Next to Normal Binkley Baptist Church Isaiah 58:6-12; Luke 4:16-21 Paul Lindsay - 14 September 2014
|
|
- Gilbert Harmon
- 5 years ago
- Views:
Transcription
1 Next to Normal Binkley Baptist Church Isaiah 58:6-12; Luke 4:16-21 Paul Lindsay - 14 September 2014 Two seasons ago, a remarkable play was performed at the Deep Dish Theater. It was called Next to Normal. It's a musical play--there are very few spoken words; almost all the words are sung to music. When the play was on Broadway it won several Tony awards and a Pulitzer Prize. It's about a middle class American family. As the play unfolds, we learn that one of the parents is seriously mentally ill. We meet a restless teen age daughter, struggling with relationships and issues of adolescence. We learn that, years earlier, the family had lost a young child. The characters are very real; the play is brutally honest. The writers of Next to Normal aimed to portray accurately one form of mental illness and treatments for it. So the play makes a real contribution to our understanding of mental illness. Beyond that, the play has profound human and spiritual significance. There is conflict, anger, compassion, sadness, joy, humor, forgiveness, laughter and tears--universal themes. This is reality. This family could be any of our families. Near the end of the play, the mother says to her daughter: "We tried to give you a normal life. I realize now that I have no clue what that is." Her daughter answers, in song: I don't need a life that's normal-- That's way too far away. But something... Next to normal Would be okay.... something next to normal-- That's the thing I'd like to try. Close enough to normal To get by. There is no happy Hollywood ending. But the play ends with the mother, father, daughter and their psychiatrist singing together a song called "Light," which affirms healing and transformation. Day after day, Give me clouds, and rain, and gray. Give me pain if that's what's real It's the price we pay to feel. The price of love is loss But still we pay We love anyway.... There will be light. When we open up our lives, Sons and daughters, husbands, wives-- And fight that fight, There will be light... There will be light 1
2 Compare these words with those of the prophet Isaiah, who says in chapter 58:... Your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly... Your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday In this passage, from what scholars call Second Isaiah, the prophet was speaking to refugees, the people of Israel who had just suffered fifty years of exile in Babylonia. Now king Cyrus of Persia, who has conquered Babylonia, will allow the Jewish refugees to return to their homeland. Isaiah refers to the year of Jubilee, from the ancient rule in Leviticus. The rule says that every fifty years, farmers who lost their land and were forced into indentured servitude can leave their captivity and regain their freedom and their land. Isaiah applies this idea to his own time. The people lost their land and were forced to be refugees. Now, after fifty years, they can return to their ancestral home. They can rebuild their houses and towns, using the old ruins as the foundations. Refugees, homelessness, affordable housing--it sounds like the world today. Five centuries later, Jesus went into the synagogue and stood up and read from this same part of Isaiah, telling the people that this is happening again in his own time: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed and announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people. And Jesus adds, "This passage of scripture has come true today..." Jesus is making clear what his life and work are all about. He says the world will be healed and transformed-- the social order will be turned upside down. The people are surprised at first, asking "Isn't he the son of Joseph?" Later they become offended, and they drag him out of town and threaten to push him over a cliff. Isaiah and Jesus are speaking about the community and the nation--while the play Next to Normal is about a family. At both levels, there is healing and transformation in the midst of suffering. There is light in the darkness. There are, however, no simple answers; no glossing over the reality of struggle and pain and loss. Life is difficult, even for people like most of us, with many resources. We face illness, death, loss of jobs, unwanted change. Life is more difficult for people who are poor, oppressed, or discriminated against. And life was unimaginably difficult for the vast majority of people in the times of Isaiah and Jesus. People cried out in prayer for help. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Karl Barth said that "to clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of resistance against the disorder of the world." We know things are not as they should be. We want a very different kind of world. Often, our first prayer is "Help me, help me, help me," as Anne Lamott has written. Later, she says, our prayer may be "Thank you, thank you, thank you" or even "Wow!" We do experience light in darkness. In fact, this is what God's presence means, according to Rabbi Michael Lerner. He suggests that we think of God as "the force of healing and transformation in the universe." When we baptize people at Binkley church, the minister often asks them two questions: Who have you chosen to follow as the teacher for your life? and, Who have you chosen to profess as the redeeming presence of God's love? 2
3 The answer, of course, is Jesus. I think most of us could give that answer. We may have problems with traditional church doctrines. We may have questions about suffering and evil, or about reconciling a scientific worldview with religious experience. But most of us can affirm Jesus as the teacher for our life and as a prime example of the redeeming presence of God's love. Last weekend, driving through the mountains of North Carolina, we passed a modest, small, wooden church building. In front was a large sign that said, "It's all about Jesus." It may be that low income people, struggling to survive, are more able to identify with Jesus than we are, surrounded by so much affluence. Jesus lived in a world just as real as portrayed in Next to Normal. He got angry and frustrated, he came to the point of despair. He prayed for help. At the same time he went about healing people; eating with untouchables, beggars, and prostitutes; challenging religious authority; sharply criticizing the inequality in his society. He was constantly praying and then returning to healing people and disturbing the peace. Prayer and action go together. For Jesus the spiritual and material are one. He preached and acted out a personal and social gospel. Jesus shared the dream of the prophets of Israel -- Amos, Jeremiah, Isaiah and others-- that the unjust social order would be overturned, transformed into a just world, with peace and plenty for everyone. He quoted Isaiah: Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice... to let the oppressed go free, and Isaiah goes on to say: to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house.... then your light shall break forth like the dawn and your healing will spring up quickly...if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday So what does all this mean for us today, as individuals and as a congregation, in the twenty-first century? And let's be real about it. As our former pastor Jim Pike often said, "Perfection is not an option." In this world there is no such thing as perfection. Often there is no such thing as normal. Next to normal is as close as we can get. When our son in law Randy was diagnosed with advanced kidney cancer, our family was shocked and shaken and overwhelmed. Then a phone call came from a friend of Randy and ours, who offered to form a care team. I cannot tell you how relieved I felt. And for the next four months, this team, many of whom were Binkley members, took care of our needs and Randy's. When we celebrated his birthday at the cancer hospital, when Randy was baptized in the nursing home, when we celebrated communion by his bed in the nursing home--randy and we were surrounded by these caring friends. Ultimately, the cancer was not cured, but Randy and all of us had received much healing. The price of love is loss, but still we pay, we love anyway. There is much darkness and evil and hurting in the world. In the midst of that, I am convinced, there is a force of healing and transformation. 3
4 There is more than one way--in fact, countless ways--we as individuals follow Jesus as teacher and the expression of God's love. You do this already. In your day-to-day caring and responsible relationships with family and friends and coworkers. Raising children and caring for loved ones. Feeding the hungry at the shelter. Some of you are healers in your profession-- nurses, physical therapists, psychotherapists, doctors, social workers, teachers. Some of you serve in public office. Some of you enrich the lives of others with music. Many of you demonstrate by walking -- for food for hungry people, for awareness of mental illness, for gay rights, on Moral Mondays. Some of you even get arrested. In these and many other ways, we bring light in the darkness. As Mother Teresa said, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love." How, then, do we follow Jesus as a congregation? Binkley Church, from the beginning, has been on the cutting edge of concern for social justice. In the late nineteen fifties, a small group of people sat down around a kitchen table and talked about starting a new church. After much discussion, they arrived at five basic principles: They would take the Bible seriously, but not literally. They would be ecumenical. They would foster a spirit of caring for each other in times of need They would express faith through social concerns, for the community and the world They would be racially inclusive With principles like that, it was clear this was not going to be a normal Southern Baptist Church. Think about what a radical step it was to be racially inclusive. The schools in Chapel Hill and Carrboro were segregated, as were the churches, restaurants, and movie theaters. Only a few years earlier UNC had admitted its first black students--3 students in the law school. The university cleared a whole floor in a dormitory, so that no white students would have to live near them. Bob Seymour and Dean Smith challenged the norms of the community by walking into the Pines Restaurant to have lunch with a black person, Jim Forbes, a summer intern at Binkley Church. Billy and Ann Barnes, with help from many others, worked to elect Howard Lee as mayor of Chapel Hill --the first black mayor in the South. In the 1970's we expanded our idea of inclusiveness. Women of the congregation pointed out that the language of worship often was exclusive and not respectful of women. Most translations of the Bible were still using exclusive male language. We were singing hymns like Rise Up, O Men of God. And words like, "Join hands, now, brothers of the faith; who serves my Father as a Son is surely kin to me." So we got a new hymnal. Some Bible translations were revised. We chose different words in worship. Inclusiveness was expanded to include gender as well as race. In the 1980's, Bob Seymour preached about discrimination and prejudice against gay men and lesbians. But I do not remember conversation about this in our congregation. Then in the early 90's, we were given the opportunity to face the issue openly, when a gay member asked to be licensed, as the first step toward ordination. There were many meetings about this, large and small, and many written statements and letters. At one of the meetings, after many comments, one member asked simply, "What would Jesus do?" We decided to license John Blevins, and in doing so we came out as a welcoming and affirming church. We expanded the idea of inclusiveness again. It was not long before we were told that we were no longer welcome in the Southern Baptist denomination. One of our young people called Binkley "the outcast Baptist church." 4
5 Two years ago, in a beautiful service in this sanctuary on a Saturday evening, we celebrated a reaffirmation of marriage vows. Gay and straight couples participated, with friends and families present. Binkley church was holding a demonstration, affirming that in this church we are committed to a moral law higher than the unjust civil law of this state. Our work in all these areas is not finished. As with individuals, so it is with a congregation--perfection is not an option. Even normal is often not an option. As we enter a time of transition, we need to think carefully about our priorities. We need to remember our founding principles and our history; and to keep working on our processes for conflict resolution. We need to address our financial sustainability; and to reach out to new people. And we need to remember whom we profess as the teacher for our lives. For us, it should be all about Jesus. Jesus, who stands in the tradition of the prophets. Share your bread with the hungry. Bring the homeless poor into your house. Set free the oppressed. I don't need to tell you what the problems of our community and the world are, and how serious, complex and difficult they are. As Martin Luther King said about race and civil rights, "We've come a long way, but we have a long, long, way to go." It is the same with discrimination on the basis of gender, social class, and sexual orientation. There are countless other peace and justice issues. "What would Jesus do? " is a good question to ask, as long as we remember who Jesus was, how he lived, what he taught; and that we need to live this out in the context of the twenty-first century. Jesus was a healer. And he wanted to change the world. Surely if Jesus were here he would be outraged by the news last week that two mentally challenged African American men were held for 30 years in North Carolina prisons, one on death row, for a crime they did not commit. Certainly Jesus would be angry that immigrants and other construction workers have been cheated for years from rightful income and benefits. He would be appalled by the extent of domestic violence and sexual assault. The list of things Jesus would be outraged about is long. One thing Jesus did was to demonstrate! To eat with untouchables, beggars and prostitutes was to offend most people's deeply held beliefs. To ride into Jerusalem like a messiah was to challenge the ruling class. To overturn tables in the temple was to challenge religious authority. Jesus knew what he was doing. He knew his actions would lead to trouble, possibly including his death on a cross. Perhaps the Cross is the best example of how the price of love is loss. But still we pay. We love anyway. Even if we are only next to normal. This love, this healing and transformation, is a force in the universe. Your light shall break forth like the dawn Your light shall rise in the darkness... There will be light When we open up our lives, Sons and daughters, husbands, wives-- And fight that fight, There will be light. There will be light Amen. 5
Behold the body and lifeblood of Christ. See who you are, & be what you receive.
3 rd & 4 th Sundays of Ordinary Time C cycle, 2016 1 st Reading Isaiah 61:1-6 [The Spirit of the Lord is upon me] Responsorial Psalm 71 [You are my hope, O Lord] 2 nd Reading 1 Corinthians 12:12-13:13
More informationLift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, 1 Shout out, do not hold back!
Worship Plan for Sunday, February 05, 2017 5 Epiphany Fifth Sunday after Epiphany / Lectionary 5 5th Sunday after the Epiphany ELW Holy Communion Setting One Sunday, February 05, 2017 Introduction to the
More informationLuke 4:14-21 The announcement Jesus made at the beginning of His public ministry is an extreme declaration that would affect everyone in this world.
Luke 4:14-21 The announcement Jesus made at the beginning of His public ministry is an extreme declaration that would affect everyone in this world. It is a message of jubilee, freedom, healing and hope.
More informationFebruary 8. The Promotion of Social Righteousness
* February 8 The Promotion of Social Righteousness * 6 basic convictions that are expressed in chapter 1 of the Book of Order as the missional direction for PCUSA communities of faith These 6 overarching
More informationLight for our Darkness: Wait. Isaiah 11: 1-10
Light for our Darkness: Wait Isaiah 11: 1-10 This is one of my favorite texts from the Book of Isaiah. Usually when I hear it, I find myself feeling hopeful and begin to anxiously await the day when a
More informationJesus Mission and Ours
Isaiah 61 :1-2; Luke 4: 14-21 Jesus Mission and Ours The text from Isaiah 61 that we read this morning speaks of a new and better world: good news to the poor, release of captives, liberty for the oppressed:
More informationwas coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.
February 22, 2015 Genesis 9:8-17; Mark 1:9-15 Somewhere Over the Rainbow Pastor Sally May Genesis 9:8-17 8 Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 As for me, I am establishing my covenant with
More informationDr. Who Did What? Text: Amos 5:24 Luke 4: A sermon preached by James F. McIntire. January 17, 2016 Martin Luther King, Jr.
Dr. Who Did What? Text: Amos 5:24 Luke 4:14-30 A sermon preached by James F. McIntire January 17, 2016 Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday Hope United Methodist Church Eagle & Steel Roads, Havertown, PA Phone:
More information(Micah 6: 6-8) With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a
(Micah 6: 6-8) With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of
More informationPOSITIVE RITES. Celebrating the Lord s Supper with people living with HIV
POSITIVE RITES Celebrating the Lord s Supper with people living with HIV Some Christian communities have a formal celebration of the Lord s Supper. This is often referred to as the Eucharist, Holy Communion
More informationLakeside Sermons. Just One More Day Isaiah 58:9b-14; Luke 13:10-17
Lakeside Sermons Lakeside Baptist Church Rocky Mount, North Carolina Michael Catlett, Guest Preacher AUGUST 25, 2013 Just One More Day Isaiah 58:9b-14; Luke 13:10-17 If you're a fan of Jeopardy! you know
More informationSeason of Creation Land. 16/09/18 The Venerable Mzinzisi Dyantyi Whose Land is it, anyway?
Season of Creation Land. 16/09/18 The Venerable Mzinzisi Dyantyi Whose Land is it, anyway? 1 Kings 21:1-16 & Acts 4:32-37 In the name of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen. Today we continue with our
More informationI "It's Time to Face the Facts"
First Message for January 27, 2013 I "It's Time to Face the Facts" Church can be a lovely experience, a nice hour when we sing hymns, listen to Scripture describe a different world, greet friends and watch
More informationJesus State of the Union Luke 4:14-21 January
Page 1 of 9 Jesus State of the Union Luke 4:14-21 January 27 2019 The summer that I turned twenty-two, I got a call from the minister of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, Virginia. My
More informationBUILDING INTERFAITH BRIDGES A Sermon by Reverend Lynn Thomas Strauss
BUILDING INTERFAITH BRIDGES A Sermon by Reverend Lynn Thomas Strauss In 1820, Edward Hicks, an American painter and a Quaker from Pennsylvania, painted the first of a series of paintings known as The Peaceable
More informationOne Heart and Soul April Rev. Stephanie Ryder
One Heart and Soul April 8. 2018 Rev. Stephanie Ryder Acts 4:32-35: Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything
More informationUCC Core Values: Changing Lives Luke 2:8-20. Pastor Liz Miller August 26, 2018
UCC Core Values: Changing Lives Luke 2:8-20 Pastor Liz Miller August 26, 2018 Representation matters. It makes a difference when children have teachers in their classroom that represent their race or culture.
More informationTOOLKIT for MCC CHURCHES Hosting the PULSE Memorial Service on 12 June 2017
1 TOOLKIT for MCC CHURCHES Hosting the PULSE Memorial Service on 12 June 2017 7 June 2017 Thank you for taking a leadership role in hosting a PULSE Memorial Service to commemorate the lives lost and recommit
More informationOur Second Principle: Justice, Equity and Compassion in Human Relations Unitarian Universalist congregations together affirm and promote seven
Our Second Principle: Justice, Equity and Compassion in Human Relations Unitarian Universalist congregations together affirm and promote seven Principles. 1st Principle: The inherent worth and dignity
More informationRadical Hospitality All Souls Church, Rev. Lissa Anne Gundlach August 12, 2012
Radical Hospitality All Souls Church, Rev. Lissa Anne Gundlach August 12, 2012 On a summer morning just over four years ago, a man carrying a guitar case walked into the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist
More informationSt. Mark s Episcopal Church February 3, 2019 The Reverend Rick Veit
St. Mark s Episcopal Church February 3, 2019 The Reverend Rick Veit People were so excited about Jesus as a great teacher and healer and their Savior, until they were not so excited about Jesus as a teacher,
More informationPETITION # L-1 AFFIRMING WESTERN JURISDICTION COUNCIL OF BISHOPS RESPONSE TO JUDICIAL COUNCIL AND THE WESTERN JURISDICTION S COMMITMENT TO INCLUSIVE
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 PETITION # L-1 AFFIRMING WESTERN JURISDICTION COUNCIL OF BISHOPS RESPONSE TO JUDICIAL COUNCIL AND THE WESTERN JURISDICTION S COMMITMENT TO INCLUSIVE MINISTRY Resolved: We, the
More informationMeditating on Mercy. Scriptures for Prayer in the Year of Mercy
Meditating on Mercy Scriptures for Prayer in the Year of Mercy How many pages of Sacred Scripture are appropriate for meditation to help us rediscover the merciful face of the Father! Pope Francis All
More informationJANUARY 31, 2016 THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
I don t think I saw that coming! Lakeside Sermons Lakeside Baptist Church Rocky Mount, North Carolina Jody C. Wright, Senior Minister JANUARY 31, 2016 THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY All Eyes Are
More informationCan you not stay awake with me one hour?
A Sermon Preached by the Rev. Sean Lanigan Ash Wednesday~February 14, 2018 Isaiah 58:1-12 Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house
More informationThe Gospel That Includes Everyone Romans 2:1 5, 3:21 26 You have heard me say from this pulpit on at least one previous occasion that I am supportive
The Gospel That Includes Everyone Romans 2:1 5, 3:21 26 You have heard me say from this pulpit on at least one previous occasion that I am supportive of the rights of the LGBTQ community, so it will come
More informationTEXT: Nehemiah 8:1-10; Luke 4:14-21
TEXT: Nehemiah 8:1-10; Luke 4:14-21 Jeffrey A. Johnson Peace Lutheran Church Holbrook, Arizona 3 rd Sunday after Epiphany January 27, 2019 My granddaughter called me a racist recently. Four of our family,
More informationOvercoming Evil With Good Pastor Joe Oakley GFC
1 Overcoming Evil With Good Pastor Joe Oakley GFC 7-9-16 We are in a sermon series on hearing God called The Voice. I had a sermon all prepared for today on that and then I heard the Voice! I felt the
More informationBishop s Report To The Judicial Council Of The United Methodist Church
Bishop s Report To The Judicial Council Of The United Methodist Church 1. This is the form which the Judicial Council is required to provide for the reporting of decisions of law made by bishops in response
More informationIn the year 520 BCE, a man walked the streets of Jerusalem. And what he saw
Sermon Yom Kippur Day The Beloved Community In the year 520 BCE, a man walked the streets of Jerusalem. And what he saw filled him with despair. He had been one of the exiles in Babylonia, imbued with
More informationQuestion of the week: From who or what have you declared your independence?
7.5.15 SERMON Such a Time as This Question of the week: From who or what have you declared your independence? When we say Superhero each of us probably conjures up our own image in our own minds, and they
More information1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 Isaiah 61:1-4. "The Joy of Missional Living" When the prophet Isaiah wrote these words, they were meant to be a source of
1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 Isaiah 61:1-4 "The Joy of Missional Living" When the prophet Isaiah wrote these words, they were meant to be a source of encouragement to the Israelites who had returned to Jerusalem
More informationThird Sunday of Lent, March 19, 2017
Third Sunday of Lent, March 19, 2017 READINGS: Exodus 17:3-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-2, 5-8; John 4:5-42; or John 4:5-15, 19-26, 39, 40-42 There is a really deep well inside me and in it dwells God. Sometimes
More informationCONFESSION OF BELHAR [TEXT]
CONFESSION OF BELHAR [TEXT] CONFESSION OF BELHAR How should the church respond when sin disrupts the church s unity, creates division among the children of God, and constructs unjust systems that steal
More informationThe Prayer of Nehemiah Nehemiah Pastor Douglas Scalise, Brewster Baptist Church
1 1.1.17 The Prayer of Nehemiah Nehemiah 1.1-10 Pastor Douglas Scalise, Brewster Baptist Church I m excited for what we re going to do together with the Bible and in worship this year. Each month of 2017
More informationQ93 Which Sunday service do you typically attend?
Q93 Which Sunday service do you typically attend? Answered: 167 Skipped: 13 8 am 4.79% (8) 11 am 36.53% (61) 9 am 58.68% (98) Answer Choices 8 am 9 am 11 am Responses 4.79% 8 58.68% 98 36.53% 61 Total
More informationJanuary 27, Welcome! Enter with Prayer - Worship in Awe Leave to Serve. All invitations to stand or kneel are for those who are able.
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church January 27, 2019 38801 Blacow Road 8:45 AM Service Epiphany 04 Fremont, CA 94536 Ministers: The People of Holy Trinity Church: (510) 793-6285 Web Site: holytrinityfremont.org
More informationLakeside Sermons. Have You Heard the Good News? Isaiah 52:7; Luke 4:14-16
Lakeside Sermons Lakeside Baptist Church Rocky Mount, North Carolina Elizabeth J. Edwards, Associate Minister JULY 13, 2014 Have You Heard the Good News? Isaiah 52:7; Luke 4:14-16 My little brother was
More informationNOVENA SERMONS FOR THE SHRINE S FEAST 2004 (FEB 12 TH 20 TH ) THE UNDERLINING THEME RUNNING THROUGH THE NOVENA SERMONS WILL BE JESUS BEST FRIENDS
NOVENA SERMONS FOR THE SHRINE S FEAST 2004 (FEB 12 TH 20 TH ) THE UNDERLINING THEME RUNNING THROUGH THE NOVENA SERMONS WILL BE JESUS BEST FRIENDS Jesus favorites, those whom he loved most; those he made
More information2 Chronicles 36:15-23
2018 03.18 2 Chronicles 36:15-23 15 The LORD, the God of their ancestors, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place; 16 but they kept
More informationEnemies, Compassion and Transformation Sermon Preached by The Rev. J. Thomas Ledbetter Pastoral Psychotherapist Brandywine Pastoral Institute
Enemies, Compassion and Transformation Sermon Preached by The Rev. J. Thomas Ledbetter Pastoral Psychotherapist Brandywine Pastoral Institute July 25, 2010 Luke 10: 25-37 The parable of the Good Samaritan
More informationTRIAL USE PROPERS FOR YEAR C: PROPER 20 THROUGH PROPER 29
TRAL USE PROPERS FOR YEAR C: PROPER 20 THROUGH PROPER 29 PROPER 20 (SUNDAY BETWEEN 14 AND 20 AUGUST) saiah 5.1-7; Psalm 80.1-2, 8-19; Hebrews 11.29-12.2; Luke 12.49-56 God of restless fire and urgent river
More informationEnding Racial Inequality George W. Bush. Bush, G. W. (2000, July 10). Ending Racial Inequality. NAACP Annual Convention. Baltimore, MD.
Ending Racial Inequality George W. Bush Bush, G. W. (2000, July 10). Ending Racial Inequality. NAACP Annual Convention. Baltimore, MD. Copyright laws may prohibit photocopying this document without express
More informationSermon Mark 7 Jesus and the Syrophoenician Woman Sermon Title: Unexpected Prophets July 29, 2018
Sermon Mark 7 Jesus and the Syrophoenician Woman HPMF Sermon Title: Unexpected Prophets July 29, 2018 Mark 7:24-30 24 From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did
More informationJesus Hacked: Storytelling Faith a weekly podcast from the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri
Jesus Hacked: Storytelling Faith a weekly podcast from the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri https://www.diocesemo.org/podcast Episode 030: Journey: one church's conversation about full LGBT inclusion This
More informationSEEING PEOPLE THROUGH CHRIST S EYES LUKE 4:14-21 Faith in Action #2
SEEING PEOPLE THROUGH CHRIST S EYES LUKE 4:14-21 Faith in Action #2 Welcome to the second week of our all church emphasis called Faith in Action! As followers of Jesus, we want our lives to be less about
More informationorder of service What does God require of us? (based on Micah 6:6-8) rcav.org/christianunity
order of service What does God require of us? (based on Micah 6:6-8) 47 Queen s Park Crescent East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2C3 Tel: 416-972-9494 1-866-822-7645 Fax: 416-927-0405 Email/Courriel :
More informationWho has ever made a new year s resolutions? And who has broken one before the end of January?
The Parable of Two Sons (Matthew 21v28-32) 23 Jesus came back to the Temple; and as he taught, the chief priests and the elders came to him and asked, What right do you have to do these things? Who gave
More informationTzedek - Yom Kippur Day 5779 I want to talk with you about the powerful Haftorah that Manny Stern has just chanted for us. The section of Isaiah that
Tzedek - Yom Kippur Day 5779 I want to talk with you about the powerful Haftorah that Manny Stern has just chanted for us. The section of Isaiah that was chosen by the ancient rabbis to be read every year
More informationLectionary Readings. February Year A
Lectionary Readings February 2017 Year A Sunday, February 5 (5 Epiphany) Isaiah 58:1-12 Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house
More informationSummer Psalms Series, Psalm 146: A Psalm of Praise. July 5, 2015
Summer Psalms Series, Psalm 146: A Psalm of Praise July 5, 2015 This is the last in our series on the psalms. Here s just a reminder of the psalms that we have studied. We looked at an introductory psalm,
More informationPLANTED BESIDE FLOWING WATERS Sermon by Paul R. Powell St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church, New Orleans Sunday, July 28, 2013
PLANTED BESIDE FLOWING WATERS Sermon by Paul R. Powell St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church, New Orleans Sunday, July 28, 2013 Some of you know how excited I get after attending the Hymn Society which was
More informationWhat We Believe. God chooses you.
What We Believe God chooses you. God chooses to be with you and for you not because of anything you ve done, but because of who God is. That s called grace. God s grace is a gift that is freely given to
More informationResurrection Joy and Laughter
Easter Sunday April 1, 2018 The Rev. Deborah Woolsey Resurrection Joy and Laughter Church of the Good Shepherd, Athens, Ohio Ray Bradbury s classic 1962 spine chilling novel Something Wicked This Way Comes
More informationGospel Matthew 25:31-46
Gospel Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus said to his disciples: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before
More informationLakeside Sermons Lakeside Baptist Church Rocky Mount, North Carolina Elizabeth J. Edwards, Associate Minister
Lakeside Sermons Lakeside Baptist Church Rocky Mount, North Carolina Elizabeth J. Edwards, Associate Minister APRIL 16, 2017 Echoing Christ Matthew 28:1-10; Colossians 3:1-4; Ephesians 5:1-2 Considering
More informationTrinity Lutheran Church Contemporary Worship Service March 4, :45
Trinity Lutheran Church Contemporary Worship Service March 4, 2012 10:45 CALL TO WORSHIP L: Come, join the journey of Jesus today! C: We come in our different ways, walking in our own styles, at our own
More informationLiberating Words. Focus on Luke 4:21 30 PREPARING FOR THE SESSION. WHAT is important to know? WHERE is God in these words?
January 31, 2016 Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany Jer. 1:4 10 Ps. 71:1 6 1 Cor. 13:1 13 Luke 4:21 30 Goal for the Session Learning from Jesus rejection by his hometown, adults will consider ways to respond
More informationPage 1 of 6 Worship Worship Creekside Crossings Choirs and Music Sermons God Shows No Partiality Acts 10:34-43 Mark S. Bollwinkel In the second chapter of the Qur an, the sacred book of the Muslim faith,
More informationLearning to Love and Live like Jesus
Learning to Love and Live like Jesus Bob Setzer, Jr. Pastor Knollwood Baptist Church Winston Salem, NC www.knollwood.org January 27, 2019 1 Corinthians 12:12-18; Luke 4:14-21 I had a dear aunt, Aunt Catherine,
More informationA Word of Comfort December 7, 2014 Rev. Frank Allen First Presbyterian Church, Kissimmee, Florida
1 A Word of Comfort December 7, 2014 Rev. Frank Allen First Presbyterian Church, Kissimmee, Florida Is. 40:1 Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that
More informationLet us pray to live temperately, justly, and devoutly, as we await the glory of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD [CHRISTMAS] A5 Let us pray to live temperately, justly, and devoutly, as we await the glory of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Deacon/Cantor/Priest For the baptized and the ordained;
More informationCHRISTMAS EVE SERMON Luke 2:1-20
1 CHRISTMAS EVE SERMON Luke 2:1-20 First Lutheran Church Rev. Darrell J. Pedersen Aitkin, Minnesota December 24, 2015 On behalf of this First Lutheran faith family, I would like to welcome all guests,
More informationFrom the ELCA s Draft Social Statement on Women and Justice
From the ELCA s Draft Social Statement on Women and Justice NOTE: This document includes only the Core Convictions, Analysis of Patriarchy and Sexism, Resources for Resisting Patriarchy and Sexism, and
More informationSocial Justice Priorities
Social Justice Priorities What They Are These social issues are the foci of United Methodist Women s advocacy and mission work:! Women's Rights! Immigration! Health Care! Environment! Economic Justice!
More informationPARISH STUDY RESOURCE
PARISH STUDY RESOURCE October 2018 Study resources can be download at www.stpetersbribie.org.au This resource has been created for use in the Anglican Church Bribie Island for the use of individuals and
More informationv o i c e A Document for Dialogue and Study Report of the Task Force on Human Sexuality The Alliance of Baptists
The Alliance of Baptists Aclear v o i c e A Document for Dialogue and Study The Alliance of Baptists 1328 16th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 Telephone: 202.745.7609 Toll-free: 866.745.7609 Fax: 202.745.0023
More informationstarts with the same two stories every year: the story of the Magi visiting the Christ child and
Inaugural Events Luke 4: 14-21 January 20, 2013 We are now in the season of Epiphany. The season has the same bookends every year. It starts with the same two stories every year: the story of the Magi
More informationAnd WHAT IS OUR NEW IDENTITY AS CHRISTIANS? One answer is found in our gospel lesson for today, a scene I call the "last breakfast".
A NEW IDENTITY The Reverend R. Charles Grant, D.Min. Bon Air Presbyterian Church - Richmond, Virginia The Third Sunday in Easter April 29, 2001 Texts: John 21:1-19 Acts 9:1-20 Personality tests/inventories
More informationBlessings and Woes. Luke 6: 17-26
Blessings and Woes Luke 6: 17-26 It is amazing to me how God always gives us the word we need to hear in a particular time and in a particular place. Notice I did not say Want to hear. I said that God
More informationFourth Sunday in Lent [b]
Fourth Sunday in Lent [b] March 18, 2012 Readings 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23 Ephesians 2:4-10 John 3:14-21 [Some Catholic communities may opt to use the alternate A-cycle readings if they are celebrating
More informationPeacemaking and the Uniting Church
Peacemaking and the Uniting Church June 2012 Peacemaking has been a concern of the Uniting Church since its inception in 1977. As early as 1982 the Assembly made a major statement on peacemaking and has
More informationHow Does Jesus Use Power?
Westminster Presbyterian Church 1200 Marquette Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 332-3421 www.westminstermpls.org How Does Jesus Use Power? Timothy Hart-Andersen Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018 Psalm 82; John
More informationCatholic Social Teaching
Catholic Social Teaching 1891 1991 OHT 1 1891 Rerum Novarum (Leo XIII) (The Condition of Labour) 1931 Quadragesimo Anno (Pius XI) (The Reconstruction of the Social Order 40 th year) 1961 Mater et Magistra
More informationyouth, of the movie Sodom and Gomorrah. I say first viewing, when actually there was only one viewing- once was plenty for a movie that the Hollywood
Genesis 19:1-16 Saving One There are, I think, only three things I remember clearly from my first viewing, as a youth, of the movie Sodom and Gomorrah. I say first viewing, when actually there was only
More informationGood News, Good Riddance Luke 4:14-30
September 18, 2011 Pastor Mark Toone Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church Good News, Good Riddance Luke 4:14-30 Luke 4:14 is the beginning of the adult ministry of Jesus. 14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the
More informationAnd I would add, a life changing story for each of us!
WHY REPENT IN LENT? Psalm 25:1 5 and Mark 1:9 15 It was in an old country church in the mountains of North Carolina, one of the churches which still held a Prayer Meetin every Wednesday night for an hour
More informationMore Light. January 15, 2017: Epiphany II & Martin Luther King Memorial Sunday Tim Phillips, Guest Preacher at Newport Presbyterian Church
1 More Light Isaiah 49:1-7 January 15, 2017: Epiphany II & Martin Luther King Memorial Sunday Tim Phillips, Guest Preacher at Newport Presbyterian Church Isaiah 49:1-7 Listen to me, O coastlands, pay attention,
More informationWORKS OF MERCY SERVING CHRIST IN THE PERSON OF OUR NEIGHBOR
THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS TEENS ENCOUNTER CHRIST ** TEENS CHOOSE CHRIST WORKS OF MERCY SERVING CHRIST IN THE PERSON OF OUR NEIGHBOR Christ has no body on earth but ours, no hands, but ours, no feet, but ours.
More informationChanging Our Minds, While Keeping the Faith!
Changing Our Minds, While Keeping the Faith St. Olaf Chapel Talk for Monday, November 5, 2012 Bruce Nordstrom-Loeb (Department of Sociology & Anthropology) Opening hymn: #641 All Are Welcome (verses 1-3)
More informationTHE CASE FOR THE BELHAR CONFESSION
THE CASE FOR THE BELHAR CONFESSION By Dr. Jerry Tankersley Dear sisters and brothers, As a member of the General Assembly committee of 15 that recommended the Confession of Belhar to the 219 th General
More informationSTATEMENT FROM THE APPOINTIVE CABINET OF THE IOWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE, REV. ANNA BLAEDEL, and BISHOP LAURIE HALLER
STATEMENT FROM THE APPOINTIVE CABINET OF THE IOWA ANNUAL CONFERENCE, REV. ANNA BLAEDEL, and BISHOP LAURIE HALLER On April 4, 2017, the appointive cabinet of the Iowa Annual Conference filed a complaint
More information2 nd Easter Isaiah 56: RUMC
Today, we begin our new sermon series, this newspaper sermon series in which we read the news of the world around us and use the Bible to help us discern how we, as Christian people, should respond to
More informationon a mission! love god "! love people
on a mission! love god "! love people AN INTRODUCTION TO OUR COMMUNITY wh# s $si% From the Pastor 1 Who We Are 3 What We Believe 5 What We Do 7 Two Special Things 10 The Joy of Membership 12 Got Questions?
More informationJUSTICE AND JOY Luke October 16, 2016, Pledge Sunday Tim Phillips, Seattle First Baptist Church
JUSTICE AND JOY Luke 18.1-8 October 16, 2016, Pledge Sunday Tim Phillips, Seattle First Baptist Church Luke 18.1-8: The Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge Then Jesus told them a parable about their
More informationHomily for National Day of Prayer for Peace in Our Communities September 9, 2016 Feast of St. Peter Claver Most Rev. Dennis M.
1 Homily for National Day of Prayer for Peace in Our Communities September 9, 2016 Feast of St. Peter Claver Most Rev. Dennis M. Schnurr Today, as we gather to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Peter Claver,
More informationSeries: Justice and the Gospel 1 Texts: Is. 58:6-11 Valley Community Baptist Church Jan. 7/8, Does God Care About Injustice?
Series: Justice and the Gospel 1 Texts: Is. 58:6-11 Valley Community Baptist Church Jan. 7/8, 2017 Avon/Bristol, CT. Pastor Jay Abramson Does God Care About Injustice? A man on trial for murder found a
More informationHow Long Must I Cry for Help? Habakkuk 1: 1-4; 2-1-5
How Long Must I Cry for Help? Habakkuk 1: 1-4; 2-1-5 I will tell you this is probably the first time that I have ever preached on Habakkuk. I m not sure if I ever really knew where he was in our Bible
More informationA NEW AGAPE WORSHIP RESOURCES
A NEW AGAPE WORSHIP RESOURCES C1 RESOURCES FOR WORSHIP AND REFLECTION C2 SOME THOUGHTS BEFORE YOU LOOK AT THE RESOURCES THEMSELVES... For too long, European-Canadians have assumed cultural and religious
More informationSFBC January 20, 2019 Dr. Patricia L. Hunter Living a Public Theology
Page 1 SFBC January 20, 2019 Dr. Patricia L. Hunter Living a Public Theology Luke 4:14-21 Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. Entering the synagogue on the Sabbath, as was his habit,
More informationThe one outside the camp. Mark 1:21
The one outside the camp. Mark 1:21 Isaiah 53 Matthew 8:1-17 Responsive. Psalm 46:1-7 So today we are going to be picking up were we left off last week which is the beginning of Jesus teaching and healing
More informationAP PHOTO/JOSE LUIS MAGANA. Transgender Welcome. A Bishop Makes the Case for Affirmation. By Bishop Gene Robinson January
AP PHOTO/JOSE LUIS MAGANA Transgender Welcome A Bishop Makes the Case for Affirmation By Bishop Gene Robinson January 2016 WWW.AMERICANPROGRESS.ORG Preface This document is a love letter to the transgender
More informationWeek 1. Number of candles lit prior to service: 6. Introduction: Scripture reading: Matthew Reflection: Prayer:
Week 1 Number of candles lit prior to service: 6 Scripture reading: Matthew 4.-11 We extinguish the first candle (EXTINGUISH CANDLE), as we remember Jesus lonely trial in the desert. This account reveals
More informationRESURRECTED HOPE. Text: John 20:19-31
RESURRECTED HOPE Text: John 20:19-31 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and
More informationA World Communion Rev. Drew Stockstill, Oct. 4, 2015
A World Communion Rev. Drew Stockstill, Oct. 4, 2015 Revelation 7: 9-17 Morningside Presbyterian Church Morning Announcements Intro: Good morning and welcome to Morningside Presbyterian Church. At Morningside
More informationMULTI-DIMENSIONAL SPIRITUALITY Luke Ascension Sunday, May 28, 2017 Tim Phillips, Seattle First Baptist Church
MULTI-DIMENSIONAL SPIRITUALITY Luke 24.44-53 Ascension Sunday, May 28, 2017 Tim Phillips, Seattle First Baptist Church Luke 24.44-53 44 Then he said to them, These are my words that I spoke to you while
More informationAn Apology Liturgy to LGBTIQ People inspired by Pope Francis' call for an apology by the church
An Apology Liturgy to LGBTIQ People inspired by Pope Francis' call for an apology by the church THEME: To cry to God to be with us and strengthen us in a time that continues to silence those affected by
More informationThe BUILD text study for Thursday, January 21 st, 2016 Shiloh Baptist Church
The BUILD text study for Thursday, January 21 st, 2016 Shiloh Baptist Church Colleagues: Luke 4:14-21 will be the text under discussion at our BUILD Clergy Text Study on Thursday, January 21 st. I invite
More informationTitle: Because Somebody Loved Me Preacher: Rev. Anthony Makar Preached: At the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta on Oct.
Submission for the 2018 Skinner Sermon Award Title: Because Somebody Loved Me Preacher: Rev. Anthony Makar Preached: At the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta on Oct. 29, 2017 Because Somebody
More informationWe had so much fun with the baptism last week that I. forget to mention that we are now in the season of Epiphany.
WGUMC January 15, 2017 MLK, Jr. Day "The Prophet of Light" Isaiah 49:1-7 We had so much fun with the baptism last week that I forget to mention that we are now in the season of Epiphany. The word means
More information