse yet, who increased it somehow, that person was to be corrected right away.
	Life is sacred. It?s a gift from God. Therefore it?s to be cherished everywhere, among everyone, by everyone.
	THAT?S why that woman put all she had into the offering plate. It was remarkably simple, actually. Everything would be covered ? IF things were done right.
	It?s the same story from the reading from the book of Ruth. Naomi and her daughter-in-law came back home after the men in the family died, and managed to make ends meet, panhandling ? well, not quite. They were able to keep alive and reasonably healthy because of that same law of Judaism which said that you couldn?t hog the crop. It HAD to be shared.
	But Naomi kept thinking of her foreign-born daughter-in-law, and cooked up an arranged marriage so that Ruth would be cared for for the rest of her life. All based on the laws of hospitality and compassion.
	Again, whatever you and I may think of Naomi?s methods, she was looking out for the other person so that Ruth wouldn?t have to worry.
	So how does this play out right here and now? How do we feel about trust? WHOM do we trust? 
	Last week I quoted from the book we?re discussing on Wednesday mornings. 1 The author, Tracy Kidder, talks about Dr. Paul Framer?s first sight of Cange, in the central Plateau of Haiti. There were ?clouds of grayish dust ? dust in (Farmer?s) hair, dust up his nose, dust adhering to his sweaty skin ? an utterly changed landscape, with scarcely any trees, colored in shades of brown and white, a landscape he would remember as ?amazingly, biblically, dry and barren.? 
	?Most of the dwellings were crude wooden lean-tos with dirt floors ? (with) roofs made of banana-bark thatch ?. Most of the adults he saw and talked to were clearly dejected. It was as if, he thought, the people who had built these miserable lean-tos weren?t convinced that they?d ever live in anything better., indeed expected things to get worse. ? Haiti had already redefined poverty for (Farmer). Cange redefined it again.? 2
	What on earth does ?trust? look like in that sort of a setting? In whom or in what does one expect to find the slightest hint of hope on to which trust can be built?
	Yet even in the midst of the most abject poverty, there IS something on which to build life, and trust, and hope. And it comes from what may sound like the least likely source. Farmer found the native Haitians living out liberation theology, which he defined as ?A powerful rebuke to the hiding away of poverty.? In the midst of their apparent misery the peasants told farmer that ?Everybody else hates us, but God loves the poor more. And our cause is just.? Yet this wasn?t ?the cult of resignation? and the peasants countered the question of whether a just God could permit great misery with the proverb, ??God gives but doesn?t share.? This meant, as Farmer would later explain it, ?God gives us humans everything we need to flourish, but he?s not the one who?s supposed to divvy up the loot. That charge was laid upon us.?? 3
	And that seems to place things back in Boaz? winnowing floor, and the temple precincts with Jesus, and all the businesses along Highway 101. Somehow, each of the people involved down through the past ? all the saints whose lives we brought to the forefront of our memories last week as members of the congregation read from ?A? to ?Z? ? each of our ancestors AND we ourselves have to try to summon up hope that somehow, things WILL come together. Maybe they won?t look quite as we thought they?d look, or when we thought that vision might appear, but they WILL come about. And that?s the hope to which we all have to cling, regardless of who we are, because ALL of us face challenges.
The problem for me, though, lies back in what Naomi and Ruth faced as they claimed the right to glean in Boaz? fields, and to inveigle marriage for Ruth to Boaz. They trusted that Sacred Law would be lived out, and no one would cheat another, or neglect another, or abuse another. The joyful act of that widow in the Temple Treasury was that she too believed, long before Social Security was a gleam in anyone?s mind, that she could expect that she would be cared for.
Did this work? Well, according to the story, after a long and arduous journey, Ruth and Naomi were cared for. And as far as the widow was concerned, we don?t know. But here?s the down side. So often, far TOO often in the estimation of Jesus, the widows, the orphans, the physically differentiated were NOT cared for.
It?s been said, in our own day, ?that societies are judged by the way that they treat their very old and their very young.? 4 You might say the same about economic distinctions also, and social ones, and ethnic ones, and sexual ones. In fact, NONE of this should matter one bit. What SHOULD matter is that every single human being should be able to devote her or his entire energy to giving everything for the work of enriching God?s reign right before our very eyes, without having to worry about having a home, or food, or medication ? or, for that matter, friends.
The scary part is that this says nothing at all about wisdom, or courage, or any of the other categories we might name as a ?virtue?. We ALL have the right to make mistakes, and to follow our own dreams in developing the gifts with which God has blessed us.
No one here has the right to prevent us from opening another latt? establishment, or art gallery, or whatever in Lincoln City. We must all decide for ourselves where to put our resources and talents. But ? and I see this as a huge proviso ? but we must ALL take responsibility for one another, no matter who we are or what we?ve done. And if we DON?T take care of the widows, who?ve given their all to the burnishing of part of God?s creation, if we allow people to get physically ill, or mentally ill, or spiritually ill, because we don?t say, ?I?m going to be here to help you, no matter what?; if we DON?T understand that God gives us the rules, but doesn?t ever force us to follow them; if we don?t understand that our society right here in Lincoln City, and in this congregation, will be defined by how we divvy up the resources; if we DON?T understand this, then we fail to see what is a major part of the message of Jesus. 
	This past week I came across an interesting article based on a programme on the Discovery Channel on TV. Researchers have discovered that ?It takes wolves a year or two to learn how to hunt, but their ferociousness doesn't last long.
	?According to a new study, most wolves lose their prowess by age 3, just halfway through their lives. After that, they have to rely on younger members of the pack to catch the majority of their meals.? 5
	They live in a society in which each assumes responsibility to care for the other. Maybe we can learn to find hope in this for ourselves ? setting aside the ferociousness, of course, unless it describes the way in which we assume an absolute trust in God and an absolute commitment to one another.
The sad thing is that it seems that even in the beginnings of reconstruction after the darkest places of the recession, the sad thing is that we can see glimpses that show the way that we?re allowing the old systems of greed, and deceit, and cheating, and general immorality to creep in once again. To our condemnation, we?re allowing these to be the standards by which reconstruction, and assurance, and hope are gauged. And, in God?s name, we simply CANNOT, we simply MUST not allow that to happen. Naomi, and Ruth, and the nameless, incredibly generous and brave widow, are all crying out to us to centre our lives on trust. And their prayer continues that religious institutions and places of worship not only commit themselves to living without fear, but offer some sort of concrete sign to their communities that hope and trust in God and Jesus? followers are NOT misplaced. For once, it may be fair to say that our currency hits it right on the nail: ?In God we trust.?

NOTES:
 	?Mountains beyond Mountains? by Tracy Kidder ? 2004 Random House Trade Paperback Edition. ? 2003 John Tracy Kidder. 
2	Kidder, Op. cit. Pages 76 ? 77
3	Kidder, Op. cit, Pages 78 - 79
4	Quoted, for instance in ?Gentlecare: Changing the Experience of Alzheimer?s in a positive way? by Moyra Jones. Published by Hartley & Marks, Point Roberts, Washington, and Vancouver, British Columbia. ? 1999 Moyra Jones Resources Ltd.
 5	?Middle-Aged Wolves Retire From the Hunt? by Emily Sohn, Discovery News http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/11/03/wolves-hunt.html


--
Robert P. Morrison
The Episcopal Parish of St James,
PO Box 789
Lincoln City, Oregon, 97367

541-994-2426 (Church)




From robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com  Sat Nov  7 00:01:36 2009
From: robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com (Robert P Morrison)
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 21:01:36 -0800
Subject: [Propertalk] Proper 27 b rcl
Message-ID: <1420980712.1257570096958.JavaMail.root@mp10>

Here's what is staring at the editor, etc, this evening and tomorrow.

May you have joy in Jesus humourous company!

Bob
THE EPISCOPAL PARISH OF ST. JAMES, LINCOLN CITY          PROPER 27 B RCL
RUTH 3:1-5; 4:13-17                      	    8th NOVEMBER, 2009
HEBREWS 9:24-28	                         PSALM 127
MARK 12:38-44				

	The lessons this morning contain several things that can be glossed over, perhaps because of our pre-wired brain patterns, or perhaps because we simply don?t think about the details. When I stopped to go over these details, though, the first thing that struck me was the way that Jesus and the disciples were standing at such a place that they could actually see exactly how much everyone was putting in the offering plate.
	Imagine if the ushers this morning ? should I ask them to do it? ? imagine if the ushers stopped at each pew and called out, ?Jane Doe: $20. John Smith: $14 and some change.?
	I can?t speak for you, but that would make me INCREDIBLY uncomfortable. Nevertheless, maybe from the sound of those small coins everyone could tell what the woman in the story gave to God?s ministry through the Temple treasury. And possibly from her dress, never mind her standing in the community, everyone could tell what sort of a gift it was that she made. She gave everything she had because she trusted ? trusted in two things. First, she trusted absolutely in God. God, for centuries, had said that every need would be met. This formed the backbone of Judaism, the backbone of the faith we profess today. God CAN be trusted. No matter how desperate, how difficult, how frightened, how depressed we may be, God CAN be trusted.
	Remember the second chapter of last week?s sermon? The pain and the loneliness brought on by the death of Elizabeth Kaeton?s daughter caught up with her and paralysed her, until she decided she HAD to get to Mass, somewhere, anywhere, even if she wouldn?t be able to take Communion. And, behold, she WAS given what she called the Mysterium Grandum. In her emptiness, her heart, her soul and her body were filled through the Presence of God, as Fr.  Ed Hines pressed the broken Body of Jesus into her open hand.
	In so many ways that we may not even recognise the gifts, God DOES provide.
	Second, the woman to whom Jesus drew the disciples? attention trusted absolutely in her community.
	Nothing was said about it, not directly anyway, but that woman placed herself not only in God?s hands, but in the hands of everyone in her worship group. Yes, it WAS the law of God. Absolutely no one, regardless of who or what they were, absolutely no one was to go unfed and unsheltered. And anyone who abused another in any way was to be condemned instantly. Anyone who took advantage of the crisis in another?s life, the accident that produced pain, or illness, or hardship of any kind, anyone who ignored distress or, worse yet, who increased it somehow, that person was to be corrected right away.
	Life is sacred. It?s a gift from God. Therefore it?s to be cherished everywhere, among everyone, by everyone.
	THAT?S why that woman put all she had into the offering plate. It was remarkably simple, actually. Everything would be covered ? IF things were done right.
	It?s the same story from the reading from the book of Ruth. Naomi and her daughter-in-law came back home after the men in the family died, and managed to make ends meet, panhandling ? well, not quite. They were able to keep alive and reasonably healthy because of that same law of Judaism which said that you couldn?t hog the crop. It HAD to be shared.
	But Naomi kept thinking of her foreign-born daughter-in-law, and cooked up an arranged marriage so that Ruth would be cared for for the rest of her life. All based on the laws of hospitality and compassion.
	Again, whatever you and I may think of Naomi?s methods, she was looking out for the other person so that Ruth wouldn?t have to worry.
	So how does this play out right here and now? How do we feel about trust? WHOM do we trust? 
	Last week I quoted from the book we?re discussing on Wednesday mornings. 1 The author, Tracy Kidder, talks about Dr. Paul Framer?s first sight of Cange, in the central Plateau of Haiti. There were ?clouds of grayish dust ? dust in (Farmer?s) hair, dust up his nose, dust adhering to his sweaty skin ? an utterly changed landscape, with scarcely any trees, colored in shades of brown and white, a landscape he would remember as ?amazingly, biblically, dry and barren.? 
	?Most of the dwellings were crude wooden lean-tos with dirt floors ? (with) roofs made of banana-bark thatch ?. Most of the adults he saw and talked to were clearly dejected. It was as if, he thought, the people who had built these miserable lean-tos weren?t convinced that they?d ever live in anything better., indeed expected things to get worse. ? Haiti had already redefined poverty for (Farmer). Cange redefined it again.? 2
	What on earth does ?trust? look like in that sort of a setting? In whom or in what does one expect to find the slightest hint of hope on to which trust can be built?
	Yet even in the midst of the most abject poverty, there IS something on which to build life, and trust, and hope. And it comes from what may sound like the least likely source. Farmer found the native Haitians living out liberation theology, which he defined as ?A powerful rebuke to the hiding away of poverty.? In the midst of their apparent misery the peasants told farmer that ?Everybody else hates us, but God loves the poor more. And our cause is just.? Yet this wasn?t ?the cult of resignation? and the peasants countered the question of whether a just God could permit great misery with the proverb, ??God gives but doesn?t share.? This meant, as Farmer would later explain it, ?God gives us humans everything we need to flourish, but he?s not the one who?s supposed to divvy up the loot. That charge was laid upon us.?? 3
	And that seems to place things back in Boaz? winnowing floor, and the temple precincts with Jesus, and all the businesses along Highway 101. Somehow, each of the people involved down through the past ? all the saints whose lives we brought to the forefront of our memories last week as members of the congregation read from ?A? to ?Z? ? each of our ancestors AND we ourselves have to try to summon up hope that somehow, things WILL come together. Maybe they won?t look quite as we thought they?d look, or when we thought that vision might appear, but they WILL come about. And that?s the hope to which we all have to cling, regardless of who we are, because ALL of us face challenges.
The problem for me, though, lies back in what Naomi and Ruth faced as they claimed the right to glean in Boaz? fields, and to inveigle marriage for Ruth to Boaz. They trusted that Sacred Law would be lived out, and no one would cheat another, or neglect another, or abuse another. The joyful act of that widow in the Temple Treasury was that she too believed, long before Social Security was a gleam in anyone?s mind, that she could expect that she would be cared for.
Did this work? Well, according to the story, after a long and arduous journey, Ruth and Naomi were cared for. And as far as the widow was concerned, we don?t know. But here?s the down side. So often, far TOO often in the estimation of Jesus, the widows, the orphans, the physically differentiated were NOT cared for.
It?s been said, in our own day, ?that societies are judged by the way that they treat their very old and their very young.? 4 You might say the same about economic distinctions also, and social ones, and ethnic ones, and sexual ones. In fact, NONE of this should matter one bit. What SHOULD matter is that every single human being should be able to devote her or his entire energy to giving everything for the work of enriching God?s reign right before our very eyes, without having to worry about having a home, or food, or medication ? or, for that matter, friends.
The scary part is that this says nothing at all about wisdom, or courage, or any of the other categories we might name as a ?virtue?. We ALL have the right to make mistakes, and to follow our own dreams in developing the gifts with which God has blessed us.
No one here has the right to prevent us from opening another latt? establishment, or art gallery, or whatever in Lincoln City. We must all decide for ourselves where to put our resources and talents. But ? and I see this as a huge proviso ? but we must ALL take responsibility for one another, no matter who we are or what we?ve done. And if we DON?T take care of the widows, who?ve given their all to the burnishing of part of God?s creation, if we allow people to get physically ill, or mentally ill, or spiritually ill, because we don?t say, ?I?m going to be here to help you, no matter what?; if we DON?T understand that God gives us the rules, but doesn?t ever force us to follow them; if we don?t understand that our society right here in Lincoln City, and in this congregation, will be defined by how we divvy up the resources; if we DON?T understand this, then we fail to see what is a major part of the message of Jesus. 
	This past week I came across an interesting article based on a programme on the Discovery Channel on TV. Researchers have discovered that ?It takes wolves a year or two to learn how to hunt, but their ferociousness doesn't last long.
	?According to a new study, most wolves lose their prowess by age 3, just halfway through their lives. After that, they have to rely on younger members of the pack to catch the majority of their meals.? 5
	They live in a society in which each assumes responsibility to care for the other. Maybe we can learn to find hope in this for ourselves ? setting aside the ferociousness, of course, unless it describes the way in which we assume an absolute trust in God and an absolute commitment to one another.
The sad thing is that it seems that even in the beginnings of reconstruction after the darkest places of the recession, the sad thing is that we can see glimpses that show the way that we?re allowing the old systems of greed, and deceit, and cheating, and general immorality to creep in once again. To our condemnation, we?re allowing these to be the standards by which reconstruction, and assurance, and hope are gauged. And, in God?s name, we simply CANNOT, we simply MUST not allow that to happen. Naomi, and Ruth, and the nameless, incredibly generous and brave widow, are all crying out to us to centre our lives on trust. And their prayer continues that religious institutions and places of worship not only commit themselves to living without fear, but offer some sort of concrete sign to their communities that hope and trust in God and Jesus? followers are NOT misplaced. For once, it may be fair to say that our currency hits it right on the nail: ?In God we trust.?

NOTES:
 	?Mountains beyond Mountains? by Tracy Kidder ? 2004 Random House Trade Paperback Edition. ? 2003 John Tracy Kidder. 
2	Kidder, Op. cit. Pages 76 ? 77
3	Kidder, Op. cit, Pages 78 - 79
4	Quoted, for instance in ?Gentlecare: Changing the Experience of Alzheimer?s in a positive way? by Moyra Jones. Published by Hartley & Marks, Point Roberts, Washington, and Vancouver, British Columbia. ? 1999 Moyra Jones Resources Ltd.
 5	?Middle-Aged Wolves Retire From the Hunt? by Emily Sohn, Discovery News http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/11/03/wolves-hunt.html


--
Robert P. Morrison
The Episcopal Parish of St James,
PO Box 789
Lincoln City, Oregon, 97367

541-994-2426 (Church)




From robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com  Sat Nov  7 00:05:22 2009
From: robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com (Robert P Morrison)
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 21:05:22 -0800
Subject: [Propertalk] Rats!
Message-ID: <1717643249.1257570322939.JavaMail.root@mp10>

I had no intention to send you two copies and a short, unsermonised, e-mail.

My apologies!

Bob
--
Robert P. Morrison
The Episcopal Parish of St James,
PO Box 789
Lincoln City, Oregon, 97367

541-994-2426 (Church)





From charles.wohlers at verizon.net  Sun Nov  8 21:34:48 2009
From: charles.wohlers at verizon.net (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21:34:48 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST
Message-ID: <E147911327BA4164B6646522CBE1E50B@cranmer>

The following are the readings for the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost, 
November 15, (Proper 28, RCL; Proper 33, Roman Catholic) according to the 
Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Church of England, 
and Canadian (BAS) Lectionaries. Unless otherwise noted, readings for ECUSA 
are identical to the RCL for this Sunday. All readings are taken from the 
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible.



OLD TESTAMENT   1 Samuel 1: 4 - 20   (RCL)

1Sam 1:4 (NRSV) On the day when Elka'nah sacrificed, he would give portions 
to his wife Penin'nah and to all her sons and daughters; 5 but to Hannah he 
gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her 
womb. 6 Her rival used to provoke her severely, to irritate her, because the 
LORD had closed her womb. 7 So it went on year by year; as often as she went 
up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept 
and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elka'nah said to her, "Hannah, why do you 
weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than 
ten sons?"
9 After they had eaten and drunk at Shi'loh, Hannah rose and presented 
herself before the LORD. Now E'li the priest was sitting on the seat beside 
the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. 10 She was deeply distressed and 
prayed to the LORD, and wept bitterly. 11 She made this vow "O LORD of 
hosts, if only you will look on the misery of your servant, and remember me, 
and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a male child, 
then I will set him before you as a nazirite until the day of his death. He 
shall drink neither wine nor intoxicants, and no razor shall touch his 
head."
12 As she continued praying before the LORD, E'li observed her mouth. 13 
Hannah was praying silently; only her lips moved, but her voice was not 
heard; therefore E'li thought she was drunk. 14 So E'li said to her, "How 
long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Put away your wine." 15 
But Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman deeply troubled; I have 
drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul 
before the LORD. 16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for I 
have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation all this time." 17 
Then E'li answered, "Go in peace; the God of Israel grant the petition you 
have made to him." 18 And she said, "Let your servant find favor in your 
sight." Then the woman went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, 
and her countenance was sad no longer.
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD; then they 
went back to their house at Ra'mah. Elka'nah knew his wife Hannah, and the 
LORD remembered her. 20 In due time Hannah conceived and bore a son. She 
named him Samuel, for she said, "I have asked him of the LORD."


Daniel 12: 1 - 3   (Roman Catholic, C of E, alt. for RCL)

Dani 12:1 (NRSV) "At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of 
your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has 
never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time 
your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. 2 
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to 
everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who 
are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many 
to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.


Daniel 7: 9 - 14   (Can. BAS)

Dani 7:9 (NRSV) {Judgment before the Ancient One} As I watched,
thrones were set in place,
and an Ancient One {Aram [an Ancient of Days] } took his throne,
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames,
and its wheels were burning fire.
10 A stream of fire issued
and flowed out from his presence.
A thousand thousands served him,
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him.
The court sat in judgment,
and the books were opened. 11 I watched then because of the noise of the 
arrogant words that the horn was speaking. And as I watched, the beast was 
put to death, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. 
12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their 
lives were prolonged for a season and a time. 13 As I watched in the night 
visions,
I saw one like a human being {Aram [one like a son of man] }
coming with the clouds of heaven.
And he came to the Ancient One {Aram [the Ancient of Days] }
and was presented before him.
14 To him was given dominion
and glory and kingship,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not pass away,
and his kingship is one
that shall never be destroyed.


PSALM (or CANTICLE in this case)  1 Samuel 2: 1 - 10   (RCL)

1Sam 2:1 (NRSV) Hannah prayed and said,
"My heart exults in the LORD;
my strength is exalted in my God.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in my victory.
2 "There is no Holy One like the LORD,
no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so very proudly,
let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the LORD is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the feeble gird on strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry are fat with spoil.
The barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.
6 The LORD kills and brings to life;
he brings down to She'ol and raises up.
7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low, he also exalts.
8 He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's,
and on them he has set the world.
9 "He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness;
for not by might does one prevail.
10 The LORD! His adversaries shall be shattered;
the Most High will thunder in heaven.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king,
and exalt the power of his anointed."


Psalm 16   (C of E, alt. for RCL)
Psalm 16: 5, 8 - 11   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 16:1 (NRSV) Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you."
3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble,
in whom is all my delight.
4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names upon my lips.
5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
I have a goodly heritage.
7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
my body also rests secure.
10 For you do not give me up to She'ol,
or let your faithful one see the Pit.
11 You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.


PSALM 145   Exaltabo te, Deus   (Can. BAS)

8   The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, *
  slow to anger and of great kindness.

9   The Lord is loving to everyone *
  and his compassion is over all his works.

10   All your works praise you, O Lord, *
  and your faithful servants bless you.

11   They make known the glory of your kingdom *
  and speak of your power;

12   That the peoples may know of your power *
  and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13   Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; *
  your dominion endures throughout all ages.

14   The LORD is faithful in all his words *
  and merciful in all his deeds.


NEW TESTAMENT   Hebrews 10: 11 - 14 (15 - 18) 19 - 25   (RCL, C of E)
                                     Hebrews 10: 11 - 18   (Can. BAS)
                                     Hebrews 10: 11 - 14, 18   (Roman 
Catholic)

Hebr 10:11 (NRSV) And every priest stands day after day at his service, 
offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sins. 
12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, "he 
sat down at the right hand of God," 13 and since then has been waiting 
"until his enemies would be made a footstool for his feet." 14 For by a 
single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15 
And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us, for after saying,
16 "This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, says the Lord
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds,"
17 he also adds,
"I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more."
18 Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for 
sin.
19 Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by 
the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us 
through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), 21 and since we have a 
great priest over the house of God, 22 let us approach with a true heart in 
full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil 
conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast to the 
confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is 
faithful. 24 And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good 
deeds, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but 
encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.


GOSPEL   Mark 13: 1 - 8   (RCL, C of E)

Mark 13:1 (NRSV) As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to 
him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" 2 Then 
Jesus asked him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be 
left here upon another; all will be thrown down."
3 When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, 
James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4 "Tell us, when will this be, 
and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be 
accomplished?" 5 Then Jesus began to say to them, "Beware that no one leads 
you astray. 6 Many will come in my name and say, "I am he!' and they will 
lead many astray. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be 
alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8 For nation 
will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be 
earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the 
beginning of the birth pangs.


Mark 13: 24 - 32   (Can. BAS, Roman Catholic)

Mark 13: 24 (NRSV) "But in those days, after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
25 and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
26 Then they will see "the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and 
glory. 27 Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the 
four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
28 "From the fig tree learn its lesson as soon as its branch becomes tender 
and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when 
you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very 
gates. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all 
these things have taken place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my 
words will not pass away.
32 "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, 
nor the Son, but only the Father.



Chad Wohlers
East Bridgewater, Mass.   USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu




From chadwohl at satucket.com  Sun Nov 15 17:44:50 2009
From: chadwohl at satucket.com (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:44:50 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the LAST SUNDAY after PENTECOST
Message-ID: <8073BCC57622441D86BFBA8C23DD88B7@ThinkpadT60CCW>

The following are the readings for the Last Sunday after Pentecost, November 22, (Proper 29, RCL; Proper 34, Roman Catholic) according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Church of England, and Canadian (BAS) Lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA and Canadian (but not the C of E) lectionaries are identical to the RCL this Sunday. 



OLD TESTAMENT  2 Samuel 23: 1 - 7   (RCL)

2Sam 23:1 (NRSV) Now these are the last words of David 
The oracle of David, son of Jesse, 
the oracle of the man whom God exalted, 
the anointed of the God of Jacob, 
the favorite of the Strong One of Israel 
2 The spirit of the LORD speaks through me, 
his word is upon my tongue. 
3 The God of Israel has spoken, 
the Rock of Israel has said to me 
One who rules over people justly, 
ruling in the fear of God, 
4 is like the light of morning, 
like the sun rising on a cloudless morning, 
gleaming from the rain on the grassy land. 
5 Is not my house like this with God? 
For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, 
ordered in all things and secure. 
Will he not cause to prosper 
all my help and my desire? 
6 But the godless are all like thorns that are thrown away; 
for they cannot be picked up with the hand; 
7 to touch them one uses an iron bar 
or the shaft of a spear. 
And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot. 


Daniel 7: 13 - 14   (Roman Catholic)
Daniel 7: 9 - 10, 13 - 14   (C of E, alt. for RCL)

Dani 7:9 (NRSV) As I watched, 
thrones were set in place, 
and an Ancient One took his throne, 
his clothing was white as snow, 
and the hair of his head like pure wool; 
his throne was fiery flames, 
and its wheels were burning fire. 
10 A stream of fire issued 
and flowed out from his presence. 
A thousand thousands served him, 
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. 
The court sat in judgment, 
and the books were opened. 

13 As I watched in the night visions, 
I saw one like a human being 
coming with the clouds of heaven. 
And he came to the Ancient One 
and was presented before him. 
14 To him was given dominion 
and glory and kingship, 
that all peoples, nations, and languages 
should serve him. 
His dominion is an everlasting dominion 
that shall not pass away, 
and his kingship is one 
that shall never be destroyed. 


Jeremiah 23: 1 - 6   (Can. BAS)

Jere 23:1 (NRSV) {Restoration after Exile} Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the LORD. 2 Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the LORD. 3 Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4 I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the LORD. 
5 {The Righteous Branch of David} The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness." 


PSALM 132: 1 - 12 (13 - 18)   (RCL)

Psal 132:1 (NRSV) O LORD, remember in David's favor 
all the hardships he endured; 
2 how he swore to the LORD 
and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, 
3 "I will not enter my house 
or get into my bed; 
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes 
or slumber to my eyelids, 
5 until I find a place for the LORD, 
a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob." 
6 We heard of it in Eph'rathah; 
we found it in the fields of Ja'ar. 
7 "Let us go to his dwelling place; 
let us worship at his footstool." 
8 Rise up, O LORD, and go to your resting place, 
you and the ark of your might. 
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, 
and let your faithful shout for joy. 
10 For your servant David's sake 
do not turn away the face of your anointed one. 
11 The LORD swore to David a sure oath 
from which he will not turn back 
"One of the sons of your body 
I will set on your throne. 
12 If your sons keep my covenant 
and my decrees that I shall teach them, 
their sons also, forevermore, 
shall sit on your throne." 
13 For the LORD has chosen Zion; 
he has desired it for his habitation 
14 "This is my resting place forever; 
here I will reside, for I have desired it. 
15 I will abundantly bless its provisions; 
I will satisfy its poor with bread. 
16 Its priests I will clothe with salvation, 
and its faithful will shout for joy. 
17 There I will cause a horn to sprout up for David; 
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one. 
18 His enemies I will clothe with disgrace, 
but on him, his crown will gleam." 

Verse numbering in your Psalter may differ from the above.


Psalm 93   (C of E, Can. BAS, alt. for RCL)
Psalm 93: 1, 2, 5   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 93:1 (NRSV) The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty; 
the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength. 
He has established the world; it shall never be moved; 
2 your throne is established from of old; 
you are from everlasting. 
3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, 
the floods have lifted up their voice; 
the floods lift up their roaring. 
4 More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, 
more majestic than the waves of the sea, 
majestic on high is the LORD! 
5 Your decrees are very sure; 
holiness befits your house, 
O LORD, forevermore. 


NEW TESTAMENT  Revelation 1: 4b - 8   (RCL, C of E)
                                    Revelation 1: 5 - 8   (Roman Catholic)

Reve 1:4 (NRSV) Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. 
To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 
7 Look! He is coming with the clouds; 
every eye will see him, 
even those who pierced him; 
and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. 
So it is to be. Amen. 
8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. 


GOSPEL   John 18: 33 - 37   (all)

John 18:33 (NRSV) Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" 34 Jesus answered, "Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?" 35 Pilate replied, "I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?" 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here." 37 Pilate asked him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." 

Note the Roman Catholic lectionary omits the first part of v. 33.

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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Mon Nov 16 16:07:14 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:07:14 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fw: SermonWriter: Nov. 22 (Reign of Christ B) John
	18:33-37
Message-ID: <C4B66E1D32DE467B98657986DCC4666F@YOUR264F1833C5>

The following are SermonWriter materials for Nov. 22 (Reign of Christ B).
They focus on John 18:33-37, where Pilate asks Jesus, "Are you the King of
the Jews?"


NO PASSWORD REQUIREMENT: We are posting these materials on the web with no
password.  To access those files, you MUST use the following links.  If
clicking on the link fails to work, copy the link and paste it in the
address window near the top of your browser.  Then hit the ENTER key or
click GO.

Microsoft Word file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-22iJ/John.18.33-37.doc

HTML file (web page):
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-22iJ/John.18.33-37.htm

WordPerfect file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-22iJ/John.18.33-37.wpd


A TIP: If you want the Word or WordPerfect files, LEFT-CLICK on the link and
see what happens.  That should bring up a dialog box that asks if you want
to open the file or save it.  Choose OPEN.  Then save it wherever you like
on your hard drive.

If that doesn't work, RIGHT-CLICK on the link.  You should get a sub-menu.
Hopefully, "Save Target As" will be one of the options.  Click on that.
Then save the file wherever you want on your hard drive.


<>
Dick Donovan


A THOUGHT ON PREACHING:  "I've heard a lot of sermons in the past ten years
or so that make me want to get up and walk out.  They're secular,
psychological, self-help sermons.  Friendly, but of no use.  They didn't
make you straighten up.  They didn't give you anything hard.... At some
point and in some way, a sermon has to direct people toward the death of
Christ and the campaign that God was waged over the centuries to get our
attention." Garrison Keillor


TITLE:  A Life Worth Living


SERMON IN A SENTENCE:  When you make Christ the King of your life, he won't
promise to make you rich -- but he will give you a life worth living.


SCRIPTURE:  John 18:33-37

<>
SERMON:

<>
 In the U.S., we claim not to have a king, but in fact we have lots of them:

- NBC has a show entitled Kings.
- We have a basketball team called the Sacramento Kings.
- And a hockey team called the L.A. Kings.
- There are several Kings Colleges scattered around the country.
- Seattle is located in Kings County on the west coast.
- And so is Brooklyn on the east coast.
- Brooklyn's sister county is called Queens County --or just Queens.
- One of our favorite fast food chains is known as Burger King.

<>

Louis Evans was the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Hollywood -- a
large, dynamic congregation.  One of his church members was a surgeon who
experienced a call to the mission field.  After struggling with his
decision, he resigned his practice and went to Korea to establish a medical
clinic there.  In those days, Korea was still quite a primitive place, so it
was a considerable sacrifice.

When Pastor Evans was traveling in the Far East, he stopped to visit his
surgeon friend.  He observed as the good doctor prepared to operate on a
little girl.  After three hours in the makeshift operating room, the surgeon
stepped out and announced that the little girl would be OK.

Pastor Evans asked, "How much would you have received for that operation
back in the States?"  The surgeon answered, "Oh, $500 to $750 is the going
rate, I guess."  Keep in mind that this was many years ago, when most people
would have considered $500 a good monthly wage.

Pastor Evans asked, "How much for this one?"  The surgeon answered, "Oh, a
few cents-a few cents and the smile of God."

And then he put his hand on Pastor Evans' shoulder and added, "But man, this
is living!"

When you make Christ the King of your life, he won't promise to make you
rich -- but he will give you a life worth living.  Amen.


FOR MORE SERMONS ON THIS TEXT, GO TO:

http://www.lectionary.org/SermLinks/NT/NT04_John.htm

Scroll down to John 18.  There are two sermons on this text posted there.



THOUGHT PROVOKERS:

We find the Kingdom of God with Jesus
when we enter into community with the poor,
the sick, the sorrowing, and the guilty,
recognizing them as fellow members of the Kingdom....
If we want to speak in a Christian manner
of the kingdom of God and his lordship,
then we must look to Jesus alone and not to ourselves,
to his history and not to our own.

Jurgen Moltmann, Hope for the Church

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Wherever God rules over the human heart as King,
there is the Kingdom of God established.

Paul W. Harrison

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Kings and kingdoms all pass away --
Nothing on earth endures.
But the love of God who sent His son
Is forever and ever yours.

Helen Steiner Rice, "I Do Not Go Alone"

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Greatness in the kingdom of God
is measured in terms of obedience.

John Stott in Authentic Christianity

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

To want all that God wants,
always to want it,
for all occasions and without reservations,
this is the Kingdom of God which is all within.

Francois Fenelon

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

<>
HYMN STORY:  Rejoice, the Lord is King

Charles Wesley found the inspiration to write this hymn in Paul's admonition
to the church at Philippi, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say,
Rejoice" (Philippians 4:4).

Paul was an unlikely candidate for rejoicing, because his life as a
Christian was difficult.  As he went about spreading the gospel, people did
all sorts of things to try to stop him.  They beat him.  On five occasions
he suffered the forty lashes that had the potential to kill a man.  People
stoned him and left him for dead.  He was in a shipwreck (see 2 Corinthians
11:23-28).  But he knew what Jesus had to offer people, and he felt happy
that God had chosen him to tell others about Jesus.  Paul was a joyful
Christian, and he encouraged other Christians to be joyful too.

Charles Wesley and his brother, John, were also unlikely candidates for
rejoicing.  Their lives were hard, too.  As they went about spreading the
gospel they encountered violent opposition too.  On one occasion, a mob
nearly destroyed the house where they were staying and drove their horses
into a pond.  The people whom they converted were often harassed and
persecuted.  But they found great joy in serving Christ and called other
Christians to do the same.  Charles Wesley wrote these joyful words,
"Rejoice, the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore" -- words that came out
of his joyful life.

There will be times when we, too, will be unlikely candidates for rejoicing.
Most of us at some time will experience hardships -- that's just part of
life. But we can decide whether we want to be crabby Christians or joyful
Christians -- we have that choice.  If we choose to be joyful in spite of
our problems, we will find that joy is its own blessing -- that we can be
happy in spite of difficulties.  We will also find that our joy is a
blessing to others as well, because genuine joy spreads joy.

An old Sunday school song said, "Brighten the corner where you are!"  If we
choose to be joyful Christians, we will do that -- we will brighten the
corner where we are.  Then we will not only live in the light, but we will
also find ourselves bringing light to the lives of other people as well.

NOTE:  See other hymn stories at http://www.lectionary.org/hymnstories.htm


<>
www.sermonwriter.com

www.lectionary.org





From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Mon Nov 16 16:08:50 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:08:50 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fw: SermonWriter: Nov. 22 (Reign B) 2 Sam 23 & Dan 7
Message-ID: <950A4CC40E5F4071A7061C2B00788633@YOUR264F1833C5>

The following are links to materials for the FIRST READING for Nov. 22:

2 Samuel 23:1-7 (RCL SemiContinuous Reading)
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 (RCL Paired Reading & Catholic Reading)

NO PASSWORD REQUIREMENT: We are posting these materials on the web with no 
password.
To access those files, you MUST use the following links.

IF CLICKING ON THE LINK FAILS TO WORK, copy the link and paste it in the 
address window near the top of your browser.
Then hit the ENTER key or click GO.

OR YOU CAN USE YOUR USERNAME AND PASSWORD to access the files elsewhere on 
my web site.  See below for instructions.


2 SAMUEL 23:1-7 (RCL SemiContinuous Reading)
These materials include the exegesis + link to one sermon + a hymn list:

Microsoft Word file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-22iJ/2_Sam_23.1-7.doc

HTML file (web page):
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-22iJ/2_Sam_23.1-7.htm

WordPerfect file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-22iJ/2_Sam_23.1-7.wpd



DANIEL 7:9-10, 13-14 (RCL Paired Reading & Catholic Reading)
These materials include the exegesis + link to one sermon + a hymn list:

Microsoft Word file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-22iJ/Daniel_07.9-10_13-14.doc

HTML file (web page):
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-22iJ/Daniel_07.9-10_13-14.htm

WordPerfect file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-22iJ/Daniel_07.9-10_13-14.wpd


REVELATION 1:4b-8 (RCL Epistle)
(Link to one sermon -- No exegesis)

http://www.lectionary.org/SermLinks/NT/NT27_Rev.htm


A TIP: If you want the Word or WordPerfect files, LEFT-CLICK on the link and 
see what happens.
That should bring up a dialog box that asks if you want to open the file or 
save it.
Choose OPEN.  Then save it wherever you like on your hard drive.

If that doesn't work, RIGHT-CLICK on the link.  You should get a sub-menu.
Hopefully, "Save Target As" will be one of them.  Click on that.
Then save the file wherever you want on your hard drive.


WWW.LECTIONARY.ORG

<>
Dick Donovan




From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Mon Nov 16 16:16:49 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:16:49 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] SermonWriter materials for Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving)
Message-ID: <8F516BB9BE384628892F2AAEFDCE41F0@YOUR264F1833C5>

The following are SermonWriter materials for Nov. 26 (Thanksgiving). They 
focus on Matthew 6:25-33, where Jesus says, "Do not worry about your life."

These materials consist of the exegesis of Matthew 6:25-33, links to several 
Thanksgiving sermons, and several Thought Provokers.

Dick Donovan


SCRIPTURE:  Matthew 6:25-33


<>
SERMONS:

I have several Thanksgiving sermons posted on my web site at 
www.lectionary.org.  While only one is on this text, you can find ideas for 
your sermon in the Thanksgiving sermons for other texts as well.

TO SEE THESE THANKSGIVING SERMONS, go to http://www.lectionary.org/

Then click on the "Sermons" link on the left side of the page (in the blue).

Then click on the "Special Days and Occasions" link.

Then scroll down to Thanksgiving, which will be near the end of the page.


I AM ASKING YOU TO GO THROUGH THESE STEPS to make you aware of the many 
sermons for various Special Days and Occasions that I have posted on 
www.lectionary.org.  You will probably find them helpful on some occasion in 
the future.

If you prefer, you can go directly to the one sermon on this text by 
clicking the following link:

http://www.lectionary.org/Sermons/Stray/Matt/Matt%2006.25-34,%20NotPlatitudes.htm


THOUGHT PROVOKERS:

Thank God every morning when you get up
that you have something to do that day which  must be done,
whether you like it or not.

James Russell Lowell

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

If only the people who worry about their liabilities
would think about the riches they do possess,
they would stop worrying.
Would you sell both your eyes for a million dollars.
or your two legs.or your hands.or your hearing?
Add up what you do have,
and you'll find that you won't sell them for all the gold in the world.
The best things in life are yours, if you can appreciate yourself.
That's the way to stop worrying -- and start living!

Dale Carnegie

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

We should spend as much time in thanking God for His benefits
as we do in asking Him for them.

Vincent de Paul

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

If anyone would tell you the shortest, surest way to happiness and all 
perfection,
he must tell you to make it a rule to yourself
to thank and praise God for everything that happens to you.
For it is certain that whatever seeming calamity happens to you,
if you thank and praise God for it, you turn it into a blessing.

William Law

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

The best way in which we can say, "Thank You, God,"
is to live that way in our relationship to him and to our fellow man,
to live graciously and winsomely in our everyday experience
so that this world will be a better world because we live in it.

A. Reuben Gornitzka

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *



<>

HYMN STORY:  Now Thank We All Our God

Martin Rinckart (1586-1649 A.D.) was born in Eilenburg, Germany -- a small 
city near Leipzig, which in the 20th century ended up behind the Iron 
Curtain in East Germany for several decades.

Rinckart studied for the Lutheran ministry, and was called to serve as 
pastor of the church at Eilenburg, his home town.   He arrived there just 
before the beginning of the Thirty Years War, a war that devastated Germany 
in general and Eilenburg in particular.  Being a walled city, Eilenburg 
became a place of refuge and soon became badly overcrowded, rendering it 
susceptible to disease.  The plague of 1637 decimated the town, killing 
8,000 people, including Rinckart's wife.  Rinckart often conducted forty or 
fifty funerals a day for plague victims.

It seems incongruous that a hymn like "Now Thank We All Our God" should come 
out of such circumstances.  However, Rinckart wrote the first two stanzas, 
not as a hymn for public worship, but as a table grace for his family.  At 
the end of the war, his hymn was sung to celebrate the signing of the Peace 
of Westphalia -- the treaty that ended the war.

But we would know nothing of this hymn except for the good work of Catherine 
Winkworth, an English woman who translated many German hymns into English --  
this hymn and "Christ the Lord is Risen Today" being the best known.

NOTE:  See additional hymn stories at 
http://www.lectionary.org/hymnstories.htm


<>
www.sermonwriter.com

www.lectionary.org

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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Mon Nov 16 20:56:47 2009
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (joeparrish at compuserve.com)
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:56:47 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Sermons for Thanksgiving:
Message-ID: <8CC35405B349F63-1200-1302@angweb-usm020.sysops.aol.com>


Sermons for Thanksgiving:
 
     Ephesians 5:20 ? ?In All Things Be Thankful? 
     Matthew 6:25-33 ? ?A Squirrely Holiday? by Leonard Sweet
 
Ephesians 5, the sermon titled "In All Things Be Thankful"
 
Ephesians 5: Back during the dark days of 1929, a group of ministers in the Northeast, all graduates of the Boston School of Theology, gathered to discuss how they should conduct their Thanksgiving Sunday services. Things were about as bad as they could get, with no sign of relief. The bread lines were depressingly long, the stock market had plummeted, and the term Great Depression seemed an apt description for the mood of the country. The ministers thought they should only lightly touch upon the subject Thanksgiving in deference to the human misery all about them. After all, there was to be thankful for. But it was Dr. William L. Stiger, pastor of a large congregation in the city that rallied the group. This was not the time, he suggested, to give mere passing mention to Thanksgiving, just the opposite. This was the time for the nation to get matters in perspective and thank God for blessings always present, but perhaps suppressed due to intense hardship.
 
I suggest to you the ministers struck upon something. The most intense moments of thankfulness are not found in times of plenty, but when difficulties abound. Think of the Pilgrims that first Thanksgiving. Half their number dead, men without a country, but still there was thanksgiving to God. Their gratitude was not for something but in something. It was that same sense of gratitude that lead Abraham Lincoln to formally establish the first Thanksgiving Day in the midst of national civil war, when the butcher?s list of casualties seemed to have no end and the very nation struggled for survival.
 
Perhaps in your own life, right now, intense hardship. You are experiencing your own personal Great Depression. Why should you be thankful this day? May I suggest three things?
 
1. We must learn to be thankful or we become bitter.
2. We must learn to be thankful or we will become discouraged.
3. We must learn to be thankful or we will grow arrogant and self-satisfied.
 
The rest of this sermon following the outline above can be obtained by joining www.eSermons.com.

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From robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com  Mon Nov 16 23:47:48 2009
From: robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com (Robert P Morrison)
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:47:48 -0800
Subject: [Propertalk] Last Pentecost b RCL
Message-ID: <37283668.1258433269002.JavaMail.root@mp09>

We go to our diocesan convention this Thursday and begin elections for a new bishop on Friday - prayers requested! 8 - )

The whole shindig ends on Saturday, so I got to this early, although it should be polished a bit as the week goes on.

Comments, etc, will be considered with thanks 8 - ]

Bob


THE EPISCOPAL PARISH OF ST. JAMES, LINCOLN CITY              PROPER 29 B RCL
2 SAMUEL 23:1-7          THE LAST SUNDAY OF PENTECOST ? CHRIST THE KING
REVELATION 1:4b-8	                      	 22nd NOVEMBER, 2009
JOHN 18:33-37	                        	 PSALM 32:1-19

	Lane Denson wrote, a couple of weeks ago, ?One of the reassurances in the wake and celebration for Ted Kennedy has not only been the reminders of his loss and his remarkable family and their leadership. But even more importantly as a friend of mine said, that ?he not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, but to be remembered simply as a good and decent man who saw wrong and made it right.?
	?Her insight affirms that in his absence as a lawmaker it is also the inherent rights of the poor and the marginalized built in to the very fabric of our country for which and for whom we must also grieve. There have never been as many champions of the poor as there are those who in the blindness of their bootstrap economics simply don't give a damn. Welfare is always held in disdain, save when it is the corporate welfare about which we look the other way. Take for example the millions made off fighting wars and the economic status of those who fight them and die for them. No wonder we avoid a national draft.
	?All this is only one more illustration of the irony by which we claim to be a Christian nation and all the while practice a morality inconsistent with the Gospel essential to such a claim.? 1
	There?s always a terrific tendency to exaggerate. On the one hand, the memory of a person or a situation is possessed by everything confusing, and frustrating, even evil, so that there?s no room for any sort of light in which to think of the person?s achievements. On the other hand, we may tend to be absorbed only by the things that intrigued, or enthused, or paralleled our own thinking and desires.
	So many factors can lock us in to one opinion or another. How old we are; what part of the country nurtured us; who our parents and their peers were; what was happening locally and globally. All of these can leave such an imprint that we may never even think of leaving the political party; or religious affiliation; even the geographic location of those who sheltered and socialised us. On the other hand, maybe something happened, either decades ago or within much more recent times, to make us move far from the comfort zones of our childhood and youth.
	It IS OK to change! Or not!
	Either way, it?s incumbent on us NOT simply to lean on the commonplace sayings and feelings that circulate for fact. Whatever one may think, for instance, of the late Ted Kennedy, if you and I are going to talk about him, we have to read what he wrote, and examine what he did, and then decide for ourselves. What someone else may say about him MAY be interesting, or inflammatory. But it can?t take the place of going back to the source to examine motivation, guiding principles, and the sorts of things the person did or said when she or he didn?t think anyone was looking or listening. And, really, I believe that Kennedy would be the last person to seek even minor deification for himself. If people were to seek anything to remember, he would say, look at the bills, the acts, the structures and look at the people whom these have impacted.  Let THAT be what you bring to mind.
NOT to engage in deification, but that?s precisely how Jesus is reported to have lived His life and ended His sojourn here on earth.
??King? is your word. My task is to bear witness to the truth. For this I was born; for this I came into the world,?
	If you and I had to come up with three or four succinct, descriptive phrases of and about Jesus we?d probably include something like, ?The reign of God is already in your midst?; ?unless you become like children?; ?if you did it to one of the least you did it to me?; ?God so loved the world ??.
	All of these point away from Himself. Jesus, even in the most incredible moments of healing and renewal, in the heart of pain and discomfort, Jesus never drew attention to Himself. He pointed away, first to the God who brought everything into being; and second to those who were impoverished in body, mind and spirit.
	Jesus, therefore, ought ?not (to) be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, but to be remembered ?.? How?  As someone who put others way ahead of Himself. When we say and hear the words ?Do this in remembrance of me?, not only do we see Jesus lifted high. We also see Jesus torn apart. And in both of these views we?re drawn closer to discover that the exaltation and the sundering of Jesus? Body was ? is ? for us.
	This is the King we acknowledge and worship today, as we come to the end of another year.
	Even as we celebrate Jesus? majesty, however, we?re brought face to face with the task of re-ordering our thoughts and our priorities. We?re forced to deal with our comforts and discomforts. We?re confronted with our prejudices, good and bad ? at least we?re invited to try to distinguish what is good and what is bad.
	Once again, Jesus stands the world on its head. Everything we?ve been brought up to trust, to seek, to honour, to cherish ? absolutely everything is put under the scrutiny of the majestic glass through which the true Light shines.
	Jesus talks about leadership and what God expects of a leader. Jesus talks about social life and structure, and what God expects in them. Jesus talks about pain, and suffering, and uncertainty, and about how God views them.
	In every single one of these ? and countless others besides ? Jesus demonstrates how wrong the standards of the world have been ordered. It all has to start with God and with the impoverished ? who, actually, stand together. Everything else is built upon them. Therefore, anything or anyone who?d do or say anything to bring disrespect, or discredit, or disillusion to God or the impoverished of the world is attacking the foundation upon which Truth is built.
	And note where this discussion, this revelation, takes place: in the official court hearing room of the Roman Governor, an extension of Rome itself. In the very place where order, and pomp, and legalism were centred and enforced, stood Jesus, jousting verbally with Pilate on the deadly serious subject of authority and allegiance. Jesus is trying to witness to Pilate, as much as to us, of the need for us all to become ?other-worldly?.
	We?re not talking here about forgetting what?s happening outside the doors of this building. This isn?t a call to isolationism ? something I fear we?re all guilty of doing when times get tough.  Far from it. But the ?other world? to which Jesus points when he talks about belonging, is one which encompasses all the people, all the institutions which exist yet which operates under completely different principles.
	This is right-up-to-the-minute news about individual congregation members here. It?s a direct message to the Vestry; to the Convocation; to the Diocese ? yes, the Diocese which just elected **** as Bishop of Oregon! This dialogue between Pilate and Jesus, with the ending of which we?re all fully aware, this dialogue says that it?s never supposed to be ?business as usual?.
	When money gets tight what do people do? They cut way back on their discretionary purchases. They limit the trips they take. They may stop pledges to Public Radio, or political causes ? to Churches? Yes, to their congregation also.
	Just before His death, though, Jesus engages Pilate. He talks to the person with all the power over Israel, the person representing all the power in the western world. Jesus pleads with Pilate to think about where the governor?s life and his habits and his devotion are leading him.
	The whole point of the Gospel is to be there when things are on their last legs; when people feel they have nowhere to turn; when oppression, and abuse, and callousness seem to have a stranglehold on both individuals and the societies of which they?re a part.
	When the market is high; when social security is, well, secure; when health isn?t a factor at the front of our minds; we might be forgiven for not dwelling too much on the Gospel as the Daily Word of God for us. Certainly, it?s there, and it should guide us in our dealings with other human beings. Yet it?s when we face all sorts of challenges and struggles, when people would threaten us, or dismiss us, or cause us harm ? it?s when we face heart-dropping moments of crises that we find the Gospel speaking out even stronger, and saying ? don?t allow the values and means of the world to control you.
	I thought, the other day, about whether there?s a tie-in between this Gospel moment in the Roman court and the scene at the Temple treasury. The widow gracefully gave away all she had for God?s ministry through the Temple. Jesus was about to give away, literally, all that He had for God?s ministry in bringing reconciliation and hope in the midst of despair.
	The Gospel, the Bible, isn?t a clean book. It?s a work in which God?s Spirit shows us how to cope when we?re evicted from our normal way of living and forced to live on the streets without what the world might like to refer to as the ?comforts of home?. The untidy Gospel, dealing as it does with people like us who have aches, and pains, and worries about all sorts of issues, the untidy Gospel is a message of hope that doesn?t deny pain. It simply denies the final authority of pain.
	So, beginning with God and the however-impoverished at the centre of our vision, we turn this morning, barely two days after the election of a Bishop for this Diocese, to see where this congregation and this Diocese may be headed. 
	We face enormous challenges. Money ? of course; confidence ? yes, to a fair degree; vision ? well, it could be better. People ? no worries there at all. God?s people are all around. It?s simply a matter of engaging them, of finding our focus, of getting rid of everything which tries to kill our spirits.
	For some reason last week my mind was caught by Mark Antony?s speech in Shakespeare?s tragedy, not so much by the opening, but by the closing lines. Antony, asking his hearers to give him a moment, uttered the wonderful request,
	 ?Bear with me;
	My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
      And I must pause till it come back to me.  2
	Jesus stands to raise us out of the coffins that try to encase our hope, our energy, our spirits ? not just at the end of our earthly lives, but right now. What good news for this Diocese and ****, our Bishop! What good news for this congregation! What good news for you, and for me! All that we need to do is to bear witness to the truth ? that?s all! 

NOTES:
1	?Out of Nowhere? by Lane Denson. Monday 9th November, 2009     oon at covpubs.org
2	Mark Antony in ?The Tragedy of Julius Caesar? by William Shakespeare, Act III, scene 2.  See a comparison of the original text with a contemporary paraphrase at http://lklivingston.tripod.com/caesar/


--
Robert P. Morrison
The Episcopal Parish of St James,
PO Box 789
Lincoln City, Oregon, 97367

541-994-2426 (Church)




From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Tue Nov 17 10:45:10 2009
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (joeparrish at compuserve.com)
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:45:10 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: Christ the King Sermon Resources - Part 1 of 2
In-Reply-To: <8CC35B37C5F8483-1144-113B@angweb-usm012.sysops.aol.com>
Message-ID: <8CC35B4148CABC3-1144-113F@angweb-usm012.sysops.aol.com>






Forwarded:
 
Sermon for Christ the King:
 
     John 18:33-37 ? ?Kingdoms in Conflict? 
 
John 18, the sermon titled "Kingdoms in Conflict"
 
Perhaps you have heard this story. It's a great story:  Many years ago, when Hitler's forces occupied Denmark, the order came that all Jews in Denmark were to identify themselves by wearing armbands with yellow stars of David. The Danes had seen the extermination of Jews in other countries and guessed that this was the first step in that process in their countries. The King did not defy the orders. He had every Jew wear the star and he himself wore the Star of David. He told his people that he expected every loyal Dane to do the same. The King said, "We are all Danes. One Danish person is the same as the next." He wore his yellow star when going into Copenhagen every day in order to encourage his people. The King of Denmark identified with his people, even to the point of putting his own life on the line.
 
It's a wonderful story with a powerful point. The only problem is it isn't true. It's an urban legend. It's been around for a long time and told thousands of times over. And now with the internet we are getting a lot of these legendary stories retold. Too bad! What an image for a king, identifying with his people. 
 
"Are you the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked. "Is that your idea," Jesus said to him, "or did others talk to you about me?" That's how these legends get started. Other people talking about what other people have said. Jesus was essentially crucified on gossip and rumor. An urban legend had developed around his ministry that he was going to lead a revolt against Rome.
 
In his conversation with Pilate, Jesus finally does imply that he is a king. "My kingdom," he explains, "is not of this world." Not of this world. That's what it takes. That's what it takes to find a King who identifies with his people. A King of heaven, a King of kings from some place other than this world.
 
Pilate and Jesus. Kingdoms in conflict. There are great lessons found in the tension between these two. Let's take a look at...
 
1. The Kingdoms of this World.
2. The Kingdom not of this World.
3. And the Truth we learn from the conflict of the two.
 
The rest of this sermon following the outline above can be obtained by joining www.eSermons.com.
_______________________
 
What Pilate Believes
 
In the NIV, the first part of v. 37 is a declaration by Pilate: "You are a king, then!" In the NRSV (and my Greek text) it is a question: "So you are a king?"
 
In some ways, this is another wrong question. Jesus turns it around: "You are saying that I am a king." With that statement is Jesus again putting Pilate on trial: "You have said it, but is it what you believe?"
 
Here is a story that illustrates what is going on in this dialogue between Jesus and Pilate:
An Amish man was once asked by an enthusiastic young evangelist whether he had been saved, and whether he had accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior?
 
The gentleman replied, "Why do you ask me such a thing? I could tell you anything. Here are the names of my banker, my grocer, and my farm hands. Ask them if I've been saved."
 
Jesus could tell Pilate anything. What is important is what Pilate believes.
 
Brian Stoffregen, Exegetical Notes
__________________
 
Ordinary People
 
In the story of the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus we do not have a rascally, villainous cast of characters. We have ordinary soldiers, policemen, officials, priests, magistrates, and citizens - all doing what soldiers, police, officials, priests, and zealous citizens do every day. It is the usual "morality play," with a suspected criminal, arresting officers, prosecutors, a trial, and sentencing. With the exception of Jesus, none of the actors appear to be sterling characters. They are ordinary human beings, with a fair measure of hypocrisy and callousness. But each carries out with fidelity the role that society has assigned to him or her.
 
"The fundamental reason why Jesus has to die makes the question of responsibility for his assassination pointless. Every society, Jewish or Gentile, that is founded on money, power, and law, condemns him. He puts people first, making economics and politics less important than men and women. In contrast, society, even when it says the opposite, deceiving others as well as itself, considers individuals simply as a means." (Sulivan, Morning Light, p. 75)
 
John C. Purdy, God with a Human Face
________________________________________
 Part of the Ritual
 
The story is told about the baptism of King Aengus by St. Patrick in the middle of the fifth century. Sometime during the rite, St. Patrick leaned on his sharp-pointed staff and inadvertently stabbed the king's foot. After the baptism was over, St. Patrick looked down at all the blood, realized what he had done, and begged the king's forgiveness. Why did you suffer this pain in silence, the Saint wanted to know. The king replied, "I thought it was part of the ritual."
 
I am here to tell you that your king was stabbed in the foot . . . and the hand, and the side and the head and that WAS part of the ritual. And, you and I are the ones who held the staff. I ask you. Will you beg the King's forgiveness?
 
Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com
 
_______________
 
Jesus Wins
 
George III of England, America's enemy in the Revolutionary War, felt terrible about the loss of the colonies. It was said, in fact, that for the rest of his life, he could not say the word "independence" without tripping over it. He was an odd duck in many ways, but he had good insights. When the fighting in America stopped, King George and all his royal cronies in Europe were sure that George Washington would have himself crowned "Emperor of the New World." That's what they would have done. When he was told, on the contrary, that Washington planned to surrender his military commission and return to farming at Mt. Vernon, George III said, "Well, if he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world." There is power in giving up power, in emptying oneself. Jesus knew it, Pilate didn't. 
 
Jesus wins, Pilate loses. 
 
William R. Boyer, A Confusion of the Heart
_________________
 
 




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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Tue Nov 17 10:45:41 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:45:41 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: Christ the King Sermon Resources - Part 2 of 2
Message-ID: <FA2FD09A76A7416D9479EF6BC8FF614B@YOUR264F1833C5>

They Write Better Than They Know

It is the accepted wisdom of priests and soldiers alike that one who possesses power always uses it for his own advantage. Why be a king if you cannot prove it by spectacular demonstrations of force and might? For Jesus these mocking words must bring back the echo of an earlier time when he is standing on the pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem and hears the voice of the Tempter: "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here" (Luke 4:9). He resists such a temptation then, and resists it yet again. But the criminal evidently sees in Jesus' refusal to bend to the demands of his powerful tormentors an authority which is not compelled to prove itself. Is there a greater act of authority, courage, and dignity than to refuse to save oneself in order to save others? The criminal, with great effort, turns his head and looks again at the inscription on the central cross. "This is the King of the Jews." Perhaps he thinks, "They write better than they know."

J. Will Ormond, Good News among the Rubble, CSS Publishing
____________________

Prose

What kind of a Kingdom has Jesus? No castle nor palace has he.  No congress nor parliament sitting, deciding what laws there will be. Perhaps he has need of but two laws: Love God and your neighbor as well. To obey them is all that is needed, as all of the saintly can tell.

He has neither army nor navy, no air force to guard the frontiers to keep out the strangers unwanted and maintain the enemy's fears. Immigration he seems to encourage, of some quite disreputable, like fishermen, publicans, sinners. To such he is hospitable.

It seems there's no revenue service or taxes we must calculate. He surely cannot run a kingdom on what we put into the plate! No 1040 form comes in April to fill out before the fifteenth, with penalties charged for nonpayment, beginning upon the sixteenth.

No currency's here with his picture, no coinage engraved with his name. And where are the posters and slogans proclaiming his power and fame? And I see no trappings of kingship, no robes made of velvet and fur, no crown made of gold set with diamonds, to befit our supreme arbiter.

Jesus said that his kingdom was really not what Pilate had thought it had been. It was not of this world. And its glory was not of the kind to be seen. For those of us here in his kingdom, there is one other thing we have known: of the kingdoms around in his lifetime, it's the only one left with a throne.

Andrew Daughters, The Kingdom of Jesus, CSS Publishing.
______________________

Freedom Riders

Recently I heard someone tell a story about the experiences of the Freedom Riders in the American South during the '50s and '60s and their struggle for civil rights. The story was a vivid illustration of how life changes when Jesus has the last word, when Jesus is King.

When the Freedom Riders traveled through the South staging their sit-ins and marches and protests, they were often arrested and jailed. The guardians of racial segregation and the status quo were not going to let them have the last word. While in jail the Freedom Riders were often treated poorly and brutally in order to break their spirits. They were deprived of food or given lousy food. Noise was blasted and lights were flashed all day and night to keep them from resting. Sometimes even some of their mattresses were removed in order that all would not have a place to sleep.

For a while it seemed to work. Their spirits were drained and discouraged, but never broken. It happened more than once and in more than one jail. Eventually the jail would begin to rock and swing to sounds of gospel singing. What began as a few weak voices would grow into a thundering and defiant chorus. The Freedom Riders would sing of their faith and their freedom. Sometimes they would even press their remaining mattresses out of their cells between the bars as they shouted, "You can take our mattresses, but you can't take our souls!"

The Freedom Riders were behind bars in jail, but they were really free. They were supposed to be guilty, but they were really innocent. They were supposedly suffering, but they were actually having a great time. They were supposedly defeated but they were actually victorious.

Why? They may not have said it, but they could have: because Jesus has the last word, because Christ is King!

Steven E. Albertin, Against the Grain -- Words for a Politically Incorrect Church, CSS Publishing

_____________________

History of Christ the King Sunday

This is actually a pretty new festival in the church year. Its roots go back only to the late 1800's, when the world's great empires--British, American, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Japanese--were all at war or about to go to war somewhere.

The man who was the pope of the Roman Catholic Church at the time wrote a letter in which he dedicated the world to Christ the King. In the letter, he reminded the empires that God is present with the whole human race, even with those who do not know God.

After World War I, another pope designated the last Sunday in October as Christ the King Sunday, a day to remember that Christ received power and honor from God and was thereby made ruler of the universe. Eventually, Catholics moved Christ the King Sunday to the last Sunday of the church year, when they were already accustomed to reflecting on Christ's return at the end of time to rule over all creation, a theme which echoes throughout Revelation, the last book of the Bible. 

David W. Miller, Reign of Truth

______________________

Gandhi's Strength

In the published diaries of Joseph Goebbels, the infamous Nazi Propagandist, there are two or three references to Mahatma Gandhi. Goebbels believed that Gandhi was a fool and a fanatic. If Gandhi had the sense to organize militarily, Goebbels thought, he might hope to win the freedom of India. He was certain that Gandhi couldn't succeed following a path of non-resistance and peaceful revolution. Yet as history played itself out, India peacefully won her independence while the Nazi military machine was destroyed. What Goebbels regarded as weakness actually turned out to be strength. What he thought of as strength turned out to be weakness. 

Kevin M. Pleas, Sufficient Grace 

______________________

King and Kingdom

Ironically, it is not so much the priestly or prophetic aspect of the work of Christ which John highlights in his narrative of the crucifixion. Rather it is the kingly role of Christ as the dying Savior which dominates John's account of our Lord's final hours.

I say ironic because John's gospel does not feature the kingdom of God; nor does he focus upon Christ's claim to be the coming king-until chapter 18. Whereas Matthew, Mark and Luke from the very beginning of their gospels describe Jesus proclaiming the imminence of the kingdom of heaven-the miracles of Christ as signs of the kingdom breaking-in to history-the parables (which are completely absent from John's gospel)-as parables of the kingdom, John only mentions the words "king" and "kingdom" six times prior to chapter 18. The kingdom of God and the kingship of Christ are written boldly over the first three gospels.

The conclusion to this illustration and for many additional illustrations and sermons for Christ the King, as well as Thanksgiving, can be accessed at www.Sermons.com.
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From joeparrish at compuserve.com  Tue Nov 17 10:40:55 2009
From: joeparrish at compuserve.com (joeparrish at compuserve.com)
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:40:55 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fwd: Christ the King Sermon Resources
In-Reply-To: <8CC35B35A718B23-1144-113A@angweb-usm012.sysops.aol.com>
Message-ID: <8CC35B37C5F8483-1144-113B@angweb-usm012.sysops.aol.com>





Forwarded:

Sermon for Christ the King:
 
     John 18:33-37 ? ?Kingdoms in Conflict? 
 
John 18, the sermon titled "Kingdoms in Conflict"
 
Perhaps you have heard this story. It's a great story:  Many years ago, when Hitler's forces occupied Denmark, the order came that all Jews in Denmark were to identify themselves by wearing armbands with yellow stars of David. The Danes had seen the extermination of Jews in other countries and guessed that this was the first step in that process in their countries. The King did not defy the orders. He had every Jew wear the star and he himself wore the Star of David. He told his people that he expected every loyal Dane to do the same. The King said, "We are all Danes. One Danish person is the same as the next." He wore his yellow star when going into Copenhagen every day in order to encourage his people. The King of Denmark identified with his people, even to the point of putting his own life on the line.
 
It's a wonderful story with a powerful point. The only problem is it isn't true. It's an urban legend. It's been around for a long time and told thousands of times over. And now with the internet we are getting a lot of these legendary stories retold. Too bad! What an image for a king, identifying with his people. 
 
"Are you the king of the Jews?" Pilate asked. "Is that your idea," Jesus said to him, "or did others talk to you about me?" That's how these legends get started. Other people talking about what other people have said. Jesus was essentially crucified on gossip and rumor. An urban legend had developed around his ministry that he was going to lead a revolt against Rome.
 
In his conversation with Pilate, Jesus finally does imply that he is a king. "My kingdom," he explains, "is not of this world." Not of this world. That's what it takes. That's what it takes to find a King who identifies with his people. A King of heaven, a King of kings from some place other than this world.
 
Pilate and Jesus. Kingdoms in conflict. There are great lessons found in the tension between these two. Let's take a look at...
 
1. The Kingdoms of this World.
2. The Kingdom not of this World.
3. And the Truth we learn from the conflict of the two.
 
The rest of this sermon following the outline above can be obtained by joining www.eSermons.com.
_______________________
 
What Pilate Believes
 
In the NIV, the first part of v. 37 is a declaration by Pilate: "You are a king, then!" In the NRSV (and my Greek text) it is a question: "So you are a king?"
 
In some ways, this is another wrong question. Jesus turns it around: "You are saying that I am a king." With that statement is Jesus again putting Pilate on trial: "You have said it, but is it what you believe?"
 
Here is a story that illustrates what is going on in this dialogue between Jesus and Pilate:
An Amish man was once asked by an enthusiastic young evangelist whether he had been saved, and whether he had accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior?
 
The gentleman replied, "Why do you ask me such a thing? I could tell you anything. Here are the names of my banker, my grocer, and my farm hands. Ask them if I've been saved."
 
Jesus could tell Pilate anything. What is important is what Pilate believes.
 
Brian Stoffregen, Exegetical Notes
__________________
 
Ordinary People
 
In the story of the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus we do not have a rascally, villainous cast of characters. We have ordinary soldiers, policemen, officials, priests, magistrates, and citizens - all doing what soldiers, police, officials, priests, and zealous citizens do every day. It is the usual "morality play," with a suspected criminal, arresting officers, prosecutors, a trial, and sentencing. With the exception of Jesus, none of the actors appear to be sterling characters. They are ordinary human beings, with a fair measure of hypocrisy and callousness. But each carries out with fidelity the role that society has assigned to him or her.
 
"The fundamental reason why Jesus has to die makes the question of responsibility for his assassination pointless. Every society, Jewish or Gentile, that is founded on money, power, and law, condemns him. He puts people first, making economics and politics less important than men and women. In contrast, society, even when it says the opposite, deceiving others as well as itself, considers individuals simply as a means." (Sulivan, Morning Light, p. 75)
 
John C. Purdy, God with a Human Face
________________________________________
 Part of the Ritual
 
The story is told about the baptism of King Aengus by St. Patrick in the middle of the fifth century. Sometime during the rite, St. Patrick leaned on his sharp-pointed staff and inadvertently stabbed the king's foot. After the baptism was over, St. Patrick looked down at all the blood, realized what he had done, and begged the king's forgiveness. Why did you suffer this pain in silence, the Saint wanted to know. The king replied, "I thought it was part of the ritual."
 
I am here to tell you that your king was stabbed in the foot . . . and the hand, and the side and the head and that WAS part of the ritual. And, you and I are the ones who held the staff. I ask you. Will you beg the King's forgiveness?
 
Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com
 
_______________
 
Jesus Wins
 
George III of England, America's enemy in the Revolutionary War, felt terrible about the loss of the colonies. It was said, in fact, that for the rest of his life, he could not say the word "independence" without tripping over it. He was an odd duck in many ways, but he had good insights. When the fighting in America stopped, King George and all his royal cronies in Europe were sure that George Washington would have himself crowned "Emperor of the New World." That's what they would have done. When he was told, on the contrary, that Washington planned to surrender his military commission and return to farming at Mt. Vernon, George III said, "Well, if he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world." There is power in giving up power, in emptying oneself. Jesus knew it, Pilate didn't. 
 
Jesus wins, Pilate loses. 
 
William R. Boyer, A Confusion of the Heart
_________________
 
They Write Better Than They Know
 
It is the accepted wisdom of priests and soldiers alike that one who possesses power always uses it for his own advantage. Why be a king if you cannot prove it by spectacular demonstrations of force and might? For Jesus these mocking words must bring back the echo of an earlier time when he is standing on the pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem and hears the voice of the Tempter: "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here" (Luke 4:9). He resists such a temptation then, and resists it yet again. But the criminal evidently sees in Jesus' refusal to bend to the demands of his powerful tormentors an authority which is not compelled to prove itself. Is there a greater act of authority, courage, and dignity than to refuse to save oneself in order to save others? The criminal, with great effort, turns his head and looks again at the inscription on the central cross. "This is the King of the Jews." Perhaps he thinks, "They write better than they know."
 
J. Will Ormond, Good News among the Rubble, CSS Publishing
____________________
 
Prose
 
What kind of a Kingdom has Jesus? No castle nor palace has he.  No congress nor parliament sitting, deciding what laws there will be. Perhaps he has need of but two laws: Love God and your neighbor as well. To obey them is all that is needed, as all of the saintly can tell.
 
He has neither army nor navy, no air force to guard the frontiers to keep out the strangers unwanted and maintain the enemy?s fears. Immigration he seems to encourage, of some quite disreputable, like fishermen, publicans, sinners. To such he is hospitable.
 
It seems there?s no revenue service or taxes we must calculate. He surely cannot run a kingdom on what we put into the plate! No 1040 form comes in April to fill out before the fifteenth, with penalties charged for nonpayment, beginning upon the sixteenth.
 
No currency?s here with his picture, no coinage engraved with his name. And where are the posters and slogans proclaiming his power and fame? And I see no trappings of kingship, no robes made of velvet and fur, no crown made of gold set with diamonds, to befit our supreme arbiter.
 
Jesus said that his kingdom was really not what Pilate had thought it had been. It was not of this world. And its glory was not of the kind to be seen. For those of us here in his kingdom, there is one other thing we have known: of the kingdoms around in his lifetime, it?s the only one left with a throne.
 
Andrew Daughters, The Kingdom of Jesus, CSS Publishing.
______________________
 
Freedom Riders
 
Recently I heard someone tell a story about the experiences of the Freedom Riders in the American South during the '50s and '60s and their struggle for civil rights. The story was a vivid illustration of how life changes when Jesus has the last word, when Jesus is King.
 
When the Freedom Riders traveled through the South staging their sit-ins and marches and protests, they were often arrested and jailed. The guardians of racial segregation and the status quo were not going to let them have the last word. While in jail the Freedom Riders were often treated poorly and brutally in order to break their spirits. They were deprived of food or given lousy food. Noise was blasted and lights were flashed all day and night to keep them from resting. Sometimes even some of their mattresses were removed in order that all would not have a place to sleep.
 
For a while it seemed to work. Their spirits were drained and discouraged, but never broken. It happened more than once and in more than one jail. Eventually the jail would begin to rock and swing to sounds of gospel singing. What began as a few weak voices would grow into a thundering and defiant chorus. The Freedom Riders would sing of their faith and their freedom. Sometimes they would even press their remaining mattresses out of their cells between the bars as they shouted, "You can take our mattresses, but you can't take our souls!"
 
The Freedom Riders were behind bars in jail, but they were really free. They were supposed to be guilty, but they were really innocent. They were supposedly suffering, but they were actually having a great time. They were supposedly defeated but they were actually victorious.
 
Why? They may not have said it, but they could have: because Jesus has the last word, because Christ is King!
 
Steven E. Albertin, Against the Grain -- Words for a Politically Incorrect Church, CSS Publishing
 
_____________________
 
History of Christ the King Sunday
 
This is actually a pretty new festival in the church year. Its roots go back only to the late 1800's, when the world's great empires--British, American, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Japanese--were all at war or about to go to war somewhere.
 
The man who was the pope of the Roman Catholic Church at the time wrote a letter in which he dedicated the world to Christ the King. In the letter, he reminded the empires that God is present with the whole human race, even with those who do not know God.
 
After World War I, another pope designated the last Sunday in October as Christ the King Sunday, a day to remember that Christ received power and honor from God and was thereby made ruler of the universe. Eventually, Catholics moved Christ the King Sunday to the last Sunday of the church year, when they were already accustomed to reflecting on Christ's return at the end of time to rule over all creation, a theme which echoes throughout Revelation, the last book of the Bible. 
 
David W. Miller, Reign of Truth
 
______________________
 
Gandhi's Strength
 
In the published diaries of Joseph Goebbels, the infamous Nazi Propagandist, there are two or three references to Mahatma Gandhi. Goebbels believed that Gandhi was a fool and a fanatic. If Gandhi had the sense to organize militarily, Goebbels thought, he might hope to win the freedom of India. He was certain that Gandhi couldn?t succeed following a path of non-resistance and peaceful revolution. Yet as history played itself out, India peacefully won her independence while the Nazi military machine was destroyed. What Goebbels regarded as weakness actually turned out to be strength. What he thought of as strength turned out to be weakness. 
 
Kevin M. Pleas, Sufficient Grace 
 
______________________
 
King and Kingdom
 
Ironically, it is not so much the priestly or prophetic aspect of the work of Christ which John highlights in his narrative of the crucifixion. Rather it is the kingly role of Christ as the dying Savior which dominates John's account of our Lord's final hours.
 
I say ironic because John's gospel does not feature the kingdom of God; nor does he focus upon Christ's claim to be the coming king?until chapter 18. Whereas Matthew, Mark and Luke from the very beginning of their gospels describe Jesus proclaiming the imminence of the kingdom of heaven?the miracles of Christ as signs of the kingdom breaking-in to history?the parables (which are completely absent from John's gospel)?as parables of the kingdom, John only mentions the words "king" and "kingdom" six times prior to chapter 18. The kingdom of God and the kingship of Christ are written boldly over the first three gospels?
 
The conclusion to this illustration and for many additional illustrations and sermons for Christ the King, as well as Thanksgiving, can be accessed at www.Sermons.com.
 



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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Wed Nov 18 10:57:28 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:57:28 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Off lectionary sermon for Nov. 22 - Reign of Christ -
	Year B
Message-ID: <34902D5BF44D4524ACFBDD1CBE6BFFFD@YOUR264F1833C5>

The Rev. Dr. Bill Self is pastor of Johns Creek Baptist Church in Alpharetta, GA, a member of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

What Do You Want with Me, Jesus?
Mark 5:1-17
Reign of Christ - Year B
November 22, 2009
http://day1.org/1581-what_do_you_want_with_me_jesus
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 21 18:26:26 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:26:26 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Sermon quotes for John 18:33-37 - Nov. 22 - Part 1
Message-ID: <295A6B8469D3447FAE01DB136F545726@YOUR264F1833C5>

He who asks seriously the question of the truth that liberates, is already on his way to liberation. He may still be in the bondage of dogmatic self-assurance but he has begun to be free from it. He may still be in the bondage of cynical despair, but he has already started to emerge from it. He may still be in the bondage of unconcern about the truth that matters, but his unconcern is already shaken. 

http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=375&C=21

Paul Tillich, 1955
- - - - -

Thus we find that Jesus, Lord of all, is hidden, yet present as he dies on the cross.  And with our eyes thus opened, we are able to see much more of what our God has hidden and planted in our world: peace, justice and life for us to harvest and manifest in our lives.  

http://www.predigten.uni-goettingen.de/predigt.php?id=145&kennung=20070406en

Luke Bouman, 2007
- - - - -

...a quiet voice spoke back to Sam's inner spirit:  "No deals, Sam.  No deals.  No manipulations.  I rule over you in all times of your life." 
So here we were at this banquet, and Sam went on to say:  "God has called me to be his servant in my turf, the National Football League.  He rules over all aspects of my life, when winning or losing, in triumphs and tragedies.  How about you?  Where is your turf?  Does God rule you there in your turf, in your situation?  Not just when you're winning, but when you are losing.  Not just during the triumphs but during the tragedies of your life?  Does God rule you then?"  ...  There was silence, a profound silence, echoing the silence from the book of Job.  No, this was no "jock for Jesus" speech. ...  Does God rule in our losing?  In our tragedies?  

<>

...one day his [East Berlin] school principal confronted him, "Mr. Offeldt, communism teaches that there is no God, that God is a figment of our imagination."  To which Dietrich replied,  "God is not the figment of my imagination.  God created my imagination and yours."  

<>

Yes, Jesus is Lord.  He holds the sun and the moon, the earth and the stars, the girls and the boys, and the little bitty babies in his hand. 

http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_christ_the_king.htm

Edward F. Markquart
- - - - -

 I get tears in my eyes every time I remember the memorial in Neuendettelsau, Germany, to the retarded people who were taken from this Lutheran city of refuge to the gas chambers by the Nazis because they made no meaningful contribution to society and probably created problems for it! In more educated societies, we like to think we are free from this. However, without becoming politically radical, you and I can name peoples and individuals who, within the last two years, have been scapegoated by our government and our society in general because we have been unwilling to address some of the causes for evil in our world which lie not outside us, but within our very selves. 

http://www.predigten.uni-goettingen.de/archiv-7/050325-8-e.html

David Zersen, 2005
- - - - -

In spite of the harassment to which she was subjected, she worked at presenting proposals that would improve the quality of life in the town.  As she drew attention the problems, even people outside her district became more aware of the inefficiency of the town council. When the next election came around, people in other areas came forth to challenge the "old timers." Eventually the town council became more representative of the community and the woman who started it all became the mayor.

http://www.agreeley.com/hom03/nov23.htm

Mary Durkin
- - - - -

Pilate says to Jesus' response, "So then you are a king." In the Greek text, this can be a statement of affirmation (as my translation) or a question (as in the RSV and NRSV). Once again it would appear that Jesus accepts Pilate's words as a statement and not a question as Jesus affirms to Pilate "You say that I am a king" (18:37).

Jesus' witness brings the text to a crescendo witness: "For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Every one who is of the truth hears my voice" (18:37). The scene between Jesus and Pilate is the height of the gospel's irony as Pilate does not question Jesus' kingship or guilt of the charges brought before him. Pilate rather affirms Jesus' kingship as his title on the cross witnesses and his resolve against the chief priests not to change the title in Hebrew (Aramaic), Latin and Greek: "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews" (19:19-22).

http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=11/22/2009&tab=4

Paul S. Berge, 2009
- - - - -
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 21 19:29:54 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:29:54 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Sermon quotes for John 18:33-37 - Nov. 22 - Part 2
Message-ID: <31FD8080FD22430B8AE466D7A6C2B984@YOUR264F1833C5>

Pilate picks up on Jesus words "my kingdom". Jesus is king of "truth" (v. 37); his subjects are those who belong to the truth. He was "born" and "came into the world" to establish the kingdom of God, the ultimate truth.

http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/archive/bpr34m.shtml

Chris Haslam 
- - - - -

18:37: "'You say that I am a king'": Pilate and Jesus mean different things by kingship, so a direct answer is not possible. [Sanders, J.N. 1968]

18:37: "the truth": For Jesus' testimony to "the truth", see 5:32; 8:40, 45, 46. 8:44 tells us that the Jews have rejected "the truth". The disciples have received it from Jesus: see 14:6; 17:17, 19. [Brown, Raymond E., et al., 1995 ] Here, it means reality. [Sanders, J.N. 1968]

http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/archive/bpr34l.shtml

Chris Haslam 
- - - - -

We have come to the end of another liturgical year, and Dianne Bergant explains that we observe the feast of Christ the King here, at that end, because "it celebrates the realization of all of our theology. It is not only the goal toward which our Sunday meditations have been taking us, Christ's enthronement is the omega point toward which all of history has been moving." The wise reign we look forward to, and sometimes experience in the here and now, "is a kingdom of truth and life, of holiness and grace, of justice and peace," and this king is one we can approach without fear, knowing that we belong to this gentle and loving shepherd king.

There is no need, then, for fear. Words like king and kingdom and kingship are our ways of trying to describe this shepherd king who carries us and leads us and calls us home. 

http://i.ucc.org/StretchYourMind/OpeningtheBible/WeeklySeeds/tabid/81/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/252/A-Wise-Reign-Nov-1622.aspx

Kate Huey, 2009
- - - - -

Pilate mocks the Jewish authorities throughout, exposing their powerlessness. He relents only when they convert to become defenders of the emperor. The situation is bizarre. Pilate emerges as pathetic and weak. The Jewish authorities emerge as traitors to their faith. It is a narrative spun out of some strands of history woven within the fabric of contemporary conflict in which inner Jewish tension has erupted into mutual accusation and recrimination between those who follow Jesus and those who do not.

http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/MkChristtheKing.htm

William Loader
- - - - -

We should also remember, as Malina and Rohrbaugh (Social-Science Commentary on the Gospel of John) point out:
To speak here of a "trial" of Jesus, so common in Western scholarly literature, is out of place. Rigidly hierarchical societies such as those under Roman imperial rule in the ancient Mediterranean world do not allow for trials of social inferiors; instead they have accusations and punishments. [p. 256]

http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/john18x33.htm

Brian Stoffregen
- - - - -

 In its simplest terms, the kingdom of God that Jesus announced and embodied is what life would be like on earth, here and now, if God were king and the rulers of this world were not (Borg, Crossan). Imagine if God ruled the nations, and not Obama, Medvedev, Kim Jong-il, Mugabe, or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Every aspect of personal and communal life would experience a radical reversal. The political, economic, and social subversions would be almost endless-peace-making instead of war mongering, liberation not exploitation, sacrifice rather than subjugation, mercy not vengeance, care for the vulnerable instead of privileges for the powerful, generosity instead of greed, humility rather than hubris, embrace rather than exclusion, etc. 

http://www.journeywithjesus.net/Essays/20091116JJ.shtml

Daniel B. Clendenin, 2009
- - - - -

The Judean authorities want Jesus gone, and not without reason.  Jesus' attacks on the Temple elite had been scathing.  One notes, however, that in all four gospels, Jesus was careful not to criticize the Romans directly.  His rare jibes at the Romans were oblique and indirect.  This was politically deft.  You don't take on the most powerful aspect of the power structure, which would be the Roman Army, but rather its weakest component, which was the Temple elite, especially when that elite is already under suspicion and held in low regard.  

http://www.progressiveinvolvement.com/progressive_involvement/2009/11/lectionary-blogging-christ-the-king-john-18-3337.html

John Petty, 2000
- - - - -
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 21 21:10:57 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:10:57 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Sermon quotes for John 18:33-37 - Nov. 22 - Part 3
Message-ID: <C4582A7E0B33446EBC7D50C1C76F6EE1@YOUR264F1833C5>

Verse 34. A low status person would not reply to a superior's question with a question. So Jesus' response to Pilate indicates that Jesus does not accept Pilate as a social superior. His question to Pilate in effect asks, "Have you been following my career yourself? Do you have first-hand knowledge about me?" Pilate, of course, would only be following the career of superiors, upon whose shifting loyalties and rank his own life and privileges would depend.

Verse 35. Pilate's reply would be heard as a loss of honour because he accepts - and answers - Jesus' question, "I am not a Judean." Having failed to get Jesus to plead "Guilty as charged," Pilate now demands that Jesus make a confession, "What have you done?" 

http://www.holytextures.com/2009/10/john-18-33-37-year-b-pentecost-29-34-reign-of-christ-the-king-sermon.html

David Ewart
- - - - -

 "Long Live Christ the King!" The year was 1925 when a young Mexican priest shouted that cry as he was being executed for treason. The Mexican government at that time was hostile to the Church. The Church in Mexico was disenfranchised and its property seized and appropriated by the state. Seminaries were forced to operate underground. Priests were arrested for conducting services and for administering the sacraments. Everything had to be done under cover. Even on his way to make sick calls, Father Miguel Pro took precautions. If he felt he was being followed, the priest walked with a young lady to avoid suspicion. He was finally caught and sentenced to death. The charge against him was that he had been an accomplice in an assassination attempt. They said he had been seen at a park within four miles of a bombing. He was led to execution in the police courtyard. With arms outstretched like a cross, he shouted this cry as the volley of bullets tore into his body: VIVA CHRISTO REY! Long live Christ the King! That same year in 1925, Pius XI proclaimed the feast day of Christ the King as a witness against the destructive forces that forever seemed to rear their ugly heads in the story of nations. 

http://www.crossings.org/theology/2009/theolo756.shtml

Norb E. Kabelitz, 2009
- - - - -

As a feast, it is quite recent.  It was instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925, to remind Christians of their true allegiance in the face of virulent Communist and Fascist ideologies that claimed to create earthly paradises that would fulfill every human need, while exerting absolute dominion over their populations.

http://gospelforgays.com/?p=591&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+GospelForGays+(Gospel+For+Gays)

Jeremiah Bartram, 2009
- - - - -

Pilate was one of those people who wanted to remain neutral, who didn't want to become involved.  He wasn't for Jesus nor was he against Jesus.  Pilate was the man in the middle and he wanted to remain the middle where he thought he could save his skin.
There is one basic lesson to be learned from Pilate:  Before the cross of Christ, there is no neutrality.  The cross of Christ always demands a decision.  

http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_christ_the_king_ga.htm

Edward F. Markquart
- - - - -

I wonder and worry that people perceive Christ's rule to be similar to the queen of England's rule. Do we view Christ as one surrounded with the art and beauty of a tradition that is more antique than active? Do we see this figure of salvation as hopelessly outdated and practically mute in these postmodern times?

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_23_120/ai_111114179/

Mary W. Anderson, 2003
- - - - -

As Roman governor of Judea, Pilate was judge and jury in capital cases. His question was direct: "Do you claim to be king of the area I govern in the name of Caesar?" An affirmative answer would have sealed the fate of Jesus, since he would be branded as a political revolutionary. 

http://www.word-sunday.com/Files/b/King-b/A-King-b.html

Larry Broding
- - - - -

It frightens us to hear such open talk about truth. We are more concerned with how to live in a world where there is a plurality of truths-and with how to do so without killing each other-than we are with truth. Pilate himself was trying to deal with this problem of pluralism. It was difficult enough keeping Jews in their place-with their Sadducees, Pharisees and Essenes-without a young Nazarene claiming to be the truth. Pilate's response to Jesus' claim was to try to get him into a philosophical discussion about truth. And then, when this rabbi refused to enter the discussion-refused to be rational-he had him killed.
http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=64

William Willimon, 1987
- - - - -






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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 21 22:56:23 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:56:23 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Sermon quotes for John 18:33-37 - Nov. 22 - Part 4
Message-ID: <0ADBE930EDB44516A40E04793969338F@YOUR264F1833C5>

The suspicion lies to hand that had Jesus come among us today instead of two thousand years ago, chances are that he would be imprisoned - if not executed.
<>
When I was a theological student, I traveled one summer with the seminary choir. We stopped at the state prison in Deer Lodge, Montana, to sing for the prisoners. In our program one of us always told why he had decided to go into the ministry. The lot fell to me. I never felt quite so foolish as I did telling those stony-faced felons and murderers and rapists why I wanted to be a preacher. My discomfort was wiped away by another member of the choir, who was chosen to preach a brief sermon. Peter McKenzie told how Jesus came from working-class people in a small town. How he never held a steady job. How he was betrayed by a friend and given a shoddy trial. How he was summarily executed. As Peter spoke, I watched the faces of the prisoners. It seemed to me that Jesus' experience was closer to theirs than to my own.

http://www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=435&C=321

John C. Purdy, 1993
- - - - -

As he does many times in this Gospel, Jesus maintains authority over events that seem to be spiraling dangerously out of control.


He orders Peter to put away his sword (18:11)

Under questioning by the high priest he answers openly and demands witnesses (18:20-23)

He takes a similar in-your-face approach to Pilate (18:33-38)

http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=4/10/2009&tab=4

Audrey West, 2009
- - - - -

Jesus is much more talkative in John during the trial, usually in a way which gives expression to central themes of Johannine faith and reflects its own history of conflict. The Jews - doubtless fellow Jews for most of John's readers - are exposed as betraying their own people and almost hailing the Emperor as a god. It is a cruel portrait and reflects the enmity present in John 8. It becomes dynamite when taken from being an inner Jewish conflict and made to serve anti-Semitism. No, 'the Jews' did not kill Jesus! The historical collusion probably included temple authorities, but not 'the Jews' - we need to tell our people that.

http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/MkGoodFriday.htm

William Loader
- - - - -

John wants only one thing for his intended readers: 
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
John 20:30-31 NRSV (Emphasis added.)
Note the author's direct, personal, address to the reader - "you." John wants YOU to believe. And as M&R emphasize, not just "believe," as in, "have an opinion about," But "believe into," become bonded with Jesus, become his disciple, become a loyal, trusting and trustworthy follower of Jesus. And not just that even. John wants YOU to have the life that is in Jesus. 

http://www.holytextures.com/2009/04/john-18-1-19-42-good-friday.html

David Ewart, 2009
- - - - -

One of the many things this story tells us is that Jesus was not brought down by atheism and anarchy. He was brought down by law and order allied with religion, which is always a deadly mix. Beware of those who claim to know the mind of God and who are prepared to use force, if necessary, to make others conform. Beware of those who cannot tell God's will from their own. 

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=642

Barbara Brown Taylor, 1998
- - - - -

A potent symbol of the whole trial is that of kingship, a theme that emerges as Pilate begins to interrogate Jesus (18:33-38). Pilate represents political might symbolized in the emperor's crown. But Jesus' sovereignty is not "of this world," that is, it represents a very different sort of power--one that gives life. As the prologue of the Gospel had already proclaimed in poetic fashion (1:1-18) Jesus came into the world to proclaim the ultimate truth of God's love--those who hear the voice of Jesus know God's truth and live it out in their lives (8:47). The truth of God's love--and not brute, oppressive force--is the source of Jesus' power. 

http://www.cptryon.org/xpipassio/passio/john/3pilatec.html

Donald Senior
- - - - -
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 21 22:56:51 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:56:51 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Sermon quotes for John 18:33-37 - Nov. 22 - Part 5
Message-ID: <C92867ACEBDF46EBA387FA1A55D97012@YOUR264F1833C5>

John's gospel does not feature the kingdom of God; nor does he focus upon Christ's claim to be the coming king-until chapter 18. Whereas Matthew, Mark and Luke from the very beginning of their gospels describe Jesus proclaiming the imminence of the kingdom of heaven-the miracles of Christ as signs of the kingdom breaking-in to history-the parables (which are completely absent from John's gospel)-as parables of the kingdom, John only mentions the words "king" and "kingdom" six times prior to chapter 18. The kingdom of God and the kingship of Christ are written boldly over the first three gospels. But John's gospel is remarkable for few references to this theme-until chapter 18; and then, in the short space of two chapters, the words "king" and "kingdom" literally explode on the page.

http://www.kerux.com/documents/KeruxV5N2A2.asp

James T. Dennison, Jr.
- - - - -

...Jesus qualifies his reply to make clear to Pilate that he is no political revolutionary: his kingdom is not of this world. This recalls Jesus' prayer concerning his disciples in 17:11 and 16: both he and his disciples are in the world, but are not of the world. Jesus' kingdom is a heavenly kingdom; it does not arise from the world but breaks in from outside the world, just as Jesus himself came down from heaven on a mission from the Father (cf. 1:14, 3:17, 16:28, etc.).

http://bible.org/seriespage/exegetical-commentary-john-18

W. Hall Harris, III
- - - - -

Pilate was listening carefully to what Jesus said. He drew the correct inference: "So then, you really are a King!" Jesus replies in a way that clearly indicates this is true: "You say that I am a King ." In more contemporary terminology, we would say, "You said it!" The Lord's meaning is therefore something like this: "You are absolutely right that I am a King!" His "kingdom" is centered around revelation, not revolution; around truth, not treason. Jesus was a teacher, not a traitor. This was the purpose for His incarnation; this was His mission in life-to testify to the truth. And everyone who embraces Him as the promised Messiah (who "belongs to the truth") listens to His voice.

http://bible.org/seriespage/jesus-pilate-part-i-john-1828-38

Robert Deffinbaugh 
- - - - - 

John's account of the trial and crucifixion of our Lord depicts the sin and guilt of Pilate, the Roman soldiers, the Jews, and even (to some degree) the disciples-especially Peter. The purpose of this lesson is to consider the condemnation of Jesus as John portrays it, so that we see the guilt of Jews and Gentiles alike. No one but our Lord comes out of this looking good.

http://bible.org/seriespage/jesus-pilate-part-ii-john-182882111916

Robert Deffinbaugh 
- - - - - 
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sun Nov 22 03:10:29 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:10:29 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Christ the King - John 18:33-37 - Sermon for Nov. 22
Message-ID: <82B38BBC76724DEAB855179530879AEC@YOUR264F1833C5>

Here http://tiny.cc/QlEEZ is our sermon for Christ the King Sunday entitled, "Who is in charge, anyway?"
Peace and blessings,
Joe
St. John's Episcopal Church, Elizabeth, NJ
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From charles.wohlers at verizon.net  Sun Nov 22 21:22:28 2009
From: charles.wohlers at verizon.net (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:22:28 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the FIRST SUNDAY of ADVENT
Message-ID: <1C67F40B8AC44895B9077936084459ED@cranmer>

The following are the readings for the First Sunday of Advent, November 29, 
according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, 
Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. 
Unless noted otherwise, the lectionaries of ECUSA, Canada and the C of E are 
identical to the RCL this Sunday. The NRSV translation is used.

Starting this Sunday, we are in Year C.


OLD TESTAMENT  Jeremiah 33: 14 - 16   (RCL, Roman Catholic)

Jere 33:14 (NRSV) The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will 
fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 
In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up 
for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In 
those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this 
is the name by which it will be called "The LORD is our righteousness."


PSALM  25: 1 - 10   (RCL)
Psalm 25: 1 - 4, 8 - 10, 14   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 25:1 (NRSV) To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
3 Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
6 Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for your goodness' sake, O LORD!
8 Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

14 The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear hin,
and he makes his covenant known to them.

Note: Verse numbering may differ in your Psalter.


NEW TESTAMENT   1 Thessalonians 3: 9 - 13   (RCL)

1The 3:9 (NRSV) How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the 
joy that we feel before our God because of you? 10 Night and day we pray 
most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is 
lacking in your faith.
11 Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to 
you. 12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one 
another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. 13 And may he so 
strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God 
and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.


1 Thessalonians 3: 12 - 4: 2   (Roman Catholic)

1The 3:12 (NRSV) And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for 
one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. 13 And may he so 
strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God 
and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. 4:1 Finally, 
brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you 
learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you 
are doing), you should do so more and more. 2 For you know what instructions 
we gave you through the Lord Jesus.


GOSPEL   Luke 21: 25 - 36   (RCL)
                   Luke 21: 25 - 28, 34 - 36   (Roman Catholic)

Luke 21:25 (NRSV) "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, 
and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea 
and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is 
coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then 
they will see "the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. 
28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, 
because your redemption is drawing near."
29 Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 
as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that 
summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, 
you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this 
generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven 
and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
34 "Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation 
and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you 
unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face 
of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the 
strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand 
before the Son of Man."



Chad Wohlers
East Bridgewater, Mass.   USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu




From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Fri Nov 27 21:34:33 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:34:33 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Advent 1 (C) in Textweek
Message-ID: <B2EE4190816843CFABBC866855DD73F4@YOUR264F1833C5>

http://www.textweek.com/yearc/adventc1.htm
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Fri Nov 27 21:40:55 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:40:55 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Day1 Sermon - Advent 1 (C)
Message-ID: <397F9000E6594F4B94717E1597A47DFB@YOUR264F1833C5>

The Rev. Dr. J. Barney Hawkins IV is the vice president for institutional advancement at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, VA, and the associate dean for the Center for Anglican Communion Studies. 
Advent: Waiting and Working for the Kingdom
Jeremiah 33:14-16; Luke 21:25-36
First Sunday in Advent - Year C
November 29, 2009
http://day1.org/1609-advent_waiting_and_working_for_the_kingdom

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From robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com  Fri Nov 27 21:41:03 2009
From: robertpmorrison at charterinternet.com (Robert P Morrison)
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:41:03 -0800
Subject: [Propertalk] Advent 1 (C) in Textweek
Message-ID: <528438804.1259376063577.JavaMail.root@mp10>

Thanks, Joe.

I get the Sunday off. I've been visiting my daughter and son-in-law and grandchildren in Pennsylvania since Monday morning and don't plan on leaving till the 1st December!

I get to sit, listen, worship and give thanks.

Have fun apocalyptising!

Bob

 --
Robert P. Morrison
The Episcopal Parish of St James,
PO Box 789
Lincoln City, Oregon, 97367

541-994-2426 (Church)





From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Fri Nov 27 22:04:02 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:04:02 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fw: Sermons Resources for Nov. 29th
Message-ID: <F07CDBB7066C406A86CF0D99FEF02728@YOUR264F1833C5>

Sermons for Advent 1:
 

     Luke 21:25-36 - "Lift Up Your Heads" 

     1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 - "If This Is Your Faith, Tell Me Your Stories" by Leonard Sweet

 

Luke 21 - sermon titled "Lift Up Your Heads"] 

 

A. J. Gordon was the great Baptist pastor of the Clarendon Church in Boston, Massachusetts. One day he met a young boy in front of the sanctuary carrying a rusty cage in which several birds fluttered nervously. Gordon inquired, "Son, where did you get those birds?" The boy replied, "I trapped them out in the field." "What are you going to do with them?" "I'm going to play with them, and then I guess I'll just feed them to an old cat we have at home." When Gordon offered to buy them, the lad exclaimed, "Mister, you don't want them, they're just little old wild birds and can't sing very well." Gordon replied, "I'll give you $2 for the cage and the birds." "Okay, it's a deal, but you're making a bad bargain." The exchange was made and the boy went away whistling, happy with his shiny coins. Gordon walked around to the back of the church property, opened the door of the small wire coop, and let the struggling creatures soar into the blue. The next Sunday he took the empty cage into the pulpit and used it to illustrate his sermon about Christ's coming to seek and to save the lost -- paying for them with His own precious blood. "That boy told me the birds were not songsters," said Gordon, "but when I released them and they winged their way heavenward, it seemed to me they were singing, 'Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed!'"

This is Advent. And the message of these times is the song of those wild birds. It's the song sung in every carol this season: Redeemed! It's the meaning behind every gift given under the tree: Redeemed! It's the Word the shepherds heard: Redeemed! It's the assurance Mary received: Redeemed! It's the star the Wisemen followed: Redeemed! [Depending on your style you might omit the repetition of "Redeemed" at the end of each sentence but allowing it at the end of this paragraph.] You and I have been trapped by sin, but Christ has purchased our pardon. He who has this hope in his heart will sing, and you know the song: "Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed!"

Will YOU hear the song this season? Will YOU see the signs this Christmas? You can, if you will stand up and lift up your heads. It is all around. Don't you know that.

1. Our Redemption Is Written in the Heavens.
2. Our Redemption Is Witnessed on Earth.
3. Our Redemption Is Wrapped in Our Hearts.

 

The rest of this sermon following the outline above can be obtained by joining www.eSermons.com.

_______________________

 

1 Thessalonians - sermon titled "If This Is Your Faith, Tell Me Your Stories" 

 

We are used to dividing time into two different eons: "B.C." and "A.D." or as the secular world now calls them, "BCE" and "CE." To say we live in 2009 A.D. or C.E. gives us a sense of the passage of time, a feeling of where we stand in the flow of events. But such designations don't distinguish much else about the changes the centuries have brought. 

 

After a fearsome November storm season across North America it seems one designation that might help describe the changes time has brought is to divide life "B.E." and "A.E." - "Before Electricity" and "After Electricity." There is nothing like an extended power outage to remind us just how dependent we are on the power grid for our life-styles and livelihoods.

 

When the power goes out everything is work. Making a cup of coffee requires a fire, a cast iron kettle, a lot of time, and gives sad, gritty results.  Creating a whole meal can take a whole day. 

 

But there are other changes that occur when the power is out that aren't all bad. Without the TV, computer, video games, and music downloads, families who are hunkered down against a storm have to find something else to do. Off-the-grid days are the days when we drag out the old board games, find a deck of cards, start a giant jigsaw puzzle. As soon as the batteries run out on the iPod and the cell phone, talking to each other are the only voices that we have to listen to.

 

That is why in "B.E." time the most important members of a community were the storytellers. The storytellers were revered for their wisdom and honored for their knowledge. The storytellers were responsible for telling people who they were, where they stood in the world, how they came to be, and what they should be doing.

 

Even in these "A.E." days, the things we learn as stories stick with us become a part of us, far more than any lesson we learn by rote. Read a paragraph about unemployment and poverty rates and you might nod off. Hear the story of "The Grasshopper and the Ant," and you never forget why we all must work for a living. 

 

But stories only live on when they are told and re-told. Each new generation must learn the stories of its people, its family, its nation, and its faith, or the stories are lost forever.

 

Just inside the main entrance to Harrods, the great London department store, there is a statue of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed (whose father owns Harrods). As my twelve-year-old daughter and I stood in front of it, Soren innocently asked, "Who is Princess Diana?" The woman who had been the most recognized icon of the eighties and nineties was a complete mystery to her, an unknown nobody, because Soren had never heard her story.

 

In the same way all of the Christian faith is always just one generation away from extinction--unless we tell our stories. No one is "born" a Christian. Christians can only be "born again" after they hear and inhabit the stories that tell of God's love for the world.

 

The rest of Leonard Sweet's sermon can be obtained by joining www.Sermons.com 

___________________________

 

An Advent Promise: Goodness and Mercy Will Win

 

As some of you know, Fiorello LaGuardia was mayor of New York during the Depression, and he was quite a character. He would ride the city fire trucks, take entire orphanages to baseball games and whenever the city newspapers went on strike, he would get on the radio and read the Sunday "funnies" to the children.

At any rate, one bitter cold winter's night in 1935, Mayor LaGuardia turned up in a night court that served the poorest ward in the city, dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench himself. After he heard a few cases, a tattered old woman was brought before him, accused of stealing a loaf of bread.

She told LaGuardia that her daughter's husband had deserted her, her daughter was sick and her grandchildren were starving. But the shopkeeper, from whom the bread was stolen, insisted on pressing charges. "My store is in a very bad neighborhood, your honor," he said. "She's got to be punished in order to teach other people a lesson."

The mayor sighed. He turned to the old woman and said, "I've got to punish you," he said. "The law makes no exception - ten dollars or ten days in jail."

But even as he spoke, LaGuardia was reaching into his pocket and pulling out a ten dollar bill. "Here is the woman's fine," he said, "and furthermore, I'm going to fine everyone in this court room fifty cents for living in a city where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Baliff, collect the fines and give them to the defendant."

The following day, the New York Times reported that $47.50 was turned over to the bewildered old woman. It was given by the red-faced store owner, some seventy petty criminals, people with traffic violations and city policemen - and they all gave their mayor a standing ovation as they handed over their money.

That's how it will be with God's world. Just when it seems that all hope is lost, and goodness and mercy shall never win, the Great Judge will come to set things right, deciding for the hungry and the meek of the earth. Yes, there is also an Advent promise for the nations of the world in perplexity and distress: "Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
 
Erskine White, Together in Christ, CSS Publishing Company 


_______________________________________

A Bit of Contrast

 

A bit of a contrast, isn't it? The sweet strains of "Away in a Manger" followed by "...distress among nations...the roaring of the sea...People will faint from fear and foreboding...the powers of the heavens will be shaken." Ho, ho, ho! Where is Santa when we need him? So why in the world would the church choose a Gospel lesson such as this to begin Advent and our preparation for the coming of the Christ child? 

Good reason. The sad truth that all of us who are old enough knows is we do not live in a "Santa Claus" world. Children's visions of sugar plums are washed away with the hot tears of grown-up disappointment and despair. Disease and death are constant companions. The fear and foreboding of which Jesus spoke greet us at every turn. Somehow we need to be reminded that this misery is not the end of the story. 

 

David E. Leininger, Eyes Up!

________________________

 

The Hope of a New Birth

 

Unfortunately, our gospel lesson doesn't at first seem to instill us with any sense of hope at all. In fact, after reading this passage, we can be overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness. This passage sounds a bit like the one we heard two Sundays ago, only this one has more doom and gloom, more destruction, more chaos and catastrophe. We hear of these mysterious signs in the sun, moon and stars. There are images of people fainting. Heaven and earth pass away, there is talk of a trap, and our hope for escape, and by the end of the reading, it seems the walls are closing in on us. 

 

And yet, in the midst of the chaos of this reading, if you look closely enough, calmly enough, there are some words of hope in the midst of the confusion. Jesus says, "when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near . . . when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near." He speaks of fig trees, an image which may not communicate much to us, but his hearers in that time knew that the fig tree was a symbol of life out of death, a symbol of the hope that comes after the winter, the hope of new birth.

 

Beth Quick, Ready or Not..

 

________________________________________

 

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Peace: Good Is Not Far Away

 

What anxious people need more than anything is peace, especially peace of mind. On Black Friday I went into a Fossil store that sells watches. The store was crowded and I could barely make my way to the counter. I was on a mission. I had a fossil watch that needed a battery. I was certain that the last thing any clerk wanted to do on the busiest shopping day of the year was to install a new battery in a watch. Much to my surprise the man said he would be glad to put in a new battery. I could leave it and pick it up later. When I came back, again much to my surprise, he only charged me $5. In the midst of all that craziness I experienced the reality that life goes on and the simplest of things continue in spite of all the craziness. I gratefully left the store, watch in hand, ticking along, marking time for years to come. I felt a sense of peace that God is still in the midst of all the chaos.

What this all says to me is that no matter how anxious the times we live in, God is not far away. The problem is that we are so afraid we miss God's presence. We let those who use scare tactics mislead us. We allow doom and darkness to dominate our lives rather than hope and light. Jesus is telling us that "to understand the world's troubles as omens of doom is to misread them. The world's tribulations and our personal trials can be understood as reasons for us to remain faithful, hopeful and optimistic." (Homiletics, December, 2006, pg. 33)

 

Keith Wagner, Hope for the Overwhelmed

 

____________________________

 

Keeping Spiritually Dressed

 

When Eisenhower was president of the United States, he once visited Denver. His attention was called to a letter in the local newspaper saying that a six-year-old boy dying with cancer expressed a wish to see the president. One Sunday morning a black limousine pulled up in front of the boy's house. Ike stepped out of his car and knocked on the front door. The father, Donald Haley, opened the door wearing faded jeans, an old shirt, and a day's old beard. Standing behind him was the boy. Ike said, "Paul, I understand you want to see me. Glad to see you." Then he took the boy to the limousine to show it to him, shook hands, and left. The family and neighbors talked about the President's visit for a long time before the father always remembered it with regret because of the way he was dressed. He lamented, "What a way to meet the President of the United States." If we keep in fellowship with God through prayer, we will keep ourselves spiritually dressed for Christ's coming at any time.

 

John R. Brokhoff, Wrinkled Wrappings, CSS Publishing Company. 

 

__________________

 

When Everything Becomes "Merely"

 

Virginia Owens in her book, And The Trees Clap Their Hands, suggests that we lose the wonder of it all, because along the way everything becomes "merely." Things are "merely" stars, sunset, rain, flowers, and mountains. Their connection with God's creation is lost. During this Advent season many things are just "merely." It becomes "merely" Bethlehem, a stable, a birth -- we have no feeling of wonder or mystery. That is what familiarity can do to us over the years.

 

Owens goes on to say that it is this "merely" quality of things that leads to crime. It is "merely" a thing -- I'll take it. It is "merely" an object -- I'll destroy it. It is this "merely" quality of things and life that leads to war. We shall lose "merely" a few thousand men, but it will be worth it. Within the Advent narrative nothing is "merely." Things are not "merely" things, but are part of God's grand design. Common things, such as motherhood, a birth, a child, now have new meaning. This is not "merely" the world, but a world that is charged with the beauty and grandeur of God's design. It is a world so loved by God that God gave his only Son. What is so great about the Advent season is that everything appears charged with the beauty and grandeur of God. 

 

John A. Stroman, God's Downward Mobility, CSS Publishing.

 

________________

 

Exchanging Our Eschatological Heritage

 

Neill Hamilton, who taught at Drew University for many years, once observed how people in our time lose hope for the future. It happens whenever we let our culture call the shots on how the world is going to end. At this stage of technological advancement, the only way the culture can make sense of the future is through the picture of everything blowing up in a nuclear holocaust. The world cannot know what we know, that everything has changed in the death and resurrection of Jesus, that the same Christ is coming to judge the world and give birth to a new creation. And so, people lose hope. As Hamilton puts it: This substitution of an image of nuclear holocaust for the coming of Christ is a parable of what happens to Christians when they cease to believe in their own eschatological heritage. The culture supplies its own images for the end when we default by ceasing to believe in biblical images of God's triumph at the end.

 

The good news of the gospel is this: when all is said and done, God is going to win.

 

William G. Carter, No Box Seats in the Kingdom, CSS Publishing.

 

___________________

   

Sound Theology

 

In the Peanuts comic strip, Linus and Lucy are standing at the window looking out at the rain falling. Lucy says to Linus, "Boy, look at it rain...What if it floods the earth?" Linus, the resident biblical scholar for the Peanuts, answers, "It will never do that...in the ninth chapter of Genesis, God promised Noah that would never happen again, and the sign of the promise is the rainbow." With a smile on her face, Lucy replies, "Linus, you've taken a great load off my mind." To which Linus responds, "Sound theology has a way of doing that."

 

Charles Schultz, Peanuts, adapted by David E. Leininger

 

___________________________

 

Second Coming and Faithfulness

 

During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with the story of Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives:   On May 19th, 1780 the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared the end was at hand. Quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, "The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought." Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful till Christ returns. Instead of fearing the dark, we're to be lights as we watch and wait.

 

Harry Heintz 

 

__________________

 

Preparation for Christ's Coming

 

Maybe you've heard the story of the little boy who decided to write a letter to God one Christmas. He started out by writing: "Dear God, I've been a really good boy this year." Unfortunately, he remembered that God was all knowing and all seeing and he decided that he couldn't lie to God. So, he crumpled up that letter and started over. This time he wrote: "Dear God, I know I haven't done everything I should have, but I really tried to be good." He stopped and crumpled up that letter, too. It was obvious that he was struggling with what to write to God.

 

As he sat there thinking he looked up and saw his mother's favorite piece of sculpture on the mantel. It was a beautiful rendition of the Madonna, the mother of Christ. The boy perked up and ran out of the room. He came back with a towel and a shoebox. He walked over, carefully picked up the Madonna, gently wrapped it in the towel, carefully put it in the shoebox and then hid it in the closet. He immediately went back to the table and wrote: "Dear God, if you ever want to see your mother again . . ."

 

It's time the Church took back Christmas. And we do. Every year we take it back and bring back the meaning and the purpose. The world tries to hold it for ransom each year, with its multiplicity of gadgets and this year's list of must have toys; the world tries to make demands and hold Christmas for ransom but it never works. The birth of the Christ child is just too powerful, even for Wall Street. The sight and the sounds and the remembrance of this child born so long ago changes all the rules. His very presence makes the glitter of our Christmas presents pale in comparison.

 

Billy D. Strayhorn, Stay On Your Toes

 

__________________

 

Luther on Signs of Christ's Coming

 

I do not wish to force any one to believe as I do; neither will I permit anyone to deny me the right to believe that the last day is near at hand. These words and signs of Christ compel me to believe that such is the case. For the history of the centuries that have passed since the birth of Christ nowhere reveals conditions like those of the present. There has never been such building and planting in the world. There has never been such gluttonous and varied eating and drinking as now. Wearing apparel has reached its limit in costliness. Who has ever heard of such commerce as now encircles the earth? There have arisen all kinds of art and sculpture, embroidery and engraving, the like of which has not been seen during the whole Christian era. 

 

The conclusion to this illustration and for many additional illustrations and sermons for Advent 1 can be accessed at www.Sermons.com.

 
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Fri Nov 27 22:14:40 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:14:40 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fw: SermonWriter:  Nov. 29 (Advent 1C) Luke 21:25-36
Message-ID: <429EF14A09E8450D8CEC43E977784F01@YOUR264F1833C5>

The following are SermonWriter materials for Nov. 29 (Advent 1C). They focus on Luke 21:25-36, where Jesus talks about his Second Coming.


NO PASSWORD REQUIREMENT: We are posting these materials on the web with no password.  To access those files, you MUST use the following links.  If clicking on the link fails to work, copy the link and paste it in the address window near the top of your browser.  Then hit the ENTER key or click GO.

Microsoft Word file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-29be/Luke_21.25-36.doc

HTML file (web page):
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-29be/Luke_21.25-36.htm

WordPerfect file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-29be/Luke_21.25-36.wpd


A TIP: If you want the Word or WordPerfect files, LEFT-CLICK on the link and see what happens.  That should bring up a dialog box that asks if you want to open the file or save it.  Choose OPEN.  Then save it wherever you like on your hard drive.

If that doesn't work, RIGHT-CLICK on the link.  You should get a sub-menu.  Hopefully, "Save Target As" will be one of the options.  Click on that.  Then save the file wherever you want on your hard drive.


<>
Dick Donovan


A THOUGHT ON PREACHING:  Life with Christ is an alternative, not a complement, to other so-called "lifestyles." The Christian life demands amendment of life precisely because it incorporates people into God's life, first gaining their trust through the forgiveness of sin. (Ellen Charry -- courtesy of Fr. Charles Hoffacker)


TITLE:  Your Redemption Draweth Nigh!


SERMON IN A SENTENCE:  Jesus' promise is that, for the faithful, his Second Coming will be a great moment of redemption -- a setting right of a world gone wrong.

<>
SERMON:

In 1898, H.G. Wells published a science fiction novel entitled The War of the Worlds.  It depicted an invasion of England by Martians -- octopus-like creatures -- equipped with ray guns which they used to incinerate people who went out to meet them.

Forty years later (1939), Orson Welles adapted the idea for radio.  Instead of a regular radio drama, Welles envisioned the broadcast as a regular program interrupted by news bulletins about a Martian invasion at Grover's Mill, New Jersey.  These fake news bulletins told of tentacled Martians incinerating people with Heat-Rays.

The governor called out the state militia, which found itself hopelessly outclassed by the Martians.  A news reporter told of the Martians invading New York City, and said that poison gas was spreading across the city and people were "falling like flies."  Then his voice went silent as he succumbed to the gas.  Finally, a ham radio operator was heard saying, "2X2L calling CQ.  Isn't there anyone on the air?  Isn't there anyone on the air?  Isn't there... anyone?"

Many listeners, who tuned in too late to hear the beginning of the program, thought that they were listening to a real newscast describing a real Martian invasion.  People panicked, especially in New Jersey and New York City -- the focus of the attacks.

However, panic also spread across the country.  In the little town of Concrete, Washington, an electrical substation exploded with a bang and flash of light, plunging the town into darkness.  People who had been listening to the program gathered their families and headed for the hills.  One Catholic man decided that he had to get absolution from his priest in Bellingham.  He went to the gas station to fill his tank and drove off without paying, telling the attendant that it wouldn't make any difference, because "everyone is going to die."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(radio)#Public_reaction

I tell that story, because it captures the mood that people most often associate with Jesus' Second Coming -- a mood of disaster and panic.

<>
FOR MORE SERMONS ON THIS TEXT, GO TO:
http://www.lectionary.org/SermLinks/NT/NT03luke.htm

Scroll down to the correct chapter and verse.


THOUGHT PROVOKERS:

We are not a post-war generation,
but a pre-peace generation.
Jesus is coming.

Corrie ten Boom

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Christ designed that the day of his coming
should be hid from us,
that being in suspense,
we might be as it were upon the watch.

Martin Luther

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

The primitive church thought more about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ
than about death or about heaven.
The early Christians were looking
not for a cleft in the ground called a grave,
but for a cleavage in the sky called Glory.
They were watching not for the "undertaker"
but for the "Uppertaker."

Alexander Maclaren

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

On being told that the end of the world was coming, Ralph Waldo Emerson replied, "The end of the world will not affect me; I can live without it."

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

The immense step from the Babe at Bethlehem
to the living, reigning triumphant Lord Jesus,
returning to earth for his own people --
that is the glorious truth proclaimed throughout Scripture.
As the bells ring out the joys of Christmas,
may we also be alert for the final trumpet that will announce his return,
when we shall always be with him.

Alan Redpath

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

HYMN STORY:  Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

The origins of this hymn are lost in the haze of antiquity.  It probably comes from the fifth century and probably originated in the Orthodox churches -- but those are simply our best guesses.
<>
NOTE:  See other hymn stories at http://www.lectionary.org/hymnstories.htm


<>
www.sermonwriter.com

www.lectionary.org

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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Fri Nov 27 22:18:50 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:18:50 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fw: Sermons Resources for Nov. 29th - Part 1
Message-ID: <ECDACD4D55A04D5CB5B559DC9F32DC59@YOUR264F1833C5>

Sermons for Advent 1:
 

     Luke 21:25-36 - "Lift Up Your Heads" 

     1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 - "If This Is Your Faith, Tell Me Your Stories" by Leonard Sweet

 

Luke 21 - sermon titled "Lift Up Your Heads"] 

 

A. J. Gordon was the great Baptist pastor of the Clarendon Church in Boston, Massachusetts. One day he met a young boy in front of the sanctuary carrying a rusty cage in which several birds fluttered nervously. Gordon inquired, "Son, where did you get those birds?" The boy replied, "I trapped them out in the field." "What are you going to do with them?" "I'm going to play with them, and then I guess I'll just feed them to an old cat we have at home." When Gordon offered to buy them, the lad exclaimed, "Mister, you don't want them, they're just little old wild birds and can't sing very well." Gordon replied, "I'll give you $2 for the cage and the birds." "Okay, it's a deal, but you're making a bad bargain." The exchange was made and the boy went away whistling, happy with his shiny coins. Gordon walked around to the back of the church property, opened the door of the small wire coop, and let the struggling creatures soar into the blue. The next Sunday he took the empty cage into the pulpit and used it to illustrate his sermon about Christ's coming to seek and to save the lost -- paying for them with His own precious blood. "That boy told me the birds were not songsters," said Gordon, "but when I released them and they winged their way heavenward, it seemed to me they were singing, 'Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed!'"

This is Advent. And the message of these times is the song of those wild birds. It's the song sung in every carol this season: Redeemed! It's the meaning behind every gift given under the tree: Redeemed! It's the Word the shepherds heard: Redeemed! It's the assurance Mary received: Redeemed! It's the star the Wisemen followed: Redeemed! [Depending on your style you might omit the repetition of "Redeemed" at the end of each sentence but allowing it at the end of this paragraph.] You and I have been trapped by sin, but Christ has purchased our pardon. He who has this hope in his heart will sing, and you know the song: "Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed!"

Will YOU hear the song this season? Will YOU see the signs this Christmas? You can, if you will stand up and lift up your heads. It is all around. Don't you know that.

1. Our Redemption Is Written in the Heavens.
2. Our Redemption Is Witnessed on Earth.
3. Our Redemption Is Wrapped in Our Hearts.

 

The rest of this sermon following the outline above can be obtained by joining www.eSermons.com.

_______________________



1 Thessalonians - sermon titled "If This Is Your Faith, Tell Me Your Stories" 

 

We are used to dividing time into two different eons: "B.C." and "A.D." or as the secular world now calls them, "BCE" and "CE." To say we live in 2009 A.D. or C.E. gives us a sense of the passage of time, a feeling of where we stand in the flow of events. But such designations don't distinguish much else about the changes the centuries have brought. 

 

After a fearsome November storm season across North America it seems one designation that might help describe the changes time has brought is to divide life "B.E." and "A.E." - "Before Electricity" and "After Electricity." There is nothing like an extended power outage to remind us just how dependent we are on the power grid for our life-styles and livelihoods.

 

When the power goes out everything is work. Making a cup of coffee requires a fire, a cast iron kettle, a lot of time, and gives sad, gritty results.  Creating a whole meal can take a whole day. 

 

But there are other changes that occur when the power is out that aren't all bad. Without the TV, computer, video games, and music downloads, families who are hunkered down against a storm have to find something else to do. Off-the-grid days are the days when we drag out the old board games, find a deck of cards, start a giant jigsaw puzzle. As soon as the batteries run out on the iPod and the cell phone, talking to each other are the only voices that we have to listen to.

 

That is why in "B.E." time the most important members of a community were the storytellers. The storytellers were revered for their wisdom and honored for their knowledge. The storytellers were responsible for telling people who they were, where they stood in the world, how they came to be, and what they should be doing.

 

Even in these "A.E." days, the things we learn as stories stick with us become a part of us, far more than any lesson we learn by rote. Read a paragraph about unemployment and poverty rates and you might nod off. Hear the story of "The Grasshopper and the Ant," and you never forget why we all must work for a living. 

 

But stories only live on when they are told and re-told. Each new generation must learn the stories of its people, its family, its nation, and its faith, or the stories are lost forever.

 

Just inside the main entrance to Harrods, the great London department store, there is a statue of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed (whose father owns Harrods). As my twelve-year-old daughter and I stood in front of it, Soren innocently asked, "Who is Princess Diana?" The woman who had been the most recognized icon of the eighties and nineties was a complete mystery to her, an unknown nobody, because Soren had never heard her story.

 

In the same way all of the Christian faith is always just one generation away from extinction--unless we tell our stories. No one is "born" a Christian. Christians can only be "born again" after they hear and inhabit the stories that tell of God's love for the world.

 

The rest of Leonard Sweet's sermon can be obtained by joining www.Sermons.com 

___________________________

 

An Advent Promise: Goodness and Mercy Will Win

 

As some of you know, Fiorello LaGuardia was mayor of New York during the Depression, and he was quite a character. He would ride the city fire trucks, take entire orphanages to baseball games and whenever the city newspapers went on strike, he would get on the radio and read the Sunday "funnies" to the children.

At any rate, one bitter cold winter's night in 1935, Mayor LaGuardia turned up in a night court that served the poorest ward in the city, dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench himself. After he heard a few cases, a tattered old woman was brought before him, accused of stealing a loaf of bread.

She told LaGuardia that her daughter's husband had deserted her, her daughter was sick and her grandchildren were starving. But the shopkeeper, from whom the bread was stolen, insisted on pressing charges. "My store is in a very bad neighborhood, your honor," he said. "She's got to be punished in order to teach other people a lesson."

The mayor sighed. He turned to the old woman and said, "I've got to punish you," he said. "The law makes no exception - ten dollars or ten days in jail."

But even as he spoke, LaGuardia was reaching into his pocket and pulling out a ten dollar bill. "Here is the woman's fine," he said, "and furthermore, I'm going to fine everyone in this court room fifty cents for living in a city where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Baliff, collect the fines and give them to the defendant."

The following day, the New York Times reported that $47.50 was turned over to the bewildered old woman. It was given by the red-faced store owner, some seventy petty criminals, people with traffic violations and city policemen - and they all gave their mayor a standing ovation as they handed over their money.

That's how it will be with God's world. Just when it seems that all hope is lost, and goodness and mercy shall never win, the Great Judge will come to set things right, deciding for the hungry and the meek of the earth. Yes, there is also an Advent promise for the nations of the world in perplexity and distress: "Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
 
Erskine White, Together in Christ, CSS Publishing Company 


_______________________________________

A Bit of Contrast

 

A bit of a contrast, isn't it? The sweet strains of "Away in a Manger" followed by "...distress among nations...the roaring of the sea...People will faint from fear and foreboding...the powers of the heavens will be shaken." Ho, ho, ho! Where is Santa when we need him? So why in the world would the church choose a Gospel lesson such as this to begin Advent and our preparation for the coming of the Christ child? 

Good reason. The sad truth that all of us who are old enough knows is we do not live in a "Santa Claus" world. Children's visions of sugar plums are washed away with the hot tears of grown-up disappointment and despair. Disease and death are constant companions. The fear and foreboding of which Jesus spoke greet us at every turn. Somehow we need to be reminded that this misery is not the end of the story. 

 

David E. Leininger, Eyes Up!

________________________

 

The Hope of a New Birth

 

Unfortunately, our gospel lesson doesn't at first seem to instill us with any sense of hope at all. In fact, after reading this passage, we can be overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness. This passage sounds a bit like the one we heard two Sundays ago, only this one has more doom and gloom, more destruction, more chaos and catastrophe. We hear of these mysterious signs in the sun, moon and stars. There are images of people fainting. Heaven and earth pass away, there is talk of a trap, and our hope for escape, and by the end of the reading, it seems the walls are closing in on us. 

 

And yet, in the midst of the chaos of this reading, if you look closely enough, calmly enough, there are some words of hope in the midst of the confusion. Jesus says, "when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near . . . when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near." He speaks of fig trees, an image which may not communicate much to us, but his hearers in that time knew that the fig tree was a symbol of life out of death, a symbol of the hope that comes after the winter, the hope of new birth.

 

Beth Quick, Ready or Not..

 
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Fri Nov 27 22:18:56 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:18:56 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fw: Sermons Resources for Nov. 29th - Part 2
Message-ID: <0C45BF4BC9F14FD0A5AB0E39106A974E@YOUR264F1833C5>

Fw: Sermons Resources for Nov. 29th - Part 2

Peace: Good Is Not Far Away

What anxious people need more than anything is peace, especially peace of mind. On Black Friday I went into a Fossil store that sells watches. The store was crowded and I could barely make my way to the counter. I was on a mission. I had a fossil watch that needed a battery. I was certain that the last thing any clerk wanted to do on the busiest shopping day of the year was to install a new battery in a watch. Much to my surprise the man said he would be glad to put in a new battery. I could leave it and pick it up later. When I came back, again much to my surprise, he only charged me $5. In the midst of all that craziness I experienced the reality that life goes on and the simplest of things continue in spite of all the craziness. I gratefully left the store, watch in hand, ticking along, marking time for years to come. I felt a sense of peace that God is still in the midst of all the chaos.

What this all says to me is that no matter how anxious the times we live in, God is not far away. The problem is that we are so afraid we miss God's presence. We let those who use scare tactics mislead us. We allow doom and darkness to dominate our lives rather than hope and light. Jesus is telling us that "to understand the world's troubles as omens of doom is to misread them. The world's tribulations and our personal trials can be understood as reasons for us to remain faithful, hopeful and optimistic." (Homiletics, December, 2006, pg. 33)

 

Keith Wagner, Hope for the Overwhelmed

 

____________________________

 

Keeping Spiritually Dressed

 

When Eisenhower was president of the United States, he once visited Denver. His attention was called to a letter in the local newspaper saying that a six-year-old boy dying with cancer expressed a wish to see the president. One Sunday morning a black limousine pulled up in front of the boy's house. Ike stepped out of his car and knocked on the front door. The father, Donald Haley, opened the door wearing faded jeans, an old shirt, and a day's old beard. Standing behind him was the boy. Ike said, "Paul, I understand you want to see me. Glad to see you." Then he took the boy to the limousine to show it to him, shook hands, and left. The family and neighbors talked about the President's visit for a long time before the father always remembered it with regret because of the way he was dressed. He lamented, "What a way to meet the President of the United States." If we keep in fellowship with God through prayer, we will keep ourselves spiritually dressed for Christ's coming at any time.

 

John R. Brokhoff, Wrinkled Wrappings, CSS Publishing Company. 

 

__________________

 

When Everything Becomes "Merely"

 

Virginia Owens in her book, And The Trees Clap Their Hands, suggests that we lose the wonder of it all, because along the way everything becomes "merely." Things are "merely" stars, sunset, rain, flowers, and mountains. Their connection with God's creation is lost. During this Advent season many things are just "merely." It becomes "merely" Bethlehem, a stable, a birth -- we have no feeling of wonder or mystery. That is what familiarity can do to us over the years.

 

Owens goes on to say that it is this "merely" quality of things that leads to crime. It is "merely" a thing -- I'll take it. It is "merely" an object -- I'll destroy it. It is this "merely" quality of things and life that leads to war. We shall lose "merely" a few thousand men, but it will be worth it. Within the Advent narrative nothing is "merely." Things are not "merely" things, but are part of God's grand design. Common things, such as motherhood, a birth, a child, now have new meaning. This is not "merely" the world, but a world that is charged with the beauty and grandeur of God's design. It is a world so loved by God that God gave his only Son. What is so great about the Advent season is that everything appears charged with the beauty and grandeur of God. 

 

John A. Stroman, God's Downward Mobility, CSS Publishing.

 

________________

 

Exchanging Our Eschatological Heritage

 

Neill Hamilton, who taught at Drew University for many years, once observed how people in our time lose hope for the future. It happens whenever we let our culture call the shots on how the world is going to end. At this stage of technological advancement, the only way the culture can make sense of the future is through the picture of everything blowing up in a nuclear holocaust. The world cannot know what we know, that everything has changed in the death and resurrection of Jesus, that the same Christ is coming to judge the world and give birth to a new creation. And so, people lose hope. As Hamilton puts it: This substitution of an image of nuclear holocaust for the coming of Christ is a parable of what happens to Christians when they cease to believe in their own eschatological heritage. The culture supplies its own images for the end when we default by ceasing to believe in biblical images of God's triumph at the end.

 

The good news of the gospel is this: when all is said and done, God is going to win.

 

William G. Carter, No Box Seats in the Kingdom, CSS Publishing.

 

___________________

   

Sound Theology

 

In the Peanuts comic strip, Linus and Lucy are standing at the window looking out at the rain falling. Lucy says to Linus, "Boy, look at it rain...What if it floods the earth?" Linus, the resident biblical scholar for the Peanuts, answers, "It will never do that...in the ninth chapter of Genesis, God promised Noah that would never happen again, and the sign of the promise is the rainbow." With a smile on her face, Lucy replies, "Linus, you've taken a great load off my mind." To which Linus responds, "Sound theology has a way of doing that."

 

Charles Schultz, Peanuts, adapted by David E. Leininger

 

___________________________

 

Second Coming and Faithfulness

 

During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy often closed his speeches with the story of Colonel Davenport, the Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives:   On May 19th, 1780 the sky of Hartford darkened ominously, and some of the representatives, glancing out the windows, feared the end was at hand. Quelling a clamor for immediate adjournment, Davenport rose and said, "The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. Therefore, I wish that candles be brought." Rather than fearing what is to come, we are to be faithful till Christ returns. Instead of fearing the dark, we're to be lights as we watch and wait.

 

Harry Heintz 

 

__________________

 

Preparation for Christ's Coming

 

Maybe you've heard the story of the little boy who decided to write a letter to God one Christmas. He started out by writing: "Dear God, I've been a really good boy this year." Unfortunately, he remembered that God was all knowing and all seeing and he decided that he couldn't lie to God. So, he crumpled up that letter and started over. This time he wrote: "Dear God, I know I haven't done everything I should have, but I really tried to be good." He stopped and crumpled up that letter, too. It was obvious that he was struggling with what to write to God.

 

As he sat there thinking he looked up and saw his mother's favorite piece of sculpture on the mantel. It was a beautiful rendition of the Madonna, the mother of Christ. The boy perked up and ran out of the room. He came back with a towel and a shoebox. He walked over, carefully picked up the Madonna, gently wrapped it in the towel, carefully put it in the shoebox and then hid it in the closet. He immediately went back to the table and wrote: "Dear God, if you ever want to see your mother again . . ."

 

It's time the Church took back Christmas. And we do. Every year we take it back and bring back the meaning and the purpose. The world tries to hold it for ransom each year, with its multiplicity of gadgets and this year's list of must have toys; the world tries to make demands and hold Christmas for ransom but it never works. The birth of the Christ child is just too powerful, even for Wall Street. The sight and the sounds and the remembrance of this child born so long ago changes all the rules. His very presence makes the glitter of our Christmas presents pale in comparison.

 

Billy D. Strayhorn, Stay On Your Toes

 

__________________

 

Luther on Signs of Christ's Coming

 

I do not wish to force any one to believe as I do; neither will I permit anyone to deny me the right to believe that the last day is near at hand. These words and signs of Christ compel me to believe that such is the case. For the history of the centuries that have passed since the birth of Christ nowhere reveals conditions like those of the present. There has never been such building and planting in the world. There has never been such gluttonous and varied eating and drinking as now. Wearing apparel has reached its limit in costliness. Who has ever heard of such commerce as now encircles the earth? There have arisen all kinds of art and sculpture, embroidery and engraving, the like of which has not been seen during the whole Christian era. 

 

The conclusion to this illustration and for many additional illustrations and sermons for Advent 1 can be accessed at www.Sermons.com.

 
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 28 08:53:57 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:53:57 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Fw: SermonWriter: Nov. 29 (Advent 1C) Jeremiah 33:14-16
Message-ID: <AF70D0928E254B18B4078F31EAE8D99C@YOUR264F1833C5>

The following are links to materials for the FIRST READING for Nov. 29 
(Advent 1C) for Luke 21:25-36:


NO PASSWORD REQUIREMENT: We are posting these materials on the web with no 
password.
To access those files, you MUST use the following links.

IF CLICKING ON THE LINK FAILS TO WORK, copy the link and paste it in the 
address window near the top of your browser.
Then hit the ENTER key or click GO.

OR YOU CAN USE YOUR USERNAME AND PASSWORD to access the files elsewhere on 
my web site.  See below for instructions.


JEREMIAH 33:14-16:

These materials include the exegesis + links to two sermons + a hymn list:

Microsoft Word file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-29be/Jer.33.14-16.doc

HTML file (web page):
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-29be/Jer.33.14-16.htm

WordPerfect file:
http://www.lectionary.org/SW/11-29be/Jer.33.14-16.wpd


1 THESSALONIANS 3:9-13 (RCL Epistle)
(Link to one sermon -- No exegesis)

http://www.lectionary.org/SermLinks/NT/NT13_Thess.htm


A TIP: If you want the Word or WordPerfect files, LEFT-CLICK on the link and 
see what happens.
That should bring up a dialog box that asks if you want to open the file or 
save it.
Choose OPEN.  Then save it wherever you like on your hard drive.

If that doesn't work, RIGHT-CLICK on the link.  You should get a sub-menu.
Hopefully, "Save Target As" will be one of them.  Click on that.
Then save the file wherever you want on your hard drive.
<>

WWW.LECTIONARY.ORG
<>
Dick Donovan





From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 28 13:01:39 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:01:39 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Quotes for Luke 21:25-36 for 1 Advent - Part 1
Message-ID: <AE795F4292494F5F97512BB12240F51D@YOUR264F1833C5>

In the Revised Common Lectionary, the season of Advent (Latin for coming to) begins with a look to the future coming (???????? - parousia in Greek) of the Son of Man. (NOTE: the phrase "second coming" doesn't occur in scriptures!) The subsequent Sundays in Advent focus on the past coming of Jesus as a baby in Bethlehem.

<>

These signs "in the sun and moon and stars" allude back to the prophets.

 

Isaiah 13:9-10

            See, the day of the LORD comes,

                        cruel, with wrath and fierce anger,

            to make the earth a desolation,

                        and to destroy its sinners from it.

            For the stars of the heavens and their constellations

                        will not give their light;

            the sun will be dark at its rising,

                        and the moon will not shed its light.

 

Ezekiel 32:7-8

            When I blot you out, I will cover the heavens,

                        and make their stars dark;

            I will cover the sun with a cloud,

                        and the moon shall not give its light.

            All the shining lights of the heavens

                        I will darken above you,

                        and put darkness on your land,

                                    says the Lord GOD.

 

Joel 2:30-31

I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.



These heavenly signs do not just point forward to the coming, but also backwards as fulfillment of the prophets' word. 

<>

Apocalyptic literature is written primarily to give hope and assurance to people in the midst of suffering. 



http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/luke21x25.htm



Brian Stoffregen

- - - - -



Whereas Mark seems to tie these events to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, Luke - writing nearly two decades later - distances the promised end of history and the Temple's destruction. Luke is, in fact, down right vague about when Jesus will return, refusing to offer any hint of a timetable. 



http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=11/29/2009&tab=4



David Lose, 2009



- - - - - 



Then there will be "wars and insurrections" (v. 9), but "the end will not follow immediately" (as people expected). Disastrous natural phenomena, cause for great distress, will occur (v. 11), and when Jerusalem is surrounded by armies (v. 20), the city will soon fall: either physically or spiritually. Again the end will be delayed: the killing and deportation of citizens will continue "until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (v. 24), i.e. until non-Jews have had the opportunity to come to Christ.



http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/archive/cadv1m.shtml



Chris Haslam

- - - - -



Verse 27: "they will see 'the Son of Man coming ...'": Daniel 7:13 says "As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him." 

<>

Verses 34-36: <> The terminology is so akin to Paul's that perhaps Luke is using a fragment from some lost epistle written by Paul or one of his disciples: for v. 34, see 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3; for v. 34a, see 1 Thessalonians 5:7; for v. 36, see 1 Thessalonians 5:8-10, 18. Even the rare Greek word agrypneo appears here and in 1 Thessalonians.

http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/archive/cadv1l.shtml

Chris Haslam

- - - - -


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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 28 13:57:19 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:57:19 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Quotes for Luke 21:25-36 for 1 Advent - Part 2
Message-ID: <F9E920611C564BBD9966BBF3F92ACD00@YOUR264F1833C5>

The warnings in 21:34-36 easily transfer into the contemporary setting. We may not be weighed down with drunkenness and debauchery, but our self-indulgence and the vested interest in sustaining our lifestyles at the expense of peoples trapped in poverty lives itself out in equal irresponsibility - both locally and on a global scale. 

http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/LkAdvent1.htm

William Loader
- - - - -

 When we recall that the sun was the symbol of Rome itself, while the moon and the stars represented the empire's client kings clustered around it, we can better understand that, when Luke is talking about the "powers of the heavens" being shaken, it's a kind of code: "It is not the end of the cosmos, as Mark has it, but the shaking of the earthly principalities and powers that is referenced here," William Herzog writes in New Proclamation 2006.
<>
Richard Swanson reminds preachers that there are children in our congregations (and not there, too) who know well what it feels like for "the sun and the stars" to fall from the sky because of parental abuse and neglect; in their small worlds, their parents are the sun and the moon and the stars (Provoking the Gospel of Luke). 
<>
For further reflection:
Georgia O'Keeffe, 20th century: 
No one sees a flower, not really. To look at a flower takes time, like having a friend takes time.

J?rgen Moltmann, 20th century: 
I tried to present the Christian hope no longer as such an "opium of the beyond" but rather as the divine power that makes us alive in this world.

Augustine, 5th century: 
God without us will not; we without God cannot.



http://www.ucc.org/worship/samuel/november-29.html

Kate Huey 
- - - - -

Too many preachers waste time in the pulpit trying to counter this cultural tide. Arguing against the Christmas shopping schedule or radio stations playing "The Twelve Days of Christmas" up until Christmas and then playing no Christmas songs during the actual twelve days of Christmastide is spitting into the holiday wind. Instead of either/or, preachers need to help congregations experience both/and. 
<>
Two types of sermon strategies that present this type of theological claim come to mind. Both begin by contrasting (not criticizing) the difference between the sounds and looks of secular Christmas in the mall and liturgical Advent in the church. In the first approach, the preacher plays up the contrast as if the mall is behind the times. The world is starting Christmas while the church is already celebrating the New Year. This twist can be used then to back up to Advent beginning at the End.

In the second use of the contrast, the preacher might even seem to favor the already-ness of the secular Christmas in the beginning but move to a "but this can't be all there is" stance to finally defining Christian hope for "more." In other words, the sermon can move from bemoaning (not too strongly) the already to celebrating the not-yet in true eschatological fashion. Hope for things given and received under the Christmas tree is nice enough, but hope that the whole world will have food to eat, clothes to wear, safe environments to live in, meaningful relationships in which to participate, and a sense of God's grace in their lives is something else altogether.

http://www.goodpreacher.com/shareit/readreviews.php?cat=28

O. Wesley Allen, Jr.
- - - - -

Apocalyptic is a style of literature that tends to flourish during difficult times.  In the ancient near east, the heyday of apocalyptic was between 300 BC and AD 100, which were times of particular turbulence in Israel.  In 300 BC, Israel was dealing with the "culture war" brought on by the spread of Greek culture in the wake of Alexander's conquest.  By AD 100, a subsequent occupying army had destroyed the holy city of Jerusalem.  In between were all manner of rebellions, terrorism, and war.
<>

 I was once at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, held each summer in my fair city, and noticed a street preacher at the corner of 3rd and Milwaukee.  His exhortations were to get right with God because Jesus was coming soon.  An old man was walking by about this time, walking with a cane and moving slowly.  When he heard the message of the street preacher, he straightened up and said, "What in blazes are you talking about?  He's already here."
<>
Quote of the Day
In 1987, at a White House dinner hosted by Ronald Reagan, Miles Davis was seated next to a Washington matron who asked him what he had done that was so special.  Davis replied, "Well, I've changed music five or six times.  Now tell me, what have you done of any importance other than be white?" 

http://www.progressiveinvolvement.com/progressive_involvement/2009/11/lectionary-blogging-luke-21-2536.html

John Petty, 2009 
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 28 15:04:17 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:04:17 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Quotes for Luke 21:25-36 for 1 Advent - Part 3
Message-ID: <3A2AF11812CD4FAB8E4CD2AA4D01455D@YOUR264F1833C5>

The purpose of these sayings of Jesus is not so much to prompt a reading of signs, but rather a renewing of faith. There are a number of motivators for the Christian life, and the return of Christ is one of the more powerful.
      The danger we face in our Christian walk is that of secularization. Both the believer and the church can get caught up in the "anxieties of life." This is particularly so today for the church, faced as we are with declining attendees and constricting budgets. It's very easy to rely on pragmatics rather than theology, easy to rely on marketing and management programs rather than faith in God's sovereign grace.

http://www.lectionarystudies.com/studyg/advent1cg.html

Bryan Findlayson
- - - - -

-Praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, We Christians are people of prayer, praying for the strength to be alert and not weighed down by the anxieties of life. We also pray for strength and patient endurance to handle the nastiness of life. 
-And to stand before the Son of Man.' Someday, we will also face the final judgment. The Son of Man is coming to judge the living and the dead. This is the issue. This is the last statement of Jesus in Luke's little apocalypse. We are all going to stand in judgment before the Son of Man. In Jesus' previous teachings during his lifetime, we repeatedly heard that the Son of Man was coming at the End of history to judge. After the Second Coming, we will finally stand in front of the judge, the Son of Man.

http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_eschataological_discourse.htm

Edward F. Markquart
- - - - -

Hands up, who spent today expecting, anticipating, being alert for the coming of the Son of Man? Being alert for the fulfillment of God's promises? For the coming of God's will being done on earth as it is in heaven?
Hmm. I wonder what it means when many, perhaps most, of us no longer live in anticipation of the fulfillment of God's promises in our lifetime? But this is precisely the God-sized anticipation that the Season of Advent calls us to re-new and rehearse.

http://www.holytextures.com/2009/11/luke-21-25-36-year-c-advent-1-sermon.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+typepad/davidewart/textures+(Holy+Textures)

David Ewart, 2009
- - - - - 

"Be alert at all times."  Be alert.
But to what?

The reading seems to focus on the big stuff, the signs of the end time - and we don't suffer from a shortage of signs in 2009.

In fact, two of our global issues are far larger than what Hardy terms "the familiar vicissitudes of history".  I'm thinking of the growing environmental crisis, and continued nuclear proliferation.  Either has the potential to end life as we know it on this planet; and both are wholly of human making.

http://gospelforgays.com/?p=607&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+GospelForGays+(Gospel+For+Gays)

Jeremiah Bartram, 2009
- - - - -

..."be alert"; these are not merely bits of
moral advice from a great teacher. They are God's word to all to whom the promises have been
given, to encourage us to hope, prayer, endurance, testimony, and faithful obedience in the
knowledge that our lives have a place in the cosmic purposes of God as those have been
decisively worked out in Jesus Christ. The birth of Christ in itself never saved anyone, but in the
whole career of Jesus-his birth, teachings, deeds, crucifixion, and resurrection-the God of
heaven and earth has drawn near to redeem us, and this work is being carried to completion even
now.

http://www.luthersem.edu/word&world/Archives/11-4_Confirmation/11-4_Kolden.pdf

Marc Kolden, 1991, Page 417
- - - - -

Kolden: Bonhoeffer writes that Advent is like sitting in a prison cell waiting for someone
to open the door, waiting for the word which will release you from prison.

http://www.luthersem.edu/word&world/Archives/8-4_Feminism/8-4_Grindal.pdf

Gracia Grindal, 1988
- - - - -


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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 28 17:41:18 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:41:18 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Quotes for Luke 21:25-36 for 1 Advent - Part 4
Message-ID: <4A7445F61F3F42F7B007325B000B5075@YOUR264F1833C5>

Today's cosmologists put up fascinating & compelling scenarios (scary, too!) for the way things may one day end. In a frontispiece to his 'God & the New Physics' (reprinted in Penguin, '90) Paul Davies quotes Einstein's saying: 'Religion without science is blind. Science without religion is lame.' Those of us who preach do well to take that on board, and with it the 'signs' such physicists read in those same skies Jesus talks of. 

http://www.angelfire.com/journal2/laterallyluke/LLK212538ADV1.html

Brian McGowan
- - - - -

Justice and Righteousness show up in all manner of guises. Here we are faced with an image of Jesus on a cloud with Power and Glory [a reference to Moses and Elijah from Mt. Transfiguration?]. Another way to speak of this would be one who appeared with energy to do something about which one has a perspective. Even though the Greek has these both to be feminine nouns, we might yet translate them as Justice and Righteousness.

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2006/12/first-sunday-of-advent-c4.html

Wesley White, 2006
- - - - -

Today, at the start of the Liturgical Year the church invites us to set out on a great journey - to follow the footstep of Christ in all of his mysteries so that we can live as he lived. St. Luke gives us the last address of his public ministry where Jesus is clearly fretful about the future as he paints a bleak picture of the end of the world. There is talk of nations in fear and of people dying in agony. Yet Jesus' advice is "Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen." In Jesus' view there is a far side to disaster. The good news is that final liberation and resurrection comes out of the disaster. 

Like the prophets before him Jesus is painting a grim view of the future in order to influence the present. He does not want to paralyze them with fear but to energize them into action. The real purpose of speaking about the last days is to affect the present ones. Be awake, look reality in the eye and then act accordingly.

http://www.bible.claret.org/liturgy/daily/sundays_pierse/cycleC/C_1stSunAdv.htm

Gerry Pierse
- - - - -
"Christmas is coming!" What is your reaction when those words come from the mouths of children? Do you see the joy of the season? Or do you see the red of mounting debt? (Honestly, most of us see both!)...When Jesus pointed to his coming, he realized there would be anxiety. But he wanted anticipation. He wanted his people to stand tall and raise their heads. He wanted them to have hope.


http://www.word-sunday.com/Files/c/1Advent-c/A-1Advent-c.html

Larry Broding
- - - - -

We live in between the first coming of Jesus Christ and his second coming, and most of us feel a lot better about the first one. Christmas is about a baby, after all, and that makes everything easier. We know about babies, and so we know how to domesticate Christmas. 
<>
If you are a woman in modern India (it doesn't matter what caste you belong to) and your husband or fianc? doesn't think your family has come up with a big enough dowry, and if he locks you in a closet for three months or calls up his buddies and threatens to have them rape you and then kill you -- I say, if you are a modern Indian woman in such a predicament, you want redemption from wicked sexism, and you want it with every fiber of your being.
<>
According to a story that Os Guinness tells, 220 years ago the Connecticut House of Representatives was in session on a bright day in May, and the delegates were able to do their work by natural light. But then something happened that nobody expected. Right in the middle of debate, there was an eclipse of the sun and everything turned to darkness. Some legislators thought it was the second coming. So a clamor arose. People wanted to adjourn. People wanted to pray. People wanted to prepare for the coming of the Lord.

But the speaker of the House had a different idea. He was a Christian believer, and he rose to the occasion with good logic and good faith. We are all upset by the darkness, he said, and some of us are afraid. But "the Day of the Lord is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. And if the Lord is returning, I, for one, choose to be found doing my duty. I therefore ask that candles be brought."

And men who expected Jesus went back to their desks and resumed their debate.

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2020

Cornelius Plantinga Jr., 2000
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 28 18:37:04 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:37:04 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Quotes for Luke 21:25-36 for 1 Advent - Part 5
Message-ID: <AEA1E0643CEE49579D2E00D829638197@YOUR264F1833C5>

Although we Christians may have pensioned off apocalyptic rhetoric, social scientists, AIDs researchers and a swarm of journalists and commentators are employing it. They warn us that as the collapse of the earth's ecosystems accelerates, our overstressed social structures will begin to pop like rivets on the doomed Titanic. Consider the disintegration of nation-states, the irreparable degradation of the environment and the reversion to tribal savagery. We are sinking into an abyss.

In fact, there are many places where biblically shaped imagination can already discern the end of our world: precious rain forests, the size of entire countries, gone forever in a few days; 50,000 bodies, many headless and limbless, float into Lake Victoria as Christians kill Christians in Rwanda; suburban kids in Reeboks and t-shirts methodically heat a teenager to death on the steps of St. Cecilia's Church in Abingdon, Pennsylvania (dead at 16 on the steps of the church where he had been an altar boy).

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_n32_v114/ai_20016441/

James F. Kay, 1997
- - - - -

"There will always be a tomorrow," some must have begun to say. "After all, there have been about 29,000 tomorrows since Jesus told us that he would return for us." The once-taut church relaxed, settling down into the everydayness of things.
But to live as if there will always be a tomorrow is to live like a fool. One of the best-selling religious books of all time is a rather shoddy piece of rehashed millennialism called The late, Great Planet Earth. Fifty million people paid good money to read Hal Lindsey's view of the end. It is not only people like Lindsey or Jerry Falwell or James Watt who think about the end. With the ecological crisis, the threat of nuclear war, and international monetary problems, everyone is thinking in apocalyptic terms -- except the liberal, contented church, which long ago made its peace with the present and trusted in tomorrow.
<>

When I was serving a little church in rural Georgia, one of my members' relatives died, and my wife and I went to the funeral as a show of support for the family. It was held in a small, hot, crowded, independent Baptist country church. They wheeled the coffin in and the preacher began to preach. He shouted, fumed, flailed his arms.
"It's too late for Joe," he screamed. "He might have wanted to do this or that in life, but it's too late for him now. He's dead. It's all over for him. He might have wanted to straighten his life out, but he can't now. It's over."

What a comfort this must be to the family, I thought. "But it ain't too late for you! People drop dead every day. So why wait? Now is the day for decision. Now is the time to make your life count for something. Give your life to Jesus!"

It was the worst thing I had ever heard. "Can you imagine a preacher doing that kind of thing to a grieving family?" I asked my wife on the way home. "I've never heard anything so manipulative, cheap and inappropriate. I would never preach a sermon like that."

She agreed with me that it was tacky, manipulative, callous. "Of course," she added, "the worst part of all is that it was true."

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=1079

William Willimon, 1986
- - - - -

...apocalypse. The word means "unveiling" -- specifically, the unveiling of things to come. 
<>
Apocalyptic has a foreshortened sense of time. It anticipates a final war between the powers of Good and Evil. 
<>
As the philosopher Gunther Anders put it, we move into an apocalyptic mode when we no longer find ourselves asking "How shall we live?" and ask instead, "Will we live?" The normal eschatological situation, which gives life urgency by facing us with the inevitability of our own death, the hunger for meaning, and the fear of suffering and loss, becomes apocalyptic when it appears that there is no longer time for normal urgency. Time collapses. The Time of the End becomes the End of Time... Anders wrote in the midst of the nuclear terror in 1962....the miracle we got came about because people like the physician Helen Caldicott refused to accept nuclear annihilation. But she did it by forcing her hearers to visualize the consequences of their inaction.
<>
If we are in the midst of the sixth great extinction, as scientists tell us we are, our response has in no way been commensurate with the danger. We Homo sapiens are witnessing the greatest annihilation of species in the last 65 million years, and our children may live to witness ecocide with their own eyes. 
<>
Eschatology is a line stretching out to the distant, possibly infinite, future. That is the horizon of hope, possibility and becoming. Apocalyptic, on the other hand, is a detour, caused by an immediate crisis threatening whole societies. Negative apocalyptic paralyzes us into inaction; positive apocalyptic challenges us to transcend ourselves, opening to the unexpected possibilities thrust upon us. Usually, when the crisis passes, normal eschatology is reinstated. But in our day, the apocalyptic crisis may not pass.

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=2208

Walter Wink, 2001
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 28 21:09:01 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:09:01 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Quotes for Luke 21:25-36 for 1 Advent - Part 6
Message-ID: <FD196D62888F4B8A843FFF83CFCD0B59@YOUR264F1833C5>

We get ready for Christmas because Christmas is our redemption drawing near to us. Christmas, the birth of Jesus, is not judgment, but our redemption. Jesus is born to redeem us, to buy us back, to free us from the measuring of our lives. Jesus comes, not to measure or judge, but to forgive the wrong doers, to forgive those who have done evil, to forgive those who do not love God and fear God more than all other things. Jesus is doing a new thing with us. Instead of judging, he has mercy. Instead of condemning, he has mercy. Instead of accusing us he marks us with his love. 

Jesus comes to be judged. Jesus comes to be condemned in our place. Jesus comes to die for us, in our place, taking that judgment that is coming and making it happen ahead of schedule. He suffers all of God's judgment and then God, out of love for us and for Jesus, raised up Jesus to life. God thereby lifted up Jesus above judgment. God has put mercy over measuring, forgiveness over condemnation. 

Look at the signs of this coming. Look at the leaves of the trees. Look at the leaves of mercy, seen in all the times we receive the Lord's Supper, the meal of mercy for us. Look at the leaves of forgiveness, sprouting here amongst us each Sunday, sprouting here amongst us in our own words of forgiveness to one another. Look at the leaves of service, of time given to help one another. 

http://www.predigten.uni-goettingen.de/archiv-9/061203-7-e.html

Timothy J. Hoyer, 2006
- - - - -

Over the summer I had the opportunity to see bits and pieces of "Three Moons Over Milford," a television series in which the moon had been hit by an asteroid and shattered into pieces, which were predicted to decay in orbit and strike the earth in the future. People in the show, predictably, reacted in different ways. Some went out to enjoy life to the fullest before the day of doom. Some tried to figure out how to escape. Others went about their lives oblivious. Still others became super religious, or at least "spiritual," in some sense. The drama unfolds as people begin to live each day as though it were their last. Lives are shattered and values collapse for some in the face of the impending doom. A realtor who goes about business as usual is in a state of tragi-comic denial. None of the responses seem, in the end, faithful.
One has a sense that the living "denial of death" of our culture, and the various reactions of people to their life's end, admit it or not, are more similar than we would like to admit to the characters in this fictional drama. 

http://www.predigten.uni-goettingen.de/archiv-9/061203-9-e.html

Luke Bouman, 2006
- - - - -

Barbara Kingsolver has a new book of essays called "Small Wonder," and it is a poetic proclamation of the power of hope. It is also a stinging diatribe against the hubris of self-centered America. Taking a sharp look at the wars, the natural disasters, the political violence of the 21st century, she writes a modern translation of Luke's little apocalypse. By the end of the book, we know more than we need to know about the wastefulness of our beef consumption, the natural disasters caused by genetic crop engineering, the distortion of patriotism that blind flag-waving can produce, the barbarity of war and capital punishment. But she ends with soaring words of hope--a call to self-discipline and compassion and tolerance and moral living--a vision that matches the energy of Jesus' words to us today.

http://day1.org/488-a_gods_eye_view

Susan Andrews, 2003 
- - - - -

 Advent and  Christmas represent a very special intervention of God in the human condition, a revolution indeed because it revealed to us just how much God loves us, one that, as G.K. Chesterton said, turned the world upside down and, astonishingly, when viewed from that perspective the world made sense. God, in the words of the Irish Dominican poet, Paul Murray, loves us so much that if we should cease to exist, he would die of sadness. 

http://www.agreeley.com/hom09/nov29.htm

Andrew M. Greeley, 2006 
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 28 21:09:36 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:09:36 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Quotes for Luke 21:25-36 for 1 Advent - Part 7
Message-ID: <52D81A4917504FFCBEE11DE04D9D32CB@YOUR264F1833C5>

 Who is this passage of Scripture addressed to today? It must be the old people, everyone who is sixty and over, receiving ARP advertisements, on social security or getting ready to die. Those people think more about mortality and death; these Bible verses are for them. 
I don't think so. Life changes so quickly. The totality of life moves by so quickly. .  I look at an infant, and the infant today is a two year old tomorrow.  And you blink and the child is thirteen.  And you blink, where did time go, and the kid is now a young adult. I blink my eyes again and you are now married.  I blink my eyes again and you have children.  I blink my eyes again and those children are gone and you have an empty nest. I blink my eyes again and you are grandparents. I blink my eyes again and you are a widow or widower. I blink my eyes again and you are ready to die. That's the way life is. 

http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_suddenly.htm

Edward Markquart
- - - - -

Our enemy was easy to identify when our enemy was communism or the nazis. The enemy was easy to identify when it was pornography or sexual violence. It is much harden to identify the enemy around us and within us when the enemy is comfort, materialism, pleasure seeking hedonism. So we say to ourselves in America, "We can relax. There are no big problems around us and the church. There are no thieves out there trying to destroy the lives of our people. We can relax, slump back and fall asleep." The number one sin of a watchman has always been to fall asleep and not be alert to the enemy around us; that was a problem two thousand years ago and it is a problem today. 
<>
This is not a time for apathy when 89% of the children in the Highline School District do not have their original mother and father living in their home. This is not the time for apathy when an average person watches 10,000 murders a year on television. This is not the time for apathy when 90% of all sexual relationships for young people is outside the marriage covenant. This is not the time for apathy when recent studies tell us that in a survey of three hundred men, these men spend only an average of seven and a half minutes per weeks with their sons. This is not the time for apathy when the population of the state of Washington is increasing by double digit increases and meanwhile, the population of church membership is decreasing in the same area. These are time when all kinds of enemies are around us; there are thieves out there.  There are thieves out there who are trying to rob couples of good marriages. I mean, 89% of the children in a neighboring school district do not the have their original mother and father living with them. There are thieves out there, trying to rob people of good marriages. 

http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_b_wake_up.htm

Edward Markquart
- - - - -

I love the quotation from Peter Pan: "Death is going to be an awfully big adventure." 
<>
Do you what the last prayer in the Bible is?  It is the second to the last line of the book of Revelation.  Revelation, chapter 22: verse 20.  "Amen. Come Lord Jesus.  Amen. So be it.  Let it happen.  Amen.  Come Lord Jesus."  That is our insistent, our persistent, our consistent prayer.  "Amen.  Come Lord Jesus.  Please come.  Come with your love.  Come with your compassion.  Come with your wisdom and strength.  Lord Jesus. It is time. I need you to come." 
The word, "come," occurs 1462 times in the Bible. It refers to God's coming to us; but it also refers to us coming to God. 

http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_a_coming.htm

Edward Markquart
- - - - -

For me, one of the most interesting films about the future was T.B.X. 1138, 4.E.B. by George Lucas when he was a student at Stanford University. In that film, you don't see any blood, gore and guts like you would in movies today. The film is not a "scare-you" thriller. In the film, what you see are thousands upon thousands of miles of tunnel. The human beings are now living like ants, living in tunnels underneath the earth. One person comes up from the tunnel, out from the ground, peeking through a metal lid. He peeks his head out into the air, and the Geiger counter on his helmet goes "tick, tick, tick, tick, tick." The crust of the earth has been incinerated by nuclear fire and is radioactive. With the crust of the earth being radioactive, the human race has gone underground and is now living in tunnels, like ants. 

http://www.sermonsfromseattle.com/series_c_futurologists_and_their_vision_for_the_future.htm

Edward Markquart
- - - - -

No matter what "take" we have on the eschatological texts of the gospels, the injunction to be watchful and prayerful is perpetually relevant.  When crisis and turmoil are rocking the world - when war and injustice is destroying persons - the faithful have their sight firmly fixed on the One who is to come with justice and peace.
The roaring sea and the warring nations point to natural and political powers that govern our lives - the teaching of Christ is that no power is greater than the power of God.  When the Son of Man comes with "power and great glory" - all other powers will be vacated. 

http://www.lectionarysermons.com/decem_0300.htm

John Jewell, 2000
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sat Nov 28 21:21:17 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 21:21:17 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] Stats on the Second Coming
Message-ID: <BEF65CB48FFD48D5AAB9D533A43CB6AD@YOUR264F1833C5>

      From:
      Rocky Mountain Rev.
      November 24, 2009
     






      Just thought I would share with you some stats I
      found on the Bible.org website of illustrations
      regarding the Second Coming of Christ: "One
      scholar has estimated that there are 1,845
      references to Christ's second coming in the Old
      Testament, where 17 books give it prominence. In
      the 260 chapters of the New Testament, there are
      318 references to the second advent of Christ-an
      amazing 1 out of every 30 verses. Twenty-three of
      the 27 New Testament books refer to this great
      event. For every prophecy in the Bible concerning
      Christ's first advent, there are 8 which look
      forward to His second!"
      I am figuring that the answer to the question, Why
      such prominence/importance?" might just make
      my sermon.

      http://www.desperatepreacher.com/bodyii.htm 
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From JoeParrish at compuserve.com  Sun Nov 29 05:11:56 2009
From: JoeParrish at compuserve.com (Joe Parrish)
Date: Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:11:56 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] End Times - Luke 21:25-36, ! Advent (C)
Message-ID: <195AE094095F4C649ABB780C8E35A430@YOUR264F1833C5>

http://tiny.cc/XcBVF is a sermon about end times, for the First Sunday of Advent, based on Luke 21:25-36.
Peace and blessings,
Joe
St. John's, Elizabeth, NJ
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From ptl at prwebs.com  Sun Nov 29 09:29:28 2009
From: ptl at prwebs.com (TL)
Date: Sun, 29 Nov 2009 08:29:28 -0600
Subject: [Propertalk] End Times - Luke 21:25-36, ! Advent (C)
In-Reply-To: <195AE094095F4C649ABB780C8E35A430@YOUR264F1833C5>
References: <195AE094095F4C649ABB780C8E35A430@YOUR264F1833C5>
Message-ID: <000f01ca7100$5c892170$159b6450$@com>

I had this thought to expand on what Brian says about blue elephants. This
is how I worked it into my sermon:

 

 

Pr. Brian Stoffregen suggests telling people to not worry about something is
like saying "don't think about blue elephants." Or their scarcity and
impending extinction. But what are you thinking about right now. Of course
it now has something to do with blue elephants, even though they do not
exist. The solution is to never mention blue elephants in the first place or
at least to be sure we know they never have existed.

But the reasons to be fearful of the future do exist. Denying the truth of
our situation as a human species is a large part of what gets us,
continually, into such terrible trouble.

The Gospel for today calls us, not to deny that the end of the world is
impending. NO. In fact it calls attention to the signs that are all around
us. But then it directs us not to panic. Not to follow false leaders who
think they can name the date and time, or for that matter any leader who
leads us away from following Jesus the Christ, whom we know from our
forbearers of faith from their record of Christ handed on to us in
Scriptures.

In the Gospel for today, and in many places throughout each of the Gospels,
the Word of God calls us to keep our wits about us, to trust most firmly in
the Word of God, and to face the future with assurance of God's redemption
of us. This Redemption is both freedom from bondage to sin now until forever
and it is freedom from the destruction of the coming end of the world.

 

 

 

The idea is not about blue elephants, but that not speaking about them or
about real reasons to fear the future is not what the Gospel leads us to.

Rather we discern which threats are real, speak clearly about them AND speak
clearly about God's promise for us in the midst of such threats.

 

To throw it back into old language with a wide berth, true faith is not to
be an opiate of the people. That would be losing ourselves to dissipation.
True faith is simply the clearest perspective on reality, God's reality.
Threats will still lead to the end of time, but we know this is our
redemption. For this we have waited since our baptisms!

 

So there you have my thought(s). If they help someone, good. If they hurt .
Vezeihung im voraus.

 

Rev. Tim Lofstrom

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From charles.wohlers at verizon.net  Mon Nov 30 09:08:16 2009
From: charles.wohlers at verizon.net (Charles Wohlers)
Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:08:16 -0500
Subject: [Propertalk] READINGS for the SECOND SUNDAY of ADVENT
Message-ID: <A410A655B46941ED9DF3DBC71CAA1851@cranmer>

The following are the readings for the Second Sunday of Advent, December 6, 
according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, 
Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. 
Unless noted otherwise, the lectionaries of ECUSA, Canada and the C of E are 
identical to the RCL this Sunday. The NRSV translation is used.


OLD TESTAMENT   Baruch 5: 1 - 9   (all)

5:1 (NRSV) Take off the garment of your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem,
and put on forever the beauty of the glory from God.
2 Put on the robe of the righteousness that comes from God;
put on your head the diadem of the glory of the Everlasting;
3 for God will show your splendor everywhere under heaven.
4 For God will give you evermore the name,
"Righteous Peace, Godly Glory."

5 Arise, O Jerusalem, stand upon the height;
look toward the east,
and see your children gathered from west and east
at the word of the Holy One,
rejoicing that God has remembered them.
6 For they went out from you on foot,
led away by their enemies;
but God will bring them back to you,
carried in glory, as on a royal throne.
7 For God has ordered that every high mountain
   and the everlasting hills be made low
and the valleys filled up, to make level ground,
so that Israel may walk safely in the glory of God.
8 The woods and every fragrant tree
have shaded Israel at God's command.
9 For God will lead Israel with joy,
in the light of his glory,
with the mercy and righteousness that come from him.


Malachi 3 1 - 4   (alt. for RCL)

Mala 3:1 (NRSV) See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, 
and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger 
of the covenant in whom you delight--indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of 
hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he 
appears?
For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap; 3 he will sit as a 
refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi 
and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the 
LORD in righteousness. 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be 
pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.



PSALM   Luke 1: 68 - 79   (RCL)

Luke 1:68 (NRSV) "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a mighty savior for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate 
us.
72 Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,
and has remembered his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us 74 that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
by the forgiveness of their sins.
78 By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Note: The C of E would use the version in Common Worship; the ACC would use 
this or the one of the versions in the Canadian BAS and ECUSA would use one 
of the canticles in the BCP (Benedictus, or the Song of Zechariah - see 
Canticle 16 below)


Psalm 126   (Roman Catholic, Can. BAS)

Psal 126:1 (NRSV) When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion
we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
3 The LORD has done great things for us,
and we rejoiced.
4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
like the watercourses in the Neg'eb.
5 May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
carrying their sheaves.


16   The Song of Zechariah     Benedictus Dominus Deus   (ECUSA RCL)

   Luke 1: 68-79

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
   he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
   born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies, *
   from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
   and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
   to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, *
   holy and righteous in his sight
   all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
   for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation *
   by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
   the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness
                           and the shadow of death, *
   and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
 as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.  Amen.

Note: Canticle 4 may be used instead.


NEW TESTAMENT  Philippians 1: 3 - 11  (RCL)
                                    Philippians 1: 4 - 6, 8 - 11   (Roman 
Catholic)

Phil 1:3 (NRSV) I thank my God every time I remember you, 4 constantly 
praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, 5 because of 
your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 I am confident of 
this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to 
completion by the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to think this 
way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you 
share in God's grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and 
confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I long for all of 
you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. 9 And this is my prayer, that your 
love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight 10 to help 
you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure 
and blameless, 11 having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes 
through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.


GOSPEL   Luke 3: 1 - 6   (all)

Luke 3:1 (NRSV) In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tibe'rius, 
when Pon'tius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Her'od was ruler of Galilee, 
and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Iturae'a and Trachoni'tis, and 
Lysa'nias ruler of Abile'ne, 2 during the high priesthood of An'nas and 
Ca'iaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechari'ah in the wilderness. 
3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of 
repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of 
the words of the prophet Isai'ah,
"The voice of one crying out in the wilderness
"Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth;
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"




