Liturgy: Solomon's Wisdom - 1 Kings 3:5-26 (October 30, 2022)

*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Call to Worship

Leader: A heart true to the Lord does not desire wealth or victory.
People: We come before God seeking the Wisdom of Solomon.

Sermon: "Better Together", 1 Kings 3:5-26 (October 30, 2022)

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When I was very young – I don’t remember exactly how old, but the memory is fuzzy, so it must have been a long time ago – I learned an important lesson about paper currency. I think what had happened was that my mom had given me a one-dollar bill to take to the corner store so that my friend and I could get some candy (it’s hard to believe, but you could still get some types of candy for a few cents in those days). Now, I knew that the money was intended for us to share equally, and I didn’t want one of us to accidentally benefit from our resources unfairly. Although we were making the trip together, we’d be making our candy selections independently once we arrived, so I did what seemed to me to be the fairest solution: I ripped the bill in half.

Liturgy: David and Bathsheba - 1 Samuel 11:14-17, 26-27, 12:1-9 (October 23, 2022)

*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Call to Worship

Leader: Rejoice in the one who hears our cries!
People: Who offers forgiveness for our wrongdoing and answers our prayers!

Sermon: “Imperfect Confession”, 2 Samuel 11:14-17, 26-27, 12:1-9/Psalm 51 (October 23, 2022)

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2 Timothy[1] tells us that “Every scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character, so that the person who belongs to God can be equipped to do everything that is good.” The idea is, of course, that all scripture has value, and we shouldn’t throw out any passages just because we don’t like them. But in certain contexts, a Bible story hits a little too close to home and becomes harmful to hear. Many people struggle with today’s reading because it elicits painful memories; hearing about David’s terrible choices retraumatizes them. I want to remind these people that just because a passage is useful for teaching doesn’t mean that we’re always in a position to receive its lesson. If this story is difficult for you to sit with, it’s okay to take care of yourself by stepping away from it. Its lesson will still be there if and when it’s not so painful for you to hear.

Liturgy: Joshua Renews the Covenant - Joshua 24:1-26 (October 16, 2022)

*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Call to Worship

Leader: Hayyom, today, we set aside the false gods that are among us.
People: Hayyom, today, the Lord is the one we will serve.

Leader: Hayyom, today, we choose to focus our hearts on the God of Israel.
People: Hayyom, today, we will serve the Lord our God and obey him.
Leader: The Lord be with you!
People: [Respond with indicated gesture:] And also with you!
Leader: Let us worship the Lord.

Sermon: “Hayyom”, Joshua 24:1-26 (October 16, 2022)

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Today is a day I’ve been waiting almost 10 years for. Today, the lectionary has assigned the exact passage that I wrote my ordination exegesis exam on. (In case you didn’t know, ordination in the PCUSA requires prospective pastors to pass five different tests covering five different areas of ministry, including one on biblical interpretation – or “exegesis”.) Candidates for ministry have a full week to prepare and write the exam (much like when preparing for a sermon), and they can use whatever resources they have at their disposal as long as they’re cited properly. Back when I took the test in January of 2013, I still had access to the Theology library at Boston University, so I was able to do a ton of in-depth research and reflection on the 24th chapter of Joshua. I even put together a sermon outline as a requirement for the test. It was all solid work: I was in my final semester of seminary when I wrote it.

Liturgy: Covenant and Commandments - Exodus 19:3-7, 20:1-17 (October 9, 2022)

*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Call to Worship

Leader: Moses came down from Mount Sinai and set before the people all the words that the Lord commanded him.
People: May we have ears to hear them!

Leader: God has given us both covenant and commandments to bless our lives.
People: May we have the wisdom to receive them!
Leader: The Lord be with you!
People: [Respond with indicated gesture:] And also with you!
Leader: Let us worship the Lord.

Sermon: "Let Faithfulness Rain", Exodus 19:3-7, 20:1-17 (October 9, 2022)

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By the time we get to this point in the story of God’s people, we’ve learned a lot about the many benefits that come with being chosen by God – we’ve read about God’s deliverance in the stories of Noah, Joseph, and the parting of the Red Sea, we’ve read about the promises that God has made to humanity in general and to Abram specifically – but this is the first time we’ve encountered the RULES of being a people set apart by God. As it turns out, being God’s most precious possession comes with some obligations, and this is the first time that they’re formally laid out in Scripture.